fraternity-第50章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



In　the　third　four…wheeled　cab；　where　the　windows　again　were　wide　open；　Martin　Stone；　with　his　hands　thrust　deep　into　the　pockets　of　his　coat；　and　his　long　legs　crossed；　sat　staring　at　the　roof；　with　a　sort　of　twisted　scorn　on　his　pale　face。

Just　inside　the　gate；　through　which　had　passed　in　their　time　so　many　dead　and　living　shadows；　Hilary　stood　waiting。　　He　could　probably　not　have　explained　why　he　had　come　to　see　this　tiny　shade　committed　to　the　earthin　memory；　perhaps；　of　those　two　minutes　when　the　baby's　eyes　had　held　parley　with　his　own；　or　in　the　wish　to　pay　a　mute　respect　to　her　on　whom　life　had　weighed　so　hard　of　late。　　For　whatever　reason　he　had　come；　he　was　keeping　quietly　to　one　side。　　And　unobserved；　he；　too；　had　his　watcherthe　little　model；　sheltering　behind　a　tall　grave。

Two　men　in　rusty　black　bore　the　little　coffin；　then　came　the　white…　robed　chaplain；　then　Mrs。　Hughs　and　her　little　son；　close　behind；　his　head　thrust　forward　with　trembling　movements　from　side　to　side；　old　Creed；　and；　last　of　all；　young　Martin　Stone。　　Hilary　joined　the　young　doctor。　　So　the　five　mourners　walked。

Before　a　small　dark　hole　in　a　corner　of　the　cemetery　they　stopped。　On　this　forest　of　unflowered　graves　the　sun　was　falling；　the　east　wind；　with　its　faint　reek；　touched　the　old　butler's　plastered　hair；　and　brought　moisture　to　the　corners　of　his　eyes；　fixed　with　absorption　on　the　chaplain。　　Words　and　thoughts　hunted　in　his　mind。

'He's　gettin'　Christian　burial。　　Who　gives　this　woman　away？　　I　do。　Ashes　to　ashes。　　I　never　suspected　him　of　livin'。'　　The　conning　of　the　burial　service；　shortened　to　fit　the　passing　of　that　tiny　shade；　gave　him　pleasurable　sensation；　films　came　down　on　his　eyes；　he　listened　like　some　old　parrot　on　its　perch；　his　head　a　little　to　one　side。

'Them　as　dies　young；'　he　thought；　'goes　straight　to　heaven。　　We　trusts　in　Godall　mortal　men；　his　godfathers　and　his　godmothers　in　his　baptism。　　Well；　so　it　is！　　I'm　not　afeared　o'　death！'

Seeing　the　little　coffin　tremble　above　the　hole；　he　craned　his　head　still　further　forward。　　It　sank；　a　smothered　sobbing　rose。　　The　old　butler　touched　the　arm　in　front　of　him　with　shaking　fingers。

〃Don't　'e；〃　he　whispered；　〃he's　a…gone　to　glory。〃

But；　hearing　the　dry　rattle　of　the　earth；　he　took　out　his　own　handkerchief　and　put　it　to　his　nose。

'Yes；　he's　a…gone；'　he　thought；　'another　little　baby。　　Old　men　an'　maidens；　young　men　an'　little　children；　it's　a…goin'　on　all　the　time。　Where　'e　is　now　there'll　be　no　marryin'；　no；　nor　givin'　out　in　marriage；　till　death　do　us　part。'

The　wind；　sweeping　across　the　filled…in　hole；　carried　the　rustle　of　his　husky　breathing；　the　dry；　smothered　sobbing　of　the　seamstress；　out　across　the　shadows'　graves；　to　those　places；　to　those　streets。。。。

》From　the　baby's　funeral　Hilary　and　Martin　walked　away　together；　and　far　behind　them；　across　the　road；　the　little　model　followed。　　For　some　time　neither　spoke；　then　Hilary；　stretching　out　his　hand　towards　a　squalid　alley；　said：

〃They　haunt　us　and　drag　us　down。　　A　long；　dark　passage。　　Is　there　a　light　at　the　far　end；　Martin？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Martin　gruffly。

〃I　don't　see　it。〃

Martin　looked　at　him。

〃Hamlet！〃

Hilary　did　not　reply。

The　young　man　watched　him　sideways。　　〃It's　a　disease　to　smile　like　that！〃

Hilary　ceased　to　smile。　　〃Cure　me；　then；〃　he　said；　with　sudden　anger；　〃you　man　of　health！〃

The　young　〃Sanitist's〃　sallow　cheeks　flushed。　　〃Atrophy　of　the　nerve　of　action；〃　he　muttered；　〃there's　no　cure　for　that！〃

〃Ah！〃　said　Hilary：　〃All　kinds　of　us　want　social　progress　in　our　different　ways。　　You；　your　grandfather；　my　brother；　myself；　there　are　four　types　for　you。　　Will　you　tell　me　any　one　of　us　is　the　right　man　for　the　job？　　For　instance；　action's　not　natural　to　me。〃

〃Any　act；〃　answered　Martin；　〃is　better　than　no　act。〃

〃And　myopia　is　natural　to　you；　Martin。　　Your　prescription　in　this　case　has　not　been　too　successful；　has　it？〃

〃I　can't　help　it　if　people　will　be　d…d　fools。〃

〃There　you　hit　it。　　But　answer　me　this　question：　Isn't　a　social　conscience；　broadly　speaking；　the　result　of　comfort　and　security？〃

Martin　shrugged　his　shoulders。

〃And　doesn't　comfort　also　destroy　the　power　of　action？〃

Again　Martin　shrugged。

〃Then；　if　those　who　have　the　social　conscience　and　can　see　what　is　wrong　have　lost　their　power　of　action；　how　can　you　say　there　is　any　light　at　the　end　of　this　dark　passage？〃

Martin　took　his　pipe　out；　filled　it；　and　pressed　the　filling　with　his　thumb。

〃There　is　light；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃in　spite　of　all　invertebrates。　Good…bye！　　I've　wasted　enough　time；〃　and　he　abruptly　strode　away。

〃And　in　spite　of　myopia？〃　　muttered　Hilary。

A　few　minutes　later；　coming　out　from　Messrs。　Rose　and　Thorn's；　where　he　had　gone　to　buy　tobacco；　he　came　suddenly　on　the　little　model；　evidently　waiting。

〃I　was　at　the　funeral；〃　she；　said；　and　her　face　added　plainly：　'I've　followed　you。'　　Uninvited；　she　walked　on　at　his　side。

'This　is　not　the　same　girl；'　he　thought；　'that　I　sent　away　five　days　ago。　　She　has　lost　something；　gained　something。　　I　don't　know　her。'

There　seemed　such　a　stubborn　purpose　in　her　face　and　manner。　　It　was　like　the　look　in　a　dog's　eyes　that　says：　'Master；　you　thought　to　shut　me　up　away　from　you；　I　know　now　what　that　is　like。　　Do　what　you　will；　I　mean　in　future　to　be　near　you。'

This　look；　by　its　simplicity；　frightened　one　to　whom　the　primitive　was　strange。　　Desiring　to　free　himself　of　his　companion；　yet　not　knowing　how；　Hilary　sat　down　in　Kensington　Gardens　on　the　first　bench　they　came　to。　　The　little　model　sat　down　beside　him。　　The　quiet　siege　laid　to　him　by　this　girl　was　quite　uncanny。　　It　was　as　though　someone　were　binding　him　with　toy　threads；　swelling　slowly　into　rope　before　his　eyes。　　In　this　fear　of　Hilary's　there　was　at　first　much　irritation。　　His　fastidiousness　and　sense　of　the　ridiculous　were　roused。　　What　did　this　little　creature　with　whom　he　had　no　thoughts　and　no　ideas　in　common；　whose　spirit　and　his　could　never　hope　to　meet；　think　that　she　could　get　from　him？　　Was　she　trying　to　weave　a　spell　over　him　too；　with　her　mute；　stubborn　adoration？　　Was　she　trying　to　change　his　protective　weakness　for　her　to　another　sort　of　weakness？　　He　turned　and　looked；　she　dropped　her　eyes　at　once；　and　sat　still　as　a　stone　figure。

As　in　her　spirit；　so　in　her　body；　she　was　different；　her　limbs　looked　freer；　rounder；　her　breath　seemed　stirring　her　more　deeply；　like　a　flower　of　early　June　she　was　opening　before　his　very　eyes。　　This；　though　it　gave　him　pleasure；　also　added　to　his　fear。　　The　strange　silence；　in　its　utter　naturalnessfor　what　could　he　talk　about　with　her？brought　home　to　him　more　vividly　than　anything　before；　the　barriers　of　class。　　All　he　thought　of　was　how　not　to　be　ridiculous！　She　was　inviting　him　in　some　strange；　unconscious；　subtle　way　to　treat　her　as　a　woman；　as　though　in　spirit　she　had　linked　her　round　young　arms　about　his　neck；　and　through　her　half…closed　lips　were　whispering　the　eternal　call　of　sex　to　sex。　　And　he；　a　middle…aged　and　cultivated　man；　conscious　of　everything；　could　not　even　speak　for　fear　of　breaking　through　his　shell　of　delicacy。　　He　hardly　breathed；　disturbed　to　his　very　depths　by　the　young　figure　sitting　by　his　side；　and　by　the　dread　of　showing　that　disturbance。

Beside　the　cultivated　plant　the　self…sown　poppy　rears　itself；　round　the　stem　of　a　smooth　tree　the　honeysuckle　twines；　to　a　trim　wall　the　ivy　clings。

In　her　new…found　form　and　purpose　this　girl　had　gained　a　strange；　still　power；　she　no　longer　felt　it　mattered　whether　he　spoke　or　looked　at　her；　her　instinct；　piercing　through　his　shell；　was　certain　of　the　throbbing　of　his　pulses；　the　sweet　poison　in　his　blood。

The　perception　of　this　still　power；　more　than　all　else；　brought　fear　to　Hilary。　　He　need　not　speak；　she　would　not　care！　　He　need　not　even　look　at　her；　she　had　but　to　sit　there　silent；　motionless；　with　the　breath　of　youth　coming　through　her　parted　lips；　and　the　light　of　youth　stealing　through　her　half…closed　eyes。

And　abruptly　he　got　up　and　walked　away。




CHAPTER　XXXI

SWAN　SONG

The　new　wine；　if　it　does　not　break　the　old　bottle；　after　fierce　effervescence　seethes　and　bubbles　quietly。

It　was　so　in　Mr。　Stone's　old　bottle；　h