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第11节

man and superman-第11节

小说: man and superman 字数: 每页4000字

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its narrowness; I demand the right to think for myself。 You pose
as an advanced man。 Let me tell you that I was an advanced man
before you were born。

TANNER。 I knew it was a long time ago。

RAMSDEN。 I am as advanced as ever I was。 I defy you to prove that
I have ever hauled down the flag。 I am more advanced than ever I
was。 I grow more advanced every day。

TANNER。 More advanced in years; Polonius。

RAMSDEN。 Polonius! So you are Hamlet; I suppose。

TANNER。 No: I am only the most impudent person you've ever met。
That's your notion of a thoroughly bad character。 When you want
to give me a piece of your mind; you ask yourself; as a just and
upright man; what is the worst you can fairly say of me。 Thief;
liar; forger; adulterer; perjurer; glutton; drunkard? Not one of
these names fit me。 You have to fall back on my deficiency in
shame。 Well; I admit it。 I even congratulate myself; for if I
were ashamed of my real self; I should cut as stupid a figure as
any of the rest of you。 Cultivate a little impudence; Ramsden;
and you will become quite a remarkable man。

RAMSDEN。 I have no

TANNER。 You have no desire for that sort of notoriety。 Bless you;
I knew that answer would come as well as I know that a box of
matches will come out of an automatic machine when I put a penny
in the slot: you would be ashamed to say anything else。

The crushing retort for which Ramsden has been visibly collecting
his forces is lost for ever; for at this point Octavius returns
with Miss Ann Whitefield and her mother; and Ramsden springs up
and hurries to the door to receive them。 Whether Ann is
good…looking or not depends upon your taste; also and perhaps
chiefly on your age and sex。 To Octavius she is an enchantingly
beautiful woman; in whose presence the world becomes
transfigured; and the puny limits of individual consciousness are
suddenly made infinite by a mystic memory of the whole life of
the race to its beginnings in the east; or even back to the
paradise from which it fell。 She is to him the reality of
romance; the leaner good sense of nonsense; the unveiling of his
eyes; the freeing of his soul; the abolition of time; place and
circumstance; the etherealization of his blood into rapturous
rivers of the very water of life itself; the revelation of all
the mysteries and the sanctification of all the dogmas。 To her
mother she is; to put it as moderately as possible; nothing
whatever of the kind。 Not that Octavius's admiration is in any
way ridiculous or discreditable。 Ann is a well formed creature;
as far as that goes; and she is perfectly ladylike; graceful; and
comely; with ensnaring eyes and hair。 Besides; instead of making
herself an eyesore; like her mother; she has devised a mourning
costume of black and violet silk which does honor to her late
father and reveals the family tradition of brave unconventionality
by which Ramsden sets such store。

But all this is beside the point as an explanation of Ann's
charm。 Turn up her nose; give a cast to her eye; replace her
black and violet confection by the apron and feathers of a flower
girl; strike all the aitches out of her speech; and Ann would
still make men dream。 Vitality is as common as humanity; but;
like humanity; it sometimes rises to genius; and Ann is one of
the vital geniuses。 Not at all; if you please; an oversexed
person: that is a vital defect; not a true excess。 She is a
perfectly respectable; perfectly self…controlled woman; and looks
it; though her pose is fashionably frank and impulsive。 She
inspires confidence as a person who will do nothing she does not
mean to do; also some fear; perhaps; as a woman who will probably
do everything she means to do without taking more account of
other people than may be necessary and what she calls right。 In
short; what the weaker of her own sex sometimes call a cat。

Nothing can be more decorous than her entry and her reception by
Ramsden; whom she kisses。 The late Mr Whitefield  would be
gratified almost to impatience by the long faces of the men
(except Tanner; who is fidgety); the silent handgrasps; the
sympathetic placing of chairs; the sniffing of the widow; and the
liquid eye of the daughter; whose heart; apparently; will not let
her control her tongue to speech。 Ramsden and Octavius take the
two chairs from the wall; and place them for the two ladies; but
Ann comes to Tanner and takes his chair; which he offers with a
brusque gesture; subsequently relieving his irritation by sitting
down on the corner of the writing table with studied indecorum。
Octavius gives Mrs Whitefield a chair next Ann; and himself takes
the vacant one which Ramsden has placed under the nose of the
effigy of Mr Herbert Spencer。

Mrs Whitefield; by the way; is a little woman; whose faded flaxen
hair looks like straw on an egg。 She has an expression of
muddled shrewdness; a squeak of protest in her voice; and an odd
air of continually elbowing away some larger person who is
crushing her into a corner。 One guesses her as one of those women
who are conscious of being treated as silly and negligible; and
who; without having strength enough to assert themselves
effectually; at any rate never submit to their fate。 There is a
touch of chivalry in Octavius's scrupulous attention to her;
even whilst his whole soul is absorbed by Ann。

Ramsden goes solemnly back to his magisterial seat at the writing
table; ignoring Tanner; and opens the proceedings。

RAMSDEN。 I am sorry; Annie; to force business on you at a sad
time like the present。 But your poor dear father's will has
raised a very serious question。 You have read it; I believe?

'Ann assents with a nod and a catch of her breath; too much
affected to speak'。

I must say I am surprised to find Mr Tanner named as joint
guardian and trustee with myself of you and Rhoda。 'A pause。 They
all look portentous; but they have nothing to say。 Ramsden; a
little ruffled by the lack of any response; continues' I don't
know that I can consent to act under such conditions。 Mr Tanner
has; I understand; some objection also; but I do not profess to
understand its nature: he will no doubt speak for himself。 But we
are agreed that we can decide nothing until we know your views。 I
am afraid I shall have to ask you to choose between my sole
guardianship and that of Mr Tanner; for I fear it is impossible
for us to undertake a joint arrangement。

ANN。 'in a low musical voice' Mamma

MRS WHITEFIELD。 'hastily' Now; Ann; I do beg you not to put it on
me。 I have no opinion on the subject; and if I had; it would
probably not be attended to。 I am quite with whatever you three
think best。

Tanner turns his head and looks fixedly at Ramsden; who angrily
refuses to receive this mute communication。

ANN。 'resuming in the same gentle voice; ignoring her mother's
bad taste' Mamma knows that she is not strong enough to bear the
whole responsibility for me and Rhoda without some help and
advice。 Rhoda must have a guardian; and though I am older; I do
not think any young unmarried woman should be left quite to her
own guidance。 I hope you agree with me; Granny?

TANNER。 'starting' Granny! Do you intend to call your guardians
Granny?

ANN。 Don't be foolish; Jack。 Mr Ramsden has always been Grandpapa
Roebuck to me: I am Granny's Annie; and he is Annie's Granny。 I
christened him so when I first learned to speak。

RAMSDEN。 'sarcastically' I hope you are satisfied; Mr Tanner。 Go
on; Annie: I quite agree with you。

ANN。 Well; if I am to have a guardian; CAN I set aside anybody
whom my dear father appointed for me?

RAMSDEN。 'biting his lip' You approve of your father's choice;
then?

ANN。 It is not for me to approve or disapprove。 I accept it。 My
father loved me and knew best what was good for me。

RAMSDEN。 Of course I understand your feeling; Annie。 It is what I
should have expected of you; and it does you credit。 But it does
not settle the question so completely as you think。 Let me put a
case to you。 Suppose you were to discover that I had been guilty
of some disgraceful actionthat I was not the man your poor dear
father took me for。 Would you still consider it right that I
should be Rhoda's guardian?

ANN。 I can't imagine you doing anything disgraceful; Granny。

TANNER。 'to Ramsden' You haven't done anything of the sort; have
you?

RAMSDEN。 'indignantly' No sir。

MRS。 WHITEFIELD。 'placidly' Well; then; why suppose it?

ANN。 You see; Granny; Mamma would not like me to suppose it。

RAMSDEN。 'much perplexed' You are both so full of natural and
affectionate feeling in these family matters that it is very hard
to put the situation fairly before you。

TANNER。 Besides; my friend; you are not putting the situation
fairly before them。

RAMSDEN。 'sulkily' Put it yourself; then。

TANNER。 I will。 Ann: Ramsden thinks I am not fit be your
guardian; and I quite agree with him。 He considers that if your
father had read my book; he wouldn't have appointed me。 That book
is the disgraceful action he has been talking about。 He thinks
it's your duty for Rhoda's sake to ask him to act alone and to
make me withdraw。 Say the word and I will。

ANN。 But I haven't read your book; Jack。

TANNER。 'diving at the wast

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