philosophy 4-第4节

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to　have　a　room…mate　who　had　attained。　　If　Billy　had　not　been　so

dog…tired　last　night；　he　would　have　sat　up　and　made　John　tell　him

everything　from　beginning　to　end。



〃Soft…shell　crabs；　broiled　live　lobster；　salmon；　grass…plover；

dough…birds；　and　rum　omelette；〃　he　was　now　reciting　to　Bertie。



〃They　say　the　rum　there　is　old　Jamaica　brought　in　slave…ships；〃　said

Bertie；　reverently。



〃I've　heard　he　has　white　port　of　1820；〃　said　Billy；　〃and　claret　and

champagne。〃



Bertie　looked　out　of　the　window。　　〃This　is　the　finest　day　there's　been；〃

said　he。　　Then　he　looked　at　his　watch。　　It　was　twenty…five　minutes

before　Oscar。　　Then　he　looked　Billy　hard　in　the　eye。　　〃Have　you　any

sand？〃　he　inquired。



It　was　a　challenge　to　Billy's　manhood。　　〃Sand！〃　he　yelled；　sitting　up。



Both　of　them　in　an　instant　had　left　the　table　and　bounded　out　of　the

house。　　〃I'll　meet　you　at　Pike's；〃　said　Billy　to　Bertie。　　〃Make　him　give

us　the　black　gelding。〃



〃Might　as　well　bring　our　notes　along；〃　Bertie　called　after　his　rushing

friend；　〃and　get　John　to　tell　you　the　road。〃



To　see　their　haste；　as　the　two　fled　in　opposite　directions　upon　their

errands；　you　would　have　supposed　them　under　some　crying　call　of

obligation；　or　else　to　be　escaping　from　justice。



Twenty　minutes　later　they　were　seated　behind　the　black　gelding　and　bound

on　their　journey　in　search　of　the　bird…in…Hand。　　Their　notes　in

Philosophy　4　were　stowed　under　the　buggy…seat。



〃Did　Oscar　see　you？〃　　Bertie　inquired。



〃Not　he；〃　cried　Billy；　joyously。



〃Oscar　will　wonder；〃　said　Bertie；　and　he　gave　the　black　gelding　a

triumphant　touch　with　the　whip。



You　see；　it　was　Oscar　that　had　made　them　run　go；　or；　rather；　it　was　Duty

and　Fate　walking　in　Oscar's　displeasing　likeness。　　Nothing　easier；

nothing　more　reasonable；　than　to　see　the　tutor　and　tell　him　they　should

not　need　him　to…day。　　But　that　would　have　spoiled　everything。　　They　did

not　know　it；　but　deep　in　their　childlike　hearts　was　a　delicious　sense

that　in　thus　unaccountably　disappearing　they　had　won　a　great　game；　had

got　away　ahead　of　Duty　and　Fate。　　After　all　it　did　bear　some　resemblance

to　an　escape　from　justice。　　　　　　　　　　　　。



Could　he　have　known　this；　Oscar　would　have　felt　more　superior　than　ever。

Punctually　at　the　hour　agreed；　ten　o'clock　he　rapped　at　Billy's　door　and

stood　waiting；　his　leather　wallet　of　notes　nipped　safe　between　elbow　and

ribs。　　Then　he　knocked　again。　　Then　he　tried　the　door；　and　as　it　was

open；　he　walked　deferentially　into　the　sitting　room。　　Sonorous　snores

came　from　one　of　the　bedrooms。　　Oscar　peered　in　and　saw　John；　but　he　saw

no　Billy　in　the　other　bed。　　Then；　always　deferential；　he　sat　down　in　the

sitting　room　and　watched　a　couple　of　prettily　striped　coats　hanging　in　a

half…open　closet。



At　that　moment　the　black　gelding　was　flirtatiously　crossing　the

drawbridge　over　the　Charles　on　the　Allston　Road。　　The　gelding　knew　the

clank　of　those　suspending　chains　and　the　slight　unsteadiness　of　the

meeting　halves　of　the　bridge　as　well　as　it　knew　oats。　　But　it　could　not

enjoy　its　own　entirely　premeditated　surprise　quite　so　much　as　Bertie　and

Billy　were　enjoying　their　entirely　unpremeditated　flight　from　Oscar。　The

wind　rippled　on　the　water；　down　at　the　boat…house　Smith　was　helping　some

one　embark　in　a　single　scull；　they　saw　the　green　meadows　toward

Brighton；　their　foreheads　felt　cool　and　unvexed；　and　each　new　minute　had

the　savor　of　fresh　forbidden　fruit。



〃How　do　we　go？〃　said　Bertie。



〃I　forgot　I　had　a　bet　with　John　until　I　had　waked　him；〃　said　Billy。　　〃He

bet　me　five　last　night　I　couldn't　find　it；　and　I　took　him。　　Of　course；

after　that　I　had　no　right　to　ask　him　anything；　and　he　thought　I　was

funny。　　He　said　I　couldn't　find　out　if　the　landlady's　hair　was　her　own。

I　went　him　another　five　on　that。〃



〃How　do　you　say　we　ought　to　go？〃　said　Bertie；　presently。



〃Quincy；　I'm　sure。〃



They　were　now　crossing　the　Albany　tracks　at　Allston。　　〃We're　going　to

get　there；〃　said　Bertie；　and　he　turned　the　black　gelding　toward

Brookline　and　Jamaica　Plain。



The　enchanting　day　surrounded　them。　　The　suburban　houses；　even　the

suburban　street…cars；　seemed　part　of　one　great　universal　plan　of

enjoyment。　　Pleasantness　so　radiated　from　the　boys'　faces　and　from　their

general　appearance　of　clean　white　flannel　trousers　and　soft　clean　shirts

of　pink　and　blue　that　a　driver　on　a　passing　car　leaned　to　look　after

them　with　a　smile　and　a　butcher　hailed　them　with　loud　brotherhood　from

his　cart。　　They　turned　a　corner；　and　from　a　long　way　off　came　the　sight

of　the　tower　of　Memorial　Hall。　　Plain　above　all　intervening　tenements

and　foliage　it　rose。　　Over　there　beneath　its　shadow　were　examinations

and　Oscar。　　It　caught　Billy's　roving　eye；　and　he　nudged　Bertie；　pointing

silently　to　it。　　〃Ha；　ha！〃　sang　Bertie。　　And　beneath　his　light　whip　the

gelding　sprang　forward　into　its　stride。





The　clocks　of　Massachusetts　struck　eleven。　　Oscar　rose　doubtfully　from

his　chair　in　Billy's　study。　　Again　he　looked　into　Billy's　bedroom　and　at

the　empty　bed。　　Then　he　went　for　a　moment　and　watched　the　still　forcibly

sleeping　John。　　He　turned　his　eyes　this　way　and　that；　and　after　standing

for　a　while　moved　quietly　back　to　his　chair　and　sat　down　with　the

leather　wallet　of　notes　on　his　lap；　his　knees　together；　and　his

unblocked　shoes　touching。　　In　due　time　the　clocks　of　Massachusetts

struck　noon。





In　a　meadow　where　a　brown　amber　stream　ran；　lay　Bertie　and　Billy　on　the

grass。　　Their　summer　coats　were　off；　their　belts　loosened。　　They　watched

with　eyes　half　closed　the　long　water…weeds　moving　gently　as　the　current

waved　and　twined　them。　　The　black　gelding；　brought　along　a　farm　road　and

through　a　gate；　waited　at　its　ease　in　the　field　beside　a　stone　wall。　Now

and　then　it　stretched　and　cropped　a　young　leaf　from　a　vine　that　grew

over　the　wall；　and　now　and　then　the　want　wind　brought　down　the　fruit

blossoms　all　over　the　meadow。　　They　fell　from　the　tree　where　Bertie　and

Billy　lay；　and　the　boys　brushed　them　from　their　faces。　　Not　very　far

away　was　Blue　Hill；　softly　shining；　and　crows　high　up　in　the　air　came

from　it　occasionally　across　here。



By　one　o'clock　a　change　had　come　in　Billy's　room。　　Oscar　during　that

hour　had　opened　his　satchel　of　philosophy　upon　his　lap　and　read　his

notes　attentively。　　Being　almost　word　perfect　in　many　parts　of　them；　he

now　spent　his　unexpected　leisure　in　acquiring　accurately　the　language　of

still　further　paragraphs。〃　　The　sharp　line　of　demarcation　which

Descartes　drew　between　consciousness　and　the　material　world；〃　whispered

Oscar　with　satisfaction；　and　knew　that　if　Descartes　were　on　the

examination　paper　he　could　start　with　this　and　go　on　for　nearly　twenty

lines　before　he　would　have　to　use　any　words　of　his　own。　　As　he

memorized；　the　chambermaid；　who　had　come　to　do　the　bedrooms　three　times

already　and　had　gone　away　again；　now　returned　and　no　longer　restrained

her　indignation。　　〃Get　up　Mr。　Blake！　〃　she　vociferated　to　the　sleeping

John；　〃you　ought　to　be　ashamed！〃　　And　she　shook　the　bedstead。　　Thus　John

had　come　to　rise　and　discover　Oscar。　　The　patient　tutor　explained

himself　as　John　listened　in　his　pyjamas。



〃Why；　I'm　sorry；〃　said　he；　〃but　I　don't　believe　they'll　get　back　very

soon。〃



〃They　have　gone　away？〃　asked　Oscar；　sharply。



〃Ahyes；〃　returned　the　reticent　John。　　〃An　unexpected　matter　of

importance。〃



〃But；　my　dear　sir；　those　gentlemen　know　nothing！　　Philosophy　4　is

tomorrow；　and　they　know　nothing。〃



〃They'll　have　to　stand　it；　then；〃　said　John；　with　a　grin。



〃And　my　time。　　I　am　waiting　here。　　I　am　engaged　to　teach　them。　　I　have

been　waiting　here　since　ten。　　They　engaged　me　all　day　and　this　evening。



〃I　don't　believe　there's　the　slightest　use　in　your　waiting　now；　you

know。　　They'll　probably　let　you　know　when　they　come　back。〃



〃Probably！　　But　they　have　engaged　my　time。　　The　girl　knows　I　was　here

ready　at　ten。　　I　call　you　to　witness　that　you　found　me　waiting；　ready　at

any　time。〃



John　in　his　pyjamas　stared　at　Oscar。　　〃Why；　of　course　they'll　pay　you

the　whole　thing；〃　said　he；　coldly；　〃stay　here　if　you　prefer。〃　　And　he

went　into　the　bathroom　and　closed　the　door。



The　tutor　stood　awhile；　holding　his　notes　and　turning　his　little　eyes

this　way　and　that。　　His　young　days　had　been　dedicated　to　getting　the

better　of　his　neighbor；　because　otherwise　his　neighbor　would　get　the

better　of　him。　　Oscar　had　never　suspected　the　existence　of　boys　like

John　and　Bertie　and　Billy。　　He　stood　holding　his　notes；　and　then；

buckling　them　up　once　more；　he　left　the　room　with　evidently　reluctant

steps。　　It　was　at　this　time　that　the　clocks　struck　one。





In　their　field　among　the　soft　new　grass　sat　Bertie　and　Billy　some　ten

yards　apart；　each　with　his　back　against　an　apple　tree。　　Each　had　his

notes　and　took　his　turn　at　questioning　the　other。　　Thus　the　names　of　the

Greek　philosophers　with　their　dates　and　doctrines　were　shout