the secret places of the heart-第25章
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evant flirtation。 You may not like the word。 You may pretend it is a conversation； an ordinary intellectual conversation。 That is not the word。 Simply that is not the word。 You people eye one another。 。 。 。 Flirtation。 I give the affair its proper name。 That is all。 Merely that。 When I thinkBut we will not discuss it now。 。 。 。 Good night。 。 。 。 Forgive me if I put before you； rather bluntly； my particular point of view。〃 Sir Richmond found himself alone。 With his eyebrows raised。 Section 6 After twenty…four eventful hours our two students of human motives found themselves together again by the fireplace in the Old George smoking…room。 They had resumed their overnight conversation； in a state of considerable tension。 〃If you find the accommodation of the car insufficient；〃 said Sir Richmond in a tone of extreme reasonableness； and I admit it is； we can easily hire a larger car in a place like this。 I would not care if you hired an omnibus； said Dr。 Martineau。 〃I am not coming on if these young women are。〃 〃But if you consider it scandalousand really； Martineau； really！ as one man to another； it does seem to me to be a bit pernickety of you； a broad and original thinker as you are〃 〃Thought is one matter。 Rash； inconsiderate action quite another。 And above all； if I spend another day in or near the company of Miss Belinda Seyffert I shallI shall be extremely rude to her。〃 〃But；〃 said Sir Richmond and bit his lower lip and considered。 〃We might drop Belinda；〃 he suggested turning to his friend and speaking in low； confidential tones。 〃She is quite a manageable person。 Quite。 She couldfor examplebe left behind with the luggage and sent on by train。 I do not know if you realize how the land lies in that quarter。 It needs only a word to Miss Grammont。 〃 There was no immediate reply。 For a moment he had a wild hope that his companion would agree； and then he perceived that the doctor's silence meant only the preparation of an ultimatum。 〃I object to Miss Grammont and that side of the thing； more than I do to Miss Seyffert。〃 Sir Richmond said nothing。 〃It may help you to see this affair from a slightly different angle if I tell you that twice today Miss Seyffert has asked me if you were a married man。〃 〃And of course you told her I was。〃 〃On the second occasion。〃 Sir Richmond smiled again。 〃Frankly；〃 said the doctor； 〃this adventure is altogether uncongenial to me。 It is the sort of thing that has never happened in my life。 This highway coupling〃 〃Don't you think；〃 said Sir Richmond； 〃that you are attaching rather too muchwhat shall I sayromantic？flirtatious？ meaning to this affair？ I don't mind that after my rather lavish confessions you should consider me a rather oversexed person； but isn't your attitude rather unfair；unjust； indeed； and almost insulting； to this Miss Grammont？ After all； she's a young lady of very good social position indeed。 She doesn't strike youdoes she？as an undignified or helpless human being。 Her manners suggest a person of considerable self…control。 And knowing less of me than you do； she probably regards me as almost as safe asa maiden aunt say。 I'm twice her age。 We are a party of four。 There are conventions； there are considerations。 。 。 。 Aren't you really； my dear Martineau； overdoing all this side of this very pleasant little enlargement of our interests。〃 〃AM I？〃 said Dr。 Martineau and brought a scrutinizing eye to bear on Sir Richmond's face。 〃I want to go on talking to Miss Grammont for a day or so；〃 Sir Richmond admitted。 〃Then I shall prefer to leave your party。〃 There were some moments of silence。 〃I am really very sorry to find myself in this dilemma；〃 said Sir Richmond with a note of genuine regret in his voice。 〃It is not a dilemma；〃 said Dr。 Martineau； with a corresponding loss of asperity。 〃I grant you we discover we differ upon a question of taste and convenience。 But before I suggested this trip； I had intended to spend a little time with my old friend Sir Kenelm Latter at Bournemouth。 Nothing simpler than to go to him now 。 。 。 。〃 〃I shall be sorry all the same。〃 〃I could have wished；〃 said the doctor； 〃that these ladies had happened a little later。 。 。 。〃 The matter was settled。 Nothing more of a practical nature remained to be said。 But neither gentleman wished to break off with a harsh and bare decision。 〃When the New Age is here；〃 said Sir Richmond； 〃then； surely； a friendship between a man and a woman will not be subjected to thethe inconveniences your present code would set about it？ They would travel about together as they chose？〃 〃The fundamental principle of the new age；〃 said the doctor； will be Honi soit qui mal y pense。 In these matters。 With perhaps Fay ce que vouldras as its next injunction。 So long as other lives are not affected。 In matters of personal behaviour the world will probably be much more free and individuals much more open in their conscience and honour than they have ever been before。 In matters of property； economics and public conduct it will probably be just the reverse。 Then； there will be much more collective control and much more insistence； legal insistence； upon individual responsibility。 But we are not living in a new age yet； we are living in the patched…up ruins of a very old one。 And you if you will forgive meare living in the patched up remains of a life that had already had its complications。 This young lady； whose charm and cleverness I admit； behaves as if the new age were already here。 Well； that may be a very dangerous mistake both for her and for you。 。 。 。 This affair； if it goes on for a few days more； may involve very serious consequences indeed； with which I； for one； do not wish to be involved。〃 Sir Richmond； upon the hearthrug； had a curious feeling that he was back in the head master's study at Caxton。 Dr。 Martineau went on with a lucidity that Sir Richmond found rather trying； to give his impression of Miss Grammont and her position in life。 〃She is；〃 he said； 〃manifestly a very expensively educated girl。 And in many ways interesting。 I have been watching her。 I have not been favoured with very much of her attention； but that fact has enabled me to see her in profile。 Miss Seyffert is a fairly crude mixture of frankness； insincerity and self… explanatory egotism； and I have been able to disregard a considerable amount of the conversation she has addressed to me。 Now I guess this Miss Grammont has had no mother since she was quite little。〃 〃Your guesses； doctor； are apt to be pretty good；〃 said Sir Richmond。 〃You know that？〃 〃She has told me as much。〃 〃H'm。 WellShe impressed me as having the air of a girl who has had to solve many problems for which the normal mother provides ready made solutions。 That is how I inferred that there was no mother。 I don't think there has been any stepmother； either friendly or hostile？ There hasn't been。 I thought not。 She has had various governesses and companions； ladies of birth and education； engaged to look after her and she has done exactly what she liked with them。 Her manner with Miss Seyffert； an excellent manner for Miss Seyffert； by the bye； isn't the sort of manner anyone acquires in a day。 Or for one person only。 She is a very sure and commanding young woman。〃 Sir Richmond nodded。 〃I suppose her father adores and neglects her； and whenever she has wanted a companion or governess butchered； the thing has been done。 。 。 。 These business Americans； I am told； neglect their womenkind； give them money and power； let them loose on the world。 。 。 。 It is a sort of moral laziness masquerading as affection。 。 。 。 Still I suppose custom and tradition kept this girl in her place and she was petted； honoured； amused； talked about but not in a harmful way； and rather bored right up to the time when America came into the war。 Theoretically she had a tremendously good time。〃 〃I think this must be near the truth of her biography；〃 said Sir Richmond。 〃I suppose she has lovers。〃 〃You don't mean？〃 〃No； I don't。 Though that is a matter that ought to have no special interest for you。 I mean that she was surrounded by a retinue of men who wanted to marry her or who behaved as though they wanted to marry her or who made her happiness and her gratifications and her condescensions seem a matter of very great importance to
