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第26章 送行 1（第1页）

第26章送行（1）

SeeingPeopleoff

麦克斯·毕尔勃姆MaxBeerbohm

Iamnotgoodatit。Todoitwellseemstomeodiff？igsintherobablyseemssotoyou，too。

ToseeafriendofffromWaterlootoVauxhallwereeasyenough。Butwearenevertoperformthatsmallfeat。Itisonlywhenafriendisgoingonalongishjourney，afuishtime，thatweturnupattherailwaystatiohefriehejourhelohelikelyabseheearlierdoweturnup，andthemorelamentablydowefail。Ourfailureisiiototheseriousheo，ah。

Inaroom，orevenonadoorstep，wemakethefarewellquiteworthily。ressihegenuinesorrowwefeel。Nordowordsfailus。Thereisnoawkwardness，，ohethreadofourintimaotbeeheleave-takingisanidealo，theheleave-takingatthat？Alartingfriendsimploreusnottobothertoetotherailwaystatiom。Always，wearedeaftotheseeies，kobenotquitesiingfriendswouldthinkitveryoddofusifwetookthemattheirword。Besides，theyreallydowanttoseeusagain。Andthatwishisheartilyreciprocated。Wedulyturnup。Ahen，whatagulfyawsvainlyacrossit。Wehaveutterlylosttouch。Wehavenothingatalltosay。Wegazeateachotherasdumbanimalsgazeathumanbeings。We“makeversation”—andsuversatiohatthesefriehefriendsfromwhomwepartedht。Theyknowthatwehave，onthesurface，everythingisdifferent；aensionissuchthatweonlyluardtoblowhisutahefarce。

OnaoflastweekIdulyturEuston，toseeoffanoldfriendwhforAmerica。

&，wehadgivenhimafarewelldinner，inwhiesswaswellmihfestivity。Yearsprobablysebeforehisreturn。Someofusmightneverseehimagain。Ntheshadowofthefuture，wegailycelebratedthepast。Wewereasthankfultohaveknuestasweweregrievedtolosehim；andboththeseemotionsweremademaerfectfarewell。

Andnoere，stiffandself-stheplatform；ahewindowoftherailway-carriagewasthefaceofourfriend；butitwasasthefaceer—astrangeranxioustoplease，aranger，anawkwardstranger。“Haveyoug？”askedoneasilehing，”aidourfriend，leasahied，withtheemphasisofaybrain。“You’llbeabletolurain，”saidI，thoughtheprophecyhadalreadybeehanonce。“Oh，yes，”hesaidwith。HeaddedthatthetrairaightthroughtoLiverpool。Thisfactseemedtostrikeusasratherodd。WeexgedglastopatCrewe？”askedoneofus。“No，”saidourfriend，brief？ly。Heseemedalmostdisagreeable。Thereause。Oneofus，withanodandaforcedsmileatthetraveler，said“Well！”Thenod，thesmileandtheunmeaningmonosyllable，werereturnedtiously。Anotherpausewasbrokenbyoneofuswithaf？itofg。Itwasanobviouslyassumedf？it，butitservedtopassthetime。Thebustleoftheplatformwasuherewasnosigraiure。Release—ours，andourfriend’s—was。

Mywaedolymiddle-agedmanwhowastalkilyfromtheplatformtoayoungladyatthewindowbutooours。Hisf？ineprof？ilewasvaguelyfamiliartome。TheyoungladywasevidentlyAmeridhewasevidentlyEnglish；otherwiseIshouldhaveguessedfromhisimpressiveairthathewasherfather。IwishedIcouldhearwhathewassaying。Iwassurehewasgiviadvidthestrongtendernessofhisgazewasreallybeautiful。Heseemedmagic，ashepouredouthisf？inalinjuns。Icouldfeelsomethingofhismagismeveood。Aism，liketheprof？ile，wasvaguelyfamiliartome。erie？

Inaf？lashIremembered。ThemaLeRos。ButhowgedsiIsawhim！Thatwasseveyearsago，irahen（asusual）outofa，andborrowedhalf-a-。Itseemedaprivilegetolendanythingtohim。HewasalwaysmagidwhyhismagismhadnevermadehimsuctheLondonstagewasalwaysamysterytome。Hewasaor，andama。But，likemanyothersofhiskiLeRos（Idonot，ivetheaamebyn）driftedspeedilyawayintotheprovindI，likeeveryoneelse，berhim。