the research magnificent-第58章

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e　mutual　refreshment　of　two　noble　lovers；　and　then　he　was　returning　to　Russia　again。　Amanda　was　at　Chexington；　and　there　he　found　her　installed　in　the　utmost　dignity　of　expectant　maternity。　　Like　many　other　people　he　had　been　a　little　disposed　to　regard　the　bearing　of　children　as　a　common　human　experience；　at　Chexington　he　came　to　think　of　it　as　a　rare　and　sacramental　function。　　Amanda　had　become　very　beautiful　in　quiet；　grey；　dove…like　tones；　her　sun…touched；　boy's　complexion　had　given　way　to　a　soft　glow　of　the　utmost　loveliness；　her　brisk　little　neck　that　had　always　reminded　him　of　the　stalk　of　a　flower　was　now　softened　and　rounded；　her　eyes　were　tender；　and　she　moved　about　the　place　in　the　manner　of　one　who　is　vowed　to　a　great　sacrifice。　　She　dominated　the　scene；　and　Lady　Marayne；　with　a　certain　astonishment　in　her　eyes　and　a　smouldering　disposition　to　irony；　was　the　half…　sympathetic；　half…resentful　priestess　of　her　daughter…in…law's　unparalleled　immolation。　　The　MOTIF　of　motherhood　was　everywhere；　and　at　his　bedside　he　foundit　had　been　put　there　for　him　by　Amandaamong　much　other　exaltation　of　woman's　mission；　that　most　wonderful　of　all　philoprogenitive　stories；　Hudson's　CRYSTAL　AGE。　Everybody　at　Chexington　had　an　air　of　being　grouped　about　the　impending　fact。　　An　epidemic　of　internal　troubles；　it　is　true；　kept　Sir　Godfrey　in　the　depths　of　London　society；　but　to　make　up　for　his　absence　Mrs。　Morris　had　taken　a　little　cottage　down　by　the　river　and　the　Wilder　girls　were　with　her；　both　afire　with　fine　and　subtle　feelings　and　both；　it　seemed；　and　more　particularly　Betty；　prepared　to　be　keenly　critical　of　Benham's　attitude。　He　did　a　little　miss　his　cue　in　these　exaltations；　because　he　had　returned　in　a　rather　different　vein　of　exaltation。　In　missing　it　he　was　assisted　by　Amanda　herself；　who　had　at　moments　an　effect　upon　him　of　a　priestess　confidentially　disrobed。　　It　was　as　if　she　put　aside　for　him　something　official；　something　sincerely　maintained；　necessary；　but　at　times　a　little　irksome。　　It　was　as　if　she　was　glad　to　take　him　into　her　confidence　and　unbend。　　Within　the　pre…natal　Amanda　an　impish　Amanda　still　lingered。　There　were　aspects　of　Amanda　that　it　was　manifest　dear　Betty　must　never　know。　。　。　。　But　the　real　Amanda　of　that　November　visit　even　in　her　most　unpontifical　moods　did　not　quite　come　up　to　the　imagined　Amanda　who　had　drawn　him　home　across　Europe。　　At　times　she　was　extraordinarily　jolly。　　They　had　two　or　three　happy　walks　about　the　Chexington　woods；　that　year　the　golden　weather　of　October　had　flowed　over　into　November；　and　except　for　a　carpet　of　green　and　gold　under　the　horse…　chestnuts　most　of　the　leaves　were　still　on　the　trees。　　Gleams　of　her　old　wanton　humour　shone　on　him。　　And　then　would　come　something　else；　something　like　a　shadow　across　the　world；　something　he　had　quite　forgotten　since　his　idea　of　heroic　love　had　flooded　him；　something　that　reminded　him　of　those　long　explanations　with　Mr。　Rathbone…　Sanders　that　had　never　been　explained；　and　of　the　curate　in　the　doorway　of　the　cottage　and　his　unaccountable　tears。　On　the　afternoon　of　his　arrival　at　Chexington　he　was　a　little　surprised　to　find　Sir　Philip　Easton　coming　through　the　house　into　the　garden；　with　an　accustomed　familiarity。　　Sir　Philip　perceived　him　with　a　start　that　was　instantly　controlled；　and　greeted　him　with　unnatural　ease。　Sir　Philip；　it　seemed；　was　fishing　and　reading　and　playing　cricket　in　the　neighbourhood；　which　struck　Benham　as　a　poor　way　of　spending　the　summer；　the　sort　of　soft　holiday　a　man　learns　to　take　from　scholars　and　literary　men。　　A　man　like　Sir　Philip；　he　thought；　ought　to　have　been　aviating　or　travelling。　Moreover；　when　Sir　Philip　greeted　Amanda　it　seemed　to　Benham　that　there　was　a　flavour　of　established　association　in　their　manner。　　But　then　Sir　Philip　was　also　very　assiduous　with　Lady　Marayne。　　She　called　him　〃Pip；〃　and　afterwards　Amanda　called　across　the　tennis…　court　to　him；　〃Pip！〃　　And　then　he　called　her　〃Amanda。〃　　When　the　Wilder　girls　came　up　to　join　the　tennis　he　was　just　as　brotherly。　。　。　。　The　next　day　he　came　to　lunch。　During　that　meal　Benham　became　more　aware　than　he　had　ever　been　before　of　the　peculiar　deep　expressiveness　of　this　young　man's　eyes。　They　watched　him　and　they　watched　Amanda　with　a　solicitude　that　seemed　at　once　pained　and　tender。　　And　there　was　something　about　Amanda；　a　kind　of　hard　brightness；　an　impartiality　and　an　air　of　something　undefinably　suspended；　that　gave　Benham　an　intuitive　certitude　that　that　afternoon　Sir　Philip　would　be　spoken　to　privately；　and　that　then　he　would　pack　up　and　go　away　in　a　state　of　illumination　from　Chexington。　　But　before　he　could　be　spoken　to　he　contrived　to　speak　to　Benham。　They　were　left　to　smoke　after　lunch；　and　then　it　was　he　took　advantage　of　a　pause　to　commit　his　little　indiscretion。　〃Mrs。　Benham；〃　he　said；　〃looks　amazingly　wellextraordinarily　well；　don't　you　think？〃　〃Yes；〃　said　Benham；　startled。　　〃Yes。　　She　certainly　keeps　very　well。〃　〃She　misses　you　terribly；〃　said　Sir　Philip；　〃it　is　a　time　when　a　woman　misses　her　husband。　　But；　of　course；　she　does　not　want　to　hamper　your　work。　。　。　。〃　Benham　felt　it　was　very　kind　of　him　to　take　so　intimate　an　interest　in　these　matters；　but　on　the　spur　of　the　moment　he　could　find　no　better　expression　for　this　than　a　grunt。　〃You　don't　mind；〃　said　the　young　man　with　a　slight　catch　in　the　breath　that　might　have　been　apprehensive；　〃that　I　sometimes　bring　her　books　and　flowers　and　things？　　Do　what　little　I　can　to　keep　life　interesting　down　here？　　It's　not　very　congenial。　。　。　。　　She's　so　wonderfulI　think　she　is　the　most　wonderful　woman　in　the　world。〃　Benham　perceived　that　so　far　from　being　a　modern　aristocrat　he　was　really　a　primitive　barbarian　in　these　matters。　〃I've　no　doubt；〃　he　said；　〃that　my　wife　has　every　reason　to　be　grateful　for　your　attentions。〃　In　the　little　pause　that　followed　Benham　had　a　feeling　that　Sir　Philip　was　engendering　something　still　more　personal。　　If　so；　he　might　be　constrained　to　invert　very　gently　but　very　firmly　the　bowl　of　chrysanthemums　over　Sir　Philip's　head；　or　kick　him　in　an　improving　manner。　　He　had　a　ridiculous　belief　that　Sir　Philip　would　probably　take　anything　of　the　sort　very　touchingly。　　He　scrambled　in　his　mind　for　some　remark　that　would　avert　this　possibility。　〃Have　you　ever　been　in　Russia？〃　he　asked　hastily。　　〃It　is　the　most　wonderful　country　in　Europe。　　I　had　an　odd　adventure　near　Kiev。　During　a　pogrom。〃　And　he　drowned　the　developing　situation　in　a　flood　of　description。　。　。　。　But　it　was　not　so　easy　to　drown　the　little　things　that　were　presently　thrown　out　by　Lady　Marayne。　　They　were　so　much　more　in　the　air。　。　。　。

18

Sir　Philip　suddenly　got　out　of　the　picture　even　as　Benham　had　foreseen。　〃Easton　has　gone　away；〃　he　remarked　three　days　later　to　Amanda。　〃I　told　him　to　go。　　He　is　a　bore　with　you　about。　　But　otherwise　he　is　rather　a　comfort；　Cheetah。〃　She　meditated　upon　Sir　Philip。　　〃And　he's　an　HONOURABLE　man；〃　she　said。　　〃He's　safe。　。　。　。〃

19

After　that　visit　it　was　that　the　notes　upon　love　and　sex　began　in　earnest。　　The　scattered　memoranda　upon　the　perfectness　of　heroic　love　for　the　modern　aristocrat　ended　abruptly。　　Instead　there　came　the　first　draft　for　a　study　of　jealousy。　　The　note　was　written　in　pencil　on　Chexington　notepaper　and　manifestly　that　had　been　supported　on　the　ribbed　cover　of　a　book。　　There　was　a　little　computation　in　the　corner；　converting　forty…five　degrees　Reaumur　into　degrees　Fahrenheit；　which　made　White　guess　it　had　been　written　in　the　Red　Sea。　　But；　indeed；　it　had　been　written　in　a　rather　amateurishly　stoked　corridor…train　on　Benham's　journey　to　the　gathering　revolt　in　Moscow。　。　。　。　〃I　think　I　have　been　disposed　to　underrate　the　force　of　sexual　jealousy。　。　。　。　　I　thought　it　was　something　essentially　contemptible；　something　that　one　dismissed　and　put　behind　oneself　in　the　mere　effort　to　be　aristocratic；　but　I　begin　to　realize　that　it　is　not　quite　so　easily　settled　with。　。　。　。　〃One　likes　to　know。　。　。　。　　Possibly　one　wants　to　know　too　much。　。　。　。　　In　phases　of　fatigue；　and　particularly　in　phases　of　sleeplessness；　when　one　is　leaving　all　that　one　cares　for　behind；　it　becomes　an　irrational　torment。　。　。　。　〃And　it　is　not　only　in　oneself　that　I　am　astonished　by　the　power　of　this　ba