man and superman-第14章
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TANNER。 Take care； Tavy。 The play with Ann as the heroine is all
right； but if you're not very careful； by Heaven she'll marry
you。
OCTAVIUS。 ＇sighing＇ No such luck； Jack！
TANNER。 Why； man； your head is in the lioness's mouth： you are
half swallowed alreadyin three bitesBite One； Ricky； Bite
Two； Ticky； Bite Three； Tavy； and down you go。
OCTAVIUS。 She is the same to everybody； Jack： you know her ways。
TANNER。 Yes： she breaks everybody's back with the stroke of her
paw； but the question is； which of us will she eat？ My own
opinion is that she means to eat you。
OCTAVIUS。 ＇rising； pettishly＇ It's horrible to talk like that
about her when she is upstairs crying for her father。 But I do so
want her to eat me that I can bear your brutalities because they
give me hope。
TANNER。 Tavy； that's the devilish side of a woman's fascination：
she makes you will your own destruction。
OCTAVIUS。 But it's not destruction： it's fulfilment。
TANNER。 Yes； of HER purpose； and that purpose is neither her
happiness nor yours； but Nature's。 Vitality in a woman is a blind
fury of creation。 She sacrifices herself to it： do you think she
will hesitate to sacrifice you？
OCTAVIUS。 Why； it is just because she is self…sacrificing that
she will not sacrifice those she loves。
TANNER。 That is the profoundest of mistakes； Tavy。 It is the
self…sacrificing women that sacrifice others most recklessly。
Because they are unselfish； they are kind in little things。
Because they have a purpose which is not their own purpose； but
that of the whole universe； a man is nothing to them but an
instrument of that purpose。
OCTAVIUS。 Don't be ungenerous； Jack。 They take the tenderest care
of us。
TANNER。 Yes； as a soldier takes care of his rifle or a musician
of his violin。 But do they allow us any purpose or freedom of our
own？ Will they lend us to one another？ Can the strongest man
escape from them when once he is appropriated？ They tremble when
we are in danger； and weep when we die； but the tears are not for
us； but for a father wasted； a son's breeding thrown away。 They
accuse us of treating them as a mere means to our pleasure； but
how can so feeble and transient a folly as a man's selfish
pleasure enslave a woman as the whole purpose of Nature embodied
in a woman can enslave a man？
OCTAVIUS。 What matter； if the slavery makes us happy？
TANNER。 No matter at all if you have no purpose of your own； and
are； like most men； a mere breadwinner。 But you； Tavy； are an
artist： that is； you have a purpose as absorbing and as
unscrupulous as a woman's purpose。
OCTAVIUS。 Not unscrupulous。
TANNER。 Quite unscrupulous。 The true artist will let his wife
starve； his children go barefoot； his mother drudge for his
living at seventy； sooner than work at anything but his art。 To
women he is half vivisector； half vampire。 He gets into intimate
relations with them to study them； to strip the mask of
convention from them； to surprise their inmost secrets； knowing
that they have the power to rouse his deepest creative energies；
to rescue him from his cold reason； to make him see visions and
dream dreams； to inspire him； as he calls it。 He persuades women
that they may do this for their own purpose whilst he really
means them to do it for his。 He steals the mother's milk and
blackens it to make printer's ink to scoff at her and glorify
ideal women with。 He pretends to spare her the pangs of
childbearing so that he may have for himself the tenderness and
fostering that belong of right to her children。 Since marriage
began； the great artist has been known as a bad husband。 But he
is worse： he is a child…robber； a bloodsucker； a hypocrite and a
cheat。 Perish the race and wither a thousand women if only the
sacrifice of them enable him to act Hamlet better； to paint a
finer picture； to write a deeper poem； a greater play； a
profounder philosophy！ For mark you； Tavy； the artist's work is
to show us ourselves as we really are。 Our minds are nothing but
this knowledge of ourselves； and he who adds a jot to such
knowledge creates new mind as surely as any woman creates new
men。 In the rage of that creation he is as ruthless as the woman；
as dangerous to her as she to him； and as horribly fascinating。
Of all human struggles there is none so treacherous and
remorseless as the struggle between the artist man and the mother
woman。 Which shall use up the other？ that is the issue between
them。 And it is all the deadlier because； in your romanticist
cant； they love one another。
OCTAVIUS。 Even if it were soand I don't admit it for a moment
it is out of the deadliest struggles that we get the noblest
characters。
TANNER。 Remember that the next time you meet a grizzly bear or a
Bengal tiger； Tavy。
OCTAVIUS。 I meant where there is love； Jack。
TANNER。 Oh； the tiger will love you。 There is no love sincerer
than the love of food。 I think Ann loves you that way： she patted
your cheek as if it were a nicely underdone chop。
OCTAVIUS。 You know； Jack； I should have to run away from you if I
did not make it a fixed rule not to mind anything you say。 You
come out with perfectly revolting things sometimes。
Ramsden returns； followed by Ann。 They come in quickly； with
their former leisurely air of decorous grief changed to one of
genuine concern； and； on Ramsden's part； of worry。 He comes
between the two men； intending to address Octavius； but pulls
himself up abruptly as he sees Tanner。
RAMSDEN。 I hardly expected to find you still here； Mr Tanner。
TANNER。 Am I in the way？ Good morning； fellow guardian ＇he goes
towards the door＇。
ANN。 Stop； Jack。 Granny： he must know； sooner or later。
RAMSDEN。 Octavius： I have a very serious piece of news for you。
It is of the most private and delicate natureof the most
painful nature too； I am sorry to say。 Do you wish Mr Tanner to
be present whilst I explain？
OCTAVIUS。 ＇turning pale＇ I have no secrets from Jack。
RAMSDEN。 Before you decide that finally； let me say that the news
concerns your sister； and that it is terrible news。
OCTAVIUS。 Violet！ What has happened？ Is shedead？
RAMSDEN。 I am not sure that it is not even worse than that。
OCTAVIUS。 Is she badly hurt？ Has there been an accident？
RAMSDEN。 No： nothing of that sort。
TANNER。 Ann： will you have the common humanity to tell us what
the matter is？
ANN。 ＇half whispering＇ I can't。 Violet has done something
dreadful。 We shall have to get her away somewhere。 ＇She flutters
to the writing table and sits in Ramsden's chair； leaving the
three men to fight it out between them＇。
OCTAVIUS。 ＇enlightened＇ Is that what you meant； Mr Ramsden？
RAMSDEN。 Yes。 ＇Octavius sinks upon a chair； crushed＇。 I am afraid
there is no doubt that Violet did not really go to Eastbourne
three weeks ago when we thought she was with the Parry
Whitefields。 And she called on a strange doctor yesterday with a
wedding ring on her finger。 Mrs。 Parry Whitefield met her there
by chance； and so the whole thing came out。
OCTAVIUS。 ＇rising with his fists clenched＇ Who is the scoundrel？
ANN。 She won't tell us。
OCTAVIUS。 ＇collapsing upon his chair again＇ What a frightful
thing！
TANNER。 ＇with angry sarcasm＇ Dreadful。 Appalling。 Worse than
death； as Ramsden says。 ＇He comes to Octavius＇。 What would you
not give； Tavy； to turn it into a railway accident； with all her
bones broken or something equally respectable and deserving of
sympathy？
OCTAVIUS。 Don't be brutal； Jack。
TANNER。 Brutal！ Good Heavens； man； what are you crying for？ Here
is a woman whom we all supposed to be making bad water color
sketches； practising Grieg and Brahms； gadding about to concerts
and parties； wasting her life and her money。 We suddenly learn
that she has turned from these sillinesses to the fulfilment of
her highest purpose and greatest functionto increase； multiply
and replenish the earth。 And instead of admiring her courage and
rejoicing in her instinct； instead of crowning the completed
womanhood and raising the triumphal strain of 〃Unto us a child is
born： unto us a son is given；〃 here you areyou who have been as
merry as Brigs in your mourning for the deadall pulling long
faces and looking as a
