fraternity-第24节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



'I　know　the　girl　can't　have　bought　those　things　out　of　her　proper　earnings。　　I　believe　she's　a　really　bad　lot。　　I　don't　like　to　think　it；　but　it　must　be　so。　　Hilary　can't　have　been　so　stupid　after　what　I　said　to　him。　　If　she　really　is　bad；　it　simplifies　things　very　much；　but　Hilary　is　just　the　sort　of　man　who　will　never　believe　it。　　Oh　dear！'

It　was；　to　be　quite　fair；　immensely　difficult　for　Stephen　and　his　wifeor　any　of　their　class　and　circlein　spite　of　genuinely　good　intentions；　to　really　feel　the　existence　of　their　〃shadows；〃　except　in　so　far　as　they　saw　them　on　the　pavements。　　They　knew　that　these　people　lived；　because　they　saw　them；　but　they　did　not　feel　itwith　such　extraordinary　care　had　the　web　of　social　life　been　spun。　　They　were；　and　were　bound　to　be；　as　utterly　divorced　from　understanding　of；　or　faith　in；　all　that　shadowy　life；　as　those　〃shadows〃　in　their　by…streets　were　from　knowledge　or　belief　that　gentlefolk　really　existed　except　in　so　far　as　they　had　money　from　them。

Stephen　and　Cecilia；　and　their　thousands；　knew　these　〃shadows〃　as　〃the　people；〃　knew　them　as　slums；　as　districts；　as　sweated　industries；　of　different　sorts　of　workers；　knew　them　in　the　capacity　of　persons　performing　odd　jobs　for　them；　but　as　human　beings　possessing　the　same　faculties　and　passions　with　themselves；　they　did　not；　could　not；　know　them。　　The　reason；　the　long　reason；　extending　back　through　generations；　was　so　plain；　so　very　simple；　that　it　was　never　mentionedin　their　heart　of　hearts；　where　there　was　no　room　for　cant；　they　knew　it　to　be　just　a　little　matter　of　the　senses。　They　knew　that；　whatever　they　might　say；　whatever　money　they　might　give；　or　time　devote；　their　hearts　could　never　open；　unlessunless　they　closed　their　ears；　and　eyes；　and　noses。　　This　little　fact；　more　potent　than　all　the　teaching　of　philosophers；　than　every　Act　of　Parliament；　and　all　the　sermons　ever　preached；　reigned　paramount；　supreme。　　It　divided　class　from　class；　man　from　his　shadowas　the　Great　Underlying　Law　had　set　dark　apart　from　light。

On　this　little　fact；　too　gross　to　mention；　they　and　their　kind　had　in　secret　built　and　built；　till　it　was　not　too　much　to　say　that　laws；　worship；　trade；　and　every　art　were　based　on　it；　if　not　in　theory；　then　in　fact。　　For　it　must　not　be　thought　that　those　eyes　were　dull　or　that　nose　plainno；　no；　those　eyes　could　put　two　and　two　together；　that　nose；　of　myriad　fancy；　could　imagine　countless　things　unsmelled　which　must　lie　behind　a　state　of　life　not　quite　its　own。　It　could　create；　as　from　the　scent　of　an　old　slipper　dogs　create　their　masters。

So　Stephen　and　Cecilia　sat；　and　their　butler　brought　in　the　bird。　　It　was　a　nice　one；　nourished　down　in　Surrey；　and　as　he　cut　it　into　portions　the　butler's　soul　turned　sick　within　himnot　because　he　wanted　some　himself；　or　was　a　vegetarian；　or　for　any　sort　of　principle；　but　because　he　was　by　natural　gifts　an　engineer；　and　deadly　tired　of　cutting　up　and　handing　birds　to　other　people　and　watching　while　they　ate　them。　　Without　a　glimmer　of　expression　on　his　face　he　put　the　portions　down　before　the　persons　who；　having　paid　him　to　do　so；　could　not　tell　his　thoughts。

That　same　night；　after　working　at　a　Report　on　the　present　Laws　of　Bankruptcy；　which　he　was　then　drawing　up；　Stephen　entered　the　joint　apartment　with　excessive　caution；　having　first　made　all　his　dispositions；　and；　stealing　to　the　bed；　slipped　into　it。　　He　lay　there；　offering　himself　congratulations　that　he　had　not　awakened　Cecilia；　and　Cecilia；　who　was　wide　awake；　knew　by　his　unwonted　carefulness　that　he　had　come　to　some　conclusion　which　he　did　not　wish　to　impart　to　her。　　Devoured；　therefore；　by　disquiet；　she　lay　sleepless　till　the　clock　struck　two。

The　conclusion　to　which　Stephen　had　come　was　this：　Having　twice　gone　through　the　factsHilary's　corporeal　separation　from　Bianca　（communicated　to　him　by　Cecilia）；　cause　unknowable；　Hilary's　interest　in　the　little　model；　cause　unknown；　her　known　poverty；　her　employment　by　Mr。　Stone；　her　tenancy　of　Mrs。　Hughs'　room；　the　latter's　outburst　to　Cecilia；　Hughs'　threat；　and；　finally；　the　girl's　pretty　clothes　he　had　summed　it　up　as　just　a　common　〃plant；〃　to　which　his　brother's　possibly　innocent；　but　in　any　case　imprudent；　conduct　had　laid　him　open。　　It　was　a　man's　affair。　　He　resolutely　tried　to　look　on　the　whole　thing　as　unworthy　of　attention；　to　feel　that　nothing　would　occur。　　He　failed　dismally；　for　three　reasons。　　First；　his　inherent　love　of　regularity；　of　having　everything　in　proper　order；　secondly；　his　ingrained　mistrust　of　and　aversion　from　Bianca；　thirdly；　his　unavowed　conviction；　for　all　his　wish　to　be　sympathetic　to　them；　that　the　lower　classes　always　wanted　something　out　of　you。　　It　was　a　question　of　how　much　they　would　want；　and　whether　it　were　wise　to　give　them　anything。　　He　decided　that　it　would　not　be　wise　at　all。　What　then？　　Impossible　to　say。　　It　worried　him。　　He　had　a　natural　horror　of　any　sort　of　scandal；　and　he　was　very　fond　of　Hilary。　　If　only　he　knew　the　attitude　Bianca　would　take　up！　He　could　not　even　guess　it。

Thus；　on　that　Saturday　afternoon；　the　4th　of　May；　he　felt　for　once　such　a　positive　aversion　from　the　reading　of　reviews；　as　men　will　feel　from　their　usual　occupations　when　their　nerves　have　been　disturbed。　　He　stayed　late　at　Chambers；　and　came　straight　home　outside　an　omnibus。

The　tide　of　life　was　flowing　in　the　town。　　The　streets　were　awash　with　wave　on　wave　of　humanity；　sucked　into　a　thousand　crossing　currents。　　Here　men　and　women　were　streaming　out　from　the　meeting　of　a　religious　congress；　there　streaming　in　at　the　gates　of　some　social　function；　like　bright　water　confined　within　long　shelves　of　rock　and　dyed　with　myriad　scales　of　shifting　colour；　they　thronged　Rotten　Row；　and　along　the　closed　shop…fronts　were　woven　into　an　inextricable　network　of　little　human　runlets。　　And　everywhere　amongst　this　sea　of　men　and　women　could　be　seen　their　shadows；　meandering　like　streaks　of　grey　slime　stirred　up　from　the　lower　depths　by　some　huge；　never…　ceasing　finger。　　The　innumerable　roar　of　that　human　sea　climbed　out　above　the　roofs　and　trees；　and　somewhere　in　illimitable　space　blended；　and　slowly　reached　the　meeting…point　of　sound　and　silence　that　Heart　where　Life；　leaving　its　little　forms　and　barriers；　clasps　Death；　and　from　that　clasp　springs　forth　new…formed；　within　new　barriers。

Above　this　crowd　of　his　fellow…creatures；　Stephen　drove；　and　the　same　Spring　wind　which　had　made　the　elm…trees　talk；　whispered　to　him；　and　tried　to　tell　him　of　the　million　flowers　it　had　fertilised；　the　million　leaves　uncurled；　the　million　ripples　it　had　awakened　on　the　sea；　of　the　million　flying　shadows　flung　by　it　across　the　Downs；　and　how　into　men's　hearts　its　scent　had　driven　a　million　longings　and　sweet　pains。

It　was　but　moderately　successful；　for　Stephen；　like　all　men　of　culture　and　neat　habits；　took　Nature　only　at　those　moments　when　he　had　gone　out　to　take　her；　and　of　her　wild　heart　he　had　a　secret　fear。

On　his　own　doorstep　he　encountered　Hilary　coming　out。

〃I　ran　across　Thyme　and　Martin　in　the　Gardens；〃　the　latter　said。　〃Thyme　brought　me　back　to　lunch；　and　here　I've　been　ever　since。〃

〃Did　she　bring　our　young　Sanitist　in　too？〃　　asked　Stephen　dubiously。

〃No；〃　said　Hilary。

〃Good！　　That　young　man　gets　on　my　nerves。〃　　Taking　his　elder　brother　by　the　arm；　he　added：　〃Will　you　come　in　again；　old　boy；　or　shall　we　go　for　a　stroll？〃

〃A　stroll；〃　said　Hilary。

Though　different　enough；　perhaps　because　they　were　so　different；　these　two　brothers　had　the　real　affection　for　each　other　which　depends　on　something　deeper　and　more　elementary　than　a　similarity　of　sentiments；　and　is　permanent　because　unconnected　with　the　reasoning　powers。

It　depended　on　the　countless　times　they　had　kissed　and　wrestled　as　tiny　boys；　slept　in　small　beds　alongside；　refused…to　〃tell〃　about　each　other；　and　even　now　and　then　taken　up　the　burden　of　each　other's　peccadilloes。　　They　might　get　irritated　or　tired　of　being　in　each　other's　company；　but　it　would　have　been　impossible　for　either　to　have　been　disloyal　to　the　other　in　any　circumstances；　because　of　that　traditional　loyalty　which　went　back　to　their　cribs。

Preceded　by　Miranda；　they　walked　along　the　flower　walk　towards　the　Park；　talking　of　indifferent　things；　though　in　his　heart　each　knew　well　enough　what　was　in　the　other's。

Stephen　broke　through　the　hedge。

〃Cis　has　been　telling　me；〃　he　said；　〃that　this　man　Hughs　is　making　trouble　of　some　sort。〃

Hilary　nodded。

Stephen　glanced　a　little　anxiously　at　his　brother's　face；　it　struck　him　as　looking　different；　neither　so　gentle　nor　so　impersonal　as　usual。

〃He's　a　ruffian；　isn't　he？〃

〃I　can't　tell　you；〃　Hilary　answered。　　〃Probably　not。〃

〃He　must　be；　old　chap；〃　murmured　Stephen。　　Then；　with　a　friendly　pressure　of　his　brother's　arm；　he　added：　〃Look　here；　old　boy；　can　I　be　of　any　use？〃

〃In　what？〃　　asked　Hilary。

Stephen　took　a　hasty　mental　view　of　his　position；　he　had　been　in　danger　of　letting　Hilary　see　that　he　suspected　him。　　Frowning　slightly；　and　with　some　colour　in　his　clean…shaven　face；　he　said：

〃Of　course；　there's　nothing　in　it。〃

〃In　what？〃　　said　Hilary　again。

〃In　what　this　ruffian　says。〃

〃No；〃　said　Hilary；　〃there's　nothing　in　it；　though　what　there　may　be　if　people　giv