the secret places of the heart-第23节

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　enabled　me　to　see　her　in　profile。　Miss　Seyffert　is　a　fairly　crude　mixture　of　frankness；　insincerity　and　self…　explanatory　egotism；　and　I　have　been　able　to　disregard　a　considerable　amount　of　the　conversation　she　has　addressed　to　me。　Now　I　guess　this　Miss　Grammont　has　had　no　mother　since　she　was　quite　little。〃　〃Your　guesses；　doctor；　are　apt　to　be　pretty　good；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃You　know　that？〃　〃She　has　told　me　as　much。〃　〃H'm。　WellShe　impressed　me　as　having　the　air　of　a　girl　who　has　had　to　solve　many　problems　for　which　the　normal　mother　provides　ready　made　solutions。　That　is　how　I　inferred　that　there　was　no　mother。　I　don't　think　there　has　been　any　stepmother；　either　friendly　or　hostile？　There　hasn't　been。　I　thought　not。　She　has　had　various　governesses　and　companions；　ladies　of　birth　and　education；　engaged　to　look　after　her　and　she　has　done　exactly　what　she　liked　with　them。　Her　manner　with　Miss　Seyffert；　an　excellent　manner　for　Miss　Seyffert；　by　the　bye；　isn't　the　sort　of　manner　anyone　acquires　in　a　day。　Or　for　one　person　only。　She　is　a　very　sure　and　commanding　young　woman。〃　Sir　Richmond　nodded。　〃I　suppose　her　father　adores　and　neglects　her；　and　whenever　she　has　wanted　a　companion　or　governess　butchered；　the　thing　has　been　done。　。　。　。　These　business　Americans；　I　am　told；　neglect　their　womenkind；　give　them　money　and　power；　let　them　loose　on　the　world。　。　。　。　It　is　a　sort　of　moral　laziness　masquerading　as　affection。　。　。　。　Still　I　suppose　custom　and　tradition　kept　this　girl　in　her　place　and　she　was　petted；　honoured；　amused；　talked　about　but　not　in　a　harmful　way；　and　rather　bored　right　up　to　the　time　when　America　came　into　the　war。　Theoretically　she　had　a　tremendously　good　time。〃　〃I　think　this　must　be　near　the　truth　of　her　biography；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃I　suppose　she　has　lovers。〃　〃You　don't　mean？〃　〃No；　I　don't。　Though　that　is　a　matter　that　ought　to　have　no　special　interest　for　you。　I　mean　that　she　was　surrounded　by　a　retinue　of　men　who　wanted　to　marry　her　or　who　behaved　as　though　they　wanted　to　marry　her　or　who　made　her　happiness　and　her　gratifications　and　her　condescensions　seem　a　matter　of　very　great　importance　to　them。　She　had　the　flattery　of　an　extremely　uncritical　and　unexacting　admiration。　That　is　the　sort　of　thing　that　gratifies　a　silly　woman　extremely。　Miss　Grammont　is　not　silly　and　all　this　homage　and　facile　approval　probably　bored　her　more　than　she　realized。　To　anyone　too　intelligent　to　be　steadily　excited　by　buying　things　and　wearing　things　and　dancing　and　playing　games　and　going　to　places　of　entertainment；　and　being　given　flowers；　sweets；　jewellery；　pet　animals；　and　books　bound　in　a　special　sort　of　leather；　the　prospect　of　being　a　rich　man's　only　daughter　until　such　time　as　it　becomes　advisable　to　change　into　a　rich　man's　wealthy　wife；　is　probably　not　nearly　so　amusing　as　envious　people　might　suppose。　I　take　it　Miss　Grammont　had　got　all　she　could　out　of　that　sort　of　thing　some　time　before　the　war；　and　that　she　had　already　read　and　thought　rather　more　than　most　young　women　in　her　position。　Before　she　was　twenty　I　guess　she　was　already　looking　for　something　more　interesting　in　the　way　of　men　than　a　rich　admirer　with　an　automobile　full　of　presents。　Those　who　seek　find。〃　〃What　do　you　think　she　found？〃　〃What　would　a　rich　girl　find　out　there　in　America？　I　don't　know。　I　haven't　the　material　to　guess　with。　In　London　a　girl　might　find　a　considerable　variety　of　active；　interesting　men；　rising　politicians；　university　men　of　distinction；　artists　and　writers　even；　men　of　science；　menthere　are　still　such　menactive　in　the　creative　work　of　the　empire。　〃In　America　I　suppose　there　is　at　least　an　equal　variety；　made　up　of　rather　different　types。　She　would　find　that　life　was　worth　while　to　such　people　in　a　way　that　made　the　ordinary　entertainments　and　amusements　of　her　life　a　monstrous　silly　waste　of　time。　With　the　facility　of　her　sex　she　would　pick　up　from　one　of　them　the　idea　that　made　life　worth　while　for　him。　I　am　inclined　to　think　there　was　someone　in　her　case　who　did　seem　to　promise　a　sort　of　life　that　was　worth　while。　And　that　somehow　the　war　came　to　alter　the　look　of　that　promise。　〃How？〃　〃I　don't　know。　Perhaps　I　am　only　romancing。　But　for　this　young　woman　I　am　convinced　this　expedition　to　Europe　has　meant　experience；　harsh　educational　experience　and　very　profound　mental　disturbance。　There　have　been　love　experiences；　experiences　that　were　something　more　than　the　treats　and　attentions　and　proposals　that　made　up　her　life　when　she　was　sheltered　over　there。　And　something　more　than　that。　What　it　is　I　don't　know。　The　war　has　turned　an　ugly　face　to　her。　She　has　seen　death　and　suffering　and　ruin。　Perhaps　she　has　seen　people　she　knew　killed。　Perhaps　the　man　has　been　killed。　Or　she　has　met　with　cowardice　or　cruelty　or　treachery　where　she　didn't　expect　it。　She　has　been　shocked　out　of　the　first　confidence　of　youth。　She　has　ceased　to　take　the　world　for　granted。　It　hasn't　broken　her　but　it　has　matured　her。　That　I　think　is　why　history　has　become　real　to　her。　Which　so　attracts　you　in　her。　History；　for　her；　has　ceased　to　be　a　fabric　of　picturesque　incidents；　it　is　the　study　of　a　tragic　struggle　that　still　goes　on。　She　sees　history　as　you　see　it　and　I　see　it。　She　is　a　very　grown…up　young　woman。　〃It's　just　that；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃It's　just　that。　If　you　see　as　much　in　Miss　Grammont　as　all　that；　why　don't　you　want　to　come　on　with　us？　You　see　the　interest　of　her。〃　〃I　see　a　lot　more　than　that。　You　don't　know　what　an　advantage　it　is　to　be　as　I　am；　rather　cold　and　unresponsive　to　women　and　unattractive　and　negligiblenegligible；　that　is　the　exact　wordto　them。　YOU　can't　look　at　a　woman　for　five　minutes　without　losing　sight　of　her　in　a　mist　of　imaginative　excitement。　Because　she　looks　back　at　you。　I　have　the　privilege　of　the　negligiblewhich　is　a　cool　head。　Miss　Grammont　has　a　startled　and　matured　mind；　an　original　mind。　Yes。　And　there　is　something　more　to　be　said。　Her　intelligence　is　better　than　her　character。〃　〃I　don't　quite　see　what　you　are　driving　at。〃　〃The　intelligence　of　all　intelligent　women　is　better　than　their　characters。　Goodness　in　a　woman；　as　we　understand　it；　seems　to　imply　necessarily　a　certain　imaginative　fixity。　Miss　Grammont　has　an　impulsive　and　adventurous　character。　And　as　I　have　been　saying　she　was　a　spoilt　child；　with　no　discipline。　。　。　。　You　also　are　a　person　of　high　intelligence　and　defective　controls。　She　is　very　much　at　loose　ends。　You　on　account　of　the　illness　of　that　rather　forgotten　lady；　Miss　Martin　Leeds〃　〃Aren't　you　rather　abusing　the　secrets　of　the　confessional？〃　〃This　IS　the　confessional。　It　closes　to…morrow　morning　but　it　is　the　confessional　still。　Look　at　the　thing　frankly。　You；　I　say；　are　also　at　loose　ends。　Can　you　deny　it？　My　dear　sir；　don't　we　both　know　that　ever　since　we　left　London　you　have　been　ready　to　fall　in　love　with　any　pretty　thing　in　petticoats　that　seemed　to　promise　you　three　ha'porth　of　kindness。　A　lost　dog　looking　for　a　master！　You're　a　stray　man　looking　for　a　mistress。　Miss　Grammont　being　a　woman　is　a　little　more　selective　than　that。　But　if　she's　at　a　loose　end　as　I　suppose；　she　isn't　protected　by　the　sense　of　having　made　her　selection。　And　she　has　no　preconceptions　of　what　she　wants。　You　are　a　very　interesting　man　in　many　ways。　You　carry　marriage　and　entanglements　lightly。　With　an　air　of　being　neither　married　nor　entangled。　She　is　quite　prepared　to　fall　in　love　with　you。〃　〃But　you　don't　really　think　that？〃　said　Sir　Richmond；　with　an　ill…concealed　eagerness。　Dr。　Martineau　rolled　his　face　towards　Sir　Richmond。　〃These　miraclesgrotesquelyhappen；〃　he　said。　〃She　knows　nothing　of　Martin　Leeds。　。　。　。　You　must　remember　that。　。　。　。　〃And　then；〃　he　added；　〃if　she　and　you　fall　in　love；　as　the　phrase　goes；　what　is　to　follow？〃　There　was　a　pause。　Sir　Richmond　looked　at　his　toes　for　a　moment　or　so　as　if　he　took　counsel　with　them　and　then　decided　to　take　offence。　〃Really！〃　he　said；　〃this　is　preposterous。　You　talk　of　falling　in　love　as　though　it　was　impossible　for　a　man　and　woman　to　be　deeply　interested　in　each　other　without　that。　And　the　gulf　in　our　agesin　our　quality！　From　the　Psychologist　of　a　New　Age　I　find　this　amazing。　Are　men　and　women　to　go　on　for　ever　separated　by　this　possibility　into　two　hardly　communicating　and　yet　interpenetrating　worlds？　Is　there　never　to　be　friendship　and　companionship　between　men　and　women　without　passion？〃　〃You　ought　to　know　even　better　than　I　do　that　there　is　not。　For　such　people　as　you　two　anyhow。　And　at　present　the　world　is　not　prepared　to　tolerate　friendship　and　companionship　WITH　that　accompaniment。　That　is　the　core　of　this　situation。〃　A　pause　fell　between　the　two　gentlemen。　They　had　smoothed　over　the　extreme　harshness　of　their　separation　and　there　was　very　little　more　to　be　said。　〃Well；〃　said　Sir　Richmond　in　conclusion；　〃I　am　very　sorry　indeed；　Martineau；　that　we　have　to　part　like　this。〃

CHAPTER　THE　SEVENTH　COMPANIONSHIP　Section　1　〃Well；〃　said　Dr。　Martineau；　extending　his　hand　to　Sir　Richmond　on　the　Salisbury　station　platform；　〃I　leave　you　to　it。〃　His　round　face　betrayed　little　or　no　vestiges　of　his　overnight　irritation。　〃Ought　you　to　leave　me　to　it？〃　smiled　Sir　Richmond。　〃I　shall　be　interested　to　learn　what　happens。〃　〃But　if　you　won't　stay　to　see！〃　〃Now　Sir；　please；〃　said　the　guard　respectful