pgw.uneasymoney-第16节

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　This　was　the　point　in　the　ceremony　at　which　the　wretched　Nutty　had　broken　down　absolutely；　and　not　inexcusably；　considering　the　severity　of　the　test。　The　surface　of　the　frame　was　black　with　what　appeared　at　first　sight　to　be　a　thick；　bubbling　fluid　of　some　sort；　pouring　viscously　to　and　fro　as　if　some　hidden　fire　had　been　lighted　beneath　it。　Only　after　a　closer　inspection　was　it　apparent　to　the　lay　eye　that　this　seeming　fluid　was　in　reality　posed　of　mass　upon　mass　of　bees。　They　shoved　and　writhed　and　muttered　and　jostled；　for　all　the　world　like　a　collection　of　home…seeking　City　men　trying　to　secure　standing　room　on　the　Underground　at　half…past　five　in　the　afternoon。
　Nutty；　making　this　discovery；　had　emitted　one　wild　yell；　dropped　the　frame；　and　started　at　full　speed　for　the　house；　his　retreat　expedited　by　repeated　stings　from　the　nervous　bees。　Bill；　more　prudent；　remained　absolutely　motionless。　He　eyed　the　seething　frame　with　interest；　but　without　apparent　panic。
　'I　want　you　to　help　me　here；　Mr　Chalmers。　You　have　stronger　wrists　than　I　have。　I　will　tell　you　what　to　do。　Hold　the　frame　tightly。'　　'I've　got　it。'
　'Jerk　it　down　as　sharply　as　you　can　to　within　a　few　inches　of　the　door；　and　then　jerk　it　up　again。　You　see；　that　shakes　them　off。'
　'It　would　me；'　agreed　Bill；　cordially；　'if　I　were　a　bee。'
　Elizabeth　had　the　feeling　that　she　had　played　her　ace　of　trumps　and　by　some　miracle　lost　the　trick。　If　this　grisly　operation　did　not　daunt　the　man；　nothing；　not　even　the　transferring　of　honey；　would。　She　watched　him　as　he　raised　the　frame　and　jerked　it　down　with　a　strong　swiftness　which　her　less　powerful　wrists　had　never　been　able　to　achieve。　The　bees　tumbled　off　in　a　dense　shower；　asking　questions　to　the　last；　then；　sighting　the　familiar　entrance　to　the　hive；　they　bustled　in　without　waiting　to　investigate　the　cause　of　the　earthquake。
　Lord　Dawlish　watched　them　go　with　a　kindly　interest。
　'It　has　always　been　a　mystery　to　me；'　he　said；　'why　they　never　seem　to　think　of　manhandling　the　Johnny　who　does　that　to　them。　They　don't　seem　able　to　connect　cause　and　effect。　I　suppose　the　only　way　they　can　figure　it　out　is　that　the　bottom　has　suddenly　dropped　out　of　everything；　and　they　are　so　busy　lighting　out　for　home　that　they　haven't　time　to　go　to　the　root　of　things。　But　it's　a　ticklish　job；　for　all　that；　if　you're　not　used　to　it。　I　know　when　I　first　did　it　I　shut　my　eyes　and　wondered　whether　they　would　bury　my　remains　or　cremate　them。'
　'When　you　first　did　it？'　Elizabeth　was　staring　at　him　blankly。　'Have　you　done　it　before？'
　Her　voice　shook。　Bill　met　her　gaze　frankly。
　'Done　it　before？　Rather！　Thousands　of　times。　You　see；　I　spent　a　year　on　a　bee…farm　once；　learning　the　business。'
　For　a　moment　mortification　was　the　only　emotion　of　which　Elizabeth　was　conscious。　She　felt　supremely　ridiculous。　For　this　she　had　schemed　and　plottedto　give　a　practised　expert　the　opportunity　of　doing　what　he　had　done　a　thousand　times　before！
　And　then　her　mood　changed　in　a　flash。　Nature　has　decreed　that　there　are　certain　things　in　life　which　shall　act　as　hoops　of　steel；　grappling　the　souls　of　the　elect　together。　Golf　is　one　of　these；　a　mutual　love　of　horseflesh　another；　but　the　greatest　of　all　is　bees。　Between　two　beekeepers　there　can　be　no　strife。　Not　even　a　tepid　hostility　can　mar　their　perfect　munion。
　The　petty　enmities　which　life　raises　to　be　barriers　between　man　and　man　and　between　man　and　woman　vanish　once　it　is　revealed　to　them　that　they　are　linked　by　this　great　bond。　Envy；　malice；　hatred；　and　all　uncharitableness　disappear；　and　they　look　into　each　other's　eyes　and　say　'My　brother！'
　The　effect　of　Bill's　words　on　Elizabeth　was　revolutionary。　They　crashed　through　her　dislike；　scattering　it　like　an　explosive　shell。　She　had　resented　this　golden　young　man's　presence　at　the　farm。　She　had　thought　him　in　the　way。　She　had　objected　to　his　being　aware　that　she　did　such　prosaic　tasks　as　cooking　and　washing…up。　But　now　her　whole　attitude　toward　him　was　changed。　She　reflected　that　he　was　there。　He　could　stay　there　as　long　as　he　liked；　the　longer　the　better。
　'You　have　really　kept　bees？'
　'Not　actually　kept　them；　worse　luck！　I　couldn't　raise　the　capital。　You　see；　money　was　a　bit　tight'
　'I　know；'　said　Elizabeth；　sympathetically。　'Money　is　like　that；　isn't　it？'
　'The　general　impression　seemed　to　be　that　I　should　be　foolish　to　try　anything　so　speculative　as　beekeeping；　so　it　fell　through。　Some　very　decent　old　boys　got　me　another　job。'
　'What　job？'
　'Secretary　to　a　club。'
　'In　London；　of　course？'
　'Yes。'
　'And　all　the　time　you　wanted　to　be　in　the　country　keeping　bees！'
　Elizabeth　could　hardly　control　her　voice；　her　pity　was　so　great。
　'I　should　have　liked　it；'　said　Bill；　wistfully。　'London's　all　right；　but　I　love　the　country。　My　ambition　would　be　to　have　a　whacking　big　farm；　a　sort　of　ranch；　miles　away　from　anywhere'
　He　broke　off。　This　was　not　the　first　time　he　had　caught　himself　forgetting　how　his　circumstances　had　changed　in　the　past　few　weeks。　It　was　ridiculous　to　be　telling　hard…luck　stories　about　not　being　able　to　buy　a　farm；　when　he　had　the　wherewithal　to　buy　dozens　of　farms。　It　took　a　lot　of　getting　used　to；　this　business　of　being　a　millionaire。
　'That's　my　ambition　too；'　said　Elizabeth；　eagerly。　This　was　the　very　first　time　she　had　met　a　congenial　spirit。　Nutty's　views　on　farming　and　the　Arcadian　life　generally　were　saddening　to　an　enthusiast。　'If　I　had　the　money　I　should　get　an　enormous　farm；　and　in　the　summer　I　should　borrow　all　the　children　I　could　find；　and　take　them　out　to　it　and　let　them　wallow　in　it。'
　'Wouldn't　they　do　a　lot　of　damage？'
　'I　shouldn't　mind。　I　should　be　too　rich　to　worry　about　the　damage。　If　they　ruined　the　place　beyond　repair　I'd　go　and　buy　another。'　She　laughed。　'It　isn't　so　impossible　as　it　sounds。　I　came　very　near　being　able　to　do　it。'　She　paused　for　a　moment；　but　went　on　almost　at　once。　After　all；　if　you　cannot　confide　your　intimate　troubles　to　a　fellow　bee…lover；　to　whom　can　you　confide　them？　'An　uncle　of　mine'
　Bill　felt　himself　flushing。　He　looked　away　from　her。　He　had　a　sense　of　almost　unbearable　guilt；　as　if　he　had　just　done　some　particularly　low　crime　and　was　contemplating　another。
　'An　uncle　of　mine　would　have　left　me　enough　money　to　buy　all　the　farms　I　wanted；　only　an　awful　person；　an　English　lord　I　wonder　if　you　have　heard　of　him？Lord　Dawlishgot　hold　of　uncle　somehow　and　induced　him　to　make　a　will　leaving　all　the　money　to　him。'
　She　looked　at　Bill　for　sympathy；　and　was　touched　to　see　that　he　was　crimson　with　emotion。　He　must　be　a　perfect　dear　to　take　other　people's　misfortunes　to　heart　like　that。
　'I　don't　know　how　he　managed　it；'　she　went　on。　'He　must　have　worked　and　plotted　and　schemed；　for　Uncle　Ira　wasn't　a　weak　sort　of　man　whom　you　could　do　what　you　liked　with。　He　was　very　obstinate。　But；　anyway；　this　Lord　Dawlish　succeeded　in　doing　it　somehow；　and　then'her　eyes　blazed　at　the　recollection'he　had　the　insolence　to　write　to　me　through　his　lawyers　offering　me　half。　I　suppose　he　was　hoping　to　satisfy　his　conscience。　Naturally　I　refused　it。'
　'Butbutbut　why？'
　'Why！　Why　did　I　refuse　it？　Surely　you　don't　think　I　was　going　to　accept　charity　from　the　man　who　had　cheated　me？'
　'Butbut　perhaps　he　didn't　mean　it　like　that。　What　I　mean　to　say　isas　charity；　you　know。'
　'He　did！　But　don't　let's　talk　of　it　any　more。　It　makes　me　angry　to　think　of　him；　and　there's　no　use　spoiling　a　lovely　day　like　this　by　getting　angry。'
　Bill　sighed。　He　had　never　dreamed　before　that　it　could　be　so　difficult　to　give　money　away。　He　was　profoundly　glad　that　he　had　not　revealed　his　identity；　as　he　had　been　on　the　very　point　of　doing　just　when　she　began　her　remarks。　He　understood　now　why　that　curt　refusal　had　e　in　answer　to　his　lawyer's　letter。　Well；　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　wait　and　hope　that　time　might　acplish　something。
　'What　do　you　want　me　to　do　next？'　he　said。　'Why　did　you　open　the　hive？　Did　you　want　to　take　a　look　at　the　queen？'
　Elizabeth　hesitated。　She　blushed　with　pure　shame。　She　had　had　but　one　motive　in　opening　the　hive；　and　that　had　been　to　annoy　him。　She　scorned　to　take　advantage　of　the　loophole　he　had　provided。　Beekeeping　is　a　freemasonry。　A　beekeeper　cannot　deceive　a　brother…mason。
　She　faced　him　bravely。
　'I　didn't　want　to　take　a　look　at　anything；　Mr　Chalmers。　I　opened　that　hive　because　I　wanted　you　to　drop　the　frame；　as　my　brother　did；　and　get　stung；　as　he　was；　because　I　thought　that　would　drive　you　away；　because　I　thought　then　that　I　didn't　want　you　down　here。　I'm　ashamed　of　myself；　and　I　don't　know　where　I'm　getting　the　nerve　to　tell　you　this。　I　hope　you　will　stay　onon　and　on　and　on。'
　Bill　was　aghast。
　'Good　Lord！　If　I'm　in　the　way'
　'You　aren't　in　the　way。'
　'But　you　said'
　'But　don't　you　see　that　it's　so　different　now？　I　didn't　know　then　that　you　were　fond　of　bees。　You　must　stay；　if　my　telling　you　hasn't　made　you　feel　that　you　want　to　catch　the　next　train。　You　will　save　our　livesmine　and　Nutty's　too。　Oh；　dear；　you're　hesitating！　You're　trying　to　think　up　some　polite　way　of　getting　out　of　the　place！　You　mustn't　go；　Mr　Chalmers；　you　simply　must　stay。　There　aren't　any　mosquitoes；　no　jellyfishnothing！　At　least；　there　are；　but　what　do　they　matter？　You　don'