the quest of the golden girl-第15章

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g　and　singing　and　the　telling　of　tales；songs　and　tales　of　a　world　that　never　was；　yet　shall　ever　be。　　Here　day　by　day　Nicolete　fed　her　young　soul　on　the　nightingale's…tongues　of　literature；　and　put　down　her　book　only　to　listen　to　the　nightingale's…　tongues　outside。　　Yea；　sun；　moon；　and　stars　were　all　in　the　conspiracy　to　lie　to　her　of　the　loveliness　of　the　world　and　the　good　intentions　of　life。　　And　now；　thus　unexpectedly；　I　found　myself　joining　the　nefarious　conspiracy。　　Ah；　well！　was　I　not　twenty　myself；　and　full　of　dreams！



CHAPTER　V


'T　IS　OF　AUCASSIN　AND　NICOLETE

Thus　it　was　that　we　lunched　together　amid　the　books　and　birds；　in　an　exquisite　solitude　a　deux；　for　the　ringer　of　the　silver　bell　had　disappeared；　having　left　a　dainty　meal　in　readinessfor　two。

〃You　see　you　were　expected；〃　said　Nicolete；　with　her　pretty　laugh。　　〃I　dreamed　I　should　have　a　visitor　to…day；　and　told　Susan　to　lay　the　lunch　for　two。　　You　mustn't　be　surprised　at　that；〃　she　added　mischievously；　〃it　has　often　happened　before。　　I　dream　that　dream　every　other　night；　and　Susan　lays　for　two　every　day。　　She　knows　my　whims；knows　that　the　extra　knife　and　fork　are　for　the　fairy　knight　that　may　turn　up　any　afternoon；　as　I　tell　her〃

〃To　find　the　sleepless　princess；〃　I　added；　thinking　at　the　same　time　one　of　those　irrelevant　asides　that　will　go　through　the　brain　of　thirty；　that　the　woman　who　would　get　her　share　of　kisses　nowadays　must　neither　slumber　nor　sleep。

A　certain　great　poet；　I　think　it　was　Byron；　objected　to　seeing　women　in　the　act　of　eating。　He　thought　their　eating　should　be　done　in　private。　　What　a　curiously　perverse　opinion！　　For　surely　woman　never　shows　to　better　advantage　than　in　the　dainty　exercises　of　a　dainty　repast；　and　there　is　nothing　more　thrilling　to　man　than　a　meal　alone　with　a　woman　he　loves　or　is　about　to　love。　　Perhaps；　deep　down；　the　reason　is　that　there　still　vibrates　in　the　masculine　blood　the　thrilling　surprise　of　the　moment　when　man　first　realised　that　the　angel　woman　was　built　upon　the　same　carnivorous　principles　as　his　grosser　self。

That　is　one　of　the　first　heart…beating　surprises　that　come　upon　the　boy　Columbus；　as　he　sets　out　to　discover　the　New　World　of　woman；　and　indeed　his　surprise　has　not　seldom　deepened　into　admiration；　as　he　has　found　that　not　only　does　woman　eat；　but　frequently　eats　a　lot。

This　privilege　of　seeing　woman　eat　is　the　earliest　granted　of　those　delicate　animal　intimacies；　the　fuller　and　fuller　confiding　of　which　plays　not　the　least　important　part；　and　ever　such　a　sweet　one；　even　in　a　highly　transcendental　affection。　　It　is　this　gradual　humanising　of　the　divine　female　that　brings　about　the　spiritualising　of　the　unregenerate　male。

In　the　earliest　stages　of　love　the　services　are　small　that　we　are　privileged　to　do　for　the　loved　one。　　But　if　we　are　allowed　to　sit　at　meat　with　her；ever　a　royal　condescension；it　is　ours　at　least　to　pass　her　the　salt；　to　see　that　she　is　never　kept　waiting　a　moment　for　the　mustard　or　the　pepper；　to　cut　the　bread　for　her　with　geometrical　precision；　and　to　lean　as　near　her　warm　shoulder　as　we　dare　to　pour　out　for　her　the　sacred　wine。

Yes！　for　sure　I　was　twenty　again；　for　the　performance　of　these　simple　services　for　Nicolete　gave　me　a　thrill　of　pure　boyish　pleasure　such　as　I　had　never　expected　to　feel　again。　　And　did　she　not　make　a　knight　of　me　by　gently　asking　if　I　would　be　so　kind　as　to　carve　the　chicken；　and　how　she　laughed　quite　disproportionally　at　my　school…boy　story　of　the　man　who；　being　asked　to　carve　a　pigeon；　said　he　thought　they　had　better　send　for　a　wood…carver；　as　it　seemed　to　be　a　wood　pigeon。

And　while　we　ate　and　drank　and　laughed　and　chatted；　the　books　around　us　were　weaving　their　spells。　　Even　before　the　invention　of　printing　books　were　〃love's　purveyors。〃　Was　it　not　a　book　that　sent　Paolo　and　Francesca　for　ever　wandering　on　that　stormy　wind　of　passion　and　of　death？　　And　nowadays　the　part　played　by　books　in　human　drama　is　greater　than　we　perhaps　realise。　Apart　from　their　serious　influence　as　determining　destinies　of　the　character；　what　endless　opportunities　they　afford　to　lovers；　who　perhaps　are　denied　all　other　meeting…places　than　may　be　found　on　the　tell…tale　pages　of　a　marked　volume。　　The　method　is　so　easy　and　so　unsuspect。　　You　have　only　to　put　faint　pencil…marks　against　the　tenderest　passages　in　your　favourite　new　poet；　and　lend　the　volume　to　Her；　and　She　has　only　to　leave　here　and　there　the　dropped　violet　of　a　timid　confirmatory　initial；　for　you　to　know　your　fate。　　And　what　a　touchstone　books　thus　become！　　Indeed　they　simplify　love…　making；　from　every　point　of　view。　　With　books　so　inexpensive　and　accessible　to　all　as　they　are　to…day；　no　one　need　run　any　risks　of　marrying　the　wrong　woman。　　He　has　only　to　put　her　through　an　unconscious　examination　by　getting　her　to　read　and　mark　a　few　of　his　favourite　authors；　and　he　is　thus　in　possession　of　the　master　clues　of　her　character。　　With　a　list　of　her　month's　reading　and　a　photograph；　a　man　ought　to　be　able　to　make　up　his　mind　about　any　given　woman；　even　though　he　has　never　spoken　to　her。　　〃Name　your　favourite　writer〃　should　be　one　of　the　first　questions　in　the　Engagement　Catechism。

There　is；　indeed；　no　such　short　cut　to　knowledge　of　each　other　as　a　talk　about　books。　　One　short　afternoon　is　enough　for　any　two　book…lovers；　though　they　may　have　met　for　the　first　time　in　the　morning；　to　make　up　their　minds　whether　or　not　they　have　been　born　for　each　other。　　If　you　are　agreed；　say；　in　admiring　Meredith；　Hardy；　Omar　Khayyam；　and　Maeterlinck；to　take　four　particularly　test…authors；there　is　nothing　to　prevent　your　marrying　at　once。　　Indeed；　a　love　for　any　one　of　these　significant　writers　will　be　enough；　not　to　speak　of　an　admiration　for　〃Aucassin　and　Nicolete。〃

Now；　Nicolete　and　I　soon　found　that　we　had　all　these　and　many　another　writer　in　common；　and　before　our　lunch　was　ended　we　were　nearer　to　each　other　than　many　old　friends。　　The　heart　does　not　more　love　the　heart　that　loves　it　than　the　brain　loves　the　brain　that　comprehends　it；　and；　whatever　else　was　to　befall　us；　Nicolete　and　I　were　already　in　love　with　each　other's　brains。　Whether　or　not　the　malady　would　spread　till　it　reached　the　heart　is　the　secret　of　some　future　chapter。



CHAPTER　VI


A　FAIRY　TALE　AND　ITS　FAIRY　TAILORS

As　this　is　not　a　realistic　novel；　I　do　not　hold　myself　bound；　as　I　have　said　before；　to　account　reasonably　for　everything　that　is　doneleast　of　all；　saidwithin　its　pages。　I　simply　say；　So　it　happened；　or　So　it　is；　and　expect　the　reader　to　take　my　word。　　If　he　be　uncivil　enough　to　doubt　it；　we　may　as　well　stop　playing　this　game　of　fancy。　　It　is　one　of　the　first　conditions　of　enjoying　a　book；　as　it　is　of　all　successful　hypnotism；　that　the　reader　surrenders　up　his　will　to　the　writer；　who；　of　course；　guarantees　to　return　it　to　him　at　the　close　of　the　volume。　　If　you　say　that　no　young　lady　would　have　behaved　as　I　have　presently　to　relate　of　Nicolete；　that　no　parents　were　ever　so　accommodating　in　the　world　of　reality；　I　reply；No　doubt　you　are　right；　but　none　the　less　what　I　have　to　tell　is　true　and　really　did　happen；　for　all　that。　And　not　only　did　it　happen；　but　to　the　whimsically　minded；　to　the　true　children　of　fancy；　it　will　seem　the　most　natural　thing　in　the　world。　　No　doubt　they　will　wonder　why　I　have　made　such　a　preamble　about　it；　as　indeed；　now　I　think　of　it；　so　do　I。

Again　I　claim　exemption　in　this　wandering　history　from　all　such　descriptive　drudgery　upon　second；　third；　and　fourth　dramatis　personsonae　as　your　thorough…going　novelist　must　undertake　with　a　good　grace。　　Like　a　host　and　hostess　at　a　reception；　the　poor　novelist　has　to　pretend　to　be　interested　in　everybody；in　the　dull　as　in　the　brilliant；　in　the　bore　as　in　the　beauty。　　I'm　afraid　I　should　never　do　as　a　novelist；　for　I　should　waste　all　my　time　with　the　heroine；　whereas　the　true　novelist　is　expected　to　pay　as　much　attention　to　the　heroine's　parents　as　though　he　were　a　suitor　for　her　hand。　　Indeed；　there　is　no　relative　of　hero　or　heroine　too　humble　or　stupid　for　such　a　novelist　as　the　great　Balzac。　　He　will　invite　the　dullest　of　them　to　stay　with　him　for　quite　prolonged　visits；　and　without　a　murmur　set　apart　a　suite　of　chapters　for　their　accommodation。