《道林格雷的画像》第11章

he　old　gentleman；　〃what　brings　you　out　so　early？　i　thought　you　dandies　never　got　up　till　two；　and　were　not　visible　till　five。〃
〃pure　family　affection；　i　assure　you；　uncle　george。　i　want　to　get　something　out　of　you。〃
〃money；　i　suppose；〃　said　lord　fermor；　making　a　wry　face。　〃well；　sit　down　and　tell　me　all　about　it。　young　people；　nowadays；　imagine　that　money　is　everything。〃
〃yes；〃　murmured　lord　henry；　settling　his　button…hole　in　his　coat；　〃and　when　they　grow　older　they　know　it。　but　i　dont　want　money。　it　is　only　people　who　pay　their　bills　who　want　that；　uncle　george；　and　i　never　pay　mine。　credit　is　the　capital　of　a　younger　son；　and　one　lives　charmingly　upon　it。　besides；　i　always　deal　with　dartmoors　tradesmen；　and　consequently　they　never　bother　me。　what　i　want　is　information：　not　useful　information；　of　course；　useless　information。〃
〃well；　i　can　tell　you　anything　that　is　in　an　english　blue　book；　harry；　although　those　fellows　nowadays　write　a　lot　of　nonsense。　when　i　was　in　the　diplomatic；　things　were　much　better。　but　i　hear　they　let　them　in　now　by　examination。　what　can　you　expect？　examinations；　sir；　are　pure　humbug　from　beginning　to　end。　if　a　man　is　a　gentleman；　he　knows　quite　enough；　and　if　he　is　not　a　gentleman；　whatever　he　knows　is　bad　for　him。〃
〃mr。　dorian　gray　does　not　belong　to　blue　books；　uncle　george；〃　said　lord　henry　languidly。
〃mr。　dorian　gray？　who　is　he？〃　asked　lord　fermor；　knitting　his　bushy　white　eyebrows。
〃that　is　what　i　have　e　to　learn；　uncle　george。　or　rather；　i　know　who　he　is。　he　is　the　last　lord　kelsos　grandson。　his　mother　was　a　devereux；　lady　margaret　devereaux。　i　want　you　to　tell　me　about　his　mother。　what　was　she　like？　whom　did　she　marry？　you　have　known　nearly　everybody　in　your　time；　so　you　might　have　known　her。　i　am　very　much　interested　in　mr。　gray　at　present。　i　have　only　just　met　him。〃
〃kelsos　grandson！〃　echoed　the　old　gentleman。　〃kelsos　grandson！　。。。　of　course。。。。　i　knew　his　mother　intimately。　i　believe　i　was　at　her　christening。　she　was　an　extraordinarily　beautiful　girl；　margaret　devereux；　and　made　all　the　men　frantic　by　running　away　with　a　penniless　young　fellow……　a　mere　nobody；　sir；　a　subaltern　in　a　foot　regiment；　or　something　of　that　kind。　certainly。　i　remember　the　whole　thing　as　if　it　happened　yesterday。　the　poor　chap　was　killed　in　a　duel　at　spa　a　few　months　after　the　marriage。　there　was　an　ugly　story　about　it。　they　said　kelso　got　some　rascally　adventurer；　some　belgian　brute；　to　insult　his　son…in…law　in　public……paid　him；　sir；　to　do　it；　paid　him……　and　that　the　fellow　spitted　his　man　as　if　he　had　been　a　pigeon。　the　thing　was　hushed　up；　but；　egad；　kelso　ate　his　chop　alone　at　the　club　for　some　time　afterwards。　he　brought　his　daughter　back　with　him；　i　was　told；　and　she　never　spoke　to　him　again。　oh；　yes；　it　was　a　bad　business。　the　girl　died；　too；　died　within　a　year。　so　she　left　a　son；　did　she？　i　had　forgotten　that。　what　sort　of　boy　is　he？　if　he　is　like　his　mother；　he　must　be　a　good…looking　chap。〃
〃he　is　very　good…looking；〃　assented　lord　henry。
〃i　hope　he　will　fall　into　proper　hands；〃　continued　the　old　man。　〃he　should　have　a　pot　of　money　waiting　for　him　if　kelso　did　the　right　thing　by　him。　his　mother　had　money；　too。　all　the　selby　property　came　to　her；　through　her　grandfather。　her　grandfather　hated　kelso；　thought　him　a　mean　dog。　he　was；　too。　came　to　madrid　once　when　i　was　there。　egad；　i　was　ashamed　of　him。　the　queen　used　to　ask　me　about　the　english　noble　who　was　always　quarrelling　with　the　cabmen　about　their　fares。　they　made　quite　a　story　of　it。　i　didnt　dare　show　my　face　at　court　for　a　month。　i　hope　he　treated　his　grandson　better　than　he　did　the　jarvies。〃
〃i　dont　know；〃　answered　lord　henry。　〃i　fancy　that　the　boy　will　be　well　off。　he　is　not　of　age　yet。　he　has　selby；　i　know。　he　told　me　so。　and　。　。　。　his　mother　was　very　beautiful？〃
〃margaret　devereux　was　one　of　the　loveliest　creatures　i　ever　saw；　harry。　what　on　earth　induced　her　to　behave　as　she　did；　i　never　could　understand。　she　could　have　married　anybody　she　chose。　carlington　was　mad　after　her。　she　was　romantic；　though。　all　the　women　of　that　family　were。　the　men　were　a　poor　lot；　but；　egad！　the　women　were　wonderful。　carlington　went　on　his　knees　to　her。　told　me　so　himself。　she　laughed　at　him；　and　there　wasnt　a　girl　in　london　at　the　time　who　wasnt　after　him。　and　by　the　way；　harry；　talking　about　silly　marriages；　what　is　this　humbug　your　father　tells　me　about　dartmoor　wanting　to　marry　an　american？　aint　english　girls　good　enough　for　him？〃
〃it　is　rather　fashionable　to　marry　americans　just　now；　uncle　george。〃
〃ill　back　english　women　against　the　world；　harry；〃　said　lord　fermor；　striking　the　table　with　his　fist。
〃the　betting　is　on　the　americans。〃
〃they　dont　last；　i　am　told；〃　muttered　his　uncle。
〃a　long　engagement　exhausts　them；　but　they　are　capital　at　a　steeplechase。　they　take　things　flying。　i　dont　think　dartmoor　has　a　chance。〃
〃who　are　her　people？〃　grumbled　the　old　gentleman。　〃has　she　got　any？〃
lord　henry　shook　his　head。　〃american　girls　are　as　clever　at　concealing　their　parents；　as　english　women　are　at　concealing　their　past；〃　he　said；　rising　to　go。
〃they　are　pork…packers；　i　suppose？〃
〃i　hope　so；　uncle　george；　for　dartmoors　sake。　i　am　told　that　pork…packing　is　the　most　lucrative　profession　in　america；　after　politics。〃
〃is　she　pretty？〃
〃she　behaves　as　if　she　was　beautiful。　most　american　women　do。　it　is　the　secret　of　their　charm。〃
〃why　cant　these　american　women　stay　in　their　own　country？　they　are　always　telling　us　that　it　is　the　paradise　for　women。〃
〃it　is。　that　is　the　reason　why；　like　eve；　they　are　so　excessively　anxious　to　get　out　of　it；〃　said　lord　henry。　〃good…bye；　uncle　george。　i　shall　be　late　for　lunch；　if　i　stop　any　longer。　thanks　for　giving　me　the　information　i　wanted。　i　always　like　to　know　everything　about　my　new　friends；　and　nothing　about　my　old　ones。〃
〃where　are　you　lunching；　harry？〃
〃at　aunt　agathas。　i　have　asked　myself　and　mr。　gray。　he　is　her　latest　protégée。〃
〃humph！　tell　your　aunt　agatha；　harry；　not　to　bother　me　any　more　with　her　charity　appeals。　i　am　sick　of　them。　why；　the　good　woman　thinks　that　i　have　nothing　to　do　but　to　write　cheques　for　her　silly　fads。〃
〃all　right；　uncle