novel notes-第23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！


　the　sound　of　a　wild　beast's　roar　a　mile　off；　and　who　would　turn　white　and　limp　with　horror　at　the　mere　sight　of　a　snake；　was　not　a　companionable　person　to　live　with　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Indian　jungles。

〃He　himself　was　entirely　without　fear；　and　could　not　understand　it。　To　him　it　was　pure　affectation。　　He　had　a　muddled　idea；　common　to　men　of　his　stamp；　that　women　assume　nervousness　because　they　think　it　pretty　and　becoming　to　them；　and　that　if　one　could　only　convince　them　of　the　folly　of　it　they　might　be　induced　to　lay　it　aside；　in　the　same　way　that　they　lay　aside　mincing　steps　and　simpering　voices。　A　man　who　prided　himself；　as　he　did；　upon　his　knowledge　of　horses；　might；　one　would　think；　have　grasped　a　truer　notion　of　the　nature　of　nervousness；　which　is　a　mere　matter　of　temperament。　　But　the　man　was　a　fool。

〃The　thing　that　vexed　him　most　was　her　horror　of　snakes。　　He　was　unblessedor　uncursed；　whichever　you　may　preferwith　imagination　of　any　kind。　　There　was　no　special　enmity　between　him　and　the　seed　of　the　serpent。　　A　creature　that　crawled　upon　its　belly　was　no　more　terrible　to　him　than　a　creature　that　walked　upon　its　legs；　indeed；　less　so；　for　he　knew　that；　as　a　rule；　there　was　less　danger　to　be　apprehended　from　them。　　A　reptile　is　only　too　eager　at　all　times　to　escape　from　man。　　Unless　attacked　or　frightened；　it　will　make　no　onset。　　Most　people　are　content　to　acquire　their　knowledge　of　this　fact　from　the　natural　history　books。　　He　had　proved　it　for　himself。　His　servant；　an　old　sergeant　of　dragoons；　has　told　me　that　he　has　seen　him　stop　with　his　face　six　inches　from　the　head　of　a　hooded　cobra；　and　stand　watching　it　through　his　eye…glass　as　it　crawled　away　from　him；　knowing　that　one　touch　of　its　fangs　would　mean　death　from　which　there　could　be　no　possible　escape。　　That　any　reasoning　being　should　be　inspired　with　terrorsickening；　deadly　terrorby　such　pitifully　harmless　things；　seemed　to　him　monstrous；　and　he　determined　to　try　and　cure　her　of　her　fear　of　them。

〃He　succeeded　in　doing　this　eventually　somewhat　more　thoroughly　than　he　had　anticipated；　but　it　left　a　terror　in　his　own　eyes　that　has　not　gone　out　of　them　to　this　day；　and　that　never　will。

〃One　evening；　riding　home　through　a　part　of　the　jungle　not　far　from　his　bungalow；　he　heard　a　soft；　low　hiss　close　to　his　ear；　and；　looking　up；　saw　a　python　swing　itself　from　the　branch　of　a　tree　and　make　off　through　the　long　grass。　　He　had　been　out　antelope…shooting；　and　his　loaded　rifle　hung　by　his　stirrup。　　Springing　from　the　frightened　horse；　he　was　just　in　time　to　get　a　shot　at　the　creature　before　it　disappeared。　　He　had　hardly　expected；　under　the　circumstances；　to　even　hit　it。　　By　chance　the　bullet　struck　it　at　the　junction　of　the　vertebrae　with　the　head；　and　killed　it　instantly。　　It　was　a　well…marked　specimen；　and；　except　for　the　small　wound　the　bullet　had　made；　quite　uninjured。　　He　picked　it　up；　and　hung　it　across　the　saddle；　intending　to　take　it　home　and　preserve　it。

〃Galloping　along；　glancing　down　every　now　and　again　at　the　huge；　hideous　thing　swaying　and　writhing　in　front　of　him　almost　as　if　still　alive；　a　brilliant　idea　occurred　to　him。　　He　would　use　this　dead　reptile　to　cure　his　wife　of　her　fear　of　living　ones。　　He　would　fix　matters　so　that　she　should　see　it；　and　think　it　was　alive；　and　be　terrified　by　it；　then　he　would　show　her　that　she　had　been　frightened　by　a　mere　dead　thing；　and　she　would　feel　ashamed　of　herself；　and　be　healed　of　her　folly。　　It　was　the　sort　of　idea　that　would　occur　to　a　fool。

〃When　he　reached　home；　he　took　the　dead　snake　into　his　smoking…room；　then；　locking　the　door；　the　idiot　set　out　his　prescription。　　He　arranged　the　monster　in　a　very　natural　and　life…like　position。　　It　appeared　to　be　crawling　from　the　open　window　across　the　floor；　and　any　one　coming　into　the　room　suddenly　could　hardly　avoid　treading　on　it。　　It　was　very　cleverly　done。

〃That　finished；　he　picked　out　a　book　from　the　shelves；　opened　it；　and　laid　it　face　downward　upon　the　couch。　　When　he　had　completed　all　things　to　his　satisfaction　he　unlocked　the　door　and　came　out；　very　pleased　with　himself。

〃After　dinner　he　lit　a　cigar　and　sat　smoking　a　while　in　silence。

〃'Are　you　feeling　tired？'　he　said　to　her　at　length；　with　a　smile。

〃She　laughed；　and；　calling　him　a　lazy　old　thing；　asked　what　it　was　he　wanted。

〃'Only　my　novel　that　I　was　reading。　　I　left　it　in　my　den。　　Do　you　mind？　　You　will　find　it　open　on　the　couch。'

〃She　sprang　up　and　ran　lightly　to　the　door。

〃As　she　paused　there　for　a　moment　to　look　back　at　him　and　ask　the　name　of　the　book；　he　thought　how　pretty　and　how　sweet　she　was；　and　for　the　first　time　a　faint　glimmer　of　the　true　nature　of　the　thing　he　was　doing　forced　itself　into　his　brain。

〃'Never　mind；'　he　said；　half　rising；　'I'll'；　then；　enamoured　of　the　brilliancy　of　his　plan；　checked　himself；　and　she　was　gone。

〃He　heard　her　footsteps　passing　along　the　matted　passage；　and　smiled　to　himself。　　He　thought　the　affair　was　going　to　be　rather　amusing。　One　finds　it　difficult　to　pity　him　even　now　when　one　thinks　of　it。

〃The　smoking…room　door　opened　and　closed；　and　he　still　sat　gazing　dreamily　at　the　ash　of　his　cigar；　and　smiling。

〃One　moment；　perhaps　two　passed；　but　the　time　seemed　much　longer。　The　man　blew　the　gray　cloud　from　before　his　eyes　and　waited。　　Then　he　heard　what　he　had　been　expecting　to　heara　piercing　shriek。　Then　another；　which；　expecting　to　hear　the　clanging　of　the　distant　door　and　the　scurrying　back　of　her　footsteps　along　the　passage；　puzzled　him；　so　that　the　smile　died　away　from　his　lips。

〃Then　another；　and　another；　and　another；　shriek　after　shriek。

〃The　native　servant；　gliding　noiselessly　about　the　room；　laid　down　the　thing　that　was　in　his　hand　and　moved　instinctively　towards　the　door。　　The　man　started　up　and　held　him　back。

〃'Keep　where　you　are；'　he　said　hoarsely。　　'It　is　nothing。　　Your　mistress　is　frightened；　that　is　all。　　She　must　learn　to　get　over　this　folly。'　　Then　he　listened　again；　and　the　shrieks　ended　with　what　sounded　curiously　like　a　smothered　laugh；　and　there　came　a　sudden　silence。

〃And　out　of　that　bottomless　silence；　Fear　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　came　to　the　man；　and　he　and　the　dusky　servant　looked　at　each　other　with　eyes　in　which　there　was　a　strange　likeness；　and　by　a　common　instinct　moved　together　towards　the　place　where　the　silence　came　from。

〃When　the　man　opened　the　door　he　saw　three　things：　　one　was　the　dead　python；　lying　where　he　had　left　it；　the　second　was　a　live　python；　its　comrade　apparently；　slowly　crawling　round　it；　the　third　a　crushed；　bloody　heap　in　the　middle　of　the　floor。

〃He　himself　remembered　nothing　more　until；　weeks　afterwards；　he　opened　his　eyes　in　a　darkened；　unfamiliar　place；　but　the　native　servant；　before　he　fled　screaming　from　the　house；　saw　his　master　fling　himself　upon　the　living　serpent　and　grasp　it　with　his　hands；　and　when；　later　on；　others　burst　into　the　room　and　caught　him　staggering　in　their　arms；　they　found　the　second　python　with　its　head　torn　off。

〃That　is　the　incident　that　changed　the　character　of　my　manif　it　be　changed；〃　concluded　Jephson。　　〃He　told　it　me　one　night　as　we　sat　on　the　deck　of　the　steamer；　returning　from　Bombay。　　He　did　not　spare　himself。　　He　told　me　the　story；　much　as　I　have　told　it　to　you；　but　in　an　even；　monotonous　tone；　free　from　emotion　of　any　kind。　　I　asked　him；　when　he　had　finished；　how　he　could　bear　to　recall　it。

〃'Recall　it！'　he　replied；　with　a　slight　accent　of　surprise；　'it　is　always　with　me。'〃



CHAPTER　VIII



One　day　we　spoke　of　crime　and　criminals。　　We　had　discussed　the　possibility　of　a　novel　without　a　villain；　but　had　decided　that　it　would　be　uninteresting。

〃It　is　a　terribly　sad　reflection；〃　remarked　MacShaughnassy；　musingly；　〃but　what　a　desperately　dull　place　this　earth　would　be　if　it　were　not　for　our　friends　the　bad　people。　　Do　you　know；〃　he　continued；　〃when　I　hear　of　folks　going　about　the　world　trying　to　reform　everybody　and　make　them　good；　I　get　positively　nervous。　　Once　do　away　with　sin；　and　literature　will　become　a　thing　of　the　past。　Without　the　criminal　classes　we　authors　would　starve。〃

〃I　shouldn't　worry；〃　replied　Jephson；　drily；　〃one　half　mankind　has　been　'reforming'　the　other　half　pretty　steadily　ever　since　the　Creation；　yet　there　appears　to　be　a　fairly　appreciable　amount　of　human　nature　left　in　it；　notwithstanding。　　Suppressing　sin　is　much　the　same　sort　of　task　that　suppressing　a　volcano　would　beplugging　one　vent　merely　opens　another。　　Evil　will　last　our　time。〃

〃I　cannot　take　your　optimistic　view　of　the　case；〃　answered　MacShaughnassy。　　〃It　seems　to　me　that　crimeat　all　events；　interesting　crimeis　being　slowly　driven　out　of　our　existence。　Pirates　and　highwaymen　have　been　practically　abolished。　　Dear　old　'Smuggler　Bill'　has　melted　down　his　cutlass　into　a　pint…can　with　a　false　bottom。　　The　pressgang　that　was　always　so　ready　to　rescue　our　hero　from　his　approaching　marriage　has　been　disbanded。　　There's　not　a　lugger　fit　for　the　purposes　of　abduction　left　upon　the　coast。　　Men　settle　their　'affairs　of　honour'　in　the　law　courts；　and　return　home　wounded　only　in　the　pocket。　　Assaults　on　unprotected　females　are　confined　to　the　slums；　where　heroes　do　not　dwell；　and　are　avenged　by　the　nearest　magistrate。　　Your　modern　burglar　is　generally　an　out…of…　work　green…grocer。　　His　'swag'　usually　consists　of　an　overcoat　and　a　pair　of　boots；　in　attempting　to　make　off　with　which　he　is　captured　by　the　servant…girl。　　Suicides　and　murders　are　getting　scarcer　every　season。　　At　the　present　rate　of　decrease；　deaths　by　violence　will　be　unheard　of　in　another　decade；　and　a　murder　story　will　be　laughed　at　as　too　improbable　to　be　interesting。　　A　certain　section　of　busybodies　are　even　crying　out　for　the　enforcement　of　the　seventh　commandment。　　If　they　succeed　authors　will　have　to　follow　the　advice　generally　given　to　them　by　the　critics；　and　retire　from　business　altogether。　　I　tell　you　our　means　of　livelihood　are　being　filched　from　us　one　by　one。　　Authors　ought　to　form　themselves　into　a　society　for　the　support　and　encouragement　of　crime。〃

MacShaughnassy's　leading　intention　in　making　these　remarks　was　to　shock　and　grieve　Brown；　and　in　this　object　he　succeeded。　　Brown　is　or　was；　in　those　daysan　earnest　young　man　with　an　exaltedsome　were　inclined　to　say