the secret places of the heart-第21章

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of　two　different　periods　and　that　some　of　them　might　possibly　have　been　brought　from　a　very　great　distance。　Section　2　Neither　Dr。　Martineau　nor　the　father　of　the　family　found　the　imaginative　reconstruction　of　the　Stonehenge　rituals　quite　so　exciting　as　the　two　principals。　The　father　of　the　family　endured　some　further　particulars　with　manifest　impatience；　no　longer　able；　now　that　Sir　Richmond　was　encouraging　the　girl；　to　keep　her　in　check　with　the　slightly　derisive　smile　proper　to　her　sex。　Then　he　proclaimed　in　a　fine　loud　tenor；　〃All　this　is　very　imaginative；　I'm　afraid。〃　And　to　his　family；　〃Time　we　were　pressing　on。　Turps；　we　must　go…o。　Come；　Phoebe！〃　As　he　led　his　little　flock　towards　the　exit　his　voice　came　floating　back。　〃Talking　wanton　nonsense。　。　。　。　Any　professional　archaeologist　would　laugh；　simply　laugh。　。　。　。〃　He　passed　out　of　the　world。　With　a　faint　intimation　of　dismay　Dr。　Martineau　realized　that　the　two　talkative　ladies　were　not　to　be　removed　in　the　family　automobile　with　the　rest　of　the　party。　Sir　Richmond　and　the　younger　lady　went　on　very　cheerfully　to　the　population；　agriculture；　housing　and　general　scenery　of　the　surrounding　Downland　during　the　later　Stone　Age。　The　shorter；　less　attractive　lady；　whose　accent　was　distinctly　American；　came　now　and　stood　at　the　doctor's　elbow。　She　seemed　moved　to　play　the　part　of　chorus　to　the　two　upon　the　stone。　〃When　V。V。　gets　going；〃　she　remarked；　〃she　makes　things　come　alive。〃　Dr。　Martineau　hated　to　be　addressed　suddenly　by　strange　ladies。　He　started；　and　his　face　assumed　the　distressed　politeness　of　the　moon　at　its　full。　〃Your　friend；〃　he　said；　〃interested　in　archaeology？　〃　〃Interested！〃　said　the　stouter　lady。　〃Why！　She's　a　fiend　at　it。　Ever　since　we　came　on　Carnac。　〃　〃You've　visited　Carnac？〃　〃That's　where　the　bug　bit　her。〃　said　the　stout　lady　with　a　note　of　querulous　humour。　〃Directly　V。V。　set　eyes　on　Carnac；　she　just　turned　against　all　her　up…bringing。　'Why　wasn't　I　told　of　this　before？'　she　said。　'What's　Notre　Dame　to　this？　This　is　where　we　came　from。　This　is　the　real　starting　point　of　the　MAYFLOWER。　Belinda；'　she　said；　'we've　got　to　see　all　we　can　of　this　sort　of　thing　before　we　go　back　to　America。　They've　been　keeping　this　from　us。'　And　that's　why　we're　here　right　now　instead　of　being　shopping　in　Paris　or　London　like　decent　American　women。〃　The　younger　lady　looked　down　on　her　companion　with　something　of　the　calm　expert　attention　that　a　plumber　gives　to　a　tap　that　is　misbehaving；　and　like　a　plumber　refrained　from　precipitate　action。　She　stood　with　the　backs　of　her　hands　resting　on　her　hips。　〃Well；〃　she　said　slowly；　giving　most　of　the　remark　to　Sir　Richmond　and　the　rest　to　the　doctor。　〃it　is　nearer　the　beginnings　of　things　than　London　or　Paris。〃　〃And　nearer　to　us；　〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃I　call　that　justparadoxical；〃　said　the　shorter　lady；　who　appeared　to　be　called　Belinda。　〃Not　paradoxical；〃　Dr。　Martineau　contradicted　gently。　〃Life　is　always　beginning　again。　And　this　is　a　time　of　fresh　beginnings。〃　〃Now　that's　after　V。V。's　own　heart；〃　cried　the　stout　lady　in　grey。　〃She'll　agree　to　all　that。　She's　been　saying　it　right　across　Europe。　Rome；　Paris；　London；　they're　simply　just　done。　They　don't　signify　any　more。　They've　got　to　be　cleared　away。〃　〃You　let　me　tell　my　own　opinions；　Belinda；〃　said　the　young　lady　who　was　called　V。V。　〃I　said　that　if　people　went　on　building　with　fluted　pillars　and　Corinthian　capitals　for　two　thousand　years；　it　was　time　they　were　cleared　up　and　taken　away。〃　〃Corinthian　capitals？〃　Sir　Richmond　considered　it　and　laughed　cheerfully。　〃I　suppose　Europe　does　rather　overdo　that　sort　of　thing。〃　〃The　way　she　went　on　about　the　Victor　Emmanuele　Monument！　〃　said　the　lady　who　answered　to　the　name　of　Belinda。　〃It　gave　me　cold　shivers　to　think　that　those　Italian　officers　might　understand　English。　〃　The　lady　who　was　called　V。V。　smiled　as　if　she　smiled　at　herself；　and　explained　herself　to　Sir　Richmond。　〃When　one　is　travelling　about；　one　gets　to　think　of　history　and　politics　in　terms　of　architecture。　I　do　anyhow。　And　those　columns　with　Corinthian　capitals　have　got　to　be　a　sort　of　symbol　for　me　for　everything　in　Europe　that　I　don't　want　and　have　no　sort　of　use　for。　It　isn't　a　bad　sort　of　capital　in　its　way；　florid　and　pretty；　but　not　a　patch　on　the　Doric；and　that　a　whole　continent　should　come　up　to　it　and　stick　at　it　and　never　get　past　it！　。　。　。〃　〃It's　the　classical　tradition。〃　〃It　puzzles　me。〃　〃It's　the　Roman　Empire。　That　Corinthian　column　is　a　weed　spread　by　the　Romans　all　over　western　Europe。〃　〃And　it　smothers　the　history　of　Europe。　You　can't　see　Europe　because　of　it。　Europe　is　obsessed　by　Rome。　Everywhere　Marble　Arches　and　ARCS　DE　TRIOMPHE。　You　never　get　away　from　it。　It　is　like　some　old　gentleman　who　has　lost　his　way　in　a　speech　and　keeps　on　repeating　the　same　thing。　And　can't　sit　down。　'The　empire；　gentlementhe　Empire。　Empire。'　Rome　itself　is　perfectly　frightful。　It　stares　at　you　with　its　great　round　stupid　arches　as　though　it　couldn't　imagine　that　you　could　possibly　want　anything　else　for　ever。　Saint　Peter's　and　that　frightful　Monument　are　just　the　same　stuff　as　the　Baths　of　Caracalla　and　the　palaces　of　the　Caesars。　Just　the　same。　They　will　make　just　the　same　sort　of　ruins。　It　goes　on　and　goes　on。〃　〃AVE　ROMA　IMMORTALIS；〃　said　Dr。　Martineau。　〃This　Roman　empire　seems　to　be　Europe's　first　and　last　idea。　A　fixed　idea。　And　such　a　poor　idea！　。　。　。　America　never　came　out　of　that。　It's　no　good…telling　me　that　it　did。　It　escaped　from　it。　。　。　。　So　I　said　to　Belinda　here；　'Let's　burrow；　if　we　can；　under　all　this　marble　and　find　out　what　sort　of　people　we　were　before　this　Roman　empire　and　its　acanthus　weeds　got　hold　of　us。'〃　〃I　seem　to　remember　at　Washington；　something　faintly　Corinthian；　something　called　the　Capitol；〃　Sir　Richmond　reflected。　〃And　other　buildings。　A　Treasury。〃　〃That　is　different；〃　said　the　young　lady；　so　conclusively　that　it　seemed　to　leave　nothing　more　to　be　said　on　that　score。　〃A　last　twinge　of　Europeanism；〃　she　vouchsafed。　〃We　were　young　in　those　days。〃　〃You　are　well　beneath　the　marble　here。〃　She　assented　cheerfully。　〃A　thousand　years　before　it。〃　〃Happy　place！　Happy　people！〃　〃But　even　this　place　isn't　the　beginning　of　things　here。　Carnac　was　older　than　this。　And　older　still　is　Avebury。　Have　you　heard　in　America　of　Avebury？　It　may　have　predated　this　place；　they　think；　by　another　thousand　years。〃　〃Avebury？〃　said　the　lady　who　was　called　Belinda。　〃But　what　is　this　Avebury？〃　asked　V。V。　〃I've　never　heard　of　the　place。〃　〃I　thought　it　was　a　lord；〃　said　Belinda。　Sir　Richmond；　with　occasional　appeals　to　Dr。　Martineau；　embarked　upon　an　account　of　the　glory　and　wonder　of　Avebury。　Possibly　he　exaggerated　Avebury。　。　。　。　It　was　Dr。　Martineau　who　presently　brought　this　disquisition　upon　Avebury　to　a　stop　by　a　very　remarkable　gesture。　He　looked　at　his　watch。　He　drew　it　out　ostentatiously；　a　thick；　respectable　gold　watch；　for　the　doctor　was　not　the　sort　of　man　to　wear　his　watch　upon　his　wrist。　He　clicked　it　open　and　looked　at　it。　Thereby　he　would　have　proclaimed　his　belief　this　encounter　was　an　entirely　unnecessary　interruption　of　his　healing　duologue　with　Sir　Richmond；　which　must　now　be　resumed。　But　this　action　had　scarcely　the　effect　he　had　intended　it　to　have。　It　set　the　young　lady　who　was　called　Belinda　asking　about　ways　and　means　of　getting　to　Salisbury；　it　brought　to　light　the　distressing　fact　that　V。V。　had　the　beginnings　of　a　chafed　heel。　Once　he　had　set　things　going　they　moved　much　too　quickly　for　the　doctor　to　deflect　their　course。　He　found　himself　called　upon　to　make　personal　sacrifices　to　facilitate　the　painless　transport　of　the　two　ladies　to　Salisbury；　where　their　luggage　awaited　them　at　the　Old　George　Hotel。　In　some　way　too　elusive　to　trace；　it　became　evident　that　he　and　Sir　Richmond　were　to　stay　at　this　same　Old　George　Hotel。　The　luggage　was　to　be　shifted　to　the　top　of　the　coupe；　the　young　lady　called　V。V。　was　to　share　the　interior　of　the　car　with　Sir　Richmond；　while　the　lady　named　Belinda；　for　whom　Dr。　Martineau　was　already　developing　a　very　strong　dislike；　was　to　be　thrust　into　an　extreme　proximity　with　him　and　the　balance　of　the　luggage　in　the　dicky　seat　behind。　Sir　Richmond　had　never　met　with　a　young　woman　with　a　genuine　historical　imagination　before；　and　he　was　evi