fraternity-第54章

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oor。　　Cecilia；　too；　had　risen。

〃What　is　it；　B。？〃

Bianca；　opening　the　door；　went　out。　　Cecilia　followed　swiftly；　too　late　to　catch　even　a　glimpse　of　her　sister's　face　behind　the　veil。。。

In　Mr。　Stone's　room　the　green　lamp　burned　dimly；　and　he　who　worked　by　it　was　sitting　on　the　edge　of　his　campbed；　attired　in　his　old　brown　woollen　gown　and　slippers。

And　suddenly　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　was　not　alone。

〃I　have　finished　for　to…night；〃　he　said。　　〃I　am　waiting　for　the　moon　to　rise。　　She　is　nearly　full；　I　shall　see　her　face　from　here。〃

A　form　sat　down　by　him　on　the　bed；　and　a　voice　said　softly：

〃Like　a　woman's。〃

Mr。　Stone　saw　his　younger　daughter。　　〃You　have　your　hat　on。　　Are　you　going　out；　my　dear？〃

〃I　saw　your　light　as　I　came　in。〃

〃The　moon；〃　said　Mr。　Stone；　〃is　an　arid　desert。　　Love　is　unknown　there。〃

〃How　can　you　bear　to　look　at　her；　then？〃　　Bianca　whispered。

Mr。　Stone　raised　his　finger。　　〃She　has　risen。〃

The　wan　moon　had　slipped　out　into　the　darkness。　　Her　light　stole　across　the　garden　and　through　the　open　window　to　the　bed　where　they　were　sitting。

〃Where　there　is　no　love；　Dad；〃　Bianca　said；　〃there　can　be　no　life；　can　there？〃

Mr。　Stone's　eyes　seemed　to　drink　the　moonlight。

〃That；〃　he　said；　〃is　the　great　truth。　　The　bed　is　shaking！〃

With　her　arms　pressed　tight　across　her　breast；　Bianca　was　struggling　with　violent；　noiseless　sobbing。　　That　desperate　struggle　seemed　to　be　tearing　her　to　death　before　his　eyes；　and　Mr。　Stone　sat　silent；　trembling。　　He　knew　not　what　to　do。　　From　his　frosted　heart　years　of　Universal　Brotherhood　had　taken　all　knowledge　of　how　to　help　his　daughter。　　He　could　only　sit　touching　her　tremulously　with　thin　fingers。

The　form　beside　him；　whose　warmth　he　felt　against　his　arm；　grew　stiller；　as　though；　in　spite　of　its　own　loneliness；　his　helplessness　had　made　it　feel　that　he；　too；　was　lonely。　　It　pressed　a　little　closer　to　him。　　The　moonlight；　gaining　pale　mastery　over　the　flickering　lamp；　filled　the　whole　room。

Mr。　Stone　said：　〃I　want　her　mother！〃

The　form　beside　him　ceased　to　struggle。

Finding　out　an　old；　forgotten　way；　Mr。　Stone's　arm　slid　round　that　quivering　body。

〃I　do　not　know　what　to　say　to　her；〃　he　muttered；　and　slowly　he　began　to　rock　himself。

〃Motion；〃　he　said；　〃is　soothing。〃

The　moon　passed　on。　　The　form　beside　him　sat　so　still　that　Mr。　Stone　ceased　moving。　　His　daughter　was　no　longer　sobbing。　　Suddenly　her　lips　seared　his　forehead。

Trembling　from　that　desperate　caress；　he　raised　his　fingers　to　the　spot　and　looked　round。

She　was　gone。




CHAPTER　XXXIII

HILARY　DEALS　WITH　THE　SITUATION

To　understand　the　conduct　of　Hilary　and　Bianca　at　what　〃Westminister〃　would　have　called　this　〃crisax；〃　not　only　their　feelings　as　sentient　human　beings；　but　their　matrimonial　philosophy；　must　be　taken　into　account。　　By　education　and　environment　they　belonged　to　a　section　of　society　which　had　〃in　those　days〃　abandoned　the　more　old…fashioned　views　of　marriage。　　Such　as　composed　this　section；　finding　themselves　in　opposition；　not　only　to　the　orthodox　proprietary　creed；　but　even　to　their　own　legal　rights；　had　been　driven　to　an　attitude　of　almost　blatant　freedom。　　Like　all　folk　in　opposition；　they　were　bound；　as　a　simple　matter　of　principle；　to　disagree　with　those　in　power；　to　view　with　a　contemptuous　resentment　that　majority　which　said；　〃I　believe　the　thing　is　mine；　and　mine　it　shall　remain〃a　majority　which　by　force　of　numbers　made　this　creed　the　law。　　Unable　legally　to；　be　other　than　the　proprietors　of　wife　or　husband；　as　the　case　might　be；　they　were　obliged；　even　in　the　most　happy　unions；　to　be　very　careful　not　to　become　disgusted　with　their　own　position。　　Their　legal　status　was；　as　it　were；　a　goad；　spurring　them　on　to　show　their　horror　of　it。　They　were　like　children　sent　to　school　with　trousers　that　barely　reached　their　knees；　aware　that　they　could　neither　reduce　their　stature　to　the　proportions　of　their　breeches　nor　make　their　breeches　grow。　　They　were　furnishing　an　instance　of　that　immemorial　〃change　of　form　to　form〃　to　which　Mr。　Stone　had　given　the　name　of　Life。　　In　a　past　age　thinkers　and　dreamers　and　〃artistic　pigs〃　rejecting　the　forms　they　found；　had　given　unconscious　shape　to　this　marriage　law；　which；　after　they　had　become　the　wind；　had　formed　itself　out　of　their　exiled　pictures　and　thoughts　and　dreams。　　And　now　this　particular　law　in　turn　was　the　dried　rind；　devoid　of　pips　or　speculation；　and　the　thinkers　and　dreamers　and　〃artistic　pigs〃　were　again　rejecting　it；　and　again　themselves　in　exile。

This　exiled　faith；　this　honour　amongst　thieves；　animated　a　little　conversation　between　Hilary　and　Bianca　on　the　Tuesday　following　the　night　when　Mr。　Stone　sat　on　his　bed　to　watch　the　rising　moon。

Quietly　Bianca　said：　〃I　think　I　shall　be　going　away　for　a　time。〃

〃Wouldn't　you　rather　that　I　went　instead？〃　　〃You　are　wanted；　I　am　not。〃

That　ice…cold；　ice…clear　remark　contained　the　pith　of　the　whole　matter；　and　Hilary　said：

〃You　are　not　going　at　once？〃

〃At　the　end　of　the　week；　I　think。〃

Noting　his　eyes　fixed　on　her；　she　added：

〃Yes；　we're　neither　of　us　looking　quite　our　best。〃

〃I　am　sorry。〃

〃I　know　you　are。〃

This　had　been　all。　　It　had　been　sufficient　to　bring　Hilary　once　more　face　to　face　with　the　situation。

Its　constituent　elements　remained　the　same；　relative　values　had　much　changed。　　The　temptations　of　St。　Anthony　were　becoming　more　poignant　every　hour。　　He　had　no　〃principles〃　to　pit　against　them：　he　had　merely　the　inveterate　distaste　for　hurting　anybody；　and　a　feeling　that　if　he　yielded　to　his　inclination　he　would　be　faced　ultimately　with　a　worse　situation　than　ever。　　It　was　not　possible　for　him　to　look　at　the　position　as　Mr。　Purcey　might　have　done；　if　his　wife　had　withdrawn　from　him　and　a　girl　had　put　herself　in　his　way。　　Neither　hesitation　because　of　the　defenceless　position　of　the　girl；　nor　hesitation　because　of　his　own　future　with　her；　would　have　troubled　Mr。　Purcey。　　Hegood　manin　his　straightforward　way；　would　have　only　thought　about　the　presentnot；　indeed；　intending　to　have　a　future　with　a　young　person　of　that　class。　　Consideration　for　a　wife　who　had　withdrawn　from　the　society　of　Mr。　Purcey　would　also　naturally　have　been　absent　from　the　equation。　　That　Hilary　worried　over　all　these　questions　was　the　mark　of　his　'fin　de　sieclism。'　　And　in　the　meantime　the　facts　demanded　a　decision。

He　had　not　spoken　to　this　girl　since　the　day　of　the　baby's　funeral；　but　in　that　long　look　from　the　garden　he　had　in　effect　said：　'You　are　drawing　me　to　the　only　sort　of　union　possible　to　us！'　　And　she　in　effect　had　answered：　'Do　what　you　like　with　me！'

There　were　other　facts；　too；　to　be　reckoned　with。　　Hughs　would　be　released　to…morrow；　the　little　model　would　not　stop　her　visits　unless　forced　to；　Mr。　Stone　could　not　well　do　without　her；　Bianca　had　in　effect　declared　that　she　was　being　driven　out　of　her　own　house。　　It　was　this　situation　which　Hilary；　seated　beneath　the　bust　of　Socrates；　turned　over　and　over　in　his　mind。　　Long　and　painful　reflection　brought　him　back　continually　to　the　thought　that　he　himself；　and　not　Bianca；　had　better　go　away。　　He　was　extremely　bitter　and　contemptuous　towards　himself　that　he　had　not　done　so　long　ago。　　He　made　use　of　the　names　Martin　had　given　him。　　〃Hamlet；〃　〃Amateur；〃　〃Invertebrate。〃　They　gave　him；　unfortunately；　little　comfort。

In　the　afternoon　he　received　a　visit。　　Mr。　Stone　came　in　with　his　osier　fruit…bag　in　his　hand。　　He　remained　standing；　and　spoke　at　once。

〃Is　my　daughter　happy？〃

At　this　unexpected　question　Hilary　walked　over　to　the　fireplace。

〃No；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃I　am　afraid　she　is　not。〃

〃Why？〃

Hilary　was　silent；　then；　facing　the　old　man；　he　said：

〃I　think　she　will　be　glad；　for　certain　reasons；　if　I　go　away　for　a　time。〃

〃When　are　you　going？〃　　asked　Mr。　Stone。

〃As　soon　as　I　can。〃

Mr。　Stone's　eyes；　wistfully　bright；　seemed　trying　to　see　through　heavy　fog。

〃She　came　to　me；　I　think；〃　he　said；　〃I　seem　to　recollect　her　crying。　You　are　good　to　her？〃

〃I　have　tried　to　be；〃　said　Hilary。

Mr。　Stone's　face　was　discoloured　by　a　flush。　　〃You　have　no　children；〃　he　said　painfully；　〃do　you　live　together？〃

Hilary　shook　his　head。

〃You　are　estranged？〃　　said　M