the quest of the golden girl-第23章

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；　and　the　unhappy　ones　to　weary　of　each　other　by　excessive　and　enforced　association。　　This　was　obvious　enough；　and　the　remedy　as　obvious；separate　bedrooms；　and　a　month's　holiday　in　each　year　to　be　spent　apart　（notoriously　all　people　of　quality　had　separate　bedrooms；　and　see　how　happy　they　were！）。　　These　and　similar　other　safeguards　of　individual　liberty　they　had　in　mock…earnest　drawn　up　and　signed　on　their　marriage　eve；　as　a　sort　of　supplemental　wedding　service。

It　would　not　be　seemly　to　inquire　how　far　certain　of　these　conditions　had　been　kept；how　often；　for　example；　Orlando's　little　hermit's　bed　had　really　needed　remaking　during　those　twelve　months！　　Answer；　ye　birds　of　the　air　that　lie　in　your　snug　nests；　so　close；　so　close；　through　the　tender　summer　nights；　and　maybe　with　two　or　three　little　ones　besides；unless；　indeed；　ye　too　have　felt　the　influence　of　the　Zeit…geist；　and　have　taken　to　sleeping　in　separate　nests。

The　condition　with　which　alone　we　have　here　to　concern　ourselves　was　one　which　provided　that　each　of　the　two　lovers；　hereafter　to　be　called　the　husband　of　the　one　part　and　the　wife　of　the　other　part；　solemnly　bound　themselves　to　spend　one　calendar　month　of　each　year　out　of　each　other's　society；　with　full　and　free　liberty　to　spend　it　wheresoever；　with　whomsoever；　and　howsoever　they　pleased；　and　that　this　condition　was　rigidly　to　be　maintained；　whatever　immediate　effort　it　might　cost；　as　the　parties　thereto　believed　that　so　would　their　love　the　more　likely　maintain　an　enduring　tenderness　and　an　unwearied　freshness。　　And　to　this　did　Orlando　and　his　Rosalind　set　their　hands　and　hearts　and　lips。

Now；　wisdom　is　all　very　well　till　the　time　comes　to　apply　it；　and　as　that　month　of　June　approached　in　which　they　had　designed　to　give　their　love　a　holiday；　they　had　found　their　courage　growing　less　and　less。　　Their　love　didn't　want　a　holiday；　and　when　Orlando　had　referred　to　the　matter　during　the　early　days　of　May；　Rosalind　had　burst　into　tears；　and　begged　him　to　reconsider　a　condition　which　they　had　made　before　they　really　knew　what　wedded　love　was。　　But　Orlando；　though　in　tears　himself　（so　Rosalind　averred）；　had　a　higher　sense　of　their　duty　to　their　ideal；　and　was　able；　though　in　tears；　to　beg　her　look　beyond　the　moment；　and　realise　what　a　little　self…denial　now　might　mean　in　the　years　to　come。　　They　hadn't　kept　any　other　of　their　resolutions；thus　Rosalind　let　it　out！this　must　be　kept。

And　thus　it　had　come　about　that　Orlando　had　gone　off　for　his　month's　holiday　with　a　charming　girl；　who；　with　the　cynic；　will　no　doubt　account　for　his　stern　adherence　to　duty；　and　Rosalind　had　gone　off　for　hers　with　a　pretty　young　man　whom　she'd　liked　well　enough　to　go　to　the　theatre　and　to　supper　with；a　young　man　who　was　indeed　a　dear　friend；　and　a　vivacious；　sympathetic　companion；　but　whom；　as　a　substitute　for　Orlando；　she　immediately　began　to　hate。　Such　is　the　female　heart！

The　upshot　of　the　experiment；　so　far　as　she　was　concerned；　was　that　she　had　quarrelled　with　her　companion；　and　had　gone　off　in　search　of　her　husband；　on　which　search　she　was　embarked　at　the　moment　of　my　encountering　her。　　The　tears；　therefore；that　is；　the　first　lot　of　tears　by　the　roadside；had　not　been　all　on　account　of　the　injured　bicycle；　you　see。

Now　the　question　was；　How　had　Orlando　been　getting　on？　　I　had　an　intuition　that　in　his　case　the　experiment　had　proved　more　enjoyable；　but　I　am　not　one　to　break　the　bruised　reed　by　making　such　a　suggestion。　On　the　contrary；　I　expressed　my　firm　conviction　that　Orlando　was　probably　even　more　miserable　than　she　was。

〃Do　you　really　think　so？〃　she　asked　eagerly；　her　poor　miserable　face　growing　bright　a　moment　with　hope　and　gratitude。

〃Undoubtedly；〃　I　answered　sententiously。　〃To　put　the　case　on　the　most　general　principles；　apart　from　Orlando's　great　love　for　you；　it　is　an　eternal　truth　of　masculine　sentiment　that　man　always　longs　for　the　absent　woman。〃

〃Are　you　quite　sure？〃　asked　Rosalind；　with　an　unconvinced　half…smile。

〃Absolutely。〃

〃I　thought；〃　she　continued；　〃that　it　was　just　the　other　way　about；　that　it　was　presence　and　not　absence　that　made　the　heart　of　man　grow　fonder；　and　that　if　a　man's　best　girl；　so　to　say；　was　away；　he　was　able　to　make　himself　very　comfortable　with　his　second…best！〃

〃In　some　cases；　of　course；　it's　true；〃　I　answered；　unmoved；　〃but　with　a　love　like　yours　and　Orlando's；　it's　quite　different。〃

〃Oh；　do　you　really　mean　it？〃

〃Certainly　I　do；　and　your　mistake　has　been　in　supposing　that　an　experiment　which　no　few　every…day　married　couples　would　be　only　too　glad　to　try；　was　ever　meant　for　two　such　love…birds　as　you。　　Laws　and　systems　are　meant　for　the　unhappy　and　the　untractable；　not　for　people　like　you；　for　whom　Love　makes　its　own　laws。〃

〃Yes；　that　is　what　we　used　to　say；　and　indeed；　we　thought　that　this　was　one　of　love's　laws；this　experiment；　as　you　call　it。〃

〃But　it　was　quite　a　mistake；〃　I　went　on　in　my　character　as　matrimonial　oracle。　〃Love　never　made　a　law　so　cruel；　a　law　that　would　rob　true　lovers　of　each　other's　society　for　a　whole　month　in　a　year；　stretching　them　on　the　rack　of　absence〃　　There　my　period　broke　down；　so　I　began　another　less　ambitiously　planned。

〃A　whole　month　in　a　year！　　Think　what　that　would　mean　in　a　lifetime。　　How　long　do　you　expect　to　live　and　love　together？　　Say　another　fifty　years　at　the　most。　　Well；　fifty　ones　are　fifty。　　Fifty　months　equalfour　twelves　are　forty…eight　and　two　overfour　years　and　two　months。　　Yes；　out　of　the　short　life　God　allows　even　for　the　longest　love　you　would　voluntarily　throw　away　four　years　and　two　months！〃

This　impressive　calculation　had　a　great　effect　on　poor　Rosalind；　and　it　is　a　secondary　matter　that　it　and　its　accompanying　wisdom　may　have　less　weight　with　the　reader；　as　for　the　moment　Rosalind　was　my　one　concern。

〃But；　of　course；　we　have　perfect　trust　in　each　other；〃　said　Rosalind　presently；　with　charming　illogicality。

〃No　doubt；〃　I　said；　〃but　Love；　like　a　good　householder　（ahem！）；　does　well　not　to　live　too　much　on　trust。〃

〃But　surely　love　means　perfect　trust；〃　said　Rosalind。

〃Theoretically；　yes；　practically；　no。　　On　the　contrary；　it　means　exactly　the　opposite。　Trust；　perfect　trust；　with　loved　ones　far　away！　　No；　it　is　an　inhuman　ideal；　and　the　more　one　loves　the　less　one　lives　up　to　it。　If　not；　what　do　these　tears　mean？〃

〃Oh；　no！〃　Rosalind　retorted；　with　a　flush；　〃you　mustn't　say　that。　　I　trust　Orlando　absolutely。　　It　isn't　that；　it's　simply　that　I　can't　bear　to　be　away　from　him。〃

What　women　mean　by　〃trusting〃　might　afford　a　subject　for　an　interesting　disquisition。　However；　I　forbore　to　pursue　the　matter；　and　answered　Rosalind's　remark　in　a　practical　spirit。

〃Well；　then；〃　I　said；　〃if　that's　all；　the　thing　to　do　is　to　find　Orlando；　tell　him　that　you　cannot　bear　it；　and　spend　the　rest　of　your　holiday；　you　and　he；　together。〃

〃That's　what　I　thought；〃　said　Rosalind。

〃Unfortunately；〃　I　continued；　〃owing　to　your　foolish　arrangement　not　to　tell　each　other　where　you　were　going　and　not　to　write；　as　being　incompatible　with　Perfect　Trust；　you　don't　know　where　Orlando　is　at　the　present　moment。〃

〃No；　but　I　have　a　good　guess；〃　said　Rosalind。　　〃There's　a　smart　little　watering…　place；　not　so　many　miles　from　here；　called　Yellowsands；　a　sort　of　secret　little　Monaco；　which　not　many　people　know　of；　a　wicked…innocent　gay　little　place；　where　we've　often　talked　of　going。　　I　think　it's　very　likely　that　Orlando　has　gone　there；　and　that's　just　where　I　was　going　when　we　met。〃

I　will　tell　the　reader　more　about　Yellowsands　in　the　next　chapter。　　Meanwhile；　let　us　complete　Rosalind's　arrangements。　　The　result　of　our　conversation　was　that　she　was　to　proceed　to　Yellowsands　on　the　morrow；　and　that　I　was　to　follow　as　soon　as　possible；　so　as　to　be　available　should　she　chance　to　need　any　advice；　and　at　all　events　to　give　myself　the　pleasure　of　meeting　her　again。

This　arranged；　we　said　good…night；　Rosalind　with　ever　such　a　brightened…up　face；　of　which　I　thought　for　half　an　hour　and　then　fell　asleep　to　dream　of　Yellowsands。



CHAPTER　V


CONCERNING　THE　HAVEN　OF　YELLOWSANDS

On　the　morrow；　at　the　peep　of　day；　Rosalind　was　off　to　seek　her　lord。　　An　hour　or　so　after　I　started　in　leisurely　pursuit。

Yellowsan