the research magnificent-第4章

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curity　he　felt　in　giddy　and　unstable　places。　　There　he　was　more　definitely　balanced　between　the　hopelessly　rash　and　the　pitifully　discreet。　He　had　written　an　account　of　a　private　struggle　between　himself　and　a　certain　path　of　planks　and　rock　edges　called　the　Bisse　of　Leysin。　This　happened　in　his　adolescence。　　He　had　had　a　bad　attack　of　influenza　and　his　doctor　had　sent　him　to　a　little　hotelthe　only　hotel　it　was　in　those　daysat　Montana　in　Valais。　　There；　later；　when　he　had　picked　up　his　strength；　his　father　was　to　join　him　and　take　him　mountaineering；　that　second…rate　mountaineering　which　is　so　dear　to　dons　and　schoolmasters。　　When　the　time　came　he　was　ready　for　that；　but　he　had　had　his　experiences。　　He　had　gone　through　a　phase　of　real　cowardice。　　He　was　afraid；　he　confessed；　before　even　he　reached　Montana；　he　was　afraid　of　the　steepness　of　the　mountains。　He　had　to　drive　ten　or　twelve　miles　up　and　up　the　mountain…side；　a　road　of　innumerable　hairpin　bends　and　precipitous　banks；　the　horse　was　gaunt　and　ugly　with　a　disposition　to　shy；　and　he　confesses　he　clutched　the　side　of　the　vehicle　and　speculated　how　he　should　jump　if　presently　the　whole　turnout　went　tumbling　over。　。　。　。　〃And　afterwards　I　dreamt　dreams　of　precipices。　　I　made　strides　over　precipices；　I　fell　and　fell　with　a　floating　swiftness　towards　remote　valleys；　I　was　assailed　by　eagles　upon　a　perilous　ledge　that　crumbled　away　and　left　me　clinging　by　my　nails　to　nothing。〃　The　Bisse　of　Leysin　is　one　of　those　artificial　water…courses　which　bring　water　from　some　distant　source　to　pastures　that　have　an　insufficient　or　uncertain　supply。　　It　is　a　little　better　known　than　most　because　of　a　certain　exceptional　boldness　in　its　construction；　for　a　distance　of　a　few　score　yards　it　runs　supported　by　iron　staples　across　the　front　of　a　sheer　precipice；　and　for　perhaps　half　a　mile　it　hangs　like　an　eyebrow　over　nearly　or　quite　vertical　walls　of　pine…set　rock。　　Beside　it；　on　the　outer　side　of　it；　runs　a　path；　which　becomes　an　offhand　gangway　of　planking　at　the　overhanging　places。　　At　one　corner；　which　gives　the　favourite　picture　postcard　from　Montana；　the　rocks　project　so　sharply　above　the　water　that　the　passenger　on　the　gangway　must　crouch　down　upon　the　bending　plank　as　he　walks。　　There　is　no　hand…hold　at　all。　A　path　from　Montana　takes　one　over　a　pine…clad　spur　and　down　a　precipitous　zig…zag　upon　the　middle　of　the　Bisse；　and　thither　Benham　came；　fascinated　by　the　very　fact　that　here　was　something　of　which　the　mere　report　frightened　him。　　He　had　to　walk　across　the　cold　clear　rush　of　the　Bisse　upon　a　pine　log；　and　then　he　found　himself　upon　one　of　the　gentler　interludes　of　the　Bisse　track。　　It　was　a　scrambling　path　nearly　two　feet　wide；　and　below　it　were　slopes；　but　not　so　steep　as　to　terrify。　　At　a　vast　distance　below　he　saw　through　tree…stems　and　blue　haze　a　twisted　strand　of　bright　whiteness；　the　river　that　joins　the　Rhone　at　Sion。　　It　looped　about　and　passed　out　of　sight　remotely　beneath　his　feet。　　He　turned　to　the　right；　and　came　to　a　corner　that　overhung　a　precipice。　　He　craned　his　head　round　this　corner　and　saw　the　evil　place　of　the　picture…postcards。　He　remained　for　a　long　time　trying　to　screw　himself　up　to　walk　along　the　jagged　six…inch　edge　of　rock　between　cliff　and　torrent　into　which　the　path　has　shrunken；　to　the　sagging　plank　under　the　overhanging　rock　beyond。　He　could　not　bring　himself　to　do　that。　〃It　happened　that　close　to　the　corner　a　large　lump　of　rock　and　earth　was　breaking　away；　a　cleft　was　opening；　so　that　presently；　it　seemed　possible　at　any　moment；　the　mass　would　fall　headlong　into　the　blue　deeps　below。　　This　impending　avalanche　was　not　in　my　path　along　the　Bisse；　it　was　no　sort　of　danger　to　me；　but　in　some　way　its　insecurity　gave　a　final　touch　to　my　cowardice。　　I　could　not　get　myself　round　that　corner。〃　He　turned　away。　　He　went　and　examined　the　planks　in　the　other　direction；　and　these　he　found　less　forbidding。　　He　crossed　one　precipitous　place；　with　a　fall　of　twoscore　feet　or　less　beneath　him；　and　found　worse　ahead。　　There　also　he　managed。　　A　third　place　was　still　more　disagreeable。　　The　plank　was　worn　and　thin；　and　sagged　under　him。　　He　went　along　it　supporting　himself　against　the　rock　above　the　Bisse　with　an　extended　hand。　　Halfway　the　rock　fell　back；　so　that　there　was　nothing　whatever　to　hold。　　He　stopped；　hesitating　whether　he　should　go　backbut　on　this　plank　there　was　no　going　back　because　no　turning　round　seemed　practicable。　　While　he　was　still　hesitating　there　came　a　helpful　intervention。　　Behind　him　he　saw　a　peasant　appearing　and　disappearing　behind　trees　and　projecting　rock　masses；　and　coming　across　the　previous　plank　at　a　vigorous　trot。　。　。　。　Under　the　stimulus　of　a　spectator　Benham　got　to　the　end　of　this　third　place　without　much　trouble。　　Then　very　politely　he　stood　aside　for　the　expert　to　go　ahead　so　that　he　could　follow　at　his　own　pace。　There　were；　however；　more　difficulties　yet　to　come；　and　a　disagreeable　humiliation。　　That　confounded　peasant　developed　a　parental　solicitude。　　After　each　crossing　he　waited；　and　presently　began　to　offer　advice　and　encouragement。　　At　last　came　a　place　where　everything　was　overhanging；　where　the　Bisse　was　leaking；　and　the　plank　wet　and　slippery。　　The　water　ran　out　of　the　leak　near　the　brim　of　the　wooden　channel　and　fell　in　a　long　shivering　thread　of　silver。　THERE　WAS　NO　SOUND　OF　ITS　FALL。　　It　just　fellinto　a　void。　　Benham　wished　he　had　not　noted　that。　　He　groaned；　but　faced　the　plank；　he　knew　this　would　be　the　slowest　affair　of　all。　The　peasant　surveyed　him　from　the　further　side。　〃Don't　be　afraid！〃　cried　the　peasant　in　his　clumsy　Valaisian　French；　and　returned；　returning　along　the　plank　that　seemed　quite　sufficiently　loaded　without　him；　extending　a　charitable　hand。　〃Damn！〃　whispered　Benham；　but　he　took　the　hand。　Afterwards；　rather　ignobly；　he　tried　to　explain　in　his　public…school　French。　　〃Pas　de　peur；〃　he　said。　　〃Pas　de　peur。　　Mais　la　tete；　n'a　pas　l'habitude。〃　The　peasant；　failing　to　understand；　assured　him　again　that　there　was　no　danger。　（〃Damn！〃）　Benham　was　led　over　all　the　other　planks；　he　was　led　as　if　he　was　an　old　lady　crossing　a　glacier。　　He　was　led　into　absolute　safety；　and　shamefacedly　he　rewarded　his　guide。　　Then　he　went　a　little　way　and　sat　down；　swore　softly；　and　watched　the　honest　man　go　striding　and　plunging　down　towards　Lens　until　he　was　out　of　sight。　〃Now；〃　said　Benham　to　himself；　〃if　I　do　not　go　back　along　the　planks　my　secret　honour　is　gone　for　ever。〃　He　told　himself　that　he　had　not　a　good　head；　that　he　was　not　well；　that　the　sun　was　setting　and　the　light　no　longer　good；　that　he　had　a　very　good　chance　indeed　of　getting　killed。　　Then　it　came　to　him　suddenly　as　a　clear　and　simple　truth；　as　something　luminously　plain；　that　it　is　better　to　get　killed　than　go　away　defeated　by　such　fears　and　unsteadiness　as　his。　　The　change　came　into　his　mind　as　if　a　white　light　were　suddenly　turned　onwhere　there　had　been　nothing　but　shadows　and　darkness。　　He　rose　to　his　feet　and　went　swiftly　and　intently　the　whole　way　back；　going　with　a　kind　of　temperate　recklessness；　and；　because　he　was　no　longer　careful；　easily。　　He　went　on　beyond　his　starting　place　toward　the　corner；　and　did　that　supreme　bit；　to　and　fro；　that　bit　where　the　lump　was　falling　away；　and　he　had　to　crouch；　as　gaily　as　the　rest。　　Then　he　recrossed　the　Bisse　upon　the　pine　log；　clambered　up　through　the　pines　to　the　crest；　and　returned　through　the　meadows　to　his　own　hotel。　After　that　he　should　have　slept　the　sleep　of　contentment；　but　instead　he　had　quite　dreadful　nightmares；　of　hanging　in　frozen　fear　above　incredible　declivities；　of　ill…aimed　leaps　across　chasms　to　slippery　footholds；　of　planks　that　swayed　and　broke　suddenly　in　the　middle　and　headed　him　down　and　down。　。　。　。　The　next　day　in　the　sunshine　he　walked　the　Bisse　again　with　those　dreams　like　trailing　mists　in　his　mind；　and　by　comparison　the　path　of　the　Bisse　was　nothing；　it　was　like　walking　along　a　kerbstone；　it　was　an　exercise　for　young　ladies。　。　。　。

7

In　his　younger　days　Benham　had　regarded　Fear　as　a　shameful　secret　and　as　a　thing　to　be　got　rid　of　altogether。　　It　seemed　to　him　that　to　feel　fear　was　to　fall　short　of　aristocracy；　and　in　spite　of　the　deep　dreads　and　disgusts　that　haunted　his　mind；　he　set　about　the