the research magnificent-第40部分

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d　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　entertained　her　hearers　but　gave　her　just　that　flavour　of　personal　courage　which　completes　the　fascination　of　a　young　woman。　　People　in　the　gaps　of　a　halting　dinner…table　conversation　would　ask：　〃Have　you　met　Mrs。　Benham？〃　Meanwhile　Benham　appeared　to　be　talking。　　A　smiling　and　successful　young　woman；　who　a　year　ago　had　been　nothing　more　than　a　leggy　girl　with　a　good　lot　of　miscellaneous　reading　in　her　head；　and　vaguely　engaged；　or　at　least　friendly　to　the　pitch　of　engagement；　to　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders；　may　be　forgiven　if　in　the　full　tide　of　her　success　she　does　not　altogether　grasp　the　intention　of　her　husband's　discourse。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　he　was　obsessed　by　a　responsibility　for　civilization　and　the　idea　that　he　was　aristocratic。　　（Secretly　she　was　inclined　to　doubt　whether　he　was　justified　in　calling　himself　aristocratic；　at　the　best　his　mother　was　county…stuff；　but　still　if　he　did　there　was　no　great　harm　in　it　nowadays。）　　Clearly　his　line　was　Tory…Democracy；　social　reform　through　the　House　of　Lords　and　friendly　intimacy　with　the　more　spirited　young　peers。　　And　it　was　only　very　slowly　and　reluctantly　that　she　was　forced　to　abandon　this　satisfactory　solution　of　his　problem。　　She　reproduced　all　the　equipment　and　comforts　of　his　Finacue　Street　study　in　their　new　home；　she　declared　constantly　that　she　would　rather　forego　any　old　social　thing　than　interfere　with　his　work；　she　never　made　him　go　anywhere　with　her　without　first　asking　if　his　work　permitted　it。　　To　relieve　him　of　the　burthen　of　such　social　attentions　she　even　made　a　fag　or　so。　　The　making　of　fags　out　of　manifestly　stricken　men；　the　keeping　of　tamed　and　hopeless　admirers；　seemed　to　her　to　be　the　most　natural　and　reasonable　of　feminine　privileges。　　They　did　their　useful　little　services　until　it　pleased　the　Lord　Cheetah　to　come　to　his　own。　　That　was　how　she　put　it。　。　。　。　But　at　last　he　was　talking　to　her　in　tones　that　could　no　longer　be　ignored。　　He　was　manifestly　losing　his　temper　with　her。　　There　was　a　novel　austerity　in　his　voice　and　a　peculiar　whiteness　about　his　face　on　certain　occasions　that　lingered　in　her　memory。　He　was　indeed　making　elaborate　explanations。　　He　said　that　what　he　wanted　to　do　was　to　understand　〃the　collective　life　of　the　world；〃　and　that　this　was　not　to　be　done　in　a　West…End　study。　　He　had　an　extraordinary　contempt；　it　seemed；　for　both　sides　in　the　drama　of　British　politics。　　He　had　extravagant　ideas　of　beginning　in　some　much　more　fundamental　way。　　He　wanted　to　understand　this　〃collective　life　of　the　world；〃　because　ultimately　he　wanted　to　help　control　it。　（Was　there　ever　such　nonsense？）　　The　practical　side　of　this　was　serious　enough；　however；　he　was　back　at　his　old　idea　of　going　round　the　earth。　　Later　on　that　might　be　rather　a　jolly　thing　to　do；　but　not　until　they　had　struck　root　a　little　more　surely　in　London。　And　then　with　amazement；　with　incredulity；　with　indignation；　she　began　to　realize　that　he　was　proposing　to　go　off　by　himself　upon　this　vague　extravagant　research；　that　all　this　work　she　had　been　doing　to　make　a　social　place　for　him　in　London　was　as　nothing　to　him；　that　he　was　thinking　of　himself　as　separable　from　her。　。　。　。　〃But；　Cheetah！　　How　can　you　leave　your　spotless　leopard？　　You　would　howl　in　the　lonely　jungle！〃　〃Possibly　I　shall。　　But　I　am　going。〃　〃Then　I　shall　come。〃　〃No。〃　He　considered　her　reasons。　　〃You　see　you　are　not　interested。〃　〃But　I　am。〃　〃Not　as　I　am。　　You　would　turn　it　all　into　a　jolly　holiday。　　You　don't　want　to　see　things　as　I　want　to　do。　　You　want　romance。　　All　the　world　is　a　show　for　you。　　As　a　show　I　can't　endure　it。　　I　want　to　lay　hands　on　it。〃　〃But；　Cheetah！〃　she　said；　〃this　is　separation。〃　〃You　will　have　your　life　here。　　And　I　shall　come　back。〃　〃But；　Cheetah！　　How　can　we　be　separated？〃　〃We　are　separated；〃　he　said。　Her　eyes　became　round　with　astonishment。　　Then　her　face　puckered。　〃Cheetah！〃　she　cried　in　a　voice　of　soft　distress；　〃I　love　you。　　What　do　you　mean？〃　And　she　staggered　forward；　tear…blinded；　and　felt　for　his　neck　and　shoulders；　so　that　she　might　weep　in　his　arms。　。　。　。

5

〃Don't　say　we　are　separated；〃　she　whispered；　putting　her　still　wet　face　close　to　his。　〃No。　　We're　mates；〃　he　answered　softly；　with　his　arm　about　her。　〃How　could　we　ever　keep　away　from　each　uvver？〃　she　whispered。　He　was　silent。　〃How　COULD　we？〃　He　answered　aloud。　　〃Amanda；〃　he　said；　〃I　mean　to　go　round　the　world。〃　She　disentangled　herself　from　his　arm　and　sat　up　beside　him。　〃What　is　to　become　of　me；〃　she　asked　suddenly　in　a　voice　of　despair；　〃while　you　go　round　the　world？　　If　you　desert　me　in　London；〃　she　said；　〃if　you　shame　me　by　deserting　me　in　London　　If　you　leave　me；　I　will　never　forgive　you；　Cheetah！　　Never。〃　　Then　in　an　almost　breathless　voice；　and　as　if　she　spoke　to　herself；　〃Never　in　all　my　days。〃

6

It　was　after　that　that　Amanda　began　to　talk　about　children。　　There　was　nothing　involuntary　about　Amanda。　　〃Soon；〃　she　said；　〃we　must　begin　to　think　of　children。　　Not　just　now；　but　a　little　later。　　It's　good　to　travel　and　have　our　fun；　but　life　is　unreal　until　there　are　children　in　the　background。　　No　woman　is　really　content　until　she　is　a　mother。　。　。　。〃　　And　for　nearly　a　fortnight　nothing　more　was　said　about　that　solitary　journey　round　the　world。　But　children　were　not　the　only　new　topic　in　Amanda's　talk。　　She　set　herself　with　an　ingenious　subtlety　to　remind　her　husband　that　there　were　other　men　in　the　world。　　The　convenient　fags；　sometimes　a　little　embarrassed；　found　their　inobtrusive　services　being　brought　into　the　light　before　Benham's　eyes。　　Most　of　them　were　much　older　men　than　himself；　elderly　philanderers　of　whom　it　seemed　to　him　no　sane　man　need　be　jealous；　men　often　of　forty　or　more；　but　one　was　a　contemporary；　Sir　Philip　Easton；　a　man　with　a　touch　of　Spanish　blood　and　a　suggestion　of　Spanish　fire；　who　quite　manifestly　was　very　much　in　love　with　Amanda　and　of　whom　she　spoke　with　a　slight　perceptible　difference　of　manner　that　made　Benham　faintly　uneasy。　　He　was　ashamed　of　the　feeling。　　Easton　it　seemed　was　a　man　of　a　peculiarly　fine　honour；　so　that　Amanda　could　trust　herself　with　him　to　an　extent　that　would　have　been　inadvisable　with　men　of　a　commoner　substance；　and　he　had　a　gift　of　understanding　and　sympathy　that　was　almost　feminine；　he　could　cheer　one　up　when　one　was　lonely　and　despondent。　　For　Amanda　was　so　methodical　in　the　arrangement　of　her　time　that　even　in　the　full　rush　of　a　London　season　she　could　find　an　hour　now　and　then　for　being　lonely　and　despondent。　　And　he　was　a　liberal　and　understanding　purchaser　of　the　ascendant　painters；　he　understood　that　side　of　Amanda's　interests；　a　side　upon　which　Benham　was　notably　deficient。　。　。　。　〃Amanda　seems　to　like　that　dark　boy；　Poff；　what　is　his　name？Sir　Philip　Easton？〃　said　Lady　Marayne。　Benham　looked　at　her　with　a　slightly　hostile　intelligence；　and　said　nothing。　〃When　a　man　takes　a　wife；　he　has　to　keep　her；〃　said　Lady　Marayne。　〃No；〃　said　Benham　after　consideration。　　〃I　don't　intend　to　be　a　wife…herd。〃　〃What？〃　〃Wife…herdsame　as　goat…herd。〃　〃Coarse；　you　are　sometimes；　Poffnowadays。〃　〃It's　exactly　what　I　mean。　　I　can　understand　the　kind　of　curator's　interest　an　Oriental　finds　in　shepherding　a　large　establishment；　but　to　spend　my　days　looking　after　one　person　who　ought　to　be　able　to　look　after　herself〃　〃She's　very　young。〃　〃She's　quite　grown　up。　　Anyhow　I'm　not　a　moral　nursemaid。〃　〃If　you　leave　her　about　and　go　abroad〃　〃Has　she　been　talking　to　you；　mother？〃　〃The　thing　shows。〃　〃But　about　my　going　abroad？〃　〃She　said　something；　my　little　Poff。〃　Lady　Marayne　suddenly　perceived　that　beneath　Benham's　indifference　was　something　strung　very　tight；　as　though　he　had　been　thinking　inordinately。　　He　weighed　his　words　before　he　spoke　again。　　〃If　Amanda　chooses　to　threaten　me　with　a　sort　of　conditional　infidelity；　I　don't　see　that　it　ought　to　change　the　plans　I　have　made　for　my　life。　。　。　。〃

7

〃No　aristocrat　has　any　right　to　be　jealous；〃　Benham　wrote。　　〃If　he　chances　to　be　mated　with　a　woman　who　does　not　see　his　vision　or　naturally　go　his　way；　he　has　no　right　to　expect　her；　much　less　to　compel　her　to　go　his　way。　　What　is　the　use　of　dragging　an　unwilling　companion　through　morasses　of　unco