小说园

第52部分（第5页）

all……at　any　rate　the　needles　eye　sort。〃　And　she　dismissed

the　problem。　She　was　not　going　to　be　as　poor　as　the　Wherrys；　not

for　all　the　sayings　on　earth……the　miserable　squalid

Wherrys。

So　she　reverted　to　the　non…literal　application　of　the

scriptures。　Her　father　very　rarely　read；　but　he　had　collected

many　books　of　reproductions；　and　he　would　sit　and　look　at　these；

curiously　intent；　like　a　child；　yet　with　a　passion　that　was　not

childish。　He　loved　the　early　Italian　painters；　but　particularly

Giotto　and　Fra　Angelico　and　Filippo　Lippi。　The　great

positions　cast　a　spell　over　him。　How　many　times　had　he　turned

to　Raphaels　〃Dispute　of　the　Sacrament〃　or　Fra　Angelicos　〃Last

Judgment〃　or　the　beautiful；　plicated　renderings　of　the

Adoration　of　the　Magi；　and　always；　each　time；　he　received　the

same　gradual　fulfilment　of　delight。　It　had　to　do　with　the

establishment　of　a　whole　mystical；　architectural　conception

which　used　the　human　figure　as　a　unit。　Sometimes　he　had　to　hurry

home；　and　go　to　the　Fra　Angelico　〃Last　Judgment〃。　The　pathway　of

open　graves；　the　huddled　earth　on　either　side；　the　seemly　heaven

arranged　above；　the　singing　process　to　paradise　on　the　one　hand；

the　stuttering　descent　to　hell　on　the　other；　pleted　and

satisfied　him。　He　did　not　care　whether　or　not　he　believed　in

devils　or　angels。　The　whole　conception　gave　him　the　deepest

satisfaction；　and　he　wanted　nothing　more。

Ursula；　accustomed　to　these　pictures　from　her　childhood；

hunted　out　their　detail。　She　adored　Fra　Angelicos　flowers　and

light　and　angels；　she　liked　the　demons　and　enjoyed　the　hell。　But

the　representation　of　the　encircled　God；　surrounded　by　all　the

angels　on　high；　suddenly　bored　her。　The　figure　of　the　Most　High

bored　her；　and　roused　her　resentment。　Was　this　the　culmination

and　the　meaning　of　it　all；　this　draped；　null　figure？　The　angels

were　so　lovely；　and　the　light　so　beautiful。　And　only　for　this；

to　surround　such　a　banality　for　God！

She　was　dissatisfied；　but　not　fit　as　yet　to　criticize。　There

was　yet　so　much　to　wonder　over。　Winter　came；　pine　branches　were

torn　down　in　the　snow；　the　green　pine　needles　looked　rich　upon

the　ground。　There　was　the　wonderful；　starry；　straight　track　of　a

pheasants　footsteps　across　the　snow　imprinted　so　clea