the research magnificent-第30部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　in　things　but　in　expressed　ideas；　and　what　was　troubling　Benham　inordinately　that　night；　a　night　that　should　have　been　devoted　to　purely　blissful　and　exalted　expectations；　was　the　sheer　impossibility　of　stating　what　had　happened　in　any　terms　that　would　be　tolerable　either　to　Mrs。　Skelmersdale　or　Lady　Marayne。　　The　thing　had　happened　with　the　suddenness　of　a　revelation。　　Whatever　had　been　going　on　in　the　less　illuminated　parts　of　his　mind；　his　manifest　resolution　had　been　merely　to　bid　South　Harting　good…bye　　And　in　short　they　would　never　understand。　　They　would　accuse　him　of　the　meanest　treachery。　He　could　see　his　mother's　face；　he　could　hear　her　voice　saying；　〃And　so　because　of　this　sudden　infatuation　for　a　swindler's　daughter；　a　girl　who　runs　about　the　roads　with　a　couple　of　retrievers　hunting　for　a　man；　you　must　spoil　all　my　plans；　ruin　my　year；　tell　me　a　lot　of　pretentious　stuffy　lies。　。　。　。〃　　And　Mrs。　Skelmersdale　too　would　say；　〃Of　course　he　just　talked　of　the　world　and　duty　and　all　that　rubbish　to　save　my　face。　。　。　。〃　It　wasn't　so　at　all。　But　it　looked　so　frightfully　like　it！　Couldn't　they　realize　that　he　had　fled　out　of　London　before　ever　he　had　seen　Amanda？　　They　might　be　able　to　do　it　perhaps；　but　they　never　would。　　It　just　happened　that　in　the　very　moment　when　the　edifice　of　his　noble　resolutions　had　been　ready；　she　had　stepped　into　itout　of　nothingness　and　nowhere。　　She　wasn't　an　accident；　that　was　just　the　point　upon　which　they　were　bound　to　misjudge　her；　she　was　an　embodiment。　　If　only　he　could　show　her　to　them　as　she　had　first　shown　herself　to　him；　swift；　light；　a　little　flushed　from　running　but　not　in　the　least　out　of　breath；　quick　as　a　leopard　upon　the　dogs。　。　。　。　　But　even　if　the　improbable　opportunity　arose；　he　perceived　it　might　still　be　impossible　to　produce　the　Amanda　he　loved；　the　Amanda　of　the　fluttering　short　skirt　and　the　clear　enthusiastic　voice。　　Because；　already　he　knew　she　was　not　the　only　Amanda。　　There　was　another；　there　might　be　others；　there　was　this　perplexing　person　who　had　flashed　into　being　at　the　very　moment　of　their　mutual　confession；　who　had　produced　the　entirely　disconcerting　demand　that　nobody　must　be　told。　　Then　Betty　had　intervened。　　But　that　sub…Amanda　and　her　carneying　note　had　to　be　dealt　with　on　the　first　occasion；　because　when　aristocrats　love　they　don't　care　a　rap　who　is　told　and　who　is　not　told。　　They　just　step　out　into　the　light　side　by　side。　。　。　。　〃Don't　tell　any　one；〃　she　had　said；　〃not　for　a　few　days。　。　。　。〃　This　sub…Amanda　was　perceptible　next　morning　again；　flitting　about　in　the　background　of　a　glad　and　loving　adventuress；　a　pre…occupied　Amanda　who　had　put　her　head　down　while　the　real　Amanda　flung　her　chin　up　and　contemplated　things　on　the　Asiatic　scale；　and　who　was　apparently　engaged　in　disentangling　something　obscure　connected　with　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders　that　ought　never　to　have　been　entangled。　。　。　。　〃A　human　being；〃　White　read；　〃the　simplest　human　being；　is　a　clustering　mass　of　aspects。　　No　man　will　judge　another　justly　who　judges　everything　about　him。　　And　of　love　in　particular　is　this　true。　　We　love　not　persons　but　revelations。　　The　woman　one　loves　is　like　a　goddess　hidden　in　a　shrine；　for　her　sake　we　live　on　hope　and　suffer　the　kindred　priestesses　that　make　up　herself。　　The　art　of　love　is　patience　till　the　gleam　returns。　。　。　。〃　Sunday　and　Monday　did　much　to　develop　this　idea　of　the　intricate　complexity　of　humanity　in　Benham's　mind。　　On　Monday　morning　he　went　up　from　the　Ship　again　to　get　Amanda　alone　and　deliver　his　ultimatum　agaist　a　further　secrecy；　so　that　he　could　own　her　openly　and　have　no　more　of　the　interventions　and　separations　that　had　barred　him　from　any　intimate　talk　with　her　throughout　the　whole　of　Sunday。　　The　front　door　stood　open；　the　passage　hall　was　empty；　but　as　he　hesitated　whether　he　should　proclaim　himself　with　the　knocker　or　walk　through；　the　door　of　the　little　drawing…room　flew　open　and　a　black…clad　cylindrical　clerical　person　entirely　unknown　to　Benham　stumbled　over　the　threshold；　blundered　blindly　against　him；　made　a　sound　like　〃MOO〃　and　a　pitiful　gesture　with　his　arm；　and　fled　forth。　。　。　。　It　was　a　curate　and　he　was　weeping　bitterly。　。　。　。　Benham　stood　in　the　doorway　and　watched　a　clumsy　broken…hearted　flight　down　the　village　street。　He　had　been　partly　told　and　partly　left　to　infer；　and　anyhow　he　was　beginning　to　understand　about　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders。　　That　he　could　dismiss。　　Butwhy　was　the　curate　in　tears？

12

He　found　Amanda　standing　alone　in　the　room　from　which　this　young　man　had　fled。　　She　had　a　handful　of　daffodils　in　her　hand；　and　others　were　scattered　over　the　table。　　She　had　been　arranging　the　big　bowl　of　flowers　in　the　centre。　　He　left　the　door　open　behind　him　and　stopped　short　with　the　table　between　them。　　She　looked　up　at　him　intelligently　and　calmly。　　Her　pose　had　a　divine　dignity。　〃I　want　to　tell　them　now；〃　said　Benham　without　a　word　of　greeting。　〃Yes；〃　she　said；　〃tell　them　now。〃　They　heard　steps　in　the　passage　outside。　　〃Betty！〃　cried　Amanda。　Her　mother's　voice　answered；　〃Do　you　want　Betty？〃　〃We　want　you　all；〃　answered　Amanda。　　〃We　have　something　to　tell　you。　。　。　。〃　〃Carrie！〃　they　heard　Mrs。　Morris　call　her　sister　after　an　interval；　and　her　voice　sounded　faint　and　flat　and　unusual。　　There　was　the　soft　hissing　of　some　whispered　words　outside　and　a　muffled　exclamation。　　Then　Mrs。　Wilder　and　Mrs。　Morris　and　Betty　came　into　the　room。　　Mrs。　Wilder　came　first；　and　Mrs。　Morris　with　an　alarmed　face　as　if　sheltering　behind　her。　　〃We　want　to　tell　you　something；〃　said　Amanda。　〃Amanda　and　I　are　going　to　marry　each　other；〃　said　Benham；　standing　in　front　of　her。　For　an　instant　the　others　made　no　answer；　they　looked　at　each　other。　〃BUT　DOES　HE　KNOW？〃　Mrs。　Morris　said　in　a　low　voice。　Amanda　turned　her　eyes　to　her　lover。　　She　was　about　to　speak；　she　seemed　to　gather　herself　for　an　effort；　and　then　he　knew　that　he　did　not　want　to　hear　her　explanation。　　He　checked　her　by　a　gesture。　〃I　KNOW；〃　he　said；　and　then；　〃I　do　not　see　that　it　matters　to　us　in　the　least。〃　He　went　to　her　holding　out　both　his　hands　to　her。　She　took　them　and　stood　shyly　for　a　moment；　and　then　the　watchful　gravity　of　her　face　broke　into　soft　emotion。　　〃Oh！〃　she　cried　and　seized　his　face　between　her　hands　in　a　passion　of　triumphant　love　and　kissed　him。　And　then　he　found　himself　being　kissed　by　Mrs。　Morris。　She　kissed　him　thrice；　with　solemnity；　with　thankfulness；　with　relief；　as　if　in　the　act　of　kissing　she　transferred　to　him　precious　and　entirely　incalculable　treasures。

CHAPTER　THE　FOURTH　THE　SPIRITED　HONEYMOON

1

It　was　a　little　after　sunrise　one　bright　morning　in　September　that　Benham　came　up　on　to　the　deck　of　the　sturdy　Austrian　steamboat　that　was　churning　its　way　with　a　sedulous　deliberation　from　Spalato　to　Cattaro；　and　lit　himself　a　cigarette　and　seated　himself　upon　a　deck　chair。　　Save　for　a　yawning　Greek　sailor　busy　with　a　mop　the　first…　class　deck　was　empty。　Benham　surveyed　the　haggard　beauty　of　the　Illyrian　coast。　　The　mountains　rose　gaunt　and　enormous　and　barren　to　a　jagged　fantastic　silhouette　against　the　sun；　their　almost　vertical　slopes　still　plunged　in　blue　shadow；　broke　only　into　a　little　cold　green　and　white　edge　of　olive　terraces　and　vegetation　and　houses　before　they　touched　the　clear　blue　water。　　An　occasional　church　or　a　house　perched　high　upon　some　seemingly　inaccessible　ledge　did　but　accentuate　the　vast　barrenness　of　the　land。　　It　was　a　land　desolated　and　destroyed。　　At　Ragusa；　at　Salona；　at　Spalato　and　Zara　and　Pola　Benham　had　seen　only　variations　upon　one　persistent　theme；　a　dwindled　and　uncreative　human　life　living　amidst　the　giant　ruins　of　preceding　times；　as　worms　live　in　the　sockets　of　a　skull。　　Forward　an　unsavoury　group　of　passengers　still　slumbered　amidst　fruit…peel　and　expectorations；　a　few　soldiers；　some　squalid　brigands　armed　with　preposterous　red　umbrellas；　a　group　of　curled…up　human　lumps　brooded　over　by　an　aquiline　individual　caparisoned　with　brass　like　a　horse；　his　head　wrapped　picturesquely　in　a　shawl。　　Benham　surveyed　these　last　products　of　the　〃life　force〃　and　resumed　his　pensive　survey　of　the　coast。　　The　sea　was　deserted　save　for　a　couple　of　little　lateen　craft　with　suns　painted　on　their　gaudy　sails；　sea　butterflies　that　hung　motionless　as　if　unawakened　close　inshore。　。　。　。　The　travel　of　the　last　few　weeks　had　impressed　Benham's　imagination　profoundly。　　For　the　first　time　in　his　life　he　had　come　face　to　face　with　civilization　in　defeat。　　From　Venice　hitherward　he　had　marked　with　cumulative　effect　the　clustering　evidences　of　effort　spent　and　power　crumbled　to　nothingness。　　He　had　landed　upon　the　marble　quay　of　Pola　and　visited　its　deserted　amphitheatre；　he　had　seen　a　weak　provincial　life　going　about　ignoble　ends　under　the　walls　of　the　great　Venetian　fortress　and　the　still　more　magnificent　cathedral　of　Zara；　he　had　visited　Spalato；　clustered　in　sweltering　grime　within　the　ample　compass　of　the　walls　of　Diocletian‘s　villa；　and　a　few　troublesome　sellers　of　coins　and　iridescent　glass　and　fragments　of　tessellated　pavement　and　such…like　loot　was　all　the　population　he　had　found　amidst　the　fallen　walls　and　broken　friezes　and　columns　of　Salona。　　Down　this　coast　there　ebbed　and　flowed　a　mean　residual　life；　a　life　of　violence　and　dishonesty；　peddling　trades；　vendettas　and　war。　　For　a　while　the　unstable　Austrian　ruled　this　land　and　made　a　sort　of　order　that　the　incalculable　chances　of　international　politics　might　at　any　time　shatter。　　Benham　was　drawing　near　now　to　the　utmost　limit　of　that　extended　peace。　　Ahead　beyond　the　mountain　capes　was　Montenegro　and；　further；　Albania　and　Macedonia；　lands　of　lawlessness　and　confusion。　　Amanda　and　he　had　been　warned　of　the　impossibility　of　decent　travel　beyond　Cattaro　and　Cettinje　but　this　had　but　whetted　her　adventurousness　and　challenged　his　spirit。　　They　were　going　to　see　Albania　for　themselves。　The　three　months　of　honeymoon　they　had　been　spending　together　had　developed　many　remarkable　divergences　of　their　minds　that　had　not　been　in　the　least　apparent　to　Benham　before　their　marriage。　　Then　their　common　resolve　to　be　as　spirited　as　possible　had　obliterated　all　minor　considerations。　　But　that　was　the　limit　of　their　unanimity。　　Amanda　loved　wild　and　picturesque　things；　and　Benham　strong　and　clear　things；　the　vines