解説　場面 13「四時の来客」

"Lord Robert St. Simon," announced our page-boy, throwing open the door. A gentleman entered, with a pleasant, cultured face, high-nosed and pale, with something perhaps of petulance about the mouth, and with the steady, well-opened eye of a man whose pleasant lot it had ever been to command and to be obeyed. His manner was brisk, and yet his general appearance gave an undue impression of age, for he had a slight forward stoop and a little bend of the knees as he walked. His hair, too, as he swept off his very curly-brimmed hat, was grizzled round the edges and thin upon the top. As to his dress, it was careful to the verge of foppishness, with high collar, black frock-coat, white waistcoat, yellow gloves, patent-leather shoes, and light-coloured gaiters. He advanced slowly into the room, turning his head from left to right, and swinging in his right hand the cord which held his golden eyeglasses.

「ロバート・セント・サイモン卿でございます」と、小姓が扉を大きく開いて告げた。入ってきた紳士は、鼻筋が高く青白い、感じのよい洗練された顔立ちで、口元にはやや気難しさがあるように見えたが、その大きく開いた揺るぎない目は、命令し、従われることが当然という恵まれた境遇を常に送ってきた人物のものだった。物腰はきびきびしていたが、歩くときに少し前かがみになり、膝もわずかに曲がっていたため、全体の姿は実際以上に年老いた印象を与えた。ひどく反り返ったつばの帽子を脱ぐと、髪も周囲は白髪まじりで、頭頂部は薄くなっていた。服装はしゃれ者すれすれまで入念で、高い襟、黒いフロックコート、白いチョッキ、黄色い手袋、エナメル革の靴、淡い色のゲートルを身につけていた。彼は左右へ顔を向けながらゆっくり部屋へ進み、金の眼鏡につながる紐を右手で揺らしていた。