the secret places of the heart-第9节

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e。　Without　women　I　am　a　wasting　fever　of　distressful　toil。　Without　them　there　is　no　kindness　in　existence；　no　rest；　no　sort　of　satisfaction。　The　world　is　a　battlefield；　trenches；　barbed　wire；　rain；　mud；　logical　necessity　and　utter　desolationwith　nothing　whatever　worth　fighting　for。　Whatever　justifies　effort；　whatever　restores　energy　is　hidden　in　women　。　。　。　。〃　〃An　access　of　sex；〃　said　Dr。　Martineau。　〃　This　is　a　phase。　。　。　。〃　〃It　is　how　I　am　made；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　A　brief　silence　fell　upon　that。　Dr。　Martineau　persisted。　〃It　isn't　how　you　are　made。　We　are　getting　to　something　in　all　this。　It　is；　I　insist；　a　mood　of　how　you　are　made。　A　distinctive　and　indicative　mood。〃　Sir　Richmond　went　on；　almost　as　if　he　soliloquized。　〃I　would　go　through　it　all　again。　。　。　。　There　are　times　when　the　love　of　women　seems　the　only　real　thing　in　the　world　to　me。　And　always　it　remains　the　most　real　thing。　I　do　not　know　how　far　I　may　be　a　normal　man　or　how　far　I　may　not　be；　so　to　speak；　abnormally　male；　but　to　me　life　has　very　little　personal　significance　and　no　value　or　power　until　it　has　a　woman　as　intermediary。　Before　life　can　talk　to　me　and　say　anything　that　matters　a　woman　must　be　present　as　a　medium。　I　don't　mean　that　it　has　no　significance　mentally　and　logically；　I　mean　that　irrationally　and　emotionally　it　has　no　significance。　Works　of　art；　for　example；　bore　me；　literature　bores　me；　scenery　bores　me；　even　the　beauty　of　a　woman　bores　me；　unless　I　find　in　it　some　association　with　a　woman's　feeling。　It　isn't　that　I　can't　tell　for　myself　that　a　picture　is　fine　or　a　mountain　valley　lovely；　but　that　it　doesn't　matter　a　rap　to　me　whether　it　is　or　whether　it　isn't　until　there　is　a　feminine　response；　a　sexual　motif；　if　you　like　to　call　it　that；　coming　in。　Whatever　there　is　of　loveliness　or　pride　in　life　doesn't　LIVE　for　me　until　somehow　a　woman　comes　in　and　breathes　upon　it　the　breath　of　life。　I　cannot　even　rest　until　a　woman　makes　holiday　for　me。　Only　one　thing　can　I　do　without　women　and　that　is　work；　joylessly　but　effectively；　and　latterly　for　some　reason　that　it　is　up　to　you　to　discover；　doctor；　even　the　power　of　work　has　gone　from　me。〃　Section　4　〃This　afternoon　brings　back　to　me　very　vividly　my　previous　visit　here。　It　was　perhaps　a　dozen　or　fifteen　years　ago。　We　rowed　down　this　same　backwater。　I　can　see　my　companion's　handshe　had　very　pretty　hands　with　rosy　palmstrailing　in　the　water；　and　her　shadowed　face　smiling　quietly　under　her　sunshade；　with　little　faint　streaks　of　sunlight；　reflected　from　the　ripples；　dancing　and　quivering　across　it。　She　was　one　of　those　people　who　seem　always　to　be　happy　and　to　radiate　happiness。　〃By　ordinary　standards；〃　said　Sir　Richmond；　〃she　was　a　thoroughly　bad　lot。　She　had　about　as　much　morality；　in　the　narrower　sense　of　the　word；　as　a　monkey。　And　yet　she　stands　out　in　my　mind　as　one　of　the　most　honest　women　I　have　ever　met。　She　was　certainly　one　of　the　kindest。　Part　of　that　effect　of　honesty　may　have　been　due　to　her　open　brow；　her　candid　blue　eyes；　the　smiling　frankness　of　her　manner。　。　。　。　Butno！　She　was　really　honest。　〃We　drifted　here　as　we　are　doing　now。　She　pulled　at　the　sweet　rushes　and　crushed　them　in　her　hand。　She　adds　a　remembered　brightness　to　this　afternoon。　〃Honest。　Friendly。　Of　all　the　women　I　have　known；　this　woman　who　was　here　with　me　came　nearest　to　being　my　friend。　You　know；　what　we　call　virtue　in　a　woman　is　a　tremendous　handicap　to　any　real　friendliness　with　a　man。　Until　she　gets　to　an　age　when　virtue　and　fidelity　are　no　longer　urgent　practical　concerns；　a　good　woman；　by　the　very　definition　of　feminine　goodness；　isn't　truly　herself。　Over　a　vast　extent　of　her　being　she　is　RESERVED。　She　suppresses　a　vast　amount　of　her　being；　holds　back；　denies；　hides。　On　the　other　hand；　there　is　a　frankness　and　honesty　in　openly　bad　women　arising　out　of　the　admitted　fact　that　they　are　bad；　that　they　hide　no　treasure　from　you；　they　have　no　peculiarly　precious　and　delicious　secrets　to　keep；　and　no　poverty　to　conceal。　Intellectually　they　seem　to　be　more　manly　and　vigorous　because　they　are；　as　people　say；　unsexed。　Many　old　women；　thoroughly　respectable　old　women；　have　the　same　quality。　Because　they　have　gone　out　of　the　personal　sex　business。　Haven't　you　found　that？〃　〃I　have　never；〃　said　the　doctor；　known　what　you　call　an　openly　bad　woman；at　least；　at　all　intimately。　。　。　。　〃　Sir　Richmond　looked　with　quick　curiosity　at　his　companion。　〃You　have　avoided　them！〃　〃They　don't　attract　me。〃　〃They　repel　you？〃　〃For　me；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃for　any　friendliness；　a　woman　must　be　modest。　。　。　。　My　habits　of　thought　are　old…fashioned；　I　suppose；　but　the　mere　suggestion　about　a　woman　that　there　were　no　barriers；　no　reservation；　that　in　any　fashion　she　might　more　than　meet　me　half　way　。　。　。　〃　His　facial　expression　completed　his　sentence。　〃Now　I　wonder；〃　whispered　Sir　Richmond；　and　hesitated　for　a　moment　before　he　carried　the　great　research　into　the　explorer's　country。　〃You　are　afraid　of　women？〃　he　said；　with　a　smile　to　mitigate　the　impertinence。　〃I　respect　them。〃　〃An　element　of　fear。〃　〃Well；　I　am　afraid　of　them　then。　Put　it　that　way　if　you　like。　Anyhow　I　do　not　let　myself　go　with　them。　I　have　never　let　myself　go。〃　〃You　lose　something。　You　lose　a　reality　of　insight。〃　There　was　a　thoughtful　interval。　〃Having　found　so　excellent　a　friend；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃why　did　you　ever　part　from　her？〃　Sir　Richmond　seemed　indisposed　to　answer；　but　Dr。　Martineau's　face　remained　slantingly　interrogative。　He　had　found　the　effective　counterattack　and　he　meant　to　press　it。　〃I　was　jealous　of　her；〃　Sir　Richmond　admitted。　〃I　couldn't　stand　that　side　of　it。〃　Section　5　After　a　meditative　silence　the　doctor　became　briskly　professional　again。　〃You　care　for　your　wife；〃　he　said。　〃You　care　very　much　for　your　wife。　She　is；　as　you　say；　your　great　obligation　and　you　are　a　man　to　respect　obligations。　I　grasp　that。　Then　you　tell　me　of　these　women　who　have　come　and　gone。　。　。　。　About　them　too　you　are　perfectly　frank。　。　。　There　remains　someone　else。〃　Sir　Richmond　stared　at　his　physician。　〃Well；〃　he　said　and　laughed。　〃I　didn't　pretend　to　have　made　my　autobiography　anything　more　than　a　sketch。〃　〃No；　but　there　is　a　special　person；　the　current　person。〃　〃I　haven't　dilated　on　my　present　situation；　I　admit。〃　〃From　some　little　things　that　have　dropped　from　you；　I　should　say　there　is　a　child。〃　〃That；〃　said　Sir　Richmond　after　a　brief　pause；　〃is　a　good　guess。〃　〃Not　older　than　three。〃　〃Two　years　and　a　half。〃　〃You　and　this　lady　who　is；　I　guess；　young；　are　separated。　At　any　rate；　you　can't　go　to　her。　That　leaves　you　at　loose　ends；　because　for　some　time；　for　two　or　three　years　at　least；　you　have　ceased　to　behow　shall　I　put　it？an　emotional　wanderer。〃　〃I　begin　to　respect　your　psychoanalysis。〃　〃Hence　your　overwhelming　sense　of　the　necessity　of　feminine　companionship　for　weary　men。　I　guess　she　is　a　very　jolly　companion　to　be　with；　amusing；　restfulinteresting。〃　〃H'm；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃I　think　that　is　a　fair　description。　When　she　cares；　that　is。　When　she　is　in　good　form。〃　〃Which　she　isn't　at　present；〃　hazarded　the　doctor。　He　exploded　a　mine　of　long…pent　exasperation。　〃She　is　the　clumsiest　hand　at　keeping　well　that　I　have　ever　known。　Health　is　a　woman's　primary　duty。　But　she　is　incapable　of　the　most　elementary　precautions。　She　is　maddeningly　receptive　to　every　infection。　At　the　present　moment；　when　I　am　ill；　when　I　am　in　urgent　need　of　help　and　happiness；　she　has　let　that　wretched　child　get　measles　and　she　herself　won't　let　me　go　near　her　because　she　has　got　something　disfiguring；　something　nobody　else　could　ever　have　or　think　of　having；　called　CARBUNCLE。　Carbuncle！〃　〃It　is　very　painful；〃　said　Dr。　Martineau。　〃No　doubt　it　is；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃No　doubt　it　is。〃　His　voice　grew　bitter。　He　spoke　with　deliberation。　〃A　perfectly　aimless；　useless　illness；and　as　painful　as　it　CAN　be。〃　He　spoke　as　if　he　slammed　a　door　viciously。　And　indeed　he　had　slammed　a　door。　The　doctor　realized　that　for　the　present　there　was　no　more　self…dissection　to　be　got　from　Sir　Richmond。　For　some　time　Sir　Richmond　had　been　keeping　the　boat　close　up　to　the　foaming　weir　to　the　left　of　the　lock　by　an　occasional　stroke。　Now　with　a　general　air　of　departure　he　swung　the　boat　round　and　began　to　row　down　stream　towards　the　bridge　and　the　Radiant　Hotel。　〃Time　we　had　tea；〃　he　said；　Section　6　After　tea　Dr。　Martineau　left　Sir　Richmond　in　a　chair　upon　the　lawn；　brooding　darklyapparently　over　the　crime　of　the　carbuncle。　The　doctor　went　to　his　room；　ostensibly　to　write　a　couple　of　letters　and　put　on　a　dinner　jacket；　but　really　to　make　a　few　notes　of　the　afternoon's　conversation　and　meditate　over　his　impressions　while　they　were　fresh。　His　room　proffered　a　comfortable　armchair　and　into　this　he　sank。　。　。　A　number　of　very　discrepant　things　were　busy　in　his　mind。　He　had　experienced　a　disconcerting　personal　attack。　There　was　a　whirl　of　active　resentment　in　the　confusion。　〃Apologetics　of　a　rake；〃　he　tried　presently。　〃A　common　type；　stripped　of　his　intellectual　dressing。　Every　third　manufacturer　from　the　midlands　or　the　north　has　some　such　undertow　of　'affairs。'　A　physiological　uneasiness；　an　imaginative　laxity；　the　temptations　of　the　trip　to　London　weakness　masquerading　as　a　psychological　necessity。　The　Lady　of　the　Carbuncle　seems　to　have　got　rather　a　hold　upon　him