erewhon-第26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！


months　before　the　event　the　family　live　in　retirement；　seeing　very
little　company。　　When　the　offence　is　over　and　done　with；　it　is
condoned　by　the　common　want　of　logic；　for　this　merciful　provision
of　nature；　this　buffer　against　collisions；　this　friction　which
upsets　our　calculations　but　without　which　existence　would　be
intolerable；　this　crowning　glory　of　human　invention　whereby　we　can
be　blind　and　see　at　one　and　the　same　moment；　this　blessed
inconsistency；　exists　here　as　elsewhere；　and　though　the　strictest
writers　on　morality　have　maintained　that　it　is　wicked　for　a　woman
to　have　children　at　all；　inasmuch　as　it　is　wrong　to　be　out　of
health　that　good　may　come；　yet　the　necessity　of　the　case　has　caused
a　general　feeling　in　favour　of　passing　over　such　events　in　silence；
and　of　assuming　their　non…existence　except　in　such　flagrant　cases
as　force　themselves　on　the　public　notice。　　Against　these　the
condemnation　of　society　is　inexorable；　and　if　it　is　believed　that
the　illness　has　been　dangerous　and　protracted；　it　is　almost
impossible　for　a　woman　to　recover　her　former　position　in　society。

The　above　conventions　struck　me　as　arbitrary　and　cruel；　but　they
put　a　stop　to　many　fancied　ailments；　for　the　situation；　so　far　from
being　considered　interesting；　is　looked　upon　as　savouring　more　or
less　distinctly　of　a　very　reprehensible　condition　of　things；　and
the　ladies　take　care　to　conceal　it　as　long　as　they　can　even　from
their　own　husbands；　in　anticipation　of　a　severe　scolding　as　soon　as
the　misdemeanour　is　discovered。　　Also　the　baby　is　kept　out　of
sight；　except　on　the　day　of　signing　the　birth…formula；　until　it　can
walk　and　talk。　　Should　the　child　unhappily　die；　a　coroner's　inquest
is　inevitable；　but　in　order　to　avoid　disgracing　a　family　which　may
have　been　hitherto　respected；　it　is　almost　invariably　found　that
the　child　was　over　seventy…five　years　old；　and　died　from　the　decay
of　nature。



CHAPTER　XIV：　　MAHAINA



I　continued　my　sojourn　with　the　Nosnibors。　　In　a　few　days　Mr。
Nosnibor　had　recovered　from　his　flogging；　and　was　looking　forward
with　glee　to　the　fact　that　the　next　would　be　the　last。　　I　did　not
think　that　there　seemed　any　occasion　even　for　this；　but　he　said　it
was　better　to　be　on　the　safe　side；　and　he　would　make　up　the　dozen。
He　now　went　to　his　business　as　usual；　and　I　understood　that　he　was
never　more　prosperous；　in　spite　of　his　heavy　fine。　　He　was　unable
to　give　me　much　of　his　time　during　the　day；　for　he　was　one　of　those
valuable　men　who　are　paid；　not　by　the　year；　month；　week；　or　day；
but　by　the　minute。　　His　wife　and　daughters；　however；　made　much　of
me；　and　introduced　me　to　their　friends；　who　came　in　shoals　to　call
upon　me。

One　of　these　persons　was　a　lady　called　Mahaina。　　Zulora　（the　elder
of　my　host's　daughters）　ran　up　to　her　and　embraced　her　as　soon　as
she　entered　the　room；　at　the　same　time　inquiring　tenderly　after　her
〃poor　dipsomania。〃　　Mahaina　answered　that　it　was　just　as　bad　as
ever；　she　was　a　perfect　martyr　to　it；　and　her　excellent　health　was
the　only　thing　which　consoled　her　under　her　affliction。

Then　the　other　ladies　joined　in　with　condolences　and　the　never…
failing　suggestions　which　they　had　ready　for　every　mental　malady。
They　recommended　their　own　straightener　and　disparaged　Mahaina's。
Mrs。　Nosnibor　had　a　favourite　nostrum；　but　I　could　catch　little　of
its　nature。　　I　heard　the　words　〃full　confidence　that　the　desire　to
drink　will　cease　when　the　formula　has　been　repeated　*　*　*　this
confidence　is　EVERYTHING　*　*　*　far　from　undervaluing　a　thorough
determination　never　to　touch　spirits　again　*　*　*　fail　too　often　*　*
*　formula　a　CERTAIN　CURE　（with　great　emphasis）　*　*　*　prescribed
form　*　*　*　full　conviction。〃　　The　conversation　then　became　more
audible；　and　was　carried　on　at　considerable　length。　　I　should
perplex　myself　and　the　reader　by　endeavouring　to　follow　the
ingenious　perversity　of　all　they　said；　enough；　that　in　the　course
of　time　the　visit　came　to　an　end；　and　Mahaina　took　her　leave
receiving　affectionate　embraces　from　all　the　ladies。　　I　had
remained　in　the　background　after　the　first　ceremony　of
introduction；　for　I　did　not　like　the　looks　of　Mahaina；　and　the
conversation　displeased　me。　　When　she　left　the　room　I　had　some
consolation　in　the　remarks　called　forth　by　her　departure。

At　first　they　fell　to　praising　her　very　demurely。　　She　was　all　this
that　and　the　other；　till　I　disliked　her　more　and　more　at　every
word；　and　inquired　how　it　was　that　the　straighteners　had　not　been
able　to　cure　her　as　they　had　cured　Mr。　Nosnibor。

There　was　a　shade　of　significance　on　Mrs。　Nosnibor's　face　as　I　said
this；　which　seemed　to　imply　that　she　did　not　consider　Mahaina's
case　to　be　quite　one　for　a　straightener。　　It　flashed　across　me　that
perhaps　the　poor　woman　did　not　drink　at　all。　　I　knew　that　I　ought
not　to　have　inquired；　but　I　could　not　help　it；　and　asked　point
blank　whether　she　did　or　not。

〃We　can　none　of　us　judge　of　the　condition　of　other　people；〃　said
Mrs。　Nosnibor　in　a　gravely　charitable　tone　and　with　a　look　towards
Zulora。

〃Oh；　mamma；〃　answered　Zulora；　pretending　to　be　half　angry　but
rejoiced　at　being　able　to　say　out　what　she　was　already　longing　to
insinuate；　〃I　don't　believe　a　word　of　it。　　It's　all　indigestion。　　I
remember　staying　in　the　house　with　her　for　a　whole　month　last
summer；　and　I　am　sure　she　never　once　touched　a　drop　of　wine　or
spirits。　　The　fact　is；　Mahaina　is　a　very　weakly　girl；　and　she
pretends　to　get　tipsy　in　order　to　win　a　forbearance　from　her
friends　to　which　she　is　not　entitled。　　She　is　not　strong　enough　for
her　calisthenic　exercises；　and　she　knows　she　would　be　made　to　do
them　unless　her　inability　was　referred　to　moral　causes。〃

Here　the　younger　sister；　who　was　ever　sweet　and　kind；　remarked　that
she　thought　Mahaina　did　tipple　occasionally。　　〃I　also　think；〃　she
added；　〃that　she　sometimes　takes　poppy　juice。〃

〃Well；　then；　perhaps　she　does　drink　sometimes；〃　said　Zulora；　〃but
she　would　make　us　all　think　that　she　does　it　much　oftener　in　order
to　hide　her　weakness。〃

And　so　they　went　on　for　half　an　hour　and　more；　bandying　about　the
question　as　to　how　far　their　late　visitor's　intemperance　was　real
or　no。　　Every　now　and　then　they　would　join　in　some　charitable
commonplace；　and　would　pretend　to　be　all　of　one　mind　that　Mahaina
was　a　person　whose　bodily　health　would　be　excellent　if　it　were　not
for　her　unfortunate　inability　to　refrain　from　excessive　drinking；
but　as　soon　as　this　appeared　to　be　fairly　settled　they　began　to　be
uncomfortable　until　they　had　undone　their　work　and　left　some
serious　imputation　upon　her　constitution。　　At　last；　seeing　that　the
debate　had　assumed　the　character　of　a　cyclone　or　circular　storm；
going　round　and　round　and　round　and　round　till　one　could　never　say
where　it　began　nor　where　it　ended；　I　made　some　apology　for　an
abrupt　departure　and　retired　to　my　own　room。

Here　at　least　I　was　alone；　but　I　was　very　unhappy。　　I　had　fallen
upon　a　set　of　people　who；　in　spite　of　their　high　civilisation　and
many　excellences；　had　been　so　warped　by　the　mistaken　views
presented　to　them　during　childhood　from　generation　to　generation；
that　it　was　impossible　to　see　how　they　could　ever　clear　themselves。
Was　there　nothing　which　I　could　say　to　make　them　feel　that　the
constitution　of　a　person's　body　was　a　thing　over　which　he　or　she
had　had　at　any　rate　no　initial　control　whatever；　while　the　mind　was
a　perfectly　different　thing；　and　capable　of　being　created　anew　and
directed　according　to　the　pleasure　of　its　possessor？　　Could　I　never
bring　them　to　see　that　while　habits　of　mind　and　character　were
entirely　independent　of　initial　mental　force　and　early　education；
the　body　was　so　much　a　creature　of　parentage　and　circumstances；
that　no　punishment　for　ill…health　should　be　ever　tolerated　save　as
a　protection　from　contagion；　and　that　even　where　punishment　was
inevitable　it　should　be　attended　with　compassion？　　Surely；　if　the
unfortunate　Mahaina　were　to　feel　that　she　could　avow　her　bodily
weakness　without　fear　of　being　despised　for　her　infirmities；　and　if
there　were　medical　men　to　whom　she　could　fairly　state　her　case；　she
would　not　hesitate　about　doing　so　through　the　fear　of　taking　nasty
medicine。　　It　was　possible