Пробный камень
II
ThesympathyofthecleverestwomaninHillbridgewasbalmtohiscravingfordistinction:itwaspublicconfirmationofhissecretsensethathewascutoutforabiggerplace.ItmustnotbeunderstoodthatGlennardwasvain.Vanitycontentsitselfwiththecoarsestdiet;thereisnopalatesofastidiousasthatofself-distrust.ToayouthofGlennard’saspirationstheencouragementofacleverwomanstoodforthesymbolofallsuccess.Later,whenhehadbeguntofeelhisway,togainafoothold,hewouldnotneedsuchsupport;butitservedtocarryhimlightlyandeasilyoverwhatisoftenaperiodofinsecurityanddiscouragement.
Itwouldbeunjust,however,torepresenthisinterestinMrs.Aubynasamatterofcalculation.Itwasasinstinctiveaslove,anditmissedbeinglovebyjustsuchahair-breadthdeflectionfromthelineofbeautyashaddeterminedthecurveofMrs.Aubyn’slips.Whentheymetshehadjustpublishedherfirstnovel,andGlennard,whoafterwardhadanambitiousman’simpatienceofdistinguishedwomen,wasyoungenoughtobedazzledbythesemi-publicityitgaveher.Itwasthekindofbookthatmakeselderlyladieslowertheirvoicesandcalleachother“mydear”whentheyfurtivelydiscussit;andGlennardexultedinthesuperiorknowledgeoftheworldthatenabledhimtotakeasamatterofcoursesentimentsoverwhichtheuniversityshookitshead.StillmoredelightfulwasittohearMrs.Aubynwakentheechoesofacademicdrawing-roomswithaudacitiessurpassingthoseofherprintedpage.
