the research magnificent-第75章

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ith　a　hundred　thousand　lights　that　swayed　and　quivered　and　were　reflected　quiveringly　upon　the　black　flowing　waters。　And　while　Benham　sat　and　talked　in　the　garden　above　came　a　messenger　who　was　for　some　reason　very　vividly　realized　by　White's　imagination。　　He　was　a　tall　man　with　lack…lustre　eyes　and　sunken　cheeks　that　made　his　cheek　bones　very　prominent；　and　gave　his　thin…　lipped　mouth　something　of　the　geniality　of　a　skull；　and　the　arm　he　thrust　out　of　his　yellow　robe　to　hand　Prothero's　message　to　Benham　was　lean　as　a　pole。　　So　he　stood　out　in　White's　imagination；　against　the　warm　afternoon　sky　and　the　brown　roofs　and　blue　haze　of　the　great　town　below；　and　was　with　one　exception　the　distinctest　thing　in　the　story。　　The　message　he　bore　was　scribbled　by　Prothero　himself　in　a　nerveless　scrawl：　〃Send　a　hundred　dollars　by　this　man。　　I　am　in　a　frightful　fix。〃　Now　Benham's　host　had　been　twitting　him　with　the　European　patronage　of　opium；　and　something　in　this　message　stirred　his　facile　indignation。　　Twice　before　he　had　had　similar　demands。　　And　on　the　whole　they　had　seemed　to　him　to　be　unreasonable　demands。　　He　was　astonished　that　while　he　was　sitting　and　talking　of　the　great　world…　republic　of　the　future　and　the　secret　self…directed　aristocracy　that　would　make　it　possible；　his　own　friend；　his　chosen　companion；　should　thus；　by　this　inglorious　request　and　this　ungainly　messenger；　disavow　him。　　He　felt　a　wave　of　intense　irritation。　〃No；〃　he　said；　〃I　will　not。〃　And　he　was　too　angry　to　express　himself　in　any　language　understandable　by　his　messenger。　His　host　intervened　and　explained　after　a　few　questions　that　the　occasion　was　serious。　　Prothero；　it　seemed；　had　been　gambling。　〃No；〃　said　Benham。　　〃He　is　shameless。　　Let　him　do　what　he　can。〃　The　messenger　was　still　reluctant　to　go。　And　scarcely　had　he　gone　before　misgivings　seized　Benham。　〃Where　IS　your　friend？〃　asked　the　mandarin。　〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Benham。　〃But　they　will　keep　him！　　They　may　do　all　sorts　of　things　when　they　find　he　is　lying　to　them。〃　〃Lying　to　them？〃　〃About　your　help。〃　〃Stop　that　man；〃　cried　Benham　suddenly　realizing　his　mistake。　　But　when　the　servants　went　to　stop　the　messenger　their　intentions　were　misunderstood；　and　the　man　dashed　through　the　open　gate　of　the　f　pulling　down　and　trying　again。　　Hope　and　disappointments　and　much　need　for　philosophy。　。　。　。　I　see　myself　now　for　the　little　workman　I　am　upon　this　tremendous　undertaking。　　And　all　my　life　hereafter　goes　to　serve　it。　。　。　。〃　He　turned　his　sombre　eyes　upon　his　friend。　　He　spoke　with　a　grim　enthusiasm。　　〃I'm　a　prig。　　I'm　a　fanatic；　White。　　But　I　have　something　clear；　something　better　worth　going　on　with　than　any　adventure　of　personal　relationship　could　possibly　be。　。　。　。〃　And　suddenly　he　began　to　tell　White　as　plainly　as　he　could　of　the　faith　that　had　grown　up　in　his　mind。　　He　spoke　with　a　touch　of　defiance；　with　the　tense　force　of　a　man　who　shrinks　but　overcomes　his　shame。　　〃I　will　tell　you　what　I　believe。〃　He　told　of　his　early　dread　of　fear　and　baseness；　and　of　the　slow　development；　expansion　and　complication　of　his　idea　of　self…respect　until　he　saw　that　tgarden　and　made　off　down　the　winding　road。　〃Stop　him！〃　cried　Benham；　and　started　in　pursuit；　suddenly　afraid　for　Prothero。　The　Chinese　are　a　people　of　great　curiosity；　and　a　small　pebble　sometimes　starts　an　avalanche。　。　。　。　White　pieced　together　his　conception　of　the　circles　of　disturbance　that　spread　out　from　Benham's　pursuit　of　Prothero's　flying　messenger。　For　weeks　and　months　the　great　town　had　been　uneasy　in　all　its　ways　because　of　the　insurgent　spirits　from　the　south　and　the　disorder　from　the　north；　because　of　endless　rumours　and　incessant　intrigue。　The　stupid　manoeuvres　of　one　European　〃power〃　against　another；　the　tactlessness　of　missionaries；　the　growing　Chinese　disposition　to　meet　violence　and　force　with　violence　and　force；　had　fermented　and　brewed　the　possibility　of　an　outbreak。　　The　sudden　resolve　of　Benham　to　get　at　once　to　Prothero　was　like　the　firing　of　a　mine。　　This　tall；　pale…faced；　incomprehensible　stranger　charging　through　the　narrow　streets　that　led　to　the　pleasure…boats　in　the　south　river　seemed　to　many　a　blue…clad　citizen　like　the　White　Peril　embodied。　Behind　him　came　the　attendants　of　the　rich　man　up　the　hill；　but　they　surely　were　traitors　to　help　this　stranger。　Before　Benham　could　at　all　realize　what　was　happening　he　found　his　way　to　the　river…boat　on　which　he　supposed　Prothero　to　be　detained；　barred　by　a　vigorous　street　fight。　　Explanations　were　impossible；　he　joined　in　the　fight。　For　three　days　that　fight　developed　round　the　mystery　of　Prothero's　disappearance。　It　was　a　complicated　struggle　into　which　the　local　foreign　traders　on　the　river…front　and　a　detachment　of　modern　drilled　troops　from　the　up…river　barracks　were　presently　drawn。　　It　was　a　struggle　that　was　never　clearly　explained；　and　at　the　end　of　it　they　found　Prothero's　body　flung　out　upon　a　waste　place　near　a　little　temple　on　the　river　bank；　stabbed　while　he　was　asleep。　。　。　。　And　from　the　broken　fragments　of　description　that　Benham　let　fall；　White　had　an　impression　of　him　hunting　for　all　those　three　days　through　the　strange　places　of　a　Chinese　city；　along　narrow　passages；　over　queer　Venetian…like　bridges；　through　the　vast　spaces　of　empty　warehouses；　in　the　incense…scented　darkness　of　temple　yards；　along　planks　that　passed　to　the　dark　hulls　of　secret　barges；　in　quick…　flying　boats　that　slipped　noiselessly　among　the　larger　craft；　and　sometimes　he　hunted　alone；　sometimes　in　company；　sometimes　black　figures　struggled　in　the　darkness　against　dim…lit　backgrounds　and　sometimes　a　swarm　of　shining　yellow　faces　screamed　and　shouted　through　the　torn　paper　windows。　。　。　。　　And　then　at　the　end　of　this　confused　effect　of　struggle；　this　Chinese　kinematograph　film；　one　last　picture　jerked　into　place　and　stopped　and　stood　still；　a　white　wall　in　the　sunshine　come　upon　suddenly　round　a　corner；　a　dirty　flagged　passage　and　a　stiff　crumpled　body　that　had　for　the　first　time　an　inexpressive　face。　。　。　。

14

Benham　sat　at　a　table　in　the　smoking…room　of　the　Sherborough　Hotel　at　Johannesburg　and　told　of　these　things。　　White　watched　him　from　an　armchair。　　And　as　he　listened　he　noted　again　the　intensification　of　Benham's　face；　the　darkness　under　his　brows；　the　pallor　of　his　skin；　the　touch　of　red　in　his　eyes。　　For　there　was　still　that　red　gleam　in　Benham's　eyes；　it　shone　when　he　looked　out　of　a　darkness　into　a　light。　　And　he　sat　forward　with　his　arms　folded　under　him；　or　moved　his　long　lean　hand　about　over　the　things　on　the　table。　〃You　see；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　a　sort　of　horror　in　my　mind。　　Things　like　this　stick　in　my　mind。　　I　am　always　seeing　Prothero　now；　and　it　will　take　years　to　get　this　scar　off　my　memory　again。　　Once　before　about　a　horse；　I　had　the　same　kind　of　distress。　　And　it　makes　me　tender；　sore…minded　about　everything。　　It　will　go；　of　course；　in　the　long　run；　and　it's　just　like　any　other　ache　that　lays　hold　of　one。　One　can't　cure　it。　　One　has　to　get　along　with　it。　。　。　。　〃I　know；　White；　I　ought　to　have　sent　that　money；　but　how　was　I　to　know　then　that　it　was　so　imperative　to　send　that　money？　。　。　。　〃At　the　time　it　seemed　just　pandering　to　his　vices。　。　。　。　〃I　was　angry。　　I　shall　never　subdue　that　kind　of　hastiness　altogether。　　It　takes　me　by　surprise。　　Before　the　messenger　was　out　of　sight　I　had　repented。　。　。　。　〃I　failed　him。　　I　have　gone　about　in　the　world　dreaming　of　tremendous　things　and　failing　most　people。　　My　wife　too。　。　。　。〃　He　stopped　talking　for　a　little　time　and　folded　his　arms　tight　and　stared　hard　in　front　of　himself；　his　lips　compressed。　〃You　see；　White；〃　he　said；　with　a　kind　of　setting　of　the　teeth；　〃this　is　the　sort　of　thing　one　has　to　stand。　　Life　is　imperfect。　Nothing　can　be　done　perfectly。　　And　on　the　whole〃　　He　spoke　still　more　slowly；　〃I　would　go　through　again　with　the　very　same　things　that　have　hurt　my　people。　　If　I　had　to　live　over　again。　　I　would　try　to　do　the　things　without　hurting　the　people；　but　I　would　do　the　things　anyhow。　　Because　I'm　raw　with　remorse；　it　does　not　follow　that　on　the　whole　I　am　not　doing　right。　　Right　doing　isn't　balm。　　If　I　could　have　contrived　not　to　hurt　these　people　as　I　have　done；　it　would　have　been　better；　just　as　it　would　be　better　to　win　a　battle　without