philosophy 4-第3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！



objects　to　themselvesI　wonder　how　far　that　does　go？〃　he　broke　off

musingly。　　〃What　useless　stuff！〃　he　ended。



〃Gentlemen；〃　said　Oscar；　who　had　been　listening　to　them　with　patient；

Oriental　diversion；　〃I〃



〃Oh；〃　said　Bertie；　remembering　him。　　〃Look　here。　　We　mustn't　keep　you

up。　We're　awfully　obliged　for　the　way　you　are　putting　us　on　to　this。

You're　saving　our　lives。　　Ten　to…morrow　for　a　grand　review　of　the　whole

course。〃



〃And　the　multiplicity　of　the　ego？〃　inquired　Oscar。



〃Oh；　I　forgot。　　Well；　it's　too　late　tonight。　　Is　it　much？　　Are　there

many　dates　and　names　and　things？〃



〃It　is　more　of　a　general　inquiry　and　analysis；〃　replied　Oscar。　　〃But　it

is　forty　pages　of　my　notes。〃　　And　he　smiled。

　　　〃Well；　look　here。　　It　would　be　nice　to　have　to…morrow　clear　for

review。　　We're　not　tired。　　You　leave　us　your　notes　and　go　to　bed。〃



Oscar's　hand　almost　moved　to　cover　and　hold　his　precious　property；　for

this　instinct　was　the　deepest　in　him。　　But　it　did　not　so　move；　because

his　intelligence　controlled　his　instinct　nearly；　though　not　quite；

always。　　His　shiny　little　eyes；　however；　became　furtive　and

antagonisticsomething　the　boys　did　not　at　first　make　out。



Oscar　gave　himself　a　moment　of　silence。　　〃I　could　not　brreak　my　rule；〃

said　he　then。　　〃I　do　not　ever　leave　my　notes　with　anybody。　　Mr。

Woodridge　asked　for　my　History　3　notes；　and　Mr。　Bailey　wanted　my　notes

for　Fine　Arts　1；　and　I　could　not　let　them　have　them。　　If　Mr。　Woodridge

was　to　hear〃



〃But　what　in　the　dickens　are　you　afraid　of？〃



〃Well；　gentlemen；　I　would　rather　not。　　You　would　take　good　care；　I　know；

but　there　are　sometimes　things　which　happen　that　we　cannot　help。　One

time　a　fire〃



At　this　racial　suggestion　both　boys　made　the　room　joyous　with　mirth。

Oscar　stood　uneasily　contemplating　them。　　He　would　never　be　able　to

understand　them；　not　as　long　as　he　lived；　nor　they　him。　　When　their

mirth　Was　over　he　did　somewhat　better；　but　it　was　tardy。　　You　see；　he

was　not　a　specimen　of　the　first　rank；　or　he　would　have　said　at　once　what

he　said　now：　〃I　wish　to　study　my　notes　a　little　myself；　gentlemen。〃



〃Go　along；　Oscar；　with　your　inflammable　notes；　go　along！〃　said　Bertie；

in　supreme　good…humor。　　〃And　we'll　meet　to…morrow　at　tenif　there

hasn't　been　a　fireBetter　keep　your　notes　in　the　bath；　Oscar。〃



In　as　much　haste　as　could　be　made　with　a　good　appearance；　Oscar　buckled

his　volume　in　its　leather　cover；　gathered　his　hat　and　pencil；　and；

bidding　his　pupils　a　very　good　night；　sped　smoothly　out　of　the　room。









III







Oscar　Maironi　was　very　poor。　　His　thin　gray　suit　in　summer　resembled　his

thick　gray　suit　in　winter。　　It　does　not　seem　that　he　had　more　than　two；

but　he　had　a　black　coat　and　waistcoat；　and　a　narrow…brimmed；　shiny　hat

to　go　with　these；　and　one　pair　of　patent…leather　shoes　that　laced；　and

whose　long　soles　curved　upward　at　the　toe　like　the　rockers　of　a

summer…hotel　chair。　　These　holiday　garments　served　him　in　all　seasons；

and　when　you　saw　him　dressed　in　them；　and　seated　in　a　car　bound　for　Park

Square；　you　knew　he　was　going　into　Boston；　where　he　would　read

manuscript　essays　on　Botticelli　or　Pico　della　Mirandola；　or　manuscript

translations　of　Armenian　folksongs；　read　these　to　ecstatic；　dim…eyed

ladies　in　Newbury　Street；　who　would　pour　him　cups　of　tea　when　it　was

over；　and　speak　of　his　earnestness　after　he　was　gone。　　It　did　not　do　the

ladies　any　harm；　but　I　am　not　sure　that　it　was　the　best　thing　for　Oscar。

It　helped　him　feel　every　day；　as　he　stepped　along　to　recitations　with

his　elbow　clamping　his　books　against　his　ribs　and　his　heavy　black　curls

bulging　down　from　his　gray　slouch　hat　to　his　collar；　how　meritorious　he

was　compared　with　Bertie　and　Billywith　all　Berties　and　Billies。　　He

may　have　been。　　Who　shall　say？　　But　I　will　say　at　once　that　chewing　the

cud　of　one's　own　virtue　gives　a　sour　stomach。



Bertie's　and　Billy's　parents　owned　town　and　country　houses　in　New　York。

The　parents　of　Oscar　had　come　over　in　the　steerage。　　Money　filled　the

pockets　of　Bertie　and　Billy；　therefore　were　their　heads　empty　of　money

and　full　of　less　cramping　thoughts。　　Oscar　had　fallen　upon　the　reverse

of　this　fate。　　Calculation　was　his　second　nature。　　He　had　given　his

education　to　himself；　he　had　for　its　sake　toiled；　traded；　outwitted；　and

saved。　　He　had　sent　himself　to　college；　where　most　of　the　hours　not

given　to　education　and　more　education；　went　to　toiling　and　more　toiling；

that　he　might　pay　his　meagre　way　through　the　college　world。　　He　had　a

cheaper　room　and　ate　cheaper　meals　than　was　necessary。　　He　tutored；　and

he　wrote　college　specials　for　several　newspapers。　　His　chief　relaxation

was　the　praise　of　the　ladies　in　Newbury　Street。　　These　told　him　of　the

future　which　awaited　him；　and　when　they　gazed　upon　his　features　were　put

in　mind　of　the　dying　Keats。　　Not　that　Oscar　was　going　to　die　in　the

least。　　Life　burned　strong　in　him。　　There　were　sly　times　when　he　took

what　he　had　saved　by　his　cheap　meals　and　room　and　went　to　Boston　with

it；　and　for　a　few　hours　thoroughly　ceased　being　ascetic。　　Yet　Oscar　felt

meritorious　when　he　considered　Bertie　and　Billy；　for；　like　the

socialists；　merit　with　him　meant　not　being　able　to　live　as　well　as　your

neighbor。　　You　will　think　that　I　have　given　to　Oscar　what　is　familiarly

termed　a　black　eye。　　But　I　was　once　inclined　to　applaud　his　struggle　for

knowledge；　until　I　studied　him　close　and　perceived　that　his　love　was　not

for　the　education　he　was　getting。　　Bertie　and　Billy　loved　play　for

play's　own　sake；　and　in　play　forgot　themselves；　like　the　wholesome　young

creatures　that　they　were。　　Oscar　had　one　love　only：　through　all　his　days

whatever　he　might　forget；　he　would　remember　himself；　through　all　his

days　he　would　make　knowledge　show　that　self　off。　　Thank　heaven；　all　the

poor　students　in　Harvard　College　were　not　Oscars！　　I　loved　some　of　them

as　much　as　I　loved　Bertie　and　Billy。　　So　there　is　no　black　eye　about　it。

Pity　Oscar；　if　you　like；　but　don't　be　so　mushy　as　to　admire　him　as　he

stepped　along　in　the　night；　holding　his　notes；　full　of　his　knowledge；

thinking　of　Bertie　and　Billy；　conscious　of　virtue；　and　smiling　his

smile。　　They　were　not　conscious　of　any　virtue；　were　Bertie　and　Billy；

nor　were　they　smiling。　　They　were　solemnly　eating　up　together　a　box　of

handsome　strawberries　and　sucking　the　juice　from　their　reddened　thumbs。



〃Rather　mean　not　to　make　him　wait　and　have　some　of　these　after　his　hard

work　on　us；〃　said　Bertie。　　〃I'd　forgotten　about　them〃



〃He　ran　out　before　you　could　remember；　anyway；〃　said　Billy。



〃Wasn't　he　absurd　about　his　old　notes？　　〃Bertie　went　on；　a　new

strawberry　in　his　mouth。　　〃We　don't　need　them；　though。　　With　to…morrow

we'll　get　this　course　down　cold。〃



〃Yes；　to…morrow；〃　sighed　Billy。　　〃It's　awful　to　think　of　another　day　of

this　kind。〃



〃Horrible；〃　assented　Bertie。



〃He　knows　a　lot。　　He's　extraordinary；〃　said　Billy。



〃Yes；　he　is。　　He　can　talk　the　actual　words　of　the　notes。　　Probably　he

could　teach　the　course　himself。　　I　don't　suppose　he　buys　any

strawberries；　even　when　they　get　ripe　and　cheap　here。　　What's　the　matter

with　you？〃



Billy　had　broken　suddenly　into　merriment。　　〃I　don't　believe　Oscar　owns　a

bath；〃　he　explained。



〃By　Jove！　so　his　notes　will　burn　in　spite　of　everything！〃　　And　both　of

the　tennis　boys　shrieked　foolishly。



Then　Billy　began　taking　his　clothes　off；　strewing　them　in　the

window…seat；　or　anywhere　that　they　happened　to　drop；　and　Bertie；　after

hitting　another　cork　or　two　out　of　the　window　with　the　tennis　racket；

departed　to　his　own　room　on　another　floor　and　left　Billy　to　immediate

and　deep　slumber。　　This　was　broken　for　a　few　moments　when　Billy's

room…mate　returned　happy　from　an　excursion　which　had　begun　in　the

morning。



The　room…mate　sat　on　Billy's　feet　until　that　gentleman　showed

consciousness。



〃I've　done　it；　said　the　room…mate；　then。



〃The　hell　you　have！〃



〃You　couldn't　do　it。〃



〃T