fraternity-第6章

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　products。　　What　your　grandfather　calls　our　'shadows'　are　the　waste　products　of　the　social　process。　　That　there　is　a　submerged　tenth　is　as　certain　as　that　there　is　an　emerged　fiftieth　like　ourselves；　exactly　who　they　are　and　how　they　come；　whether　they　can　ever　be　improved　away；　is；　I　think；　as　uncertain　as　anything　can　be。〃

The　figure　of　the　girl　seated　in　the　big　armchair　did　not　stir。　　Her　lips　pouted　contemptuously；　a　frown　wrinkled　her　forehead。

〃Martin　says　that　a　thing　is　only　impossible　when　we　think　it　so。〃

〃Faith　and　the　mountain；　I'm　afraid。〃

Thyme's　foot　shot　forth；　it　nearly　came　into　contact　with　Miranda；　the　little　bulldog。

〃Oh；　duckie！〃

But　the　little　moonlight　bulldog　backed　away。

〃I　hate　these　slums；　uncle；　they're　so　disgusting！〃

Hilary　leaned　his　face　on　his　thin　hand；　it　was　his　characteristic　attitude。

〃They　are　hateful；　disgusting；　and　heartrending。　　That　does　not　make　the　problem　any　the　less　difficult；　does　it？〃

〃I　believe　we　simply　make　the　difficulties　ourselves　by　seeing　them。〃

Hilary　smiled。　　〃Does　Martin　say　that　too？〃

〃Of　course　he　does。〃

〃Speaking　broadly；〃　murmured　Hilary；　〃I　see　only　one　difficulty　human　nature。〃

Thyme　rose。　　〃I　think　it　horrible　to　have　a　low　opinion　of　human　nature。〃

〃My　dear；〃　said　Hilary；　〃don't　you　think　perhaps　that　people　who　have　what　is　called　a　low　opinion　of　human　nature　are　really　more　tolerant　of　it；　more　in　love　with　it；　in　fact；　than　those　who；　looking　to　what　human　nature　might　be；　are　bound　to　hate　what　human　nature　is。〃

The　look　which　Thyme　directed　at　her　uncle's　amiable；　attractive　face；　with　its　pointed　beard；　high　forehead；　and　special　little　smile；　seemed　to　alarm　Hilary。

〃I　don't　want　you　to　have　an　unnecessarily　low　opinion　of　me；　my　dear。　　I'm　not　one　of　those　people　who　tell　you　that　everything's　all　right　because　the　rich　have　their　troubles　as　well　as　the　poor。　　A　certain　modicum　of　decency　and　comfort　is　obviously　necessary　to　man　before　we　can　begin　to　do　anything　but　pity　him；　but　that　doesn't　make　it　any　easier　to　know　how　you're　going　to　insure　him　that　modicum　of　decency　and　comfort；　does　it？〃

〃We've　got　to　do　it；〃　said　Thyme；　〃it　won't　wait　any　longer。〃

〃My　dear；〃　said　Hilary；　〃think　of　Mr。　Purcey！　　What　proportion　of　the　upper　classes　do　you　imagine　is　even　conscious　of　that　necessity？　We；　who　have　got　what　I　call　the　social　conscience；　rise　from　the　platform　of　Mr。　Purcey；　we're　just　a　gang　of　a　few　thousands　to　Mr。　Purcey's　tens　of　thousands；　and　how　many　even　of　us　are　prepared；　or；　for　the　matter　of　that；　fitted；　to　act　on　our　consciousness？　　In　spite　of　your　grandfather's　ideas；　I'm　afraid　we're　all　too　much　divided　into　classes；　man　acts；　and　always　has　acted；　in　classes。〃

〃Ohclasses！〃　answered　Thyme〃that's　the　old　superstition；　uncle。〃

〃Is　it？　　I　thought　one's　class；　perhaps；　was　only　oneself　exaggeratednot　to　be　shaken　off。　　For　instance；　what　are　you　and　I；　with　our　particular　prejudices；　going　to　do？〃

Thyme　gave　him　the　cruel　look　of　youth；　which　seemed　to　say：　'You　are　my　very　good　uncle；　and　a　dear；　but　you　are　more　than　twice　my　age。　That；　I　think；　is　conclusive！'

〃Has　something　been　settled　about　Mrs。　Hughs？〃　　she　asked　abruptly。

〃What　does　your　father　say　this　morning？〃

Thyme　picked　up　her　portfolio　of　drawings；　and　moved　towards　the　door。

〃Father's　hopeless。　　He　hasn't　an　idea　beyond　referring　her　to　the　S。P。B。〃

She　was　gone；　and　Hilary；　with　a　sigh；　took　his　pen　up；　but　he　wrote　nothing　down　。。。。

Hilary　and　Stephen　Dallison　were　grandsons　of　that　Canon　Dallison；　well　known　as　friend；　and　sometime　adviser；　of　a　certain　Victorian　novelist。　　The　Canon；　who　came　of　an　old　Oxfordshire　family；　which　for　three　hundred　years　at　least　had　served　the　Church　or　State；　was　himself　the　author　of　two　volumes　of　〃Socratic　Dialogues。〃　　He　had　bequeathed　to　his　sona　permanent　official　in　the　Foreign　Officeif　not　his　literary　talent；　the　tradition　at　all　events　of　culture。　This　tradition　had　in　turn　been　handed　on　to　Hilary　and　Stephen。

Educated　at　a　public　school　and　Cambridge；　blessed　with　competent；　though　not　large；　independent　incomes；　and　brought　up　never　to　allude　to　money　if　it　could　possibly　be　helped；　the　two　young　men　had　been　turned　out　of　the　mint　with　something　of　the　same　outward　stamp　on　them。　　Both　were　kindly；　both　fond　of　open…air　pursuits；　and　neither　of　them　lazy。　　Both；　too；　were　very　civilised；　with　that　bone…deep　decency；　that　dislike　of　violence；　nowhere　so　prevalent　as　in　the　upper　classes　of　a　country　whose　settled　institutions　are　as　old　as　its　roads；　or　the　walls　which　insulate　its　parks。　　But　as　time　went　on；　the　one　great　quality　which　heredity　and　education；　environment　and　means；　had　bred　in　both　of　themself…consciousnessacted　in　these　two　brothers　very　differently。　　To　Stephen　it　was　preservative；　keeping　him；　as　it　were；　in　ice　throughout　hot…weather　seasons；　enabling　him　to　know　exactly　when　he　was　in　danger　of　decomposition；　so　that　he　might　nip　the　process　in　the　bud；　it　was　with　him　a　healthy；　perhaps　slightly　chemical；　ingredient；　binding　his　component　parts；　causing　them　to　work　together　safely；　homogeneously。　　In　Hilary　the　effect　seemed　to　have　been　otherwise；　like　some　slow　and　subtle　poison；　this　great　quality；　self…consciousness；　had　soaked　his　system　through　and　through；　permeated　every　cranny　of　his　spirit；　so　that　to　think　a　definite　thought；　or　do　a　definite　deed；　was　obviously　becoming　difficult　to　him。　　It　took　in　the　main　the　form　of　a　sort　of　gentle　desiccating　humour。

〃It's　a　remarkable　thing；〃　he　had　one　day　said　to　Stephen；　〃that　by　the　process　of　assimilating　little　bits　of　chopped…up　cattle　one　should　be　able　to　form　the　speculation　of　how　remarkable　a　thing　it　is。〃

Stephen　had　paused　a　second　before　answeringthey　were　lunching　off　roast　beef　in　the　Law　Courtshe　had　then　said：

〃You're　surely　not　going　to　eschew　the　higher　mammals；　like　our　respected　father…in…law？〃

〃On　the　contrary；〃　said　Hilary；　〃to　chew　them；　but　it　is　remarkable；　for　all　that；　you　missed　my　point。〃

It　was　clear　that　a　man　who　could　see　anything　remarkable　in　such　a　thing　was　far　gone；　and　Stephen　had　murmured：

〃My　dear　old　chap；　you're　getting　too　introspective。〃

Hilary；　having　given　his　brother　the　special　retiring　smile；　which　seemed　not　only　to　say；　〃Don't　let　me　bore　you；〃　but　also；　〃Well；　perhaps　you　had　better　wait　outside；〃　the　conversation　closed。

That　smile　of　Hilary's；　which　jibbed　away　from　things；　though　disconcerting　and　apt　to　put　an　end　to　intercourse；　was　natural　enough。　　A　sensitive　man；　who　had　passed　his　life　amongst　cultivated　people　in　the　making　of　books；　guarded　from　real　wants　by　modest；　not　vulgar；　affluence；　had　not　reached　the　age　of　forty…two　without　finding　his　delicacy　sharpened　to　the　point　of　fastidiousness。　　Even　his　dog　could　see　the　sort　of　man　he　was。　　She　knew　that　he　would　take　no　liberties；　either　with　her　ears　or　with　her　tail。　　She　knew　that　he　would　never　hold　her　mouth　ajar；　and　watch　her　teeth；　as　some　men　do；　that　when　she　was　lying　on　her　back　he　would　gently　rub　her　chest　without　giving　her　the　feeling　that　she　was　doing　wrong；　as　women　will；　and　if　she　sat；　as　she　was　sitting　now；　with　her　eyes　fixed　on　his　study　fire；　he　would　never；　she　knew；　even　from　afar；　prevent　her　thinking　of　the　nothing　she　loved　to　think　on。

In　his　study；　which　smelt　of　a　particular　mild　tobacco　warranted　to　suit　the　nerves　of　any　literary　man；　there　was　a　bust　of　Socrates；　which　always　seemed　to　have　a　strange　attraction　for　its　owner。　　He　had　once　described　to　a　fellow…writer　the　impression　produced　on　him　by　that　plaster　face；　so　capaciously　ugly；　as　though　comprehending　the　whole　of　human　life；　sharing　all　man's　gluttony　and　lust；　his　violence　and　rapacity；　but　sharing　also　his　strivings　toward　love　and　reason　and　serenity。

〃He's　telling　us；〃　said　Hilary；　〃to　drink　deep；　to　dive　down　and　live　with　mermaids；　to　lie　out　on　the　hills　under　the　sun；　to　sweat　with　helots；　to　know　all　things　and　all　men。　　No　seat；　he　says；　among　the　Wise；　unless　we've　been　through　it　all　before　we　climb！　　That's　how　he　strikes　menot　too　cheering　for　people　of　our　sort！〃

Under　the　shadow　of　this　bust