man and superman-第18节

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THE　CHAUFFEUR。　＇consoled；　and　musing　on　another　matter＇　That's
Miss　Whitefield's　sister；　isn't　it？

TANNER。　Yes。

THE　CHAUFFEUR。　And　Miss　Whitefield　herself　is　goin　in　the　other
car？　Not　with　you？

TANNER。　Why　the　devil　should　she　come　with　me？　Mr　Robinson　will
be　in　the　other　car。　＇The　Chauffeur　looks　at　Tanner　with　cool
incredulity；　and　turns　to　the　car；　whistling　a　popular　air　softly
to　himself。　Tanner；　a　little　annoyed；　is　about　to　pursue　the
subject　when　he　hears　the　footsteps　of　Octavius　on　the　gravel。
Octavius　is　coming　from　the　house；　dressed　for　motoring；　but
without　his　overcoat＇。　We've　lost　the　race；　thank　Heaven：　here's
Mr　Robinson。　Well；　Tavy；　is　the　steam　car　a　success？

OCTAVIUS。　I　think　so。　We　came　from　Hyde　Park　Corner　here　in
seventeen　minutes。　＇The　Chauffeur；　furious；　kicks　the　car　with　a
groan　of　vexation＇。　How　long　were　you？

TANNER。　Oh；　about　three　quarters　of　an　hour　or　so。

THE　CHAUFFEUR。　＇remonstrating＇　Now；　now；　Mr　Tanner；　come　now！　We
could　ha　done　it　easy　under　fifteen。

TANNER。　By　the　way；　let　me　introduce　you。　Mr　Octavius　Robinson：
Mr　Enry　Straker。

STRAKER。　Pleased　to　meet　you；　sir。　Mr　Tanner　is　gittin　at　you
with　his　Enry　Straker；　you　know。　You　call　it　Henery。　But　I　don't
mind；　bless　you。

TANNER。　You　think　it's　simply　bad　taste　in　me　to　chaff　him；　Tavy。
But　you're　wrong。　This　man　takes　more　trouble　to　drop　his　aiches
than　ever　his　father　did　to　pick　them　up。　It's　a　mark　of　caste　to
him。　I　have　never　met　anybody　more　swollen　with　the　pride　of
class　than　Enry　is。

STRAKER。　Easy；　easy！　A　little　moderation；　Mr　Tanner。

TANNER。　A　little　moderation；　Tavy；　you　observe。　You　would　tell　me
to　draw　it　mild；　But　this　chap　has　been　educated。　What's　more；　he
knows　that　we　haven't。　What　was　that　board　school　of　yours；
Straker？

STRAKER。　Sherbrooke　Road。

TANNER。　Sherbrooke　Road！　Would　any　of　us　say　Rugby！　Harrow！　Eton！
in　that　tone　of　intellectual　snobbery？　Sherbrooke　Road　is　a　place
where　boys　learn　something；　Eton　is　a　boy　farm　where　we　are　sent
because　we　are　nuisances　at　home；　and　because　in　after　life；
whenever　a　Duke　is　mentioned；　we　can　claim　him　as　an　old
schoolfellow。

STRAKER。　You　don't　know　nothing　about　it；　Mr。　Tanner。　It's　not
the　Board　School　that　does　it：　it's　the　Polytechnic。

TANNER。　His　university；　Octavius。　Not　Oxford；　Cambridge；　Durham；
Dublin　or　Glasgow。　Not　even　those　Nonconformist　holes　in　Wales。
No；　Tavy。　Regent　Street；　Chelsea；　the　BoroughI　don't　know　half
their　confounded　names：　these　are　his　universities；　not　mere
shops　for　selling　class　limitations　like　ours。　You　despise
Oxford；　Enry；　don't　you？

STRAKER。　No；　I　don't。　Very　nice　sort　of　place；　Oxford；　I　should
think；　for　people　that　like　that　sort　of　place。　They　teach　you　to
be　a　gentleman　there。　In　the　Polytechnic　they　teach　you　to　be　an
engineer　or　such　like。　See？

TANNER。　Sarcasm；　Tavy；　sarcasm！　Oh；　if　you　could　only　see　into
Enry's　soul；　the　depth　of　his　contempt　for　a　gentleman；　the
arrogance　of　his　pride　in　being　an　engineer；　would　appal　you。　He
positively　likes　the　car　to　break　down　because　it　brings　out　my
gentlemanly　helplessness　and　his　workmanlike　skill　and　resource。

STRAKER。　Never　you　mind　him；　Mr　Robinson。　He　likes　to　talk。　We
know　him；　don't　we？

OCTAVIUS。　＇earnestly＇　But　there's　a　great　truth　at　the　bottom　of
what　he　says。　I　believe　most　intensely　in　the　dignity　of　labor。

STRAKER。　＇unimpressed＇　That's　because　you　never　done　any　Mr
Robinson。　My　business　is　to　do　away　with　labor。　You'll　get　more
out　of　me　and　a　machine　than　you　will　out　of　twenty　laborers；　and
not　so　much　to　drink　either。

TANNER。　For　Heaven's　sake；　Tavy；　don't　start　him　on　political
economy。　He　knows　all　about　it；　and　we　don't。　You're　only　a
poetic　Socialist；　Tavy：　he's　a　scientific　one。

STRAKER。　＇unperturbed＇　Yes。　Well；　this　conversation　is　very
improvin；　but　I've　got　to　look　after　the　car；　and　you　two　want
to　talk　about　your　ladies。　I　know。　＇He　retires　to　busy　himself
about　the　car；　and　presently　saunters　off　towards　the　house＇。

TANNER。　That's　a　very　momentous　social　phenomenon。

OCTAVIUS。　What　is？

TANNER。　Straker　is。　Here　have　we　literary　and　cultured　persons
been　for　years　setting　up　a　cry　of　the　New　Woman　whenever　some
unusually　old　fashioned　female　came　along；　and　never　noticing
the　advent　of　the　New　Man。　Straker's　the　New　Man。

OOCTAVIUS。　I　see　nothing　new　about　him；　except　your　way　of
chaffing　him。　But　I　don't　want　to　talk　about　him　just　now。　I　want
to　speak　to　you　about　Ann。

TANNER。　Straker　knew　even　that。　He　learnt　it　at　the　Polytechnic；
probably。　Well；　what　about　Ann？　Have　you　proposed　to　her？

OCTAVIUS。　＇self…reproachfully＇　I　was　brute　enough　to　do　so　last
night。

TANNER。　Brute　enough！　What　do　you　mean？

OCTAVIUS。　＇dithyrambically＇　Jack：　we　men　are　all　coarse。　We　never
understand　how　exquisite　a　woman's　sensibilities　are。　How　could　I
have　done　such　a　thing！

TANNER。　Done　what；　you　maudlin　idiot？

OCTAVIUS。　Yes；　I　am　an　idiot。　Jack：　if　you　had　heard　her　voice！
if　you　had　seen　her　tears！　I　have　lain　awake　all　night　thinking
of　them。　If　she　had　reproached　me；　I　could　have　borne　it　better。

TANNER。　Tears！　that's　dangerous。　What　did　she　say？

OCTAVIUS。　She　asked　me　how　she　could　think　of　anything　now　but
her　dear　father。　She　stifled　a　sob＇he　breaks　down＇。

TANNER。　＇patting　him　on　the　back＇　Bear　it　like　a　man；　Tavy；　even
if　you　feel　it　like　an　ass。　It's　the　old　game：　she's　not　tired　of
playing　with　you　yet。

OCTAVIUS。　＇impatiently＇　Oh；　don't　be　a　fool；　Jack。　Do　you　suppose
this　eternal　shallow　cynicism　of　yours　has　any　real　bearing　on　a
nature　like　hers？

TANNER。　Hm！　Did　she　say　anything　else？

OCTAVIUS。　Yes；　and　that　is　why　I　expose　myself　and　her　to　your
ridicule　by　telling　you　what　passed。

TANNER。　＇remorsefully＇　No；　dear　Tavy；　not　ridicule；　on　my　honor！
However；　no　matter。　Go　on。

OCTAVIUS。　Her　sense　of　duty　is　so　devout；　so　perfect；　so

TANNER。　Yes：　I　know。　Go　on。

OCTAVIUS。　You　see；　under　this　new　arrangement；　you　and　Ramsden
are　her　guardians；　and　she　considers　that　all　her　duty　to　her
father　is　now　transferred　to　you。　She　said　she　thought　I　ought　to
have　spoken　to　you　both　in　the　first　instance。　Of　course　she　is
right；　but　somehow　it　seems　rather　absurd　that　I　am　to　come　to
you　and　formally　ask　to　be　received　as　a　suitor　for　your　ward's
hand。

TANNER。　I　am　glad　that　love　has　not　totally　extinguished　your
sense　of　humor；　Tavy。

OCTAVIUS。　That　answer　won't　satisfy　her。

TANNER。　My　official　answer　is；　obviously；　Bless　you；　my　children：
may　you　be　happy！

OCTAVIUS。　I　wish　you　would　stop　playing　the　fool　about　this。　If
it　is　not　serious　to　you；　it　is　to　me；　and　to　her。

TANNER。　You　know　very　well　that　she　is　as　free　to　choose　as　you。
She　does　not　think　so。

TANNER。　Oh；　doesn't　she！　just！　However；　say　what　you　want　me　to
do。

OCTAVIUS。　I　want　you　to　tell　her　sincerely　and　earnestly　what　you
think　about　me。　I　want　you　to　tell　her　that　you　can　trust　her　to
methat　is；　if　you　feel　you　can。

TANNER。　I　have　no　doubt　that　I　can　trust　her　to　you。　What　worries
me　is　the　idea　of　trusting　you　to　her。　Have　you　read
Maeterlinck's　book　about　the　bee？

OCTAVIUS。　＇keeping　his　temper　with　difficulty＇　I　am　not
discussing　literature　at　present。

TANNER。　Be　just　a　little　patient　with　me。　I　am　not　discussing
literature：　the　book　about　the　bee　is　natural　history。　It's　an
awful　lesson　to　mankind。　You　think　that　you　are　Ann's　suitor；
that　you　are　the　pursuer　and　she　the　pursued；　that　it　is　your
part　to　woo；　to　persuade；　to　prevail；　to　overcome。　Fool：　it　is
you　who　are　the　pursued；　the　marked　down　quarry；　the　destined
prey。　You　need　not　sit　looking　longingly　at　the　bait　through　the
wires　of　the　trap：　the　door　is　open；　and　will　remain　so　until　it
shuts　behind　you　for　ever。

OCTAVIUS。　I　wish　I　could　believe　that；　vilely　as　you　put　it。

TANNER。　Why；　man；　what　other　work　has　she　in　life　but　to　get　a
husband？　It　is　a　woman's　business　to　get　married　as　soon　as
possible；　and　a　man's　to　keep　unmarried　as　long　as　he　can。　You
have　your　poems　and　your　tragedies　to　work　at：　Ann　has　nothing。

OCTAVIUS。　I　cannot　write　without　inspiration。　And　nobody　can　give
me　that　except　Ann。

TANNER。　Well；　hadn't　you　better　get　it　from　her　at　a　safe
distance？　Petrarch　didn't　see　half　as　much　of　Laura；　nor　Dante
of　Beatrice；　as　you　see　of　Ann　now；　and　yet　they　wrote
first…rate　poetryat　least　so　I'm　told。　They　never　exposed　their
idolatry　to　the　test　of　domestic　familiarity；　and　it　lasted　them
to　their　graves。　Marry　Ann　and　at　the　end　of　a　week　you'll　find
no　more　inspiration　than　in　a　plate　of　muffins。

OCTAVIUS。　You　think　I　shall　tire　of　her。

TANNER。　Not　at　all：　you　don't　get　tired　of　muffins。　But　you　don't
find　inspiration　in　them；　and　you　won't　in　her　when　she　ceases　to
be　a　poet's　dream　and　becomes　a　solid　eleven　stone　wife。　You'll
be　forced　to　dream　about　somebody　else；　and　then　there　will　be　a
row。

OCTAVIUS。　This　sort　of　talk　is　no　use；　Jack。　You　don't
understand。　You　have　never　been　in　love。

TANNER。　I！　I　have　never　been　out　of　it。　Why；　I　am　in　love　even
with　Ann。　But　I　am　neither　the　slave　of　love　nor　its　dupe。　Go　to
the　bee；　thou　poet：　consider　her　ways　and　be　wise。　B