man and superman-第15节

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to　her　and　held　the　guilty　secret　over　her　head；　leading　her　a
life　of　abject　terror　and　humiliation　by　threatening　to　tell　on
her。

ANN。　And　a　very　good　thing　for　her；　too。　It　was　my　duty　to　stop
her　misconduct；　and　she　is　thankful　to　me　for　it　now。

TANNER。　Is　she？

ANN。　She　ought　to　be；　at　all　events。

TANNER。　It　was　not　your　duty　to　stop　my　misconduct；　I　suppose。

ANN。　I　did　stop　it　by　stopping　her。

TANNER。　Are　you　sure　of　that？　You　stopped　my　telling　you　about
my　adventures；　but　how　do　you　know　that　you　stopped　the
adventures？

ANN。　Do　you　mean　to　say　that　you　went　on　in　the　same　way　with
other　girls？

TANNER。　No。　I　had　enough　of　that　sort　of　romantic　tomfoolery
with　Rachel。

ANN。　＇unconvinced＇　Then　why　did　you　break　off　our　confidences　and
become　quite　strange　to　me？

TANNER。　＇enigmatically＇　It　happened　just　then　that　I　got
something　that　I　wanted　to　keep　all　to　myself　instead　of　sharing
it　with　you。

ANN。　I　am　sure　I　shouldn't　have　asked　for　any　of　it　if　you　had
grudged　it。

TANNER。　It　wasn't　a　box　of　sweets；　Ann。　It　was　something　you'd
never　have　let　me　call　my　own。

ANN。　＇incredulously＇　What？

TANNER。　My　soul。

ANN。　Oh；　do　be　sensible；　Jack。　You　know　you're　talking　nonsense。

TANNER。　The　most　solemn　earnest；　Ann。　You　didn't　notice　at　that
time　that　you　were　getting　a　soul　too。　But　you　were。　It　was　not
for　nothing　that　you　suddenly　found　you　had　a　moral　duty　to
chastise　and　reform　Rachel。　Up　to　that　time　you　had　traded　pretty
extensively　in　being　a　good　child；　but　you　had　never　set　up　a
sense　of　duty　to　others。　Well；　I　set　one　up　too。　Up　to　that　time
I　had　played　the　boy　buccaneer　with　no　more　conscience　than　a　fox
in　a　poultry　farm。　But　now　I　began　to　have　scruples；　to　feel
obligations；　to　find　that　veracity　and　honor　were　no　longer
goody…goody　expressions　in　the　mouths　of　grown　up　people；　but
compelling　principles　in　myself。

ANN。　＇quietly＇　Yes；　I　suppose　you're　right。　You　were　beginning　to
be　a　man；　and　I　to　be　a　woman。

TANNER。　Are　you　sure　it　was　not　that　we　were　beginning　to　be
something　more？　What　does　the　beginning　of　manhood　and　womanhood
mean　in　most　people's　mouths？　You　know：　it　means　the　beginning　of
love。　But　love　began　long　before　that　for　me。　Love　played　its
part　in　the　earliest　dreams　and　follies　and　romances　I　can
remembermay　I　say　the　earliest　follies　and　romances　we　can
remember？though　we　did　not　understand　it　at　the　time。　No：　the
change　that　came　to　me　was　the　birth　in　me　of　moral　passion；　and
I　declare　that　according　to　my　experience　moral　passion　is　the
only　real　passion。

ANN。　All　passions　ought　to　be　moral；　Jack。

TANNER。　Ought！　Do　you　think　that　anything　is　strong　enough　to
impose　oughts　on　a　passion　except　a　stronger　passion　still？

ANN。　Our　moral　sense　controls　passion；　Jack。　Don't　be　stupid。

TANNER。　Our　moral　sense！　And　is　that　not　a　passion？　Is　the　devil
to　have　all　the　passions　as　well　as　all　the　good　times？　If　it
were　not　a　passionif　it　were　not　the　mightiest　of　the　passions；
all　the　other　passions　would　sweep　it　away　like　a　leaf　before　a
hurricane。　It　is　the　birth　of　that　passion　that　turns　a　child
into　a　man。

ANN。　There　are　other　passions；　Jack。　Very　strong　ones。

TANNER。　All　the　other　passions　were　in　me　before；　but　they　were
idle　and　aimlessmere　childish　greedinesses　and　cruelties；
curiosities　and　fancies；　habits　and　superstitions；　grotesque　and
ridiculous　to　the　mature　intelligence。　When　they　suddenly　began
to　shine　like　newly　lit　flames　it　was　by　no　light　of　their　own；
but　by　the　radiance　of　the　dawning　moral　passion。　That　passion
dignified　them；　gave　them　conscience　and　meaning；　found　them　a
mob　of　appetites　and　organized　them　into　an　army　of　purposes　and
principles。　My　soul　was　born　of　that　passion。

ANN。　I　noticed　that　you　got　more　sense。　You　were　a　dreadfully
destructive　boy　before　that。

TANNER。　Destructive！　Stuff！　I　was　only　mischievous。

ANN。　Oh　Jack；　you　were　very　destructive。　You　ruined　all　the　young
fir　trees　by　chopping　off　their　leaders　with　a　wooden　sword。　You
broke　all　the　cucumber　frames　with　your　catapult。　You　set　fire　to
the　common：　the　police　arrested　Tavy　for　it　because　he　ran　away
when　he　couldn't　stop　you。　You

TANNER。　Pooh！　pooh！　pooh！　these　were　battles；　bombardments；
stratagems　to　save　our　scalps　from　the　red　Indians。　You　have　no
imagination；　Ann。　I　am　ten　times　more　destructive　now　than　I　was
then。　The　moral　passion　has　taken　my　destructiveness　in　hand　and
directed　it　to　moral　ends。　I　have　become　a　reformer；　and；　like
all　reformers；　an　iconoclast。　I　no　longer　break　cucumber　frames
and　burn　gorse　bushes：　I　shatter　creeds　and　demolish　idols。

ANN。　＇bored＇　I　am　afraid　I　am　too　feminine　to　see　any　sense　in
destruction。　Destruction　can　only　destroy。

TANNER。　Yes。　That　is　why　it　is　so　useful。　Construction　cumbers
the　ground　with　institutions　made　by　busybodies。　Destruction
clears　it　and　gives　us　breathing　space　and　liberty。

ANN。　It's　no　use；　Jack。　No　woman　will　agree　with　you　there。

TANNER。　That's　because　you　confuse　construction　and　destruction
with　creation　and　murder。　They're　quite　different：　I　adore
creation　and　abhor　murder。　Yes：　I　adore　it　in　tree　and　flower；
in　bird　and　beast；　even　in　you。　＇A　flush　of　interest　and　delight
suddenly　clears　the　growing　perplexity　and　boredom　from　her
face＇。　It　was　the　creative　instinct　that　led　you　to　attach　me　to
you　by　bonds　that　have　left　their　mark　on　me　to　this　day。　Yes；
Ann：　the　old　childish　compact　between　us　was　an　unconscious　love
compact。

ANN。　Jack！

TANNER。　Oh；　don't　be　alarmed

ANN。　I　am　not　alarmed。

TANNER。　＇whimsically＇　Then　you　ought　to　be：　where　are　your
principles？

ANN。　Jack：　are　you　serious　or　are　you　not？

TANNER。　Do　you　mean　about　the　moral　passion？

ANN。　No；　no；　the　other　one。　＇Confused＇　Oh！　you　are　so　silly；　one
never　knows　how　to　take　you。

TANNER。　You　must　take　me　quite　seriously。　I　am　your　guardian；　and
it　is　my　duty　to　improve　your　mind。

ANN。　The　love　compact　is　over；　then；　is　it？　I　suppose　you　grew
tired　of　me？

TANNER。　No；　but　the　moral　passion　made　our　childish　relations
impossible。　A　jealous　sense　of　my　new　individuality　arose　in　me。

ANN。　You　hated　to　be　treated　as　a　boy　any　longer。　Poor　Jack！

TANNER。　Yes；　because　to　be　treated　as　a　boy　was　to　be　taken　on
the　old　footing。　I　had　become　a　new　person；　and　those　who　knew
the　old　person　laughed　at　me。　The　only　man　who　behaved　sensibly
was　my　tailor：　he　took　my　measure　anew　every　time　he　saw　me；
whilst　all　the　rest　went　on　with　their　old　measurements　and
expected　them　to　fit　me。

ANN。　You　became　frightfully　self…conscious。

TANNER。　When　you　go　to　heaven；　Ann；　you　will　be　frightfully
conscious　of　your　wings　for　the　first　year　or　so。　When　you　meet
your　relatives　there；　and　they　persist　in　treating　you　as　if　you
were　still　a　mortal；　you　will　not　be　able　to　bear　them。　You　will
try　to　get　into　a　circle　which　has　never　known　you　except　as　an
angel。

ANN。　So　it　was　only　your　vanity　that　made　you　run　away　from　us
after　all？

TANNER。　Yes；　only　my　vanity；　as　you　call　it。

ANN。　You　need　not　have　kept　away　from　ME　on　that　account。

TANNER。　From　you　above　all　others。　You　fought　harder　than　anybody
against　my　emancipation。

ANN。　＇earnestly＇　Oh；　how　wrong　you　are！　I　would　have　done
anything　for　you。

TANNER。　Anything　except　let　me　get　loose　from　you。　Even　then　you
had　acquired　by　instinct　that　damnable　woman's　trick　of　heaping
obligations　on　a　man；　of　placing　yourself　so　entirely　and
helplessly　at　his　mercy　that　at　last　he　dare　not　take　a　step
without　running　to　you　for　leave。　I　know　a　poor　wretch　whose　one
desire　in　life　is　to　run　away　from　his　wife。　She　prevents　him　by
threatening　to　throw　herself　in　front　of　the　engine　of　the　train
he　leaves　her　in。　That　is　what　all　women　do。　If　we　try　to　go
where　you　do　not　want　us　to　go　there　is　no　law　to　prevent　us；
but　when　we　take　the　first　step　your　breasts　are　under　our　foot
as　it　descends：　your　bodies　are　under　our　wheels　as　we　start。　No
woman　shall　ever　enslave　me　in　that　way。

ANN。　But；　Jack；　you　cannot　get　through　life　without　considering
other　people　a　little。

TANNER。　Ay；　but　what　other　people？　It　is　this　consideration　of
other　people　or　rather　this　cowardly　fear　of　them　which　we
call　consideration　that　makes　us　the　sentimental　slaves　we　are。
To　consider　you；　as　you　call　it；　is　to　substitute　your　will　for
my　own。　How　if　it　be　a　baser　will　than　mine？　Are　women　taught
better　than　men　or　worse？　Are　mobs　of　voters　taught　better　than
statesmen　or　worse？　Worse；　of　course；　in　both　cases。　And　then
what　sort　of　world　are　you　going　to　get；　with　its　public　men
considering　its　voting　mobs；　and　its　private　men　considering
their　wives？　What　does　Church　and　State　mean　nowadays？　The
Woman　and　the　Ratepayer。

ANN。　＇placidly＇　I　am　so　glad　you　understand　politics；　Jack：　it
will　be　most　useful　to　you　if　you　go　into　parliament　＇he
collapses　like　a　pricked　bladder＇。　But　I　am　sorry　you　thought　my
influence　a　bad　one。

TANNER。　I　don't　say　it　was　a　bad　one。　But　bad　or　good；　I　didn't
choose　to　be　cut　to　your　measure。　And　I　won't　be　cut　to　it。

ANN。　Nobody　wants　you　to；　Jack。　I　assure　youreally　on　my　word
I　don't　mind　your