「Then,doyourememberourpleasantwalkstoEnf?ield,andPotter』sBar,andWaltham,whenwehadaholiday—holidays,andallotherfun,aregonenowwearerich—andthelittlehand-basketinwhichIusedtodepositourday』sfareofsavorycoldlambandsalad—andhowyouwouldpryaboutatnoontideforsomedecenthouse,wherewemightgoinandproduceourstore—onlypayingforthealethatyoumustcallfor—andspeculateuponthelooksofthelandlady,andwhethershewaslikelytoallowusatablecloth—andwishforsuchanotherhonesthostessasIzaakWaltonhasdescribedmanyaoneonthepleasantblanksoftheLea,whenhewenta-f?ishing—antisometimestheywouldproveobligingenough,andsometimestheywouldlookgrudginglyuponus—butwehadcheerfullooksstillforoneanother,andwouldeatourplainfoodsavorily,scarcelygrudgingPiscatorhisTroutHall?Now—whenwegooutaday』spleasuring,whichisseldom,moreover,weridepartoftheway—andgointoaf?ineinn,andorderthebestofdinners,neverdebatingtheexpense—which,afterall,neverhashalftherelishofthosechancecountrysnaps,whenwewereatthemercyofuncertainusageandaprecariouswelcome.
「Youaretooproudtoseeaplayanywherenowbutinthepit.Doyourememberwhereitwasweusedtosit,whenwesawtheBattleofHexham,andtheSurrenderofCalais,andBannisterandMrs.BlandintheChildrenintheWood—whenwesqueezedoutourshillingsapiecetositthreeorfourtimesinaseasonintheone-shillinggallery—whereyoufeltallthetimethatyououghtnottohavebroughtme—andmorestronglyIfeltobligationtoyouforhavingbroughtme—andthepleasurewasthebetterforalittleshame—andwhenthecurtaindrewup,whatcaredweforourplaceinthehouse,orwhatmattereditwhereweweresitting,whenourthoughtswerewithRosalindinArden,orwithViolaattheCourtofIlyria.Youusedtosaythatthegallerywasthebestplaceofallforenjoyingaplaysocially—thattherelishofsuchexhibitionsmustbeinproportiontotheinfrequencyofgoing—thatthecompanywemetthere,notbeingingeneralreadersofplays,wereobligedtoattendthemore,anddidattend,towhatwasgoingon,onthestage—becauseawordlostwouldhavebeenachasm,whichitwasimpossibleforthemtof?illup.Withsuchref?lectionsweconsoledourpridethen—andIappealtoyouwhether,asawoman,ImetgenerallywithlessattentionandaccommodationthanIhavedonesinceinmoreexpensivesituationsinthehouse?Thegettinginindeed,andthecrowdingupthoseinconvenientstaircaseswasbadenough—buttherewasstillalawofcivilitytowomanrecognizedtoquiteasgreatanextentasweeverfoundintheotherpassages—andhowalittlediff?icultyovercomeheightenedthesnugseatandtheplay,afterwards!Nowwecanonlypayourmoneyandwalkin.Youcannotsee,yousay,inthegalleriesnow.Iamsurewesaw,andheardtoo,wellenoughthen—butsight,andall,Ithink,isgonewithourpoverty.」
我對古瓷器的偏愛甚至有些女性化。每次去大戶人家造訪，我都要求先看看瓷器架，然後才是畫廊。我改變不了這個欣賞的先後順序，只能說人人都有這樣或那樣的偏好，由於年代久遠不可能記得哪些是後天形成的。我還記得跟人看的第一齣戲、第一次展覽，但真不記得這些瓷壇瓷碟是何時進入我的思索空間的。
那些怪異的天藍色的小巧形體沒有規律可以琢磨，我當時就不曾反感，現在又怎麼會反感呢？在常人眼中，他們在那個沒有透視的世界——一個瓷茶杯上飄浮不定，不受任何局限。