the quest of the golden girl-第13章

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solutions　and　great　thoughts。　There　is　something　perilously　sensuous　in　the　relaxation　of　one's　muscles；　both　of　mind　and　body；　after　a　day　thus　well　spent。

Lighting　up　my　pipe　once　more；　and　drawing　to　the　fire；　I　suddenly　realised　a　sense　of　loneliness。　　Of　course；　I　was　lonely　for　a　book；Apuleius　or　Fielding　or　Boccaccio！

An　hour　ago　they　had　seemed　dangerous　companions　for　so　lofty　a　mood；　but　now；　under　the　gentle　influences　of　dinner；　the　mood　had　not　indeed　changedbut　mellowed。　So　to　say；　we　would　split　the　difference　between　the　ideal　and　the　human；　and　be；　say；　twenty…five。

It　was　in　this　genial　attitude　of　mind　that　I　strode　up　the　quaint　circular　staircase　to　fetch　Fielding　from　my　room；　and；　shade　of　Tom　Jones！　what　should　be　leaving　my　room；　as　I　advanced　to　enter　it；　butwell；　it's　no　use；　resolutions　are　all　very　well；　but　facts　are　facts；　especially　when　they're　natural；　and　here　was　I　face　to　face　with　the　most　natural　little　natural　fact；　and　withal　the　most　charming　and　merry…eyed；　that　well；　in　short；　as　I　came　to　enter　my　room　I　was　confronted　by　the　roundest；　ruddiest　little　chambermaid　ever　created　for　the　trial　of　mortal　frailty。

And　the　worst　of　it　was　that　her　merry　eye　was　in　partnership　with　a　merry　tongue。　Indeed；　for　some　unexplained　reason；　she　was　bubbling　over　with　congested　laughter；　the　reason　for　which　mere　embarrassment　set　one　inquiring。　　At　last；　between　little　gushes　of　laughter　which　shook　her　plump　shoulders　in　a　way　that　aroused　wistful　memories　of　Hebe；　she　archly　asked　me；　with　mock　solemnity；　if　I　should　need　a　lady's　maid。


〃Certainly；〃　I　replied　with　inane　promptitude；　for　I　had　no　notion　of　her　drift；　but　then　she　ran　off　in　a　scurry　of　laughter；　and　still　puzzled　I　turned　into　my　room；　TO　FIND；　neatly　hung　over　the　end　of　the　bed；　nothing　less　than　the　dainty　petticoat　and　silk　stockings　of　Sylvia　Joy。

You　can　imagine　the　colour　of　my　cheeks　at　the　discovery。　　No　doubt　I　was　already　the　laughing…stock　of　the　whole　inn。　　What　folly！　　What　a　young　vixen！　　Oh；　what's　to　be　done？　　Pay　my　bill　and　sneak　off　at　once　to　the　next　town；　but　how　pass　through　the　grinning　line　of　boots；　and　waiter；　and　chambermaid；　and　ironically　respectful　landlord　and　landlady；　in　the　hall　。　。　。

But　while　I　thus　deliberated；　something　soft　pressed　in　at　the　door；　and；　making　a　sudden　dart；　I　had　the　little　baggage　who　had　brought　about　my　dilemma　a　prisoner　in　my　arms。

I　stayed　some　days　at　this　charming　old　inn；　for　Amaryllisoh；　yes；　you　may　be　sure　her　name　was　Amaryllishad　not　betrayed　me；　and　indeed　she　may　have　some　share　in　my　retrospect　of　the　inn　as　one　of　the　most　delightful　which　I　encountered　anywhere　in　my　journeying。　　Would　you　like　to　know　its　name？　　Well；　I　know　it　as　The　Singing　Stream。　　If　you　can　find　it　under　that　name；　you　are　welcome。　　And　should　you　chance　to　be　put　into　bedroom　No。　26；　you　can　think　of　me；　and　how　I　used　to　lie　awake；　listening　to　the　stream　rippling　beneath　the　window；　with　its　gentle　harpsichord　tinkle；　and　little　by　little　letting　slip　the　multifarious　world。

And　if　anything　about　this　chapter　should　seem　to　contradict　the　high　ideals　of　the　chapter　preceding　it；　I　can　only　say　that；　though　the　episode　should　not　rigidly　fulfil　the　conditions　of　the　transcendental；　nothing　could　have　been　more　characteristic　of　that　early　youth　to　which　I　had　vowed　myself。　　Indeed；　I　congratulated　myself；　as　I　looked　my　last　at　the　sign　of　The　Singing　Stream；　that　this　had　been　quite　in　my　early　manner。



CHAPTER　III


IN　WHICH　I　SAVE　A　USEFUL　LIFE

Though　I　had　said　good…bye　to　the　inn；　the　stream　and　I　did　not　part　company　at　the　inn…door；　but　continued　for　the　best　part　of　a　morning　to　be　fellow…travellers。　　Indeed；　having　led　me　to　one　pleasant　adventure；　its　purpose；　I　afterwards　realised；　was　to　lead　me　to　another；　and　then　to　go　about　its　own　bright　business。

I　don't　think　either　of　us　had　much　idea　where　we　were　or　whither　we　were　bound。　　Our　guiding　principle　seemed　to　be　to　get　as　much　sunshine　as　possible；　and　to　find　the　easiest　road。　　We　avoided　dull　sandy　levels　and　hard　rocky　places；　with　the　same　instinctive　dexterity。　　We　gloomed　together　through　dark　dingles；　and　came　out　on　sunny　reaches　with　the　same　gilded　magnificence。　　There　are　days　when　every　stream　is　Pactolus　and　every　man　is　Croesus；　and　thanks　to　that　first　and　greatest　of　all　alchemists；　the　sun；　the　morning　I　write　of　was　a　morning　when　to　breathe　was　gold　and　to　see　was　silver。　　And　to　breathe　and　see　was　all　one　asked。　　It　was　the　first　of　May；　and　the　world　shone　like　a　great　illuminated　letter　with　which　that　father　of　artists；　the　sun；　was　making　splendid　his　missal　of　the　seasons。

The　month　of　May　was　ever　his　tour　de　force。　　Each　year　he　has　strained　and　stimulated　his　art　to　surpass　himself；　seeking　ever　a　finer　and　a　brighter　gold；　a　more　celestial　azure。　　Never　had　his　gold　been　so　golden；　his　azure　so　dazzlingly　clear　and　deep　as　on　this　particular　May　morning；　while　his　fancy　simply　ran　riot　in　the　marginal　decorations　of　woodland　and　spinney；　quaint　embroidered　flowers　and　copses　full　of　exquisitely　painted　and　wonderfully　trained　birds　of　song。　　It　was　indeed　a　day　for　nature　to　be　proud　of。　　So　seductive　was　the　sunshine　that　even　the　shy　trout　leapt　at　noonday；　eager　apparently　to　change　his　silver　for　gold。


O　silver　fish　in　the　silver　stream；　O　golden　fish　in　the　golden　gleam；　Tell　me；　tell　me；　tell　me　true；　　　　　　　　　　　　Shall　I　find　my　girl　if　I　follow　you？


I　suppose　the　reader　never　makes　nonsense　rhymes　from　sheer　gladness　of　heart；nursery　doggerel　to　keep　time　with　the　rippling　of　the　stream；　or　the　dancing　of　the　sun；　or　the　beating　of　his　heart；　the　gibberish　of　delight。　　As　I　hummed　this　nonsense；　a　trout　at　least　three　pounds　in　weight；　whom　you　would　know　again　anywhere；　leapt　a　yard　out　of　the　water；　and　I　took　it；　in　my　absurd；　sun…soaked　heart；　as　a　good　omen；　as　though　he　had　said；　〃Follow　and　see。〃

I　had　no　will　but　to　follow；　no　desire　but　to　see。　　All　the　same；　though　I　affected　to　take　him　seriously；　I　had　little　suspicion　how　much　that　trout　was　to　mean　to　me；yes；　within　the　course　of　a　very　few　moments。　Indeed；　I　had　hardly　strolled　on　for　another　quarter　of　a　mile；　when　I　was　suddenly　aroused　from　wool…gathering　by　his　loud　cries　for　help。　　Looking　up；　I　saw　him　flashing　desperately　in　mid…air；　a　lovely　foot　of　writhing　silver。　　In　another　second　he　was　swung　through　the　sunlight；　and　laid　out　breathing　hard　in　a　death…bed　of　buttercups　and　daisies。

There　was　not　a　moment　to　be　lost；　if　I　were　to　repay　the　debt　of　gratitude　which　in　a　flash　I　had　seen　that　I　owed　him。

〃Madam；〃　I　said；　breathlessly　springing　forward；　as　a　heavenly　being　was　coldly　tearing　the　hook　from　the　gills　of　the　unlucky　trout；　〃though　I　am　a　stranger；　will　you　do　me　a　great　favour？　　It　is　a　matter　of　life　or　death　。　。　。〃

She　looked　up　at　me　with　some　surprise；　but　with　a　fine　fearless　glance；　and　almost　immediately　said；　〃Certainly；　what　can　I　do？〃

〃Spare　the　life　of　that　trout〃

〃It　is　a　singular　request；〃　she　replied；　〃and　one；〃　she　smiled；　〃self…sacrificing　indeed　for　an　angler　to　grant；　for　he　weighs　at　least　three　pounds。　　However；　since　he　seems　a　friend　of　yours；　here　goes〃　　And　with　the　gladdest；　most　grateful　sound　in　the　world；　the　happy　smack　of　a　fish　back　home　again　in　the　water；　after　an　appalling　three　minutes　spent　on　land；　that　prophetic　trout　was　once　more　an　active　unit　in　God's　populous　universe。

〃Now　that's　good　of　you；〃　I　said；　with　thankful　eyes；　〃and　shows　a　kind　heart。〃

〃And　kind　hearts；　they　say；　are　more　than　coronets；〃　she　replied　merrily；　indulging　in　that　derisive　quotation　which　seems　to　be　the　final　reward　of　the　greatest　poets。

For　a　moment　there　was　a　silence；　during　which　I　confess　to　wondering　what　I　should　say　next。　　However；　she　supplied　my　place。

〃But　of　course；〃　she　said；　〃you　owe　it　to　me；　after　this　touching　display　of　humanitarianism；　to　entertain　me　with　your　reason　for　interposing　between　me　and　my　just　trout。　　Was　it　one　of　those　wonderful　talking　fishes　out　of　the　Arabian　Nights；　or　are　you　merely　an　angler　yourself；　and　did　you　begrudge　such　a　record　catch　to　a　girl？〃