the research magnificent-第32章

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s。　Wilder。　〃Only　when　I　shoot　tigers。　　You　and　mother　should　certainly　come　to　Japan。〃　〃But　Mr。　Benham　perhaps　doesn't　intend　to　shoot　tigers；　Amanda？〃　said　Amanda's　mother。　〃Not　at　once。　　My　way　will　be　a　little　different。　　I　think　I　shall　go　first　through　Germany。　　And　then　down　to　Constantinople。　　And　then　I've　some　idea　of　getting　across　Asia　Minor　and　Persia　to　India。　　That　would　take　some　time。　　One　must　ride。〃　〃Asia　Minor　ought　to　be　fun；〃　said　Amanda。　　〃But　I　should　prefer　India　because　of　the　tigers。　　It　would　be　so　jolly　to　begin　with　the　tigers　right　away。〃　〃It　is　the　towns　and　governments　and　peoples　I　want　to　see　rather　than　tigers；〃　said　Benham。　　〃Tigers　if　they　are　in　the　programme。　But　I　want　to　find　out　aboutother　things。〃　〃Don't　you　think　there's　something　to　be　found　out　at　home？〃　said　the　elder　cousin；　blushing　very　brightly　and　speaking　with　the　effort　of　one　who　speaks　for　conscience'　sake。　〃Betty's　a　Socialist；〃　Amanda　said　to　Benham　with　a　suspicion　of　apology。　〃Well；　we're　all　rather　that；〃　Mrs。　Wilder　protested。　〃If　you　are　free；　if　you　are　independent；　then　don't　you　owe　something　to　the　workers？〃　　Betty　went　on；　getting　graver　and　redder　with　each　word。　〃It's　just　because　of　that；〃　said　Benham；　〃that　I　am　going　round　the　world。〃

3

He　was　as　free　with　these　odd　people　as　if　he　had　been　talking　to　Prothero。　　They　werealert。　　And　he　had　been　alone　and　silent　and　full　of　thinking　for　two　clear　days。　　He　tried　to　explain　why　he　found　Socialism　at　once　obvious　and　inadequate。　。　。　。　Presently　the　supper　things　got　themselves　put　away　and　the　talk　moved　into　a　smaller　room　with　several　armchairs　and　a　fire。　　Mrs。　Wilder　and　the　cousins　and　Amanda　each　smoked　a　cigarette　as　if　it　were　symbolical；　and　they　were　joined　by　a　grave　grey…bearded　man　with　a　hyphenated　name　and　slightly　Socratic　manner；　dressed　in　a　very　blue　linen　shirt　and　collar；　a　very　woolly　mustard…coloured　suit　and　loose　tie；　and　manifestly　devoted　to　one　of　those　branches　of　exemplary　domestic　decoration　that　grow　upon　Socialist　soil　in　England。　　He　joined　Betty　in　the　opinion　that　the　duty　of　a　free　and　wealthy　young　man　was　to　remain　in　England　and　give　himself　to　democratic　Socialism　and　the　abolition　of　〃profiteering。〃　　〃Consider　that　chair；〃　he　said。　　But　Benham　had　little　feeling　for　the　craftsmanship　of　chairs。　Under　cross…examination　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders　became　entangled　and　prophetic。　　It　was　evident　he　had　never　thought　out　his　〃democratic；〃　he　had　rested　in　some　vague　tangle　of　idealism　from　which　Benham　now　set　himself　with　the　zeal　of　a　specialist　to　rout　him。　　Such　an　argument　sprang　up　as　one　meets　with　rarely　beyond　the　happy　undergraduate's　range。　　Everybody　lived　in　the　discussion；　even　Amanda's　mother　listened　visibly。　　Betty　said　she　herself　was　certainly　democratic　and　Mrs。　Wilder　had　always　thought　herself　to　be　so；　and　outside　the　circle　round　the　fire　Amanda　hovered　impatiently；　not　quite　sure　of　her　side　as　yet；　but　eager　to　come　down　with　emphasis　at　the　first　flash　of　intimation。　She　came　down　vehemently　on　Benham's。　And　being　a　very　clear…cutting　personality　with　an　instinct　for　the　material　rendering　of　things；　she　also　came　and　sat　beside　him　on　　by　the　lamp　and　read　the　REPUBLIC　very　intently　and　very　thoughtfully；　occasionally　turning　over　a　page。

5

When　Benham　got　back　to　London　he　experienced　an　unwonted　desire　to　perform　his　social　obligations　to　the　utmost。　So　soon　as　he　had　had　some　dinner　at　his　club　he　wrote　his　South　Harting　friends　a　most　agreeable　letter　of　thanks　for　their　kindness　to　him。　　In　a　little　while　he　hoped　he　should　see　them　again。　　His　mother；　too；　was　most　desirous　to　meet　them。　。　。　。　　That　done；　he　went　on　to　his　flat　and　to　various　aspects　of　life　for　which　he　was　quite　unprepared。　But　here　we　may　note　that　Amanda　answered　him。　　Her　reply　came　some　four　days　later。　　It　was　written　in　a　square　schoolgirl　hand；　it　covered　three　sheets　of　notepaper；　and　it　was　a　very　intelligent　essay　upon　the　REPUBLIC　of　Plato。　　〃Of　course；〃　she　wrote；　〃the　Guardians　are　inhumanthe　little　square…cornered　sofa。　〃Of　course；　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders；〃　she　said；　〃of　course　the　world　must　belong　to　the　people　who　dare。　　Of　course　people　aren't　all　alike；　and　dull　people；　as　Mr。　Benham　says；　and　spiteful　people；　and　narrow　people　have　no　right　to　any　voice　at　all　in　things。　。　。　。

4

In　saying　this　she　did　but　echo　Benham's　very　words；　and　all　she　said　and　did　that　evening　was　in　quick　response　to　Benham's　earnest　expression　of　his　views。　　She　found　Benham　a　delightful　novelty。　She　liked　to　argue　because　there　was　no　other　talk　so　lively；　and　she　had　perhaps　a　lurking　intellectual　grudge　against　Mr。　Rathbone…　Sanders　that　made　her　welcome　an　ally。　　Everything　from　her　that　night　that　even　verges　upon　the　notable　has　been　told；　and　yet　it　sufficed；　together　with　something　in　the　clear；　long　line　of　her　limbs；　in　her　voice；　in　her　general　physical　quality；　to　convince　Benham　that　she　was　the　freest；　finest；　bravest　spirit　that　he　had　ever　encountered。　In　the　papers　he　left　behind　him　was　to　be　found　his　perplexed　endeavours　to　explain　this　mental　leap；　that　after　all　his　efforts　still　remained　unexplained。　　He　had　been　vividly　impressed　by　the　decision　and　courage　of　her　treatment　of　the　dogs；　it　was　just　the　sort　of　thing　he　could　not　do。　　And　there　was　a　certain　contagiousness　in　the　petting　admiration　with　which　her　family　treated　her。　　But　she　was　young　and　healthy　and　so　was　he；　and　in　a　second　mystery　lies　the　key　of　the　first。　　He　had　fallen　in　love　with　her；　and　that　being　so　whatever　he　needed　that　instantly　she　was。　　He　needed　a　companion；　clean　and　brave　and　understanding。　。　。　。　In　his　bed　in　the　Ship　that　night　he　thought　of　nothing　but　her　before　he　went　to　sleep；　and　when　next　morning　he　walked　on　his　way　over　the　South　Downs　to　Chichester　his　mind　was　full　of　her　image　and　of　a　hundred　pleasant　things　about　her。　　In　his　confessions　he　wrote；　〃I　felt　there　was　a　sword　in　her　spirit。　　I　felt　she　was　as　clean　as　the　wind。〃　Love　is　the　most　chastening　of　powers；　and　he　did　not　even　remember　now　that　two　days　before　he　had　told　the　wind　and　the　twilight　that　he　would　certainly　〃roll　and　rollick　in　women〃　unless　there　was　work　for　him　to　do。　　She　had　a　peculiarly　swift　and　easy　stride　that　went　with　him　in　his　thoughts　along　the　turf　by　the　wayside　halfway　and　more　to　Chichester。　　He　thought　always　of　the　two　of　them　as　being　side　by　side。　　His　imagination　became　childishly　romantic。　　The　open　down　about　him　with　its　scrub　of　thorn　and　yew　became　the　wilderness　of　the　world；　and　through　it　they　wentin　armour；　weightless　armourand　they　wore　long　swords。　　There　was　a　breeze　blowing　and　larks　were　singing　and　something；　something　dark　and　tortuous　dashed　suddenly　in　headlong　flight　from　before　their　feet。　　It　was　an　ethical　problem　such　as　those　Mrs。　Skelmersdale　nursed　in　her　bosom。　But　at　the　sight　of　Amanda　it　had　straightened　outand　fled。　。　。　。　And　interweaving　with　such　imaginings；　he　was　some　day　to　record；　there　were　others。　　She　had　brought　back　to　his　memory　the　fancies　that　had　been　aroused　in　his　first　reading　of　Plato's　REPUBLIC；　she　made　him　think　of　those　women　Guardians；　who　were　the　friends　and　mates　of　men。　　He　wanted　now　to　re…read　that　book　and　the　LAWS。　　He　could　not　remember　if　the　Guardians　were　done　in　the　LAWS　as　well　as　in　the　REPUBLIC。　　He　wished　he　had　both　these　books　in　his　rucksack；　but　as　he　had　not；　he　decided　he　would　hunt　for　them　in　Chichester。　When　would　he　see　Amanda　again？　　He　would　ask　his　mother　to　make　the　acquaintance　of　these　very　interesting　people；　but　as　they　did　not　come　to　London　very　much　it　might　be　some　time　before　he　had　a　chance　of　seeing　her　again。　　And；　besides；　he　was　going　to　America　and　India。　　The　prospect　of　an　exploration　of　the　world　was　still　noble　and　attractive；　but　he　realized　it　would　stand　very　much　in　the　way　of　his　seeing　more　of　Amanda。　　Would　it　be　a　startling　and　unforgivable　thing　if　presently　he　began　to　write　to　her？　　Girls　of　that　age　and　spirit　living　in　out…of…the…way　villages　have　been　known　to　marry。　。　。　。　Marriage　didn't　at　this　stage　strike　Benham　as　an　agreeable　aspect　of　Amanda's　possibilities；　it　was　an　inconvenienc