fraternity-第15章

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was　the　persistence　of　the　quality　called　courage。　　Amongst　a　thousand　nerve…　destroying　habits；　amongst　the　dramshops；　patent　medicines；　the　undigested　chaos　of　inventions　and　discoveries；　while　hundreds　were　prating　in　their　pulpits　of　things　believed　in　by　a　negligible　fraction　of　the　population；　and　thousands　writing　down　today　what　nobody　would　want　to　read　in　two　days'　time；　while　men　shut　animals　in　cages；　and　made　bears　jig　to　please　their　children；　and　all　were　striving　one　against　the　other；　while；　in　a　word；　like　gnats　above　a　stagnant　pool　on　a　summer's　evening；　man　danced　up　and　down　without　the　faintest　notion　whyin　this　condition　of　affairs　the　quality　of　courage　was　alive。　　It　was　the　only　fire　within　that　gloomy　valley。'〃　He　stopped；　though　evidently　anxious　to　go　on；　because　he　had　read　the　last　word　on　that　sheet　of　paper。　　He　moved　towards　the　writing…　desk。　　Cecilia　said　hastily：

〃Do　you　mind　if　I　shut　the　window；　father？〃

Mr。　Stone　made　a　movement　of　his　head；　and　Cecilia　saw　that　he　held　a　second　sheet　of　paper　in　his　hand。　　She　rose；　and；　going　towards　him；　said：

〃I　want　to　talk　to　you；　Dad！〃　　Taking　up　the　cord　of　his　dressing…　gown；　she　pulled　it　by　its　tassel。

〃Don't！〃　said　Mr。　Stone；　〃it　secures　my　trousers。〃

Cecilia　dropped　the　cord。　　'Father　is　really　terrible！'　she　thought。

Mr。　Stone；　lifting　the　second　sheet　of　paper；　began　again：

〃'The　reason；　however；　was　not　far　to　seek…〃

Cecilia　said　desperately：

〃It's　about　that　girl　who　comes　to　copy　for　you。〃

Mr。　Stone　lowered　the　sheet　of　paper；　and　stood；　slightly　curved　from　head　to　foot；　his　ears　moved　as　though　he　were　about　to　lay　them　back；　his　blue　eyes；　with　little　white　spots　of　light　alongside　the　tiny　black　pupils；　stared　at　his　daughter。

Cecilia　thought：　'He's　listening　now。'

She　made　haste。　　〃Must　you　have　her　here？　　Can't　you　do　without　her？〃

〃Without　whom？〃　　said　Mr。　Stone。

〃Without　the　girl　who　comes　to　copy　for　you。〃

〃Why？〃

〃For　this　very　good　reason…〃

Mr。　Stone　dropped　his　eyes；　and　Cecilia　saw　that　he　had　moved　the　sheet　of　paper　up　as　far　as　his　waist。

〃Does　she　copy　better　than　any　other　girl　could？〃　　she　asked　hastily。

〃No；〃　said　Mr。　Stone。

〃Then；　Father；　I　do　wish；　to　please　me；　you'd　get　someone　else。　　I　know　what　I'm　talking　about；　and　I…〃　Cecilia　stopped；　her　father's　lips　and　eyes　were　moving；　he　was　obviously　reading　to　himself。

'I've　no　patience　with　him；'　she　thought；　'he　thinks　of　nothing　but　his　wretched　book。'

Aware　of　his　daughter's　silence；　Mr。　Stone　let　the　sheet　of　paper　sink；　and　waited　patiently　again。

〃What　do　you　want；　my　dear？〃　　he　said。

〃Oh；　Father；　do　listen　just　a　minute！〃

〃Yes；　Yes。〃

〃It's　about　that　girl　who　comes　to　copy　for　you。　　Is　there　any　reason　why　she　should　come　instead　of　any　other　girl？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Mr。　Stone。

〃What　reason？〃

〃Because　she　has　no　friends。〃

So　awkward　a　reply　was　not　expected　by　Cecilia；　she　looked　at　the　floor；　forced　to　search　within　her　soul。　　Silence　lasted　several　seconds；　then　Mr。　Stone's　voice　rose　above　a　whisper：

〃'The　reason　was　not　far　to　seek。　　Man；　differentiated　from　the　other　apes　by　his　desire　to　know；　was　from　the　first　obliged　to　steel　himself　against　the　penalties　of　knowledge。　　Like　animals　subjected　to　the　rigours　of　an　Arctic　climate；　and　putting　forth　more　fur　with　each　reduction　in　the　temperature；　man's　hide　of　courage　thickened　automatically　to　resist　the　spear…thrusts　dealt　him　by　his　own　insatiate　curiosity。　　In　those　days　of　which　we　speak；　when　undigested　knowledge；　in　a　great　invading　horde；　had　swarmed　all　his　defences；　man；　suffering　from　a　foul　dyspepsia；　with　a　nervous　system　in　the　latest　stages　of　exhaustion；　and　a　reeling　brain；　survived　by　reason　of　his　power　to　go　on　making　courage。　　Little　heroic　as　（in　the　then　general　state　of　petty　competition）　his　deeds　appeared　to　be；　there　never　had　yet　been　a　time　when　man　in　bulk　was　more　courageous；　for　there　never　had　yet　been　a　time　when　he　had　more　need　to　be。　　Signs　were　not　wanting　that　this　desperate　state　of　things　had　caught　the　eyes　of　the　community。　　A　little　sect…'〃　　Mr。　Stone　stopped；　his　eyes　had　again　tumbled　over　the　bottom　edge；　he　moved　hurriedly　towards　the　desk。　　Just　as　his　hand　removed　a　stone　and　took　up　a　third　sheet；　Cecilia　cried　out：

〃Father！〃

Mr。　Stone　stopped；　and　turned　towards　her。　　His　daughter　saw　that　he　had　gone　quite　pink；　her　annoyance　vanished。

〃Father！　　About　that　girl…〃

Mr。　Stone　seemed　to　reflect。　　〃Yes；　yes；〃　he　said。

〃I　don't　think　Bianca　likes　her　coming　here。〃

Mr。　Stone　passed　his　hand　across　his　brow。

〃Forgive　me　for　reading　to　you；　my　dear；〃　he　said；　〃it's　a　great　relief　to　me　at　times。〃

Cecilia　went　close　to　him；　and　refrained　with　difficulty　from　taking　up　the　tasselled　cord。

〃Of　course；　dear；〃　she　said：　〃I　quite　understand　that。〃

Mr。　Stone　looked　full　in　her　face；　and　before　a　gaze　which　seemed　to　go　through　her　and　see　things　the　other　side；　Cecilia　dropped　her　eyes。

〃It　is　strange；〃　he　said；　〃how　you　came　to　be　my　daughter！〃

To　Cecilia；　too；　this　had　often　seemed　a　problem。

〃There　is　a　great　deal　in　atavism；〃　said　Mr。　Stone；　〃that　we　know　nothing　of　at　present。〃

Cecilia　cried　with　heat；　〃I　do　wish　you　would　attend　a　minute；　Father；　it's　really　an　important　matter；〃　and　she　turned　towards　the　window；　tears　being　very　near　her　eyes。

The　voice　of　Mr。　Stone　said　humbly：　〃I　will　try；　my　dear。〃

But　Cecilia　thought：　'I　must　give　him　a　good　lesson。　　He　really　is　too　self…absorbed'；　and　she　did　not　move；　conveying　by　the　posture　of　her　shoulders　how　gravely　she　was　vexed。

She　could　see　nursemaids　wheeling　babies　towards　the　Gardens；　and　noted　their　faces　gazing；　not　at　the　babies；　but；　uppishly；　at　other　nursemaids；　or；　with　a　sort　of　cautious　longing；　at　men　who　passed。　How　selfish　they　looked！　　She　felt　a　little　glow　of　satisfaction　that　she　was　making　this　thin　and　bent　old　man　behind　her　conscious　of　his　egoism。

'He　will　know　better　another　time；'　she　thought。　　Suddenly　she　heard　a　whistling；　squeaking　soundit　was　Mr。　Stone　whispering　the　third　page　of　his　manuscript：

〃'…animated　by　some　admirable　sentiments；　but　whose　doctrines　riddled　by　the　fact　that　life　is　but　the　change　of　form　to　formwere　too　constricted　for　the　evils　they　designed　to　remedy；　this　little　sect；　who　had　as　yet　to　learn　the　meaning　of　universal　love；　were　making　the　most　strenuous　efforts；　in　advance　of　the　community　at　large；　to　understand　themselves。　　The　necessary；　movement　which　they　voicedreaction　against　the　high…tide　of　the　fratricidal　system　then　prevailingwas　young；　and　had　the　freshness　and　honesty　of　youth。。。。'〃

Without　a　word　Cecilia　turned　round　and　hurried　to　the　door。　　She　saw　her　father　drop　the　sheet　of　paper；　she　saw　his　face；　all　pink　and　silver；　stooping　after　it；　and　remorse　visited　her　anger。

In　the　corridor　outside　she　was　arrested　by　a　noise。　　The　uncertain　light　of　London　halls　fell　there；　on　close　inspection　the　sufferer　was　seen　to　be　Miranda；　who；　unable　to　decide　whether　she　wanted　to　be　in　the　garden　or　the　house；　was　seated　beneath　the　hatrack　snuffling　to　herself。　　On　seeing　Cecilia　she　came　out。

〃What　do　you　want；　you　little　beast？〃

Peering　at　her　over　the　tops　of　her　eyes；　Miranda　vaguely　lifted　a　white　foot。　　'Why　ask　me　that？'　she　seemed　to　say。　　'How　am　I　to　know？　　Are　we　not　all　like　this？'

Her　conduct；　coming　at　that　moment；　over…tried　Cecilia's　nerves。　　She　threw　open　Hilary's　study…door；　saying　sharply：　〃Go　in　and　find　your　master！〃

Miranda　did　not　move；　but　Hilary　came　out　instead。　　He　had　been　correcting　proofs　to　catch　the　post；　and　wore　the　look　of　a　man　abstracted；　faintly　contemptuous　of　other　forms　of　life。

Cecilia；　once　more　saved　from　the　necessity　of　approaching　her　sister；　the　mistress　of　the　house；　so　fugitive；　haunting；　and　unseen；　yet　so　much　the　centre　of　this　situation；　said：

〃Can　I　speak　to　you　a　minute；　Hilary？〃

They　went　into　his　study；　and　Miranda　came　creeping　in　behind。

To　Cecilia　her　brother…in…law　always　seemed　an　amiable　and　more　or　less　pathetic　figure。　　In　his　literary　preoccupations　he　allowed　people　to　impose　on　him。　　He　looked　unsubstantial　beside