the secret places of the heart-第21节
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he had lived each several year of her existence in a distinctive and conclusive manner with the utmost mental profit and no particular tarnish or injury。 He could talk with her as if he talked with a man like himselfbut with a zest no man could give him。 It was evident that the good things she had said at first came as the natural expression of a broad stream of alert thought； they were no mere display specimens from one of those jackdaw collections of bright things so many clever women waste their wits in accumulating。 She was not talking for effect at all； she was talking because she was tremendously interested in her discovery of the spectacle of history； and delighted to find another person as possessed as she was。 Belinda having been conducted to her shops； the two made their way through the bright evening sunlight to the compact gracefulness of the cathedral。 A glimpse through a wrought… iron gate of a delightful garden of spring flowers； alyssum； aubrietia； snow…upon…the…mountains； daffodils； narcissus and the like； held them for a time； and then they came out upon the level； grassy space； surrounded by little ripe old houses； on which the cathedral stands。 They stood for some moments surveying it。 〃It's a perfect little lady of a cathedral；〃 said Sir Richmond。 〃But why； I wonder； did we build it？ 〃 〃Your memory ought to be better than mine；〃 she said； with her half…closed eyes blinking up at the sunlit spire sharp against the blue。 〃I've been away for so long…over there…that I forget altogether。 Why DID we build it？〃 She had fallen in quite early with this freak of speaking and thinking as if he and she were all mankind。 It was as if her mind had been prepared for it by her own eager exploration in Europe。 〃My friend； the philosopher；〃 he had said； 〃will not have it that we are really the individuals we think we are。 You must talk to himhe is a very curious and subtle thinker。 We are just thoughts in the Mind of the Race； he says； passing thoughts。 We arewhat does he call it？ Man on his Planet； taking control of life。〃 〃Man and woman；〃 she had amended。 But just as man on his planet taking control of life had failed altogether to remember why the ditch at Avebury was on the inside instead of the outside of the vallum； so now Miss Grammont and Sir Richmond found very great difficulty in recalling why they had built Salisbury Cathedral。 〃We built temples by habit and tradition；〃 said Sir Richmond。 〃But the impulse was losing its force。 〃 She looked up at the spire and then at him with a faintly quizzical expression。 But he had his reply ready。 〃We were beginning to feel our power over matter。 We were already very clever engineers。 What interested us here wasn't the old religion any more。 We wanted to exercise and display our power over stone。 We made it into reeds and branches。 We squirted it up in all these spires and pinnacles。 The priest and his altar were just an excuse。 Do you think people have ever feared and worshipped in thisthis artist's larkas they did in Stonehenge？〃 〃I certainly do not remember that I ever worshipped here；〃 she said。 Sir Richmond was in love with his idea。 〃The spirit of the Gothic cathedrals；〃 he said； 〃is the spirit of the sky… scrapers。 It is architecture in a mood of flaming ambition。 The Freemasons on the building could hardly refrain from jeering at the little priest they had left down below there； performing antiquated puerile mysteries at his altar。 He was just their excuse for doing it all。〃 〃Sky…scrapers？〃 she conceded。 〃An early display of the sky… scraper spirit。 。 。 。 You are doing your best to make me feel thoroughly at home。〃 〃You are more at home here still than in that new country of ours over the Atlantic。 But it seems to me now that I do begin to remember building this cathedral and all the other cathedrals we built in Europe。 。 。 。 It was the fun of building made us do it。 。 。 〃 〃H'm；〃 she said。 〃And my sky…scrapers？〃 〃Still the fun of building。 That is the thing I envy most about America。 It's still large enough； mentally and materially； to build all sorts of things。 。 。 。 Over here； the sites are frightfully crowded。 。 。 。 〃 〃And what do you think we are building now？ And what do you think you are building over here？〃 〃What are we building now？ I believe we have almost grown up。 I believe it is time we began to build in earnest。 For good。 。 。 。〃 〃But are we building anything at all？〃 〃A new world。〃 〃Show it me；〃 she said。 〃We're still only at the foundations；〃 said Sir Richmond。〃 Nothing shows as yet。〃 〃I wish I could believe they were foundations。〃 〃But can you doubt we are scrapping the old？ 。 。 。〃 It was too late in the afternoon to go into the cathedral； so they strolled to and fro round and about the west end and along the path under the trees towards the river； exchanging their ideas very frankly and freely about the things that had recently happened to the world and what they thought they ought to be doing in it。 Section 5 After dinner our four tourists sat late and talked in a corner of the smoking…room。 The two ladies had vanished hastily at the first dinner gong and reappeared at the second； mysteriously and pleasantly changed from tweedy pedestrians to indoor company。 They were quietly but definitely dressed； pretty alterations had happened to their coiffure； a silver band and deep red stones lit the dusk of Miss Grammont's hair and a necklace of the same colourings kept the peace between her jolly sun…burnt cheek and her soft untanned neck。 It was evident her recent uniform had included a collar of great severity。 Miss Seyffert had revealed a plump forearm and proclaimed it with a clash of bangles。 Dr。 Martineau thought her evening throat much too confidential。 The conversation drifted from topic to topic。 It had none of the steady continuity of Sir Richmond's duologue with Miss Grammont。 Miss Seyffert's methods were too discursive and exclamatory。 She broke every thread that appeared。 The Old George at Salisbury is really old； it shows it； and Miss Seyffert laced the entire evening with her recognition of the fact。 〃Just look at that old beam！〃 she would cry suddenly。 〃 To think it was exactly where it is before there was a Cabot in America！〃 Miss Grammont let her companion pull the talk about as she chose。 After the animation of the afternoon a sort of lazy contentment had taken possession of the younger lady。 She sat deep in a basket chair and spoke now and then。 Miss Seyffert gave her impressions of France and Italy。 She talked of the cabmen of Naples and the beggars of Amalfi。 Apropos of beggars； Miss Grammont from the depths of her chair threw out the statement that Italy was frightfully overpopulated。 〃In some parts of Italy it is like mites on a cheese。 Nobody seems to be living。 Everyone is too busy keeping alive。〃 〃Poor old women carrying loads big enough for mules；〃 said Miss Seyffert。 〃Little children working like slaves；〃 said Miss Grammont。 〃And everybody begging。 Even the people at work by the roadside。 Who ought to be getting wagessufficient。 。 。 。〃 〃Beggingfrom foreignersis just a sport in Italy；〃 said Sir Richmond。 〃It doesn't imply want。 But I agree that a large part of Italy is frightfully overpopulated。 The whole world is。 Don't you think so； Martineau？〃 〃Wellyesfor its present social organization。 〃 〃For any social organization；〃 said Sir Richmond。 〃I've no doubt of it；〃 said Miss Seyffert； and added amazingly： 〃I'm out for Birth Control all the time。〃 A brief but active pause ensued。 Dr。 Martineau in a state of sudden distress attempted to drink out of a cold and empty coffee cup。 〃The world swarms with cramped and undeveloped lives；〃 said Sir Richmond。 〃Which amount to nothing。 Which do not even represent happiness。 And which help to use up the resources； the fuel and surplus energy of the world。〃 〃I suppose they have a sort of liking for their lives；〃 Miss Grammont reflected。 〃Does that matter？ They do nothing to carry life on。 They are just vain repetitionsimperfect dreary； blurred repetitions of one common life。 All that they feel has been felt； all that they do has been done better before。 Because they are crowded and hurried and underfed and undereducated。 And as for liking their lives； they need never have had the chance。〃 〃How many people are there in the world？〃 she asked abruptly。 〃I don't know。 Twelve hundred； fifteen hundred millions perhaps。〃 〃And in your world？〃 〃I'd have two hundred and fifty millions； let us say。 At most。 It would be quite enough for this little planet； for a time； at any rate。 Don't you think so； doctor？〃 〃I don't know；〃 said Dr。 Martineau。 〃Oddly enough； I have never thought about that question before。 At least； not from this angle。〃 〃But could you pick out two hundred and fifty million aristocrats？〃 began Miss Grammont。 〃My native instinctive democracy〃 〃Need not be outraged；〃 said Sir Richmond。 〃Any two hundred and fifty million would do； They'd be able to develop fully； all of them。 As things are； only a minority can do that。 The rest never get a chance。〃 〃That's what I always say；〃 said Miss Seyffert。 〃A New Age；〃 said Dr。 Martineau； 〃a New World。 We may be coming to such a stage； when population； as much as fuel； will be under a world control。 If one thing； why not the other？ I admit that the movement of thoug
