the research magnificent-第49章

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re；　excitement　and　deliciousness；　there　is　scarcely　more　to　be　found　than　a　soiled　twig；　a　dirty　seed；　a　dead　leaf；　black　mould　or　a　rotting　feather。　。　。　。　White　held　the　ten　or　twelve　pencilled　pages　that　told　how　Benham　and　Amanda　drifted　into　antagonism　and　estrangement　and　as　he　held　it　he　thought　of　the　laughter　and　delight　they　must　have　had　together；　the　exquisite　excitements　of　her　eye；　the　racing　colour　of　her　cheek；　the　gleams　of　light　upon　her　skin；　the　flashes　of　wit　between　them；　the　sense　of　discovery；　the　high　rare　paths　they　had　followed；　the　pools　in　which　they　had　swum　together。　　And　now　it　was　all　gone　into　nothingness；　there　was　nothing　left　of　it；　nothing　at　all；　but　just　those　sheets　of　statement；　and　it　may　be；　stored　away　in　one　single　mind；　like　things　forgotten　in　an　attic；　a　few　neglected　faded　memories。　。　。　。　And　even　those　few　sheets　of　statement　were　more　than　most　love　leaves　behind　it。　　For　a　time　White　would　not　read　them。　　They　lay　neglected　on　his　knee　as　he　sat　back　in　Benham's　most　comfortable　chair　and　enjoyed　an　entirely　beautiful　melancholy。　White　too　had　seen　and　mourned　the　spring。　Indeed；　poor　dear！　he　had　seen　and　mourned　several　springs。　。　。　。　With　a　sigh　he　took　up　the　manuscript　and　read　Benham's　desiccated　story　of　intellectual　estrangement；　and　how　in　the　end　he　had　decided　to　leave　his　wife　and　go　out　alone　upon　that　journey　of　inquiry　he　had　been　planning　when　first　he　met　her。

3

Amanda　had　come　back　to　England　in　a　state　of　extravagantly　vigorous　womanhood。　　Benham's　illness；　though　it　lasted　only　two　or　three　weeks；　gave　her　a　sense　of　power　and　leadership　for　which　she　had　been　struggling　instinctively　ever　since　they　came　together。　　For　a　time　at　Locarno　he　was　lax…minded　and　indolent；　and　in　that　time　she　formed　her　bright　and　limited　plans　for　London。　　Benham　had　no　plans　as　yet　but　only　a　sense　of　divergence；　as　though　he　was　being　pulled　in　opposite　directions　by　two　irresistible　forces。　　To　her　it　was　plain　that　he　needed　occupation；　some　distinguished　occupation；　and　she　could　imagine　nothing　better　for　him　than　a　political　career。　She　perceived　he　had　personality；　that　he　stood　out　among　men　so　that　his　very　silences　were　effective。　　She　loved　him　immensely；　and　she　had　tremendous　ambitions　for　him　and　through　him。　And　also　London；　the　very　thought　of　London；　filled　her　with　appetite。　　Her　soul　thirsted　for　London。　　It　was　like　some　enormous　juicy　fruit　waiting　for　her　pretty　white　teeth；　a　place　almost　large　enough　to　give　her　avidity　the　sense　of　enough。　　She　felt　it　waiting　for　her；　household；　servants；　a　carriage；　shops　and　the　jolly　delight　of　buying　and　possessing　things；　the　opera；　first…nights；　picture　exhibitions；　great　dinner…parties；　brilliant　lunch　parties；　crowds　seen　from　a　point　of　vantage；　the　carriage　in　a　long　string　of　fine　carriages　with　the　lamplit　multitude　peering；　Amanda　in　a　thousand　bright　settings；　in　a　thousand　various　dresses。　　She　had　had　love；　it　had　been　glorious；　it　was　still　glorious；　but　her　love…　making　became　now　at　times　almost　perfunctory　in　the　contemplation　of　these　approaching　delights　and　splendours　and　excitements。　She　knew；　indeed；　that　ideas　were　at　work　in　Benham's　head；　but　she　was　a　realist。　　She　did　not　see　why　ideas　should　stand　in　the　way　of　a　career。　　Ideas　are　a　brightness；　the　good　looks　of　the　mind。　　One　talks　ideas；　but　THE　THING　THAT　IS；　IS　THE　THING　THAT　IS。　　And　though　she　believed　that　Benham　had　a　certain　strength　of　character　of　his　own；　she　had　that　sort　of　confidence　in　his　love　for　her　and　in　the　power　of　her　endearments　that　has　in　it　the　assurance　of　a　faint　contempt。　　She　had　mingled　pride　and　sense　in　the　glorious　realization　of　the　power　over　him　that　her　wit　and　beauty　gave　her。　She　had　held　him　faint　with　her　divinity；　intoxicated　with　the　pride　of　her　complete　possession；　and　she　did　not　dream　that　the　moment　when　he　should　see　clearly　that　she　could　deliberately　use　these　ultimate　delights　to　rule　and　influence　him；　would　be　the　end　of　their　splendour　and　her　power。　　Her　nature；　which　was　just　a　nest　of　vigorous　appetites；　was　incapable　of　suspecting　his　gathering　disillusionment　until　it　burst　upon　her。　Now　with　her　attention　set　upon　London　ahead　he　could　observe　her。　In　the　beginning　he　had　never　seemed　to　be　observing　her　at　all；　they　dazzled　one　another；　it　seemed　extraordinary　now　to　him　to　note　how　much　he　had　been　able　to　disregard。　　There　were　countless　times　still　when　he　would　have　dropped　his　observation　and　resumed　that　mutual　exaltation　very　gladly；　but　always　now　other　things　possessed　her　mind。　。　。　。　There　was　still　an　immense　pleasure　for　him　in　her　vigour；　there　was　something　delightful　in　her　pounce；　even　when　she　was　pouncing　on　things　superficial；　vulgar　or　destructive。　　She　made　him　understand　and　share　the　excitement　of　a　big　night　at　the　opera；　the　glitter　and　prettiness　of　a　smart　restaurant；　the　clustering　little　acute　adventures　of　a　great　reception　of　gay　people；　just　as　she　had　already　made　him　understand　and　sympathize　with　dogs。　　She　picked　up　the　art　world　where　he　had　laid　it　down；　and　she　forced　him　to　feel　dense　and　slow　before　he　rebelled　against　her　multitudinous　enthusiasms　and　admirations。　　South　Harting　had　had　its　little　group　of　artistic　people；　it　is　not　one　of　your　sleepy　villages；　and　she　slipped　back　at　once　into　the　movement。　　Those　were　the　great　days　of　John；　the　days　before　the　Post　Impressionist　outbreak。　　John；　Orpen；　Tonks；　she　bought　them　with　vigour。　　Artistic　circles　began　to　revolve　about　her。　　Very　rapidly　she　was　in　possession。　。　。　。　And　among　other　desirable　things　she　had；　it　seemed；　pounced　upon　and　captured　Lady　Marayne。　At　any　rate　it　was　clear　that　that　awful　hostile　silence　and　aloofness　was　to　end。　　Benham　never　quite　mastered　how　it　was　done。　But　Amanda　had　gone　in　one　morning　to　Desborough　Street；　very　sweetly　and　chastely　dressed；　had　abased　herself　and　announced　a　possible　（though　subsequently　disproved）　grandchild。　　And　she　had　appreciated　the　little　lady　so　highly　and　openly；　she　had　so　instantly　caught　and　reproduced　her　tone；　that　her　success；　though　only　temporary　in　its　completeness；　was　immediate。　　In　the　afternoon　Benham　was　amazed　by　the　apparition　of　his　mother　amidst　the　scattered　unsettled　furnishings　of　the　new　home　Amanda　had　chosen　in　Lancaster　Gate。　　He　was　in　the　hall；　the　door　stood　open　awaiting　packing…cases　from　a　van　without。　　In　the　open　doorway　she　shone；　looking　the　smallest　of　dainty　things。　　There　was　no　effect　of　her　coming　but　only　of　her　having　arrived　there；　as　a　little　blue　butterfly　will　suddenly　alight　on　a　flower。　〃Well；　Poff！〃　said　Lady　Marayne；　ignoring　abysses；　〃What　are　you　up　to　now；　Poff？　　Come　and　embrace　me。　。　。　。〃　〃No；　not　so；〃　she　said；　〃stiffest　of　sons。　。　。　。〃　She　laid　hold　of　his　ears　in　the　old　fashion　and　kissed　one　eye。　〃Congratulations；　dear　little　Poff。　　Oh！　congratulations！　　In　heaps。　I'm　so　GLAD。〃　Now　what　was　that　for？　And　then　Amanda　came　out　upon　the　landing　upstairs；　saw　the　encounter　with　an　involuntary　cry　of　joy；　and　came　downstairs　with　arms　wide　open。　　It　was　the　first　intimation　he　had　of　their　previous　meeting。　　He　was　for　some　minutes　a　stunned；　entirely　inadequate　Benham。　。　。　。

4

At　first　Amanda　knew　nobody　in　London；　except　a　few　people　in　the　Hampstead　Garden　suburb　that　she　had　not　the　slightest　wish　to　know；　and　then　very　quickly　she　seemed　to　know　quite　a　lot　of　people。　　The　artistic　circle　brought　in　people；　Lady　Marayne　brought　in　people；　they　spread。　　It　was　manifest　the　Benhams　were　a　very　bright　young　couple；　he　would　certainly　do　something　considerable　presently；　and　she　was　bright　and　daring；　jolly　to　look　at　and　excellent　fun；　and；　when　you　came　to　talk　to　her；　astonishingly　well　informed。　　They　passed　from　one　hostess's　hand　to　another：　they　reciprocated。　　The　Clynes　people　and　the　Rushtones　took　her　up；　Mr。　Evesham　was　amused　by　her；　Lady　Beach　Mandarin　proclaimed　her　charm　like　a　trumpet；　the　Young　Liberal　people　made　jealous　advances；　Lord　Moggeridge　found　she　listened　well；　she　lit　one　of　the　brightest　weekend　parties　Lady　Marayne　had　ever　gathered　at　Chexington。　　And　her　descriptions　of　recent　danger　and　adventure　in　Albania　not　only