the choir invisible-第23章

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ies　may　themselves　rest　on　nothing；　may　be　wrong；　may　be　deceiving　us。〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　mean　that！〃　said　the　parson。　〃We've　got　to　believe　our　own　minds。　We've　got　to　do　that　even　to　disbelieve　them。　If　the　mind　says　of　itself　it　is　a　liar；　how　does　it　know　this　to　be　true　if　it　is　a　liar　itself？　No；　we　have　to　believe　our　own　minds　whether　they　are　right　or　wrong。　But　what　I　mean　is：　can　we；　according　to　Paley；　infer　the　existence　and　character　of　God　from　anything　we　see？〃　〃It　sounds　reasonable；〃　said　John。　〃Does　it！　Then　suppose　you　apply　this　method　of　reasoning　to　a　woman：　can　you　infer　her　existence　from　anything　you　see？　Can　you　trace　the　evidences　of　design　there？　Can　you　derive　the　slightest　notion　of　her　character　from　her　works？〃　As　the　parson　said　this；　he　turned　upon　the　sick　man　a　look　of　such　logical　triumph　that　John；　who　for　days　had　been　wearily　trying　to　infer　Amy's　character　from　what　she　had　done；　was　seized　with　a　fit　of　laughterthe　parson　himself　remaining　perfectly　grave。

Another　day　he　examined　John's　wound　tenderly；　and　then　sat　down　by　him　with　his　beautiful　moss…agate　eyes　emitting　dangerous　little　sparkles。

〃It's　a　bad　bite；〃　he　said；　〃the　bite　of　a　catfelis　concolor。　　They　are　a　bad　familythese　catsthe　scratchers。〃　He　was　holding　John's　wounded　hand。　〃So　you've　had　your　fight　with　a　felis。　A　single　encounter　ought　to　be　enough！　If　some　one　hadn't　happened　to　step　in　and　save　you！What　do　you　suppose　is　the　root　of　the　idea　universal　in　the　consciousness　of　our　race　that　if　a　man　had　not　been　a　man　he'd　have　been　a　lion；　and　that　if　a　woman　hadn't　been　a　woman　she'd　have　been　a　tigress？　〃

〃I　don't　believe　there's　any　such　idea　universal　in　the　consciousness　of　the　race；〃　replied　John；　laughing。

〃It's　universal　in　my　consciousness；〃　said　the　parson　doggedly；　〃and　my　consciousness　is　as　valid　as　any　other　man's。　But　I'll　ask　you　an　easier　question：　who　of　all　men；　do　you　suppose；　knew　most　about　women？〃

〃Women　or　Woman？〃　inquired　John。

〃Women；〃　said　the　parson。　〃We'll　drop　the　subject　of　Woman：　she's　beyond　us！

〃I　don't　know；〃　observed　John。　〃St。　Paul　knew　a　good　deal；　and　said　some　necessary　things。〃

〃St。　Paul！〃　exclaimed　the　parson　condescendingly。　〃He　knew　a　few　noble　Jewessessuperficiallywith　a　scattering　acquaintance　among　the　pagan　sisters　around　the　shores　of　the　Mediterranean。　　As　for　what　he　wrote　on　that　subjectit　may　have　been　inspired　by　Heaven：　it　never　could　have　been　inspired　by　the　sex。〃　〃Shakspeare；　I　suppose；〃　said　John。　〃The　man　in　the　Arabian　Nights；〃　cried　the　parson；　who　may　have　been　put　in　mind　of　this　character　by　his　own　attempts　to　furnish　daily　entertainment。　〃He　knew　a　thousand　of　themintimately。　And　cut　off　the　heads　of　nine　hundred　and　ninety…nine！　The　only　reason　he　did　not　cut　off　the　head　of　the　other　was　that　he　had　learned　enough：　he　could　not　endure　to　know　any　more。　All　the　evidence　had　come　in：　the　case　was　closed。〃

〃I　suppose　there　are　men　in　the　world；〃　he　continued；　〃who　would　find　it　hard　to　stand　a　single　disappointment　about　a　woman。　But　think　of　a　thousand　disappointments！　A　thousand　attempts　to　find　a　good　wifejust　one　woman　who　could　furnish　a　man　a　little　rational　companionship　at　night。　Bluebeard　also　must　have　been　a　well…informed　person。　And　Henry　the　Eighththere　was　a　man　who　had　evidently　picked　up　considerable　knowledge　and　who　made　considerable　use　of　it。　But　to　go　back　a　moment　to　the　idea　of　the　felis　family。　Suppose　we　do　this：　we'll　begin　to　enumerate　the　qualities　of　the　common　house　cat。　I'll　think　of　the　cat；　you　think　of　some　woman；　and　we'll　see　what　we　come　to。〃

〃I'll　not　do　it；〃　said　John。　〃She's　too　noble。〃

〃Just　for　fun！〃

〃There's　no　fun　in　comparing　a　woman　to　a　cat。〃

〃There　is　if　she　doesn't　know　it。　Come；　begin！〃　And　the　parson　laid　one　long　forefinger　on　one　long　little　finger　and　waited　for　the　first　specification。　〃Fineness；〃　said　John；　thinking　of　a　certain　woman。

〃Fondness　for　a　nap；〃　said　the　parson；　thinking　of　a　certain　cat。

〃Grace；〃　said　John。　〃Inability　to　express　thanks；〃　said　the　parson。

〃A　beautiful　form；〃　said　John。〃A　desire　to　be　stroked；〃　said　the　parson。　〃Sympathy；〃　said　John。　〃Oh；　no！〃　said　the　parson；　〃no　cat　has　any　sympathy。　A　dog　has：　a　man　is　more　of　a　dog。〃　〃Noble…mindedness；〃　said　John。

〃That　will　not　do　either；〃　said　the　parson。　〃Cats　are　not　noble…minded；　it's　preposterous！〃

〃Perfect　case　of　manner；〃　said　John。

〃Perfect　indifference　of　manner；〃　said　the　parson。〃

〃No　vanity；〃　said　John。　〃No　sense　of　humour；〃　said　the　parson。

〃Plenty　of　wit；〃　said　John。

〃You　keep　on　thinking　too　much　about　some　woman；〃　remonstrated　the　parson；　slightly　exasperated。

〃Fastidiousness；〃　said　John。

〃Soft　hands　and　beautiful　nails；〃　said　the　parson；　nodding　encouragingly。

〃A　gentle　footstep；〃　said　John　with　a　softened　look　coming　into　his　eyes。　〃A　quiet　presence。〃

〃Beautiful　taste　in　music；〃　said　John。

〃Oh！　dreadful！〃　said　the　parson。　〃What　on　earth　are　you　thinking　about？〃

〃The　love　of　rugs　and　cushions；〃　said　John；　groping　desperately。　〃The　love　of　a　lap；〃　said　the　parson　fluently。

〃The　love　of　playing　with　its　victim；〃　said　John；　thinking　of　another　woman。

〃Capital！〃　cried　the　parson。　〃That's　the　truest　thing　we've　said。　We'll　not　spoil　it　by　another　word；〃　but　he　searched　John's　face　covertly　to　see　whether　this　talk　had　beguiled　him。

All　this　satire　meant　nothing　sour；　or　bitter；　or　ignoble　with　the　parson。　It　was　merely　the　low；　far…off　play　of　the　northern　lights　of　his　mind；　irradiating　the　long　polar　night　of　his　bachelorhood。　But　even　on　the　polar　night　the　sun　risesa　little　way；　and　the　time　came　when　he　marriedas　one　might　expect　to　find　the　flame　of　a　volcano　hidden　away　in　a　mountain　of　Iceland　spar。

Toward　the　end　of　his　illness；　John　lay　one　night　inside　his　door；　looking　soberly；　sorrowfully　out　into　the　moonlight。　A　chair　sat　outside；　and　the　parson　walked　quietly　up　the　green　hill　and　took　it。　Then　he　laid　his　hat　on　the　grass；　and　passed　his　delicate　hands　slowly　backward　over　his　long　fine　straight　hair；　on　which　the　moonbeams　at　once　fell　with　a　luster　as　upon　still　water　or　the　finest　satin。

They　talked　awhile　of　the　best　things　in　life；　as　they　commonly　did。　At　length　the　parson　said　in　his　unworldly　way：

〃I　have　one　thing　against　Aristotle：　he　said　the　effect　of　the　flute　was　bad　and　exciting。　He　was　no　true　Greek。　John；　have　you　ever　thought　how　much　of　life　can　be　expressed　in　terms　of　music？　To　me　every　civilization　has　given　out　its　distinct　musical　quality；　the　ages　have　their　peculiar　tones；　each　century　its　key；　its　scale。　For　generations　in　Greece　you　can　hear　nothing　but　the　pipes；　during　other　generations　nothing　but　the　lyre。　Think　of　the　long；　long　time　among　the　Romans　when　your　ear　is　reached　by　the　trumpet　alone。

〃Then　again　whole　events　in　history　come　down　to　me　with　the　effect　of　an　orchestra；　playing　in　the　distance；　single　lives　sometimes　like　a　great　solo。　As　for　the　people　I　know　or　have　known；　some　have　to　me　the　sound　of　brass；　some　the　sound　of　wood；　some　the　sound　of　strings。　Onlyso　few；　so　very；　very　few　yield　the　perfect　music　of　their　kind。　The　brass　is　a　little　too　loud；　the　wood　a　little　too　muffled；　the　stringssome　of　the　strings　are　invariably　broken。　I　know　a　big　man　who　is　nothing　but　a　big　drum；　and　I　know　another　whose　whole　existence　has　been　a　jig　on　a　fiddle；　and　I　know　a　shrill　little　fellow　who　is　a　fife；　and　I　know　a　brassy　girl　who　is　a　pair　of　cymbals；　and　onceonce；〃　repeated　the　parson　whimsically；　〃I　knew　an　old　maid　who　was　a　real　living　spinet。　I　even　know　another　old　maid　now　who　is　nothing　but　an　old　music　booklong　ago　sung　through；　learned　by　heart；　and　laid　aside：　in　a　faded；　wrinkled　bindingyellowed　paper　stained　by　tearsand　haunted　by　an　odour　of　rose…petals；　crushed　between　the　leaves　of　memory：　a　genuine　very　thin　and　stiff　collection　of　the　rarest　original　songsnot　songs　without　words；　but　songs　without　soundsthe　ballads　of　an　undiscovered　heart；　the　hymns　of　an　unanswered　spirit。〃

After　a　pause　during　which　neither　of　the　men　spoke；　the　parson　went　on：

〃All　Irelandit　is　a　harp！　We　know　what　Scotland　is。　John；〃　he　exclaimed；　suddenly　turning　towa