第52部分(第6/7 頁)

ws？　It　means　the

Absolute　World；　and　can　never　be　more　than　half　interpreted　in

terms　of　the　relative　world。

But　must　one　apply　the　speech　literally？　Was　her　father　a

rich　man？　Couldn't　he　get　to　heaven？　Or　was　he　only　a　half…rich

man？　Or　was　he　merely　a　poor　man？　At　any　rate；　unless　he　gave

everything　away　to　the　poor；　he　would　find　it　much　harder　to　get

to　heaven。　The　needle's　eye　would　be　too　tight　for　him。　She

almost　wished　he　were　penniless　poor。　If　one　were　ing　to　the

base　of　it；　any　man　was　rich　who　was　not　as　poor　as　the

poorest。

She　had　her　qualms；　when　in　imagination　she　saw　her　father

giving　away　their　piano　and　the　two　cows；　and　the　capital　at　the

bank；　to　the　labourers　of　the　district；　so　that　they；　the

Brangwens；　should　be　as　poor　as　the　Wherrys。　And　she　did　not

want　it。　She　was　impatient。

〃Very　well；〃　she　thought；　〃we'll　forego　that　heaven；　that's

all……at　any　rate　the　needle's　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　Raphael's　〃Dispute　of　the　Sacrament〃　or　Fra　Angelico's　〃Last

Judgment〃　or　the　beautiful；　plicated　renderings　o