tea-table talk-第11章

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verything　he　wanted　ready　packed　for　a　week；　waiting　for　him　at　the　railway　stationjust　told　her　he　was　going　to　play　a　game　of　dominoes；　and　that　she　was　not　to　sit　up　for　him；　kissed　her　and　the　child　good…　night；　andwell；　that　was　the　last　she　ever　saw　of　him。　　Did　Madame　ever　hear　the　like　of　it？'　concluded　Jeanne；　throwing　up　her　hands　to　heaven。　　'I　am　sorry　to　say；　Jeanne；　that　I　have；'　replied　my　sweet　Madame　with　a　sigh；　and　led　the　conversation　by　slow　degrees　back　to　the　subject　of　dinner。　　I　turned　to　her　when　Jeanne　had　left　the　room。　　I　can　remember　still　the　burning　indignation　of　my　face。　I　had　often　spoken　to　the　man　myself；　and　had　thought　what　a　delightful　husband　he　wasso　kind；　so　attentive；　so　proud；　seemingly；　of　his　dainty　femme。　　'Doesn't　that　prove　what　I　say；'　I　cried；　'that　men　are　beasts？'　　'I　am　afraid　it　helps　in　that　direction；'　replied　my　old　friend。　　'And　yet　you　defend　them；'　I　answered。　　'At　my　age；　my　dear；'　she　replied；　'one　neither　defends　nor　blames；　one　tries　to　understand。'　　She　put　her　thin　white　hand　upon　my　head。　　'Shall　we　hear　a　little　more　of　the　story？'　she　said。　'It　is　not　a　pleasant　one；　but　it　may　be　useful　to　us。'　　'I　don't　want　to　hear　any　more　of　it；'　I　answered；　'I　have　heard　enough。'　'It　is　sometimes　well；'　she　persisted；　'to　hear　the　whole　of　a　case　before　forming　our　judgment。'　　And　she　rang　the　bell　for　Jeanne。　'That　story　about　our　little　grocer　friend；'　she　said'it　is　rather　interesting　to　me。　　Why　did　he　leave　her　and　run　awaydo　you　know？'　Jeanne　shrugged　her　ample　shoulders。　　'Oh！　the　old　story；　Madame；'　she　answered；　with　a　short　laugh。　　'Who　was　she？'　asked　my　friend。　'The　wife　of　Monsieur　Savary；　the　wheelwright；　as　good　a　husband　as　ever　a　woman　had。　　It's　been　going　on　for　months；　the　hussy！'　'Thank　you；　that　will　do；　Jeanne。'　　She　turned　again　to　me　so　soon　as　Jeanne　had　left　the　room。　　'My　dear；'　she　said；　'whenever　I　see　a　bad　man；　I　peep　round　the　corner　for　the　woman。　　Whenever　I　see　a　bad　woman；　I　follow　her　eyes；　I　know　she　is　looking　for　her　mate。　Nature　never　makes　odd　samples。'〃

〃I　cannot　help　thinking；〃　said　the　Philosopher；　〃that　a　good　deal　of　harm　is　being　done　to　the　race　as　a　whole　by　the　overpraise　of　women。〃

〃Who　overpraises　them？〃　demanded　the　Girton　Girl。　　〃Men　may　talk　nonsense　to　usI　don't　know　whether　any　of　us　are　foolish　enough　to　believe　itbut　I　feel　perfectly　sure　that　when　they　are　alone　most　of　their　time　is　occupied　in　abusing　us。〃

〃That　is　hardly　fair；〃　interrupted　the　Old　Maid。　　〃I　doubt　if　they　do　talk　about　us　among　themselves　as　much　as　we　think。　　Besides；　it　is　always　unwise　to　go　behind　the　verdict。　　Some　very　beautiful　things　have　been　said　about　women　by　men。〃

〃Well；　ask　them；〃　said　the　Girton　Girl。　　〃Here　are　three　of　them　present。　　Now；　honestly；　when　you　talk　about　us　among　yourselves；　do　you　gush　about　our　virtue；　and　goodness；　and　wisdom？〃

〃'Gush；'〃　said　the　Philosopher；　reflecting；　〃'gush'　would　hardly　be　the　correct　word。〃

〃In　justice　to　the　truth；〃　I　said；　〃I　must　admit　our　Girton　friend　is　to　a　certain　extent　correct。　　Every　man　at　some　time　of　his　life　esteems　to　excess　some　one　particular　woman。　　Very　young　men；　lacking　in　experience；　admire　perhaps　indiscriminately。　　To　them；　anything　in　a　petticoat　is　adorable：　　the　milliner　makes　the　angel。　And　very　old　men；　so　I　am　told；　return　to　the　delusions　of　their　youth；　but　as　to　this　I　cannot　as　yet　speak　positively。　　The　rest　of　uswell；　when　we　are　alone；　it　must　be　confessed；　as　our　Philosopher　says；　that　'gush'　is　not　the　correct　word。〃

〃I　told　you　so；〃　chortled　the　Girton　Girl。

〃Maybe；〃　I　added；　〃it　is　merely　the　result　of　reaction。　　Convention　insists　that　to　her　face　we　show　her　a　somewhat　exaggerated　deference。　　Her　very　follies　we　have　to　regard　as　added　charmsthe　poets　have　decreed　it。　　Maybe　it　comes　as　a　relief　to　let　the　pendulum　swing　back。〃

〃But　is　it　not　a　fact；〃　asked　the　Old　Maid；　〃that　the　best　men　and　even　the　wisest　are　those　who　have　held　women　in　most　esteem？　　Do　we　not　gauge　civilization　by　the　position　a　nation　accords　to　its　women？〃

〃In　the　same　way　as　we　judge　them　by　the　mildness　of　their　laws；　their　tenderness　for　the　weak。　　Uncivilised　man　killed　off　the　useless　numbers　of　the　tribe；　we　provide　for　them　hospitals；　almshouses。　　Man's　attitude　towards　woman　proves　the　extent　to　which　he　has　conquered　his　own　selfishness；　the　distance　he　has　travelled　from　the　law　of　the　ape：　　might　is　right。

〃Please　don't　misunderstand　me；〃　pleaded　the　Philosopher；　with　a　nervous　glance　towards　the　lowering　eyebrows　of　the　Girton　Girl。　　〃I　am　not　saying　for　a　moment　woman　is　not　the　equal　of　man；　indeed；　it　is　my　belief　that　she　is。　　I　am　merely　maintaining　she　is　not　his　superior。　　The　wise　man　honours　woman　as　his　friend；　his　fellow…　labourer；　his　complement。　　It　is　the　fool　who　imagines　her　unhuman。〃

〃But　are　we　not　better；〃　persisted　the　Old　Maid；　〃for　our　ideals？　　I　don't　say　we　women　are　perfectplease　don't　think　that。　　You　are　not　more　alive　to　our　faults　than　we　are。　　Read　the　women　novelists　from　George　Eliot　downwards。　　But　for　your　own　sakeis　it　not　well　man　should　have　something　to　look　up　to；　and　failing　anything　better？〃

〃I　draw　a　very　wide　line；〃　answered　the　Philosopher；　〃between　ideals　and　delusions。　　The　ideal　has　always　helped　man；　but　that　belongs　to　the　land　of　his　dreams；　his　most　important　kingdom；　the　kingdom　of　his　future。　　Delusions　are　earthly　structures；　that　sooner　or　later　fall　about　his　ears；　blinding　him　with　dust　and　dirt。　　The　petticoat…governed　country　has　always　paid　dearly　for　its　folly。〃

〃Elizabeth！〃　cried　the　Girton　Girl。　　〃Queen　Victoria！〃

〃Were　ideal　sovereigns；〃　returned　the　Philosopher；　〃leaving　the　government　of　the　country　to　its　ablest　men。　　France　under　its　Pompadours；　the　Byzantine　Empire　under　its　Theodoras；　are　truer　examples　of　my　argument。　　I　am　speaking　of　the　unwisdom　of　assuming　all　women　to　be　perfect。　　Belisarius　ruined　himself　and　his　people　by　believing　his　own　wife　to　be　an　honest　woman。〃

〃But　chivalry；〃　I　argued；　〃has　surely　been　of　service　to　mankind？〃

〃To　an　immense　extent；〃　agreed　the　Philosopher。　　〃It　seized　a　natural　human　passion　and　turned　it　to　good　uses。　　Then　it　was　a　reality。　　So　once　was　the　divine　right　of　kings；　the　infallibility　of　the　Church；　for　cumbering　the　ground　with　the　lifeless　bodies　of　which　mankind　has　paid　somewhat　dearly。　　Not　its　upstanding　lies　they　can　be　faced　and　defeatedbut　its　dead　truths　are　the　world's　stumbling…blocks。　　To　the　man　of　war　and　rapine；　trained　in　cruelty　and　injustice；　the　woman　was　the　one　thing　that　spoke　of　the　joy　of　yielding。　　Woman；　as　compared　with　man；　was　then　an　angel：　　it　was　no　mere　form　of　words。　　All　the　tender　offices　of　life　were　in　her　hands。　　To　the　warrior；　his　life　divided　between　fighting　and　debauchery；　his　womenfolk　tending　the　sick；　helping　the　weak；　comforting　the　sorrowing；　must　have　moved　with　white　feet　across　a　world　his　vices　had　made　dark。　　Her　mere　subjection　to　the　priesthood；　her　inborn　feminine　delight　in　form　and　ceremonynow　an　influence　narrowing　her　charitymust　then；　to　his　dim　eyes；　trained　to　look　upon　dogma　as　the　living　soul　of　his　religion；　have　seemed　a　halo；　deifying　her。　　Woman　was　then　the　servant。　　It　was　naturally　to　her　advantage　to　excite　tenderness　and　mercy　in　man。　　Since　she　has　become　the　mistress　of　the　world。　　It　is　no　longer　her　interested　mission　to　soften　his　savage　instincts。　　Nowadays；　it　is　the　women　who　make　war；　the　women　who　exalt　brute　force。　　Today；　it　is　the　woman　who；　happy　herself；　turns　a　deaf　ear　to　the　world's　low　cry　of　pain；　holding　that　man　honoured　who　would　ignore　the　good　of　the　species　to　augment　the　comforts　of　his　own　particular　family；　holding　in　despite　as　a　bad　husband　and　father　the　man　whose　sense　of　duty　extends　beyond　the　circle　of　the　home。　　One　recalls　Lady　Nelson's　reproach　to　her　lord　after　the　battle　of　the　Nile。　　'I　have　married　a　wife；　and　therefore　cannot　come；'　is　the　answer　to　his　God　that　many　a　woman　has　prompted　to　her　lover's　tongue。　　I　was　speaking　to　a　woman　only　the　other　day　about　the　cruelty　of　skinning　seals　alive。　　'I　feel　so　sorry　for　the　poor　creatures；'　she　murmured；　'but　they　say　it　gives　s