the research magnificent-第33章

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at　this　stage　strike　Benham　as　an　agreeable　aspect　of　Amanda's　possibilities；　it　was　an　inconvenience；　his　mind　was　running　in　the　direction　of　pedestrian　tours　in　armour　of　no　particular　weight；　amidst　scenery　of　a　romantic　wildness。　。　。　。　When　he　had　gone　to　the　house　and　taken　his　leave　that　morning　it　had　seemed　quite　in　the　vein　of　the　establishment　that　he　should　be　received　by　Amanda　alone　and　taken　up　the　long　garden　before　anybody　else　appeared；　to　see　the　daffodils　and　the　early　apple…trees　in　blossom　and　the　pear…trees　white　and　delicious。　Then　he　had　taken　his　leave　of　them　all　and　made　his　social　tentatives。　　Did　they　ever　come　to　London？　　When　they　did　they　must　let　his　people　know。　　He　would　so　like　them　to　know　his　mother；　Lady　Marayne。　　And　so　on　with　much　gratitude。　Amanda　had　said　that　she　and　the　dogs　would　come　with　him　up　the　hill；；　but　it　was　a　glorious　sort　of　inhumanity。　They　had　a　spiritlike　sharp　knives　cutting　through　life。〃　It　was　her　best　bit　of　phrasing　and　it　pleased　Benham　very　much。　But；　indeed；　it　was　not　her　own　phrasing；　she　had　culled　it　from　a　disquisition　into　which　she　had　led　Mr。　Rathbone…me　from　going　to　piecesand　wasting　existence。　　It's　rather　difficult　sometimes　to　tell　what　one　thinks　and　feels〃　She　had　not　really　listened　to　him。　〃Who　is　that　woman；〃　she　interrupted　sudd　she　had　said　it　exactly　as　a　boy　might　have　said　it；　she　had　brought　him　up　to　the　corner　of　Up　Park　and　had　sat　down　there　on　a　heap　of　stones　and　watched　him　until　he　was　out　of　sight；　waving　to　him　when　he　looked　back。　　〃Come　back　again；〃　she　had　cried。　In　Chichester　he　found　a　little　green…bound　REPUBLIC　in　a　second…　hand　book…shop　near　the　Cathedral；　but　there　was　no　copy　of　the　LAWS　to　be　found　in　the　place。　　Then　he　was　taken　with　the　brilliant　idea　of　sleeping　the　night　in　Chichester　and　going　back　next　day　via　Harting　to　Petersfield　station　and　London。　　He　carried　out　this　scheme　and　got　to　South　Harting　neatly　about　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　　He　found　Mrs。　Wilder　and　Mrs。　Morris　and　Amanda　and　the　dogs　entertaining　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders　at　tea；　and　they　all　seemed　a　little　surprised；　and；　except　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders；　they　all　seemed　pleased　to　see　him　again　so　soon。　　His　explanation　of　why　he　hadn't　gone　back　to　London　from　Chichester　struck　him　as　a　little　unconvincing　in　the　cold　light　of　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders'　eye。　　But　Amanda　was　manifestly　excited　by　his　return；　and　he　told　them　his　impressions　of　Chichester　and　described　the　entertainment　of　the　evening　guest　at　a　country　inn　and　suddenly　produced　his　copy　of　the　REPUBLIC。　　〃I　found　this　in　a　book…shop；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　brought　it　for　you；　because　it　describes　one　of　the　best　dreams　of　aristocracy　there　has　ever　been　dreamt。〃　At　first　she　praised　it　as　a　pretty　book　in　the　dearest　little　binding；　and　then　realized　that　there　were　deeper　implications；　and　became　grave　and　said　she　would　read　it　through　and　through；　she　loved　such　speculative　reading。　She　came　to　the　door　with　the　others　and　stayed　at　the　door　after　they　had　gone　in　again。　　When　he　looked　back　at　the　corner　of　the　road　to　Petersfield　she　was　still　at　the　door　and　waved　farewell　to　him。　He　only　saw　a　light　slender　figure；　but　when　she　came　back　into　the　sitting…room　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders　noted　the　faint　flush　in　her　cheek　and　an　unwonted　abstraction　in　her　eye。　And　in　the　evening　she　tucked　her　feet　up　in　the　armchairSanders；　and　she　had　sent　it　to　Benham　as　she　might　have　sent　him　a　flower。

6

Benham　re…entered　the　flat　from　which　he　had　fled　so　precipitately　with　three　very　definite　plans　in　his　mind。　　The　first　was　to　set　out　upon　his　grand　tour　of　the　world　with　as　little　delay　as　possible；　to　shut　up　this　Finacue　Street　establishment　for　a　long　time；　and　get　rid　of　the　soul…destroying　perfections　ofenly；　〃Mrs。　Fly…by…Night；　or　some　such　name；　who　rings　you　up　on　the　telephone？〃　Benham　hesitaon't　start　saying　things　like　a　moral　windmill　in　a　whirlwind。　　It's　all　a　muddle。　　I　suppose　every　one　in　London　is　getting　in　or　out　of　these　entanglementsor　something　of　the　sort。　　And　this　seems　a　comparatively　slight　one。　I　wish　it　hadn't　happened。　　They　do　happen。〃　An　expression　of　perplexity　came　into　her　face。　　She　looked　at　him。　〃Why　do　you　want　to　throw　her　over？〃　〃I　WANT　to　throw　her　over；〃　said　Benham。　He　stood　up　and　went　to　the　hearthrug；　and　his　mother　reflected　that　this　was　exactly　what　all　men　did　at　just　this　phase　of　a　discussion。　　Then　things　ceased　to　be　sensible。　From　overhead　he　said　to　her：　〃I　want　to　get　away　from　this　complication；　this　servitude。　　I　want　to　do　somesome　work。　　I　want　to　get　my　mind　clear　and　my　hands　clear。　　I　want　to　study　government　and　the　big　business　of　the　world。〃　〃And　she's　in　the　way？〃　He　assented。　〃You　men！〃　said　Lady　Marayne　after　a　little　pause。　　〃What　queer　beasts　you　are！　　Here　is　a　woman　who　is　kind　to　you。　　She's　fond　of　you。　　I　could　tell　she's　fond　of　you　directly　I　heard　her。　　And　you　amuse　yourself　with　her。　　And　then　it's　Gobble；　Gobble；　Gobble；　Great　Work；　Hands　Clear；　Big　Business　of　the　World。　　Why　couldn't　you　think　of　that　before；　Poff？　　Why　did　you　begin　with　her　Merkle。　　The　second　was　to　end　his　ill…advised　intimacy　with　little　Mrs。　Skelmersdale　as　generously　and　cheerfully　as　possible。　　The　third　was　to　bring　Lady　Marayne　into　social　relations　with　the　Wilder　and　Morris　MENAGE　at　South　Harting。　　It　did　not　strike　him　that　there　was　any　incompatibility　among　these　projects　or　any　insurmountable　difficulty　in　any　of　them　until　he　was　back　in　his　flat。　The　accumulation　of　letters；　packages　and　telephone　memoranda　upon　his　desk　included　a　number　of　notes　and　slips　to　remind　him　that　both　Mrs。　Skelmersdale　and　his　mother　were　ladies　of　some　determination。　　Even　as　he　stood　turning　over　the　pile　of　documents　the　mechanical　vehemence　of　the　telephone　filled　him　with　a　restored　sense　of　the　adverse　will　in　things。　　〃Yes；　mam；〃　he　heard　Merkle's　voice；　〃yes；　mam。　　I　will　tell　him；　mam。　　Will　you　keep　possession；　mam。〃　　And　then　in　the　doorway　of　the　study；　〃Mrs。　Skelmersdale；　sir。　　Upon　the　telephone；　sir。〃　Benham　reflected　with　various　notes　in　his　hand。　　Then　he　went　to　the　telephone。　〃You　Wicked　Boy；　where　have　you　been　hiding？〃　〃I've　been　away。　　I　may　have　to　go　away　again。〃　〃Not　before　you　have　seen　me。　　Come　round　and　tell　me　all　about　it。〃　Benham　lied　about　an　engagement。　〃Then　to…morrow　in　the　morning。〃　。　。　。　　Impossible。　〃In　the　afternoon。　　You　don't　WANT　to　see　me。〃　　Benham　did　want　to　see　her。　〃Come　round　and　have　a　jolly　little　evening　to…morrow　night。　　I've　got　some　more　of　that　harpsichord　music。　　And　I'm　dying　to　see　you。　Don't　you　understand？〃　Further　lies。　　〃Look　here；〃　said　Benham；　〃can　you　come　and　have　a　talk　in　Kensington　Gardens？　　You　know　the　place；　near　that　Chinese　garden。　　Paddington　Gate。　。　。　。〃　The　lady's　voice　fell　to　flatness。　　She　agreed。　　〃But　why　not　come　to　see　me　HERE？〃　she　asked。　Benham　hung　up　the　receiver　abruptly。　He　walked　slowly　back　to　his　study。　　〃Phew！〃　he　whispered　to　himself。　　It　was　like　hitting　her　in　the　face。　　He　didn't　want　to　be　a　brute；　but　short　of　being　a　brute　there　was　no　way　out　for　him　from　this　entanglement。　　Why；　oh！　why　the　devil　had　he　gone　there　to　lunch？　。　。　。　He　resumed　his　examination　of　the　waiting　letters　with　a　ruffled　mind。　　The　most　urgent　thing　about　them　was　the　clear　evidence　of　gathering　anger　on　the　part　of　his　mother。　　He　had　missed　a　lunch　party　at　Sir　Godfrey's　on　Tuesday　and　a　dinner　engagement　at　Philip　Magnet's；　quite　an　important　dinner　in　its　way；　with　various　promising　young　Liberals；　on　Wednesday　evening。　　And　she　was　furious　at　〃this　stupid　mystery。　　Of　course　you're　bound　to　be　found　out；　and　of　course　there　will　be　a　scandal。〃　。　。　。　　He　perceived　that　this　last　note　was　written　on　his　own　paper。　　〃Merkle！〃　he　cried　sharply。　〃Yessir！〃　Merkle　had　been　just　outside；　on　call。　〃Did　my　mother　write　any　of　these　notes　here？〃　he　asked。　〃Two；　sir。　　Her　ladyship　was　round　here　three　times；　sir。〃　〃Did　she　see　all　these　letters？〃　〃Not　the　telephone　calls；　sir。　　I　‘ad　put　them　on　one　side。　But。　。　。　。　　It's　a　little　thing；　sir。〃　He　paused　and　came　a　step　nearer。　　〃You　see；　sir；〃　he　explained　with　the　faintest　flavour　of　the　confidential　softening　his　mech