manalive-第31部分

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the　difficulties　of　the　proposal　were　clearly；　and　even　eagerly；
pointed　out。　　It　was　urged；　for　instance；　by　Miss　Younghusband
that　it　was　substantially　impossible　for　her　to　play　the　part
assigned　to　her；　Miss　Mann　was　in　a　similar　dilemma；　from　which
no　modern　views　on　the　sexes　could　apparently　extricate　her；
and　some　young　ladies；　whose　surnames　happened　to　be　Low；　Coward；
and　Craven；　were　quite　enthusiastic　against　the　idea。
But　all　this　happened　afterwards。　　What　happened　at　the　crucial
moment　was　that　the　lecturer　produced　several　horseshoes　and　a
large　iron　hammer　from　his　bag；　announced　his　immediate　intention
of　setting　up　a　smithy　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　called　on　every
one　to　rise　in　the　same　cause　as　for　a　heroic　revolution。
The　other　mistresses　and　I　attempted　to　stop　the　wretched　man；
but　I　must　confess　that　by　an　accident　this　very　intercession
produced　the　worst　explosion　of　his　insanity。　　He　was　waving
the　hammer；　and　wildly　demanding　the　names　of　everybody；
and　it　so　happened　that　Miss　Brown；　one　of　the　younger　teachers；
was　wearing　a　brown　dressa　reddish…brown　dress　that　went　quietly
enough　with　the　warmer　colour　of　her　hair；　as　well　she　knew。
She　was　a　nice　girl；　and　nice　girls　do　know　about　those　things。
But　when　our　maniac　discovered　that　we　really　had　a　Miss　Brown
who　WAS　brown；　his　~idee　fixe~　blew　up　like　a　powder　magazine；
and　there；　in　the　presence　of　all　the　mistresses　and　girls；
he　publicly　proposed　to　the　lady　in　the　red…brown　dress。
You　can　imagine　the　effect　of　such　a　scene　at　a　girls'　school。
At　least；　if　you　fail　to　imagine　it；　I　certainly　fail
to　describe　it。

〃Of　course；　the　anarchy　died　down　in　a　week　or　two；　and　I　can
think　of　it　now　as　a　joke。　　There　was　only　one　curious　detail；
which　I　will　tell　you；　as　you　say　your　inquiry　is　vital；　but　I　should
desire　you　to　consider　it　a　little　more　confidential　than　the　rest。
Miss　Brown；　who　was　an　excellent　girl　in　every　way；　did　quite
suddenly　and　surreptitiously　leave　us　only　a　day　or　two　afterwards。
I　should　never　have　thought　that　her　head　would　be　the　one
to　be　really　turned　by　so　absurd　an　excitement。Believe　me；
yours　faithfully；　Ada　Gridley。


〃I　think；〃　said　Pym；　with　a　really　convincing　simplicity　and　seriousness；
〃that　these　letters　speak　for　themselves。〃

Mr。　Moon　rose　for　the　last　time　in　a　darkness　that　gave　no　hint
of　whether　his　native　gravity　was　mixed　with　his　native　irony。

〃Throughout　this　inquiry；〃　he　said；　〃but　especially　in　this　its
closing　phase；　the　prosecution　has　perpetually　relied　upon　one　argument；
I　mean　the　fact　that　no　one　knows　what　has　become　of　all　the　unhappy
women　apparently　seduced　by　Smith。　　There　is　no　sort　of　proof
that　they　were　murdered；　but　that　implication　is　perpetually　made
when　the　question　is　asked　as　to　how　they　died。　　Now　I　am　not
interested　in　how　they　died；　or　when　they　died；　or　whether　they　died。
But　I　am　interested　in　another　analogous　questionthat　of　how　they
were　born；　and　when　they　were　born；　and　whether　they　were　born。
Do　not　misunderstand　me。　　I　do　not　dispute　the　existence　of
these　women；　or　the　veracity　of　those　who　have　witnessed　to　them。
I　merely　remark　on　the　notable　fact　that　only　one　of　these　victims；
the　Maidenhead　girl；　is　described　as　having　any　home　or　parents。
All　the　rest　are　boarders　or　birds　of　passagea　guest；　a　solitary
dressmaker；　a　bachelor…girl　doing　typewriting。　　Lady　Bullingdon；
looking　from　her　turrets；　which　she　bought　from　the　Whartons　with
the　old　soap…boiler's　money　when　she　jumped　at　marrying　an　unsuccessful
gentleman　from　UlsterLady　Bullingdon；　looking　out　from　those　turrets；
did　really　see　an　object　which　she　describes　as　Green。　　Mr。　Trip；
of　Hanbury　and　Bootle；　really　did　have　a　typewriter　betrothed
to　Smith。　　Miss　Gridley；　though　idealistic；　is　absolutely　honest。
She　did　house；　feed；　and　teach　a　young　woman　whom　Smith　succeeded
in　decoying　away。　　We　admit　that　all　these　women　really　lived。
But　we　still　ask　whether　they　were　ever　born？〃

〃Oh；　crikey！〃　said　Moses　Gould；　stifled　with　amusement。

〃There　could　hardly；〃　interposed　Pym　with　a　quiet　smile；
〃be　a　better　instance　of　the　neglect　of　true　scientific　process。
The　scientist；　when　once　convinced　of　the　fact　of　vitality
and　consciousness；　would　infer　from　these　the　previous
process　of　generation。〃

〃If　these　gals；〃　said　Gould　impatiently〃if　these　gals　were　all　alive
（all　alive　O！）　I'd　chance　a　fiver　they　were　all　born。〃

〃You'd　lose　your　fiver；〃　said　Michael；　speaking　gravely　out　of　the　gloom。
〃All　those　admirable　ladies　were　alive。　　They　were　more　alive　for　having
come　into　contact　with　Smith。　　They　were　all　quite　definitely　alive；
but　only　one　of　them　was　ever　born。〃

〃Are　you　asking　us　to　believe〃　began　Dr。　Pym。

〃I　am　asking　you　a　second　question；〃　said　Moon　sternly。　　〃Can　the　court
now　sitting　throw　any　light　on　a　truly　singular　circumstance？
Dr。　Pym；　in　his　interesting　lecture　on　what　are　called；　I　believe；
the　relations　of　the　sexes；　said　that　Smith　was　the　slave
of　a　lust　for　variety　which　would　lead　a　man　first　to　a　negress
and　then　to　an　albino；　first　to　a　Patagonian　giantess　and　then
to　a　tiny　Eskimo。　　But　is　there　any　evidence　of　such　variety　here？
Is　there　any　trace　of　a　gigantic　Patagonian　in　the　story？
Was　the　typewriter　an　Eskimo？　　So　picturesque　a　circumstance　would　not
surely　have　escaped　remark。　　Was　Lady　Bullingdon's　dressmaker　a　negress？
A　voice　in　my　bosom　answers；　‘No！'　Lady　Bullingdon；　I　am　sure；
would　think　a　negress　so　conspicuous　as　to　be　almost　Socialistic；
and　would　feel　something　a　little　rakish　even　about　an　albino。

〃But　was　there　in　Smith's　taste　any　such　variety　as　the　learned
doctor　describes？　　So　far　as　our　slight　materials　go；
the　very　opposite　seems　to　be　the　case。　　We　have　only
one　actual　description　of　any　of　the　prisoner's　wives
the　short　but　highly　poetic　account　by　the　aesthetic　curate。
‘Her　dress　was　the　colour　of　spring；　and　her　hair　of　autumn　leaves。'
Autumn　leaves；　of　course；　are　of　various　colours；　some　of
which　would　be　rather　startling　in　hair　（green；　for　instance）；
but　I　think　such　an　expression　would　be　most　naturally　used　of
the　shades　from　red…brown　to　red；　especially　as　ladies　with　their
coppery…coloured　hair　do　frequently　wear　light　artistic　greens。
Now　when　we　come　to　the　next　wife；　we　find　the　eccentric　lover；
when　told　he　is　a　donkey；　answering　that　donkeys　always　go
after　carrots；　a　remark　which　Lady　Bullingdon　evidently
regarded　as　pointless　and　part　of　the　natural　table…talk　of　a
village　idiot；　but　which　has　an　obvious　meaning　if　we　suppose
that　Polly's　hair　was　red。　　Passing　to　the　next　wife；　the　one
he　took　from　the　girls'　school；　we　find　Miss　Gridley　noticing
that　the　schoolgirl　in　question　wore　‘a　reddish…brown　dress；
that　went　quietly　enough　with　the　warmer　colour　of　her　hair。'
In　other　words；　the　colour　of　the　girl's　hair　was　something　redder
than　red…brown。　Lastly；　the　romantic　organ…grinder　declaimed
in　the　office　some　poetry　that　only　got　as　far　as　the　words；

　　　　　　　　‘O　vivid；　inviolate　head；
　　　　　　　　　Ringed　'

But　I　think　that　a　wide　study　of　the　worst　modern　poets
will　enable　us　to　guess　that　‘ringed　with　a　glory　of　red；'
or　‘ringed　with　its　passionate　red；'　was　the　line　that　rhymed
to　‘head。'　In　this　case　once　more；　therefore；　there　is　good
reason　to　suppose　that　Smith　fell　in　love　with　a　girl　with
some　sort　of　auburn　or　darkish…red　hairrather；〃　he　said；
looking　down　at　the　table；　〃rather　like　Miss　Gray's　hair。〃

Cyrus　Pym　was　leaning　forward　with　lowered　eyelids；
ready　with　one　of　his　more　pedantic　interpellations；
but　Moses　Gould　suddenly　struck　his　forefinger　on　his　nose；
with　an　expression　of　extreme　astonishment　and　intelligence
in　his　brilliant　eyes。

〃Mr。　Moon's　contention　at　present；〃　interposed　Pym；　〃is　not；
even　if　veracious；　inconsistent　with　the　lunatico…criminal　view
of　I。　Smith；　which　we　have　nailed　to　the　mast。　　Science　has
long　anticipated　such　a　complication。　　An　incurable　attraction
to　a　particular　type　of　physical　woman　is　one　of　the　commonest
of　criminal　per…versities；　and　when　not　considered　narrowly；
but　in　the　light　of　induction　and　evolution〃

〃At　this　late　stage；〃　said　Michael　Moon　very　quietly；　〃I　may　perhaps
relieve　myself　of　a　simple　emotion　that　has　been　pressing　me
throughout　the　proceedings；　by　saying　that　induction　and　evolution
may　go　and　boil　themselves。　　The　Missing　Link　and　all　that　is
well　enough　for　kids；　but　I'm　talking　about　things　we　know　here。
All　we　know　of　the　Missing　Link　is　that　he　is　missingand　he　won't
be　missed　either。　　I　know　all　about　his　human　head　and　his　horrid　tail；
they　belong　to　a　very　old　game　called　‘Heads　I　win；　tails　you　lose。'
If　you　do　find　a　fellow's　bones；　it　proves　he　lived　a　long　while　ago；
if　you　don't　find　his　bones；　it　proves　how　long　ago　he　lived。
That　is　the　game　you've　been　playing　with　this　Smith　affair。
Because　Smith's　head　is　small　for　his　shoulders　you　call
him　microcephalous；　if　it　had　been　large；　you'd　have　called　it
water…on…the…brain。　As　long　as　poor　old　Smith's　seraglio　seemed
pretty　various；　variety　was　the　sign　of　madness：　　now；　because　it's
turning　out　to　be　a　bit　monochromenow　monotony　is　the　sign　of　madness。
I　suffer　from　all　the　disadvantages　of　being　a　grown…up　person；
and　I'm　jolly　well　going　to　get　some　of　the　advantages　too；
and　with　all　politeness　I　propose　not　to　be　bullied　with　long　words
instead　of　short　reasons；　or　consider　your　business　a　triumphant
progress　merely　because　you're　always　finding　out　that　you　were　wrong。
Having　relieved　myself　of　these　feelings；　I　have　merely　to　add
that　I　regard　Dr。　Pym　as　an　ornament　to　the　world　far　more　beautiful
than　the　Parthenon；　or　the　monument　on　Bunker's　Hill；　and　that　I
propose　to　resume　and　conclude　my　remarks　on　the　many　marriages
of　Mr。　Innocent　Smith。

〃Besides　this　red　hair；　thee　is　another　unifying　thread　that
runs　through　these　scattered　incidents。　　There　is　something
very　peculiar　and　suggestive　about　the　names　of　these　women。
Mr。　Trip；　you　will　remember；　said　he　thought　the　typewriter's
name　was　Blake；　but　could　not　remember　exactly。
I　suggest　that　it　might　have　been　Black；　and　in　that　case　we
have　a　curious　series：　　Miss