tea-table talk-第7章

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ll　her　powers　to　counteract　the　result　of　deviation　from　her　laws。　Were　it　the　rule；　then　the　bad　mother　would　be　the　good　mother　and　the　good　mother　the　bad　mother。　　And〃

〃Please　don't　go　on；〃　said　the　Woman　of　the　World。　　〃I　was　up　late　last　night。〃

〃I　was　merely　going　to　show；〃　explained　the　Minor　Poet；　〃that　all　roads　lead　to　the　law　that　the　good　mother　is　the　best　mother。　　Her　duty　is　to　her　children；　to　guard　their　infancy；　to　take　thought　for　their　equipment。〃

〃Do　you　seriously　ask　us　to　believe；〃　demanded　the　Old　Maid；　〃that　the　type　of　woman　who　does　marry　for　money　considers　for　a　single　moment　any　human　being　but　herself？〃

〃Not　consciously；　perhaps；〃　admitted　the　Minor　Poet。　　〃Our　instincts；　that　they　may　guide　us　easily；　are　purposely　made　selfish。　　The　flower　secretes　honey　for　its　own　purposes；　not　with　any　sense　of　charity　towards　the　bee。　　Man　works；　as　he　thinks；　for　beer　and　baccy；　in　reality；　for　the　benefit　of　unborn　generations。　The　woman；　in　acting　selfishly；　is　assisting　Nature's　plans。　　In　olden　days　she　chose　her　mate　for　his　strength。　　She；　possibly　enough；　thought　only　of　herself；　he　could　best　provide　for　her　then　simple　wants；　best　guard　her　from　the　disagreeable　accidents　of　nomadic　life。　　But　Nature；　unseen；　directing　her；　was　thinking　of　the　savage　brood　needing　still　more　a　bold　protector。　　Wealth　now　is　the　substitute　for　strength。　　The　rich　man　is　the　strong　man。　　The　woman's　heart　unconsciously　goes　out　to　him。〃

〃Do　men　never　marry　for　money？〃　inquired　the　Girton　Girl。　　〃I　ask　merely　for　information。　　Maybe　I　have　been　misinformed；　but　I　have　heard　of　countries　where　the　dot　is　considered　of　almost　more　importance　than　the　bride。〃

〃The　German　officer；〃　I　ventured　to　strike　in；　〃is　literally　on　sale。　　Young　lieutenants　are　most　expensive；　and　even　an　elderly　colonel　costs　a　girl　a　hundred　thousand　marks。〃

〃You　mean；〃　corrected　the　Minor　Poet；　〃costs　her　father。　　The　Continental　husband　demands　a　dowry　with　his　wife；　and　sees　that　he　gets　it。　　He　in　his　turn　has　to　save　and　scrape　for　years　to　provide　each　of　his　daughters　with　the　necessary　dot。　　It　comes　to　the　same　thing　precisely。　　Your　argument　could　only　apply　were　woman　equally　with　man　a　wealth　producer。　　As　it　is；　a　woman's　wealth　is　invariably　the　result　of　a　marriage；　either　her　own　or　that　of　some　shrewd　ancestress。　　And　as　regards　the　heiress；　the　principle　of　sale　and　purchase；　if　I　may　be　forgiven　the　employment　of　common　terms；　is　still　more　religiously　enforced。　　It　is　not　often　that　the　heiress　is　given　away；　stolen　she　may　be　occasionally；　much　to　the　indignation　of　Lord　Chancellors　and　other　guardians　of　such　property；　the　thief　is　very　properly　punishedimprisoned；　if　need　be。　　If　handed　over　legitimately；　her　price　is　strictly　exacted；　not　always　in　moneythat　she　possesses　herself；　maybe　in　sufficiency；　it　enables　her　to　bargain　for　other　advantages　no　less　serviceable　to　her　childrenfor　title；　place；　position。　　In　the　same　way　the　Neolithic　woman；　herself　of　exceptional　strength　and　ferocity；　may　have　been　enabled　to　bestow　a　thought　upon　her　savage　lover's　beauty；　his　prehistoric　charm　of　manner；　thus　in　other　directions　no　less　necessary　assisting　the　development　of　the　race。〃

〃I　cannot　argue　with　you；〃　said　the　Old　Maid。　　〃I　know　one　case。　They　were　both　poor；　it　would　have　made　no　difference　to　her；　but　it　did　to　him。　　Maybe　I　am　wrong；　but　it　seems　to　me　that；　as　you　say；　our　instincts　are　given　us　to　guide　us。　　I　do　not　know。　　The　future　is　not　in　our　hands；　it　does　not　belong　to　us。　　Perhaps　it　were　wiser　to　listen　to　the　voices　that　are　sent　to　us。〃

〃I　remember　a　case；　also；〃　said　the　Woman　of　the　World。　　She　had　risen　to　prepare　the　tea；　and　was　standing　with　her　back　to　us。　'Like　the　woman　you　speak　of；　she　was　poor；　but　one　of　the　sweetest　creatures　I　have　ever　known。　　I　cannot　help　thinking　it　would　have　been　good　for　the　world　had　she　been　a　mother。〃

〃My　dear　lady；〃　cried　the　Minor　Poet；　〃you　help　me！〃

〃I　always　do；　according　to　you；〃　laughed　the　Woman　of　the　World。　　〃I　appear　to　resemble　the　bull　that　tossed　the　small　boy　high　into　the　apple…tree　he　had　been　trying　all　the　afternoon　to　climb。〃

〃It　is　very　kind　of　you；〃　answered　the　Minor　Poet。　　〃My　argument　is　that　woman　is　justified　in　regarding　marriage　as　the　end　of　her　existence；　the　particular　man　as　but　a　means。　　The　woman　you　speak　of　acted　selfishly；　rejecting　the　crown　of　womanhood　because　not　tendered　to　her　by　hands　she　had　chosen。〃

〃You　would　have　us　marry　without　love？〃　asked　the　Girton　Girl。

〃With　love；　if　possible；〃　answered　the　Minor　Poet；　〃without；　rather　than　not　at　all。　　It　is　the　fulfilment　of　the　woman's　law。〃

〃You　would　make　of　us　goods　and　chattels；〃　cried　the　Girton　Girl。

〃I　would　make　of　you　what　you　are；〃　returned　the　Minor　Poet；　〃the　priestesses　of　Nature's　temple；　leading　man　to　the　worship　of　her　mysteries。　　An　American　humorist　has　described　marriage　as　the　craving　of　some　young　man　to　pay　for　some　young　woman's　board　and　lodging。　　There　is　no　escaping　from　this　definition；　let　us　accept　it。　　It　is　beautifulso　far　as　the　young　man　is　concerned。　　He　sacrifices　himself；　deprives　himself；　that　he　may　give。　　That　is　love。　　But　from　the　woman's　point　of　view？　　If　she　accept　thinking　only　of　herself；　then　it　is　a　sordid　bargain　on　her　part。　　To　understand　her；　to　be　just　to　her；　we　must　look　deeper。　　Not　sexual；　but　maternal　love　is　her　kingdom。　　She　gives　herself　not　to　her　lover；　but　through　her　lover　to　the　great　Goddess　of　the　Myriad　Breasts　that　shadows　ever　　with　her　guardian　wings　Life　from　the　outstretched　hand　of　Death。〃

〃She　may　be　a　nice　enough　girl　from　Nature's　point　of　view；〃　said　the　Old　Maid；　〃personally；　I　shall　never　like　her。〃



CHAPTER　IV



〃What　is　the　time？〃　asked　the　Girton　Girl。

I　looked　at　my　watch。　　〃Twenty　past　four；〃　I　answered。

〃Exactly？〃　demanded　the　Girton　Girl。

〃Precisely；〃　I　replied。

〃Strange；〃　murmured　the　Girton　Girl。　　〃There　is　no　accounting　for　it；　yet　it　always　is　so。〃

〃What　is　there　no　accounting　for？〃　I　inquired。　　〃What　is　strange？〃

〃It　is　a　German　superstition；〃　explained　the　Girton　Girl；　〃I　learnt　it　at　school。　　Whenever　complete　silence　falls　upon　any　company；　it　is　always　twenty　minutes　past　the　hour。〃

〃Why　do　we　talk　so　much？〃　demanded　the　Minor　Poet。

〃As　a　matter　of　fact；〃　observed　the　Woman　of　the　World；　〃I　don't　think　we　donot　we；　personally；　not　much。　　Most　of　our　time　we　appear　to　be　listening　to　you。〃

〃Then　why　do　I　talk　so　much；　if　you　prefer　to　put　it　that　way？〃　continued　the　Minor　Poet。　　〃If　I　talked　less；　one　of　you　others　would　have　to　talk　more。〃

〃There　would　be　that　advantage　about　it；〃　agreed　the　Philosopher。

〃In　all　probability；　you；〃　returned　to　him　the　Minor　Poet。　　〃Whether　as　a　happy　party　we　should　gain　or　lose　by　the　exchange；　it　is　not　for　me　to　say；　though　I　have　my　own　opinion。　　The　essential　remains…　…that　the　stream　of　chatter　must　be　kept　perpetually　flowing。　　Why？〃

〃There　is　a　man　I　know；〃　I　said；　〃you　may　have　met　him；　a　man　named　Longrush。　　He　is　not　exactly　a　bore。　　A　bore　expects　you　to　listen　to　him。　　This　man　is　apparently　unaware　whether　you　are　listening　to　him　or　not。　　He　is　not　a　fool。　　A　fool　is　occasionally　amusing　Longrush　never。　　No　subject　comes　amiss　to　him。　　Whatever　the　topic；　he　has　something　uninteresting　to　say　about　it。　　He　talks　as　a　piano…organ　grinds　out　music　steadily；　strenuously；　tirelessly。　　The　moment　you　stand　or　sit　him　down　he　begins；　to　continue　ceaselessly　till　wheeled　away　in　cab　or　omnibus　to　his　next　halting…place。　　As　in　the　case　of　his　prototype；　his　rollers　are　changed　about　once　a　month　to　suit　the　popular　taste。　　In　January　he　repeats　to　you　Dan　Leno's　jokes；　and　gives　you　other　people's　opinions　concerning　the　Old　Masters　at　the　Guild…hall。　　In　June　he　recounts　at　length　what　is　generally　thought　concerning　the　Academy；　and　agrees　with　most　people　on　most　points　connected　with　the　Opera。　　If　forgetful　for　a　momentas　an　Englishman　may　be　excused　for　beingwhether　it　be　summer　or　winter；　one　may　assure　oneself　by　waiting　to　see　whether　Longrush　is　enthusing　over　cricket　or　football。　　He　is　always　up…to…　date。　　The　last　new　Shakespeare；