第2章

Wehadalsothereanotherlion，alioncub，entitledtoroaralittle，andofhimalsoImustsaysomething。CharlesO\'Brienwasayoungman，abouttwenty-fiveyearsofage，whohadsentoutfromhisstudiointheprecedingyearacertainbust，supposedbyhisadmirerstobeunsurpassedbyanyeffortofancientormoderngenius。Iamnojudgeofsculpture，andwillnot，therefore，pronounceanopinion；butmanywhoconsideredthemselvestobejudges，declaredthatitwasa"goodishheadandshoulders，"andnothingmore。Imerelymentionthefact，asitwasonthestrengthofthatheadandshouldersthatO\'BrienseparatedhimselffromathrongofotherssuchashimselfinRome，walkedsolitaryduringthedays，andthrewhimselfatthefeetofvariousladieswhenthedayswereover。Hehadriddenontheshouldersofhisbustintoaprominentplaceinourcircle，andthereencounteredmuchfeminineadmirationfromMrs。GeneralTalboysandothers。

SomeeighteenortwentyofususedtomeeteverySundayeveninginMrs。Mackinnon\'sdrawing-room。Manyofus，indeed，wereinthehabitofseeingeachotherdaily，andofvisitingtogetherthehauntsinRomewhicharebestlovedbyart-lovingstrangers；buthere，inthisdrawing-room，weweresuretocometogether，andherebeforetheendofNovember，Mrs。Talboysmightalwaysbefound，notinanyaccustomedseat，butmovingabouttheroomasthedifferentmalementalattractionsofoursocietymightchancetomovethemselves。ShewasatfirstgreatlytakenbyMackinnon，whoalsowas，Ithink，alittlestirredbyheradmiration，thoughhestoutlydeniedthecharge。Shebecame，however，verydeartousallbeforesheleftus，andcertainlyweowedtoherourlove，forsheaddedinfinitelytothejoysofourwinter。

"Ihavecomeheretorefreshmyself，"shesaidtoMackinnononeeveningtoMackinnonandmyself；forwewerestandingtogether。

"ShallIgetyoutea？"saidI。

"Andwillyouhavesomethingtoeat？"Mackinnonasked。

"No，no，no；"sheanswered。"Tea，yes；butforHeaven\'ssakeletnothingsoliddispeltheassociationsofsuchameetingasthis！"

"Ithoughtyoumighthavedinedearly，"saidMackinnon。NowMackinnonwasamanwhoseowndinnerwasverydeartohim。Ihaveseenhimbecomehastyandunpleasant，evenunderthepillarsoftheForum，whenhethoughtthatthepartywereplacinghisfishinjeopardybytheirdesiretolingertheretoolong。

"Early！Yes。No；Iknownotwhenitwas。Onedinesandsleepsinobediencetothatdullclaywhichweighsdownsogenerallytheparticleofourspirit。Buttheclaymaysometimesbeforgotten。

HereIcanalwaysforgetit。"

"Ithoughtyouaskedforrefreshment，"Isaid。Sheonlylookedatme，whosesmallattemptsatprosecompositionhad，uptothattime，beenaltogetherunsuccessful，andthenaddressedherselfinreplytoMackinnon。

"Itistheairwhichwebreathethatfillsourlungsandgivesuslifeandlight。Itisthatwhichrefreshesusifpure，orsinksusintostagnationifitbefoul。Letmeforawhileinhalethebreathofaninvigoratingliterature。Sitdown，Mr。Mackinnon；IhaveaquestionthatImustputtoyou。"Andthenshesucceededincarryinghimoffintoacorner。AsfarasIcouldseehewentwillinglyenoughatthattime，thoughhesoonbecameaversetoanylongretirementincompanywithMrs。Talboys。

Wenoneofusquiteunderstoodwhatwereherexactideasonthesubjectofrevealedreligion。Somebody，Ithink，hadtoldherthattherewereamongusoneortwowhoseopinionswerenotexactlyorthodoxaccordingtothedoctrinesoftheestablishedEnglishchurch。Ifso，shewasdeterminedtoshowusthatshealsowasadvancedbeyondtheprejudicesofanoldanddryschooloftheology。

"Ihavethrowndownallthebarriersofreligion，"shesaidtopoorMrs。Mackinnon，"andamlookingforthesentimentsofapureChristianity。"

"Throwndownallthebarriersofreligion！"saidMrs。Mackinnon，inatoneofhorrorwhichwasnotappreciated。

"Indeed，yes，"saidMrs。Talboys，withanexultingvoice。"Arenotthedaysforsuchtrammelsgoneby？"

"ButyetyouholdbyChristianity？"

"ApureChristianity，unstainedbybloodandperjury，byhypocrisyandverbosegenuflection。CanInotworshipandsaymyprayersamongtheclouds？"Andshepointedtotheloftyceilingandthehandsomechandelier。

"ButIdagoestochurch，"saidMrs。Mackinnon。IdaTalboyswasherdaughter。Now，itmaybeobserved，thatmanywhothrowdownthebarriersofreligion，sofarasthosebarriersmayaffectthemselves，stillmaintainthemonbehalfoftheirchildren。"Yes，"

saidMrs。Talboys；"dearIda！hersoftspiritisnotyetadaptedtoreceivetheperfecttruth。Weareobligedtogovernchildrenbythestrengthoftheirprejudices。"Andthenshemovedaway，foritwasseldomthatMrs。Talboysremainedlonginconversationwithanylady。

Mackinnon，Ibelieve，soonbecametiredofher。Helikedherflattery，andatfirstdeclaredthatshewascleverandnice；buthernicenesswastoopurelycelestialtosatisfyhismundanetastes。

Mackinnonhimselfcanrevelamongthecloudsinhisownwritings，andcanleaveussometimesindoubtwhetherheevermeanstocomebacktoearth；butwhenhisfootisonterrafirma，helovestofeeltheearthlysubstratumwhichsupportshisweight。Withwomenhelikesahandthatcanremainanunnecessarymomentwithinhisown，aneyethatcanglistenwiththesparkleofchampagne，aheartweakenoughtomakeitsowner\'sarmtremblewithinhisownbeneaththemoonlightgloomoftheColiseumarches。Adashofsentimentthewhilemakesallthesethingsthesweeter；butthesentimentalonewillnotsufficeforhim。Mrs。Talboysdid，Ibelieve，drinkherglassofchampagne，asdootherladies；butwithherithadnosuchpleasingeffect。Itloosenedonlyhertongue，butneverhereye。

Herarm，Ithink，nevertrembled，andherhandneverlingered。TheGeneralwasalwayssafe，andhappy，perhaps，inhissolitarysafety。

Itsohappenedthatwehadunfortunatelyamongustwoartistswhohadquarrelledwiththeirwives。O\'Brien，whomIhavebeforementioned，wasoneofthem。Inhiscase，Ibelievehimtohavebeenalmostasfreefromblameasamancanbewhosemarriagewasinitselfafault。However，hehadawifeinIrelandsometenyearsolderthanhimself；andthoughhemightsometimesalmostforgetthefact，hisfriendsandneighbourswerewellawareofit。Intheothercasethewholefaultprobablywaswiththehusband。Hewasanill-tempered，bad-heartedman，cleverenough，butwithoutprinciple；

andhewascontinuallyguiltyofthegreatsinofspeakingevilofthewomanwhosenameheshouldhavebeenanxioustoprotect。InbothcasesourfriendMrs。Talboystookawarminterest，andineachofthemshesympathisedwiththepresenthusbandagainsttheabsentwife。

OftheconsolationwhichsheofferedinthelatterinstanceweusedtohearsomethingfromMackinnon。Hewouldrepeattohiswife，andtomeandmywife，theconversationswhichshehadwithhim。"PoorBrown；"shewouldsay，"Ipityhim，withmyveryheart\'sblood。"

"Youareawarethathehascomfortedhimselfinhisdesolation，"

Mackinnonreplied。

"Iknowverywelltowhatyouallude。IthinkImaysaythatIamconversantwithallthecircumstancesofthisheart-blightingsacrifice。"Mrs。Talboyswasapttoboastofthethoroughconfidencereposedinherbyallthoseinwhomshetookaninterest。