the poet at the breakfast table-第51章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


was　incessantly　raising　its　arms　as　if　towards　heaven　and　clasping
them　together；　as　though　it　were　wrestling　in　prayer。

Do　look　at　this　creature；I　said　to　the　Master；　he　seems　to　be　very
hard　at　work　at　his　devotions。

Mantas　religiosa；said　the　Master；I　know　the　praying　rogue。
Mighty　devout　and　mighty　cruel；　crushes　everything　he　can　master；　or
impales　it　on　his　spiny　shanks　and　feeds　upon　it；　like　a　gluttonous
wretch　as　he　is。　　I　have　seen　the　Mantis　religiosa　on　a　larger　scale
than　this；　now　and　then。　　A　sacred　insect；　sir；sacred　to　many
tribes　of　men；　to　the　Hottentots；　to　the　Turks；　yes；　sir；　and　to　the
Frenchmen；　who　call　the　rascal　prie　dieu；　and　believe　him　to　have
special　charge　of　children　that　have　lost　their　way。

Doesn't　it　seem　as　if　there　was　a　vein　of　satire　as　well　as　of　fun
that　ran　through　the　solemn　manifestations　of　creative　wisdom？　　And
of　deception　toodo　you　see　how　nearly　those　dried　leaves　resemble
an　insect？

They　do；　indeed；I　answered；but　not　so　closely　as　to　deceive　me。
They　remind　me　of　an　insect；　but　I　could　not　mistake　them　for　one。

Oh；　you　couldn't　mistake　those　dried　leaves　for　an　insect；　hey？
Well；　how　can　you　mistake　that　insect　for　dried　leaves？　　That　is　the
question；　for　insect　it　is；phyllum　siccifolium；　the　〃walking　leaf；〃
as　some　have　called　it。　The　Master　had　a　hearty　laugh　at　my
expense。

The　Scarabee　did　not　seem　to　be　amused　at　the　Master's　remarks　or　at
my　blunder。　　Science　is　always　perfectly　serious　to　him；　and　he　would
no　more　laugh　over　anything　connected　with　his　study；　than　a
clergyman　would　laugh　at　a　funeral。

They　send　me　all　sorts　of　trumpery；he　said；　Orthoptera　and
Lepidoptera；　as　if　a　coleopterista　scarabeeistcared　for　such
things。　　This　business　is　no　boy's　play　to　me。　　The　insect　population
of　the　world　is　not　even　catalogued　yet；　and　a　lifetime　given　to　the
scarabees　is　a　small　contribution　enough　to　their　study。　　I　like　your
men　of　general　intelligence　well　enough；your　Linnwuses　and　your
Buffons　and　your　Cuviers；　but　Cuvier　had　to　go　to　Latreille　for　his
insects；　and　if　Latreille　had　been　able　to　consult　me；yes；　me；
gentlemen！he　would　n't　have　made　the　blunders　he　did　about　some　of
the　coleoptera。

The　old　Master；　as　I　think　you　must　have　found　out　by　this　time；
you；　Beloved；　I　mean；　who　read　every　word；has　a　reasonably　good
opinion；　as　perhaps　he　has　a　right　to　have；　of　his　own　intelligence
and　acquirements。　　The　Scarabee's　exultation　and　glow　as　he　spoke　of
the　errors　of　the　great　entomologist　which　he　himself　could　have
corrected；　had　the　effect　on　the　old　Master　which　a　lusty　crow　has
upon　the　feathered　champion　of　the　neighboring　barnyard。　　He　too　knew
something　about　insects。　　Had　he　not　discovered　a；　new　tabanus？　　Had
he　not　made　preparations　of　the　very　coleoptera　the　Scarabee　studied
so　exclusively；preparations　which　the　illustrious　Swammerdam　would
not　have　been　ashamed　of；　and　dissected　a　melolontha　as　exquisitely
as　Strauss　Durckheim　himself　ever　did　it？　　So　the　Master；　recalling
these　studies　of　his　and　certain　difficult　and　disputed　points　at
which　he　had　labored　in　one　of　his　entomological　paroxysms；　put　a
question　which　there　can　be　little　doubt　was　intended　to　puzzle　the
Scarabee；　and　perhaps；for　the　best　of　us　is　human　（I　am　beginning
to　love　the　old　Master；　but　he　has　his　little　weaknesses；　thank
Heaven；　like　the　rest　of　us）；I　say　perhaps；　was　meant　to　show　that
some　folks　knew　as　much　about　some　things　as　some　other　folks。

The　little　dried…up　specialist　did　not　dilate　into　fighting
dimensions　asperhaps；　againthe　Master　may　have　thought　he　would。
He　looked　a　mild　surprise；　but　remained　as　quiet　as　one　of　his　own
beetles　when　you　touch　him　and　he　makes　believe　he　is　dead。　　The
blank　silence　became　oppressive。　　Was　the　Scarabee　crushed；　as　so
many　of　his　namesakes　are　crushed；　under　the　heel　of　this　trampling
omniscient？

At　last　the　Scarabee　creaked　out　very　slowly；　〃Did　I　understand　you
to　ask　the　following　question；　to　wit？〃　and　so　forth；　for　I　was　quite
out　of　my　depth；　and　only　know　that　he　repeated　the　Master's　somewhat
complex　inquiry；　word　for　word。

That　was　exactly　my　question；said　the　Master；and　I　hope　it　is
not　uncivil　to　ask　one　which　seems　to　me　to　be　a　puzzler。

Not　uncivil　in　the　least；said　the　Scarabee；　with　something　as　much
like　a　look　of　triumph　as　his　dry　face　permitted；not　uncivil　at
all；　but　a　rather　extraordinary　question　to　ask　at　this　date　of
entomological　history。　　I　settled　that　question　some　years　ago；　by　a
series　of　dissections；　six…and…thirty　in　number；　reported　in　an　essay
I　can　show　you　and　would　give　you　a　copy　of；　but　that　I　am　a　little
restricted　in　my　revenue；　and　our　Society　has　to　be　economical；　so　I
have　but　this　one。　　You　see；　sir；and　he　went　on　with　elytra　and
antennae　and　tarsi　and　metatarsi　and　tracheae　and　stomata　and　wing…
muscles　and　leg…muscles　and　ganglions；all　plain　enough；　I　do　not
doubt；　to　those　accustomed　to　handling　dor…bugs　and　squash…bugs　and
such　undesirable　objects　of　affection　to　all　but　naturalists。

He　paused　when　he　got　through；　not　for　an　answer；　for　there　evidently
was　none；　but　to　see　how　the　Master　would　take　it。　　The　Scarabee　had
had　it　all　his　own　way。

The　Master　was　loyal　to　his　own　generous　nature。　　He　felt　as　a
peaceful　citizen　might　feel　who　had　squared　off　at　a　stranger　for
some　supposed　wrong；　and　suddenly　discovered　that　he　was　undertaking
to　chastise　Mr。　Dick　Curtis；　〃the　pet　of　the　Fancy；〃　or　Mr。　Joshua
Hudson；　〃the　John　Bull　fighter。〃

He　felt　the　absurdity　of　his　discomfiture；　for　he　turned　to　me　good…
naturedly；　and　said；

　　　　〃Poor　Johnny　Raw！　　What　madness　could　impel
　　　　　So　rum　a　flat　to　face　so　prime　a　swell？〃

To　tell　the　truth；　I　rather　think　the　Master　enjoyed　his　own　defeat。
The　Scarabee　had　a　right　to　his　victory；　a　man　does　not　give　his　life
to　the　study　of　a　single　limited　subject　for　nothing；　and　the　moment
we　come　across　a　first…class　expert　we　begin　to　take　a　pride　in　his
superiority。　　It　cannot　offend　us；　who　have　no　right　at　all　to　be　his
match　on　his　own　ground。　　Besides；　there　is　a　very　curious　sense　of
satisfaction　in　getting　a　fair　chance　to　sneer　at　ourselves　and　scoff
at　our　own　pretensions。　　The　first　person　of　our　dual　consciousness
has　been　smirking　and　rubbing　his　hands　and　felicitating　himself　on
his　innumerable　superiorities；　until　we　have　grown　a　little　tired　of
him。　　Then；　when　the　other　fellow；　the　critic；　the　cynic；　the　Shimei；
who　has　been　quiet；　letting　self…love　and　self…glorification　have
their　perfect　work；　opens　fire　upon　the　first　half　of　our　personality
and　overwhelms　it　with　that　wonderful　vocabulary　of　abuse　of　which　he
is　the　unrivalled　master；　there　is　no　denying　that　he　enjoys　it
immensely；　and　as　he　is　ourself　for　the　moment；　or　at　least　the　chief
portion　of　ourself　（the　other　half…self　retiring　into　a　dim　corner　of
semiconsciousness　and　cowering　under　the　storm　of　sneers　and
contumely；you　follow　me　perfectly；　Beloved；the　way　is　as　plain　as
the　path　of　the　babe　to　the　maternal　fount）；　as；　I　say；　the　abusive
fellow　is　the　chief　part　of　us　for　the　time；　and　he　likes　to　exercise
his　slanderous　vocabulary；　we　on　the　whole　enjoy　a　brief　season　of
self…depreciation　and　self…scolding　very　heartily。

It　is　quite　certain　that　both　of　us；　the　Master　and　myself；　conceived
on　the　instant　a　respect　for　the　Scarabee　which　we　had　not　before
felt。　　He　had　grappled　with　one　difficulty　at　any　rate　and　mastered
it。　　He　had　settled　one　thing；　at　least；　so　it　appeared；　in　such　a
way　that　it　was　not　to　be　brought　up　again。　　And　now　he　was
determined；　if　it　cost　him　the　effort　of　all　his　remaining　days；　to
close　another　discussion　and　put　forever　to　rest　the　anxious　doubts
about　the　larva　of　meloe。

Your　thirty…six　dissections　must　have　cost　you　a　deal　of　time　and
labor；the　Master　said。

What　have　I　to　do　with　time；　but　to　fill　it　up　with　labor？
answered　the　Scarabee。…It　is　my　meat　and　drink　to　work　over　my
beetles。　　My　holidays　are　when　I　get　a　rare　specimen。　　My　rest　is　to
watch　the　habits　of　insects；　those　that　I　do　not　pretend　to　study。
Here　is　my　muscarium；　my　home　for　house…flies；　very　interesting