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第13章

the wheels of chance-第13章

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〃Yes; yes。 But the point is; you have eloped with me。〃

〃You came with me。 You pretended to be my friend。 Promised to help me to earn a living by writing。 It was you who said; why shouldn't a man and woman be friends? And now you dareyou dare〃

〃Really; Jessie; this pose of yours; this injured innocence〃

〃I will go back。 I forbid youI forbid you to stand in the way〃

〃One moment。 I have always thought that my little pupil was at least clear…headed。 You don't know everything yet; you know。 Listen to me for a moment。〃

〃Haven't I been listening? And you have only insulted me。 You who dared only to talk of friendship; who scarcely dared hint at anything beyond。〃

〃But you took the hints; nevertheless。 You knew。 You KNEW。 And you did not mind。 MIND! You liked it。 It was the fun of the whole thing for you。 That I loved you; and could not speak to you。 You played with it〃

〃You have said all that before。 Do you think that justifies you?〃

〃That isn't all。 I made up my mindWell; to make the game more even。 And so I suggested to you and joined with you in this expedition of yours; invented a sister at MidhurstI tell you; I HAVEN'T a sister! For one object〃

〃Well?〃

〃To compromise you。〃

She started。 That was a new way of putting it。 For half a minute neither spoke。 Then she began half defiantly: 〃Much I am compromised。 Of courseI have made a fool of myself〃

〃My dear girl; you are still on the sunny side of eighteen; and you know very little of this world。 Less than you think。 But you will learn。 Before you write all those novels we have talked about; you will have to learn。 And that's one point〃 He hesitated。 〃You started and blushed when the man at breakfast called you Ma'am。 You thought it a funny mistake; but you did not say anything because he was young and nervousand besides; the thought of being my wife offended your modesty。 You didn't care to notice it。 Butyou see; I gave your name as MRS。 Beaumont。〃 He looked almost apologetic; in spite of his cynical pose。 〃MRS。 Beaumont;〃 he repeated; pulling his flaxen moustache and watching the effect。

She looked into his eyes speechless。 〃I am learning fast; 〃 she said slowly; at last。

He thought the time had come for an emotional attack。 〃Jessie;〃 he said; with a sudden change of voice; 〃I know all this is mean; isvillanous。 But do you think that I have done all this scheming; all this subterfuge; for any other object〃

She did not seem to listen to his words。 〃I shall ride home;〃 she said abruptly。

〃To her?〃

She winced。

〃Just think;〃 said he; 〃what she could say to you after this。〃

〃Anyhow; I shall leave you now。〃

〃Yes? And go〃

〃Go somewhere to earn my living; to be a free woman; to live without conventionality〃

〃My dear girl; do let us be cynical。 You haven't money and you haven't credit。 No one would take you in。 It's one of two things: go back to your stepmother; ortrust to me。〃

〃How CAN I?〃

〃Then you must go back to her。〃 He paused momentarily; to let this consideration have its proper weight。 〃Jessie; I did not mean to say the things I did。 Upon my honour; I lost my head when I spoke so。 If you will; forgive me。 I am a man。 I could not help myself。 Forgive me; and I promise you〃

〃How can I trust you?〃

〃Try me。 I can assure you〃

She regarded him distrustfully。

〃At any rate; ride on with me now。 Surely we have been in the shadow of this horrible bridge long enough。〃

〃Oh! let me think;〃 she said; half turning from him and pressing her hand to her brow。

〃THINK! Look here; Jessie。 It is ten o'clock。 Shall we call a truce until one?〃

She hesitated; demanded a definition of the truce; and at last agreed。

They mounted; and rode on in silence; through the sunlight and the heather。 Both were extremely uncomfortable and disappointed。 She was pale; divided between fear and anger。 She perceived she was in a scrape; and tried in vain to think of a way of escape。 Only one tangible thing would keep in her mind; try as she would to ignore it。 That was the quite irrelevant fact that his head was singularly like an albino cocoanut。 He; too; felt thwarted。 He felt that this romantic business of seduction was; after all; unexpectedly tame。 But this was only the beginning。 At any rate; every day she spent with him was a day gained。 Perhaps things looked worse than they were; that was some consolation。



OF THE ARTIFICIAL IN MAN; AND OF THE ZEITGEIST

XVI

You have seen these two young peopleBechamel; by…the…bye; is the man's name; and the girl's is Jessie Miltonfrom the outside; you have heard them talking; they ride now side by side (but not too close together; and in an uneasy silence) towards Haslemere; and this chapter will concern itself with those curious little council chambers inside their skulls; where their motives are in session and their acts are considered and passed。

But first a word concerning wigs and false teeth。 Some jester; enlarging upon the increase of bald heads and purblind people; has deduced a wonderful future for the children of men。 Man; he said; was nowadays a hairless creature by forty or fifty; and for hair we gave him a wig; shrivelled; and we padded him; toothless; and lo! false teeth set in gold。 Did he lose a limb; and a fine; new; artificial one was at his disposal; get indigestion; and to hand was artificial digestive fluid or bile or pancreatine; as the case might be。 Complexions; too; were replaceable; spectacles superseded an inefficient eye…lens; and imperceptible false diaphragms were thrust into the failing ear。 So he went over our anatomies; until; at last; he had conjured up a weird thing of shreds and patches; a simulacrum; an artificial body of a man; with but a doubtful germ of living flesh lurking somewhere in his recesses。 To that; he held; we were coming。

How far such odd substitution for the body is possible need not concern us now。 But the devil; speaking by the lips of Mr。 Rudyard Kipling; hath it that in the case of one Tomlinson; the thing; so far as the soul is concerned; has already been accomplished。 Time was when men had simple souls; desires as natural as their eyes; a little reasonable philanthropy; a little reasonable philoprogenitiveness; hunger; and a taste for good living; a decent; personal vanity; a healthy; satisfying pugnacity; and so forth。 But now we are taught and disciplined for years and years; and thereafter we read and read for all the time some strenuous; nerve…destroying business permits。 Pedagogic hypnotists; pulpit and platform hypnotists; book…writing hypnotists; newspaper…writing hypnotists; are at us all。 This sugar you are eating; they tell us; is ink; and forthwith we reject it with infinite disgust。 This black draught of unrequited toil is True Happiness; and down it goes with every symptom of pleasure。 This Ibsen; they say; is dull past believing; and we yawn and stretch beyond endurance。 Pardon! they interrupt; but this Ibsen is deep and delightful; and we vie with one another in an excess of entertainment。 And when we open the heads of these two young people; we find; not a straightforward motive on the surface anywhere; we find; indeed; not a soul so much as an oversoul; a zeitgeist; a congestion of acquired ideas; a highway's feast of fine; confused thinking。 The girl is resolute to Live Her Own Life; a phrase you may have heard before; and the man has a pretty perverted ambition to be a cynical artistic person of the very calmest description。 He is hoping for the awakening of Passion in her; among other things。 He knows Passion ought to awaken; from the text…books he has studied。 He knows she admires his genius; but he is unaware that she does not admire his head。 He is quite a distinguished art critic in London; and he met her at that celebrated lady novelist's; her stepmother; and here you have them well embarked upon the Adventure。 Both are in the first stage of repentance; which consists; as you have probably found for yourself; in setting your teeth hard and saying' 〃I WILL go on。〃

Things; you see; have jarred a little; and they ride on their way together with a certain aloofness of manner that promises ill for the orthodox development of the Adventure。 He perceives he was too precipitate。 But he feels his hon

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