philosophy 4-第4章

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〃The　hell　you　have！〃



〃You　couldn't　do　it。〃



〃The　hell　I　couldn't！〃



〃Great　dinner。〃



〃The　hell　it　was！〃



〃Soft…shell　crabs；　broiled　live　lobster；　salmon；　grass…plover；

dough…birds；　rum　omelette。　　Bet　you　five　dollars　you　can't　find　it。〃



〃Take　you。　　Got　to　bed。〃　　And　Billy　fell　again　into　deep；　immediate

slumber。



The　room…mate　went　out　into　the　sitting　room；　and　noting　the　signs　there

of　the　hard　work　which　had　gone　on　during　his　absence；　was　glad　that　he

did　not　take　Philosophy　4。　　He　was　soon　asleep　also。











IV







Billy　got　up　early。　　As　he　plunged　into　his　cold　bath　he　envied　his

room…mate；　who　could　remain　at　rest　indefinitely；　while　his　own　hard　lot

was　hurrying　him　to　prayers　and　breakfast　and　Oscar's　inexorable　notes。

He　sighed　once　more　as　he　looked　at　the　beauty　of　the　new　morning　and

felt　its　air　upon　his　cheeks。　　He　and　Bertie　belonged　to　the　same

club…table；　and　they　met　there　mournfully　over　the　oatmeal。　　This　very

hour　to…morrow　would　see　them　eating　their　last　before　the　examination

in　Philosophy　4。　　And　nothing　pleasant　was　going　to　happen

between；nothing　that　they　could　dwell　upon　with　the　slightest

satisfaction。　　Nor　had　their　sleep　entirely　refreshed　them。　　Their　eyes

were　not　quite　right；　and　their　hair；　though　it　was　brushed；　showed

fatigue　of　the　nerves　in　a　certain　inclination　to　limpness　and　disorder。





　　　　〃Epicharmos　of　Kos

　　　　Was　covered　with　moss；〃



remarked　Billy。





　　　　〃Thales　and　Zeno

　　　　Were　duffers　at　keno；〃



added　Bertie。



In　the　hours　of　trial　they　would　often　express　their　education　thus。



〃Philosophers　I　have　met；〃　murmured　Billy；　with　scorn　And　they　ate

silently　for　some　time。



〃There's　one　thing　that's　valuable；〃　said　Bertie　next。　　〃When　they

spring　those　tricks　on　you　about　the　flying　arrow　not　moving；　and　all

the　rest；　and　prove　it　all　right　by　logic；　you　learn　what　pure　logic

amounts　to　when　it　cuts　loose　from　common　sense。　　And　Oscar　thinks　it's

immense。　We　shocked　him。〃



〃He's　found　the　Bird…in…Hand！〃　cried　Billy；　quite　suddenly。



〃Oscar？〃　said　Bertie；　with　an　equal　shout。



〃No；　John。　　John　has。　　Came　home　last　night　and　waked　me　up　and　told

me。〃



〃Good　for　John；〃　remarked　Bertie；　pensively。



Now；　to　the　undergraduate　mind　of　that　day　the　Bird…in…Hand　tavern　was

what　the　golden　fleece　used　to　be　to　the　Greeks；　a　sort　of　shining；

remote；　miraculous　thing；　difficult　though　not　impossible　to　find；　for

which　expeditions　were　fitted　out。　　It　was　reported　to　be　somewhere　in

the　direction　of　Quincy；　and　in　one　respect　it　resembled　a　ghost：　you

never　saw　a　man　who　had　seen　it　himself；　it　was　always　his　cousin；　or

his　elder　brother　in　'79。　　But　for　the　successful　explorer　a　dinner　and

wines　were　waiting　at　the　Bird…in…Hand　more　delicious　than　anything

outside　of　Paradise。　　You　will　realize；　therefore；　what　a　thing　it　was

to　have　a　room…mate　who　had　attained。　　If　Billy　had　not　been　so

dog…tired　last　night；　he　would　have　sat　up　and　made　John　tell　him

everything　from　beginning　to　end。



〃Soft…shell　crabs；　broiled　live　lobster；　salmon；　grass…plover；

dough…birds；　and　rum　omelette；〃　he　was　now　reciting　to　Bertie。



〃They　say　the　rum　there　is　old　Jamaica　brought　in　slave…ships；〃　said

Bertie；　reverently。



〃I've　heard　he　has　white　port　of　1820；〃　said　Billy；　〃and　claret　and

champagne。〃



Bertie　looked　out　of　the　window。　　〃This　is　the　finest　day　there's　been；〃

said　he。　　Then　he　looked　at　his　watch。　　It　was　twenty…five　minutes

before　Oscar。　　Then　he　looked　Billy　hard　in　the　eye。　　〃Have　you　any

sand？〃　he　inquired。



It　was　a　challenge　to　Billy's　manhood。　　〃Sand！〃　he　yelled；　sitting　up。



Both　of　them　in　an　instant　had　left　the　table　and　bounded　out　of　the

house。　　〃I'll　meet　you　at　Pike's；〃　said　Billy　to　Bertie。　　〃Make　him　give

us　the　black　gelding。〃



〃Might　as　well　bring　our　notes　along；〃　Bertie　called　after　his　rushing

friend；　〃and　get　John　to　tell　you　the　road。〃



To　see　their　haste；　as　the　two　fled　in　opposite　directions　upon　their

errands；　you　would　have　supposed　them　under　some　crying　call　of

obligation；　or　else　to　be　escaping　from　justice。



Twenty　minutes　later　they　were　seated　behind　the　black　gelding　and　bound

on　their　journey　in　search　of　the　bird…in…Hand。　　Their　notes　in

Philosophy　4　were　stowed　under　the　buggy…seat。



〃Did　Oscar　see　you？〃　　Bertie　inquired。



〃Not　he；〃　cried　Billy；　joyously。



〃Oscar　will　wonder；〃　said　Bertie；　and　he　gave　the　black　gelding　a

triumphant　touch　with　the　whip。



You　see；　it　was　Oscar　that　had　made　them　run　go；　or；　rather；　it　was　Duty

and　Fate　walking　in　Oscar's　displeasing　likeness。　　Nothing　easier；

nothing　more　reasonable；　than　to　see　the　tutor　and　tell　him　they　should

not　need　him　to…day。　　But　that　would　have　spoiled　everything。　　They　did

not　know　it；　but　deep　in　their　childlike　hearts　was　a　delicious　sense

that　in　thus　unaccountably　disappearing　they　had　won　a　great　game；　had

got　away　ahead　of　Duty　and　Fate。　　After　all　it　did　bear　some　resemblance

to　an　escape　from　justice。　　　　　　　　　　　　。



Could　he　have　known　this；　Oscar　would　have　felt　more　superior　than　ever。

Punctually　at　the　hour　agreed；　ten　o'clock　he　rapped　at　Billy's　door　and

stood　waiting；　his　leather　wallet　of　notes　nipped　safe　between　elbow　and

ribs。　　Then　he　knocked　again。　　Then　he　tried　the　door；　and　as　it　was

open；　he　walked　deferentially　into　the　sitting　room。　　Sonorous　snores

came　from　one　of　the　bedrooms。　　Oscar　peered　in　and　saw　John；　but　he　saw

no　Billy　in　the　other　bed。　　Then；　always　deferential；　he　sat　down　in　the

sitting　room　and　watched　a　couple　of　prettily　striped　coats　hanging　in　a

half…open　closet。



At　that　moment　the　black　gelding　was　flirtatiously　crossing　the

drawbridge　over　the　Charles　on　the　Allston　Road。　　The　gelding　knew　the

clank　of　those　suspending　chains　and　the　slight　unsteadiness　of　the

meeting　halves　of　the　bridge　as　well　as　it　knew　oats。　　But　it　could　not

enjoy　its　own　entirely　premeditated　surprise　quite　so　much　as　Bertie　and

Billy　were　enjoying　their　entirely　unpremeditated　flight　from　Oscar。　The

wind　rippled　on　the　water；　down　at　the　boat…house　Smith　was　helping　some

one　embark　in　a　single　scull；　they　saw　the　green　meadows　toward

Brighton；　their　foreheads　felt　cool　and　unvexed；　and　each　new　minute　had

the　savor　of　fresh　forbidden　fruit。



〃How　do　we　go？〃　said　Bertie。



〃I　forgot　I　had　a　bet　with　John　until　I　had　waked　him；〃　said　Billy。　　〃He

bet　me　five　last　night　I　couldn't　find　it；　and　I　took　him。　　Of　course；

after　that　I　had　no　right　to　ask　him　anything；　and　he　thought　I　was

funny。　　He　said　I　couldn't　find　out　if　the　landlady's　hair　was　her　own。

I　went　him　another　five　on　that。〃



〃How　do　you　say　we　ought　to　go？〃　said　Bertie；　presently。



〃Quincy；　I'm　sure。〃



They　were　now　crossing　the　Albany　tracks　at　Allston。　　〃We're　going　to

get　there；〃　said　Bertie；　and　he　turned　the　black　gelding　toward

Brookline　and　Jamaica　Plain。



The　enchanting　day　surrounded　them。　　The　suburban　houses；　even　the

suburban　street…cars；　seemed　part　of　one　great　universal　plan　of

enjoyment。　　Pleasantness　so　radiated　from　the　boys'　faces　and　from　their

general　appearance　of　clean　white　flannel　trousers　and　soft　clean　shirts

of　pink　and　blue　that　a　driver　on　a　passing　car　leaned　to　look　after

them　with　a　smile　and　a　butcher　hailed　them　with　loud　brotherhood　from

his　cart。　　They　turned　a　corner；　and　from　a　long　way　off　came　the　sight

of　the　tower　of　Memorial　Hall。　　Plain　above　all　intervening　tenements

and　foliage　it　rose。　　Over　there　beneath　its　shadow　were　examinations

and　Oscar。　　It　caught　Billy's　roving　eye；　and　he　nudged　Bertie；　pointing

silently　to　it。　　〃Ha；　ha！〃　sang　Bertie。　　And　beneath　his　light　whip　the

gelding　sprang　forward　into　its　stride。





The　clocks　of　Massachusetts　struck　eleven。　　Oscar　rose　doubtfully　from

his　chair　in　Billy's　study。　　Again　he　looked　in