in the cage-第4节

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sometimes　Captain　Everard。　　He　was　sometimes　Philip　with　his

surname　and　sometimes　Philip　without　it。　　In　some　directions　he　was

merely　Phil；　in　others　he　was　merely　Captain。　　There　were　relations

in　which　he　was　none　of　these　things；　but　a　quite　different　person…

…〃the　Count。〃　　There　were　several　friends　for　whom　he　was　William。

There　were　several　for　whom；　in　allusion　perhaps　to　his　complexion；

he　was　〃the　Pink　'Un。〃　　Once；　once　only　by　good　luck；　he　had；

coinciding　comically；　quite　miraculously；　with　another　person　also

near　to　her；　been　〃Mudge。〃　　Yes；　whatever　he　was；　it　was　a　part　of

his　happinesswhatever　he　was　and　probably　whatever　he　wasn't。

And　his　happiness　was　a　partit　became　so　little　by　littleof

something　that；　almost　from　the　first　of　her　being　at　Cocker's；　had

been　deeply　with　the　girl。







CHAPTER　V







This　was　neither　more　nor　less　than　the　queer　extension　of　her

experience；　the　double　life　that；　in　the　cage；　she　grew　at　last　to

lead。　　As　the　weeks　went　on　there　she　lived　more　and　more　into　the

world　of　whiffs　and　glimpses；　she　found　her　divinations　work　faster

and　stretch　further。　　It　was　a　prodigious　view　as　the　pressure

heightened；　a　panorama　fed　with　facts　and　figures；　flushed　with　a

torrent　of　colour　and　accompanied　with　wondrous　world…music。　　What

it　mainly　came　to　at　this　period　was　a　picture　of　how　London　could

amuse　itself；　and　that；　with　the　running　commentary　of　a　witness　so

exclusively　a　witness；　turned　for　the　most　part　to　a　hardening　of

the　heart。　　The　nose　of　this　observer　was　brushed　by　the　bouquet；

yet　she　could　never　really　pluck　even　a　daisy。　　What　could　still

remain　fresh　in　her　daily　grind　was　the　immense　disparity；　the

difference　and　contrast；　from　class　to　class；　of　every　instant　and

every　motion。　　There　were　times　when　all　the　wires　in　the　country

seemed　to　start　from　the　little　hole…and…corner　where　she　plied　for

a　livelihood；　and　where；　in　the　shuffle　of　feet；　the　flutter　of

〃forms；〃　the　straying　of　stamps　and　the　ring　of　change　over　the

counter；　the　people　she　had　fallen　into　the　habit　of　remembering

and　fitting　together　with　others；　and　of　having　her　theories　and

interpretations　of；　kept　up　before　her　their　long　procession　and

rotation。　　What　twisted　the　knife　in　her　vitals　was　the　way　the

profligate　rich　scattered　about　them；　in　extravagant　chatter　over

their　extravagant　pleasures　and　sins；　an　amount　of　money　that　would

have　held　the　stricken　household　of　her　frightened　childhood；　her

poor　pinched　mother　and　tormented　father　and　lost　brother　and

starved　sister；　together　for　a　lifetime。　　During　her　first　weeks

she　had　often　gasped　at　the　sums　people　were　willing　to　pay　for　the

stuff　they　transmittedthe　〃much　love〃s；　the　〃awful〃　regrets；　the

compliments　and　wonderments　and　vain　vague　gestures　that　cost　the

price　of　a　new　pair　of　boots。　　She　had　had　a　way　then　of　glancing

at　the　people's　faces；　but　she　had　early　learnt　that　if　you　became

a　telegraphist　you　soon　ceased　to　be　astonished。　　Her　eye　for　types

amounted　nevertheless　to　genius；　and　there　were　those　she　liked　and

those　she　hated；　her　feeling　for　the　latter　of　which　grew　to　a

positive　possession；　an　instinct　of　observation　and　detection。

There　were　the　brazen　women；　as　she　called　them；　of　the　higher　and

the　lower　fashion；　whose　squanderings　and　graspings；　whose

struggles　and　secrets　and　love…affairs　and　lies；　she　tracked　and

stored　up　against　them　till　she　had　at　moments；　in　private；　a

triumphant　vicious　feeling　of　mastery　and　ease；　a　sense　of　carrying

their　silly　guilty　secrets　in　her　pocket；　her　small　retentive

brain；　and　thereby　knowing　so　much　more　about　them　than　they

suspected　or　would　care　to　think。　　There　were　those　she　would　have

liked　to　betray；　to　trip　up；　to　bring　down　with　words　altered　and

fatal；　and　all　through　a　personal　hostility　provoked　by　the

lightest　signs；　by　their　accidents　of　tone　and　manner；　by　the

particular　kind　of　relation　she　always　happened　instantly　to　feel。



There　were　impulses　of　various　kinds；　alternately　soft　and　severe；

to　which　she　was　constitutionally　accessible　and　which　were

determined　by　the　smallest　accidents。　　She　was　rigid　in　general　on

the　article　of　making　the　public　itself　affix　its　stamps；　and　found

a　special　enjoyment　in　dealing　to　that　end　with　some　of　the　ladies

who　were　too　grand　to　touch　them。　　She　had　thus　a　play　of

refinement　and　subtlety　greater；　she　flattered　herself；　than　any　of

which　she　could　be　made　the　subject；　and　though　most　people　were

too　stupid　to　be　conscious　of　this　it　brought　her　endless　small

consolations　and　revenges。　　She　recognised　quite　as　much　those　of

her　sex　whom　she　would　have　liked　to　help；　to　warn；　to　rescue；　to

see　more　of；　and　that　alternative　as　well　operated　exactly　through

the　hazard　of　personal　sympathy；　her　vision　for　silver　threads　and

moonbeams　and　her　gift　for　keeping　the　clues　and　finding　her　way　in

the　tangle。　　The　moonbeams　and　silver　threads　presented　at　moments

all　the　vision　of　what　poor　SHE　might　have　made　of　happiness。

Blurred　and　blank　as　the　whole　thing　often　inevitably；　or

mercifully；　became；　she　could　still；　through　crevices　and　crannies；

be　stupefied；　especially　by　what；　in　spite　of　all　seasoning；

touched　the　sorest　place　in　her　consciousness；　the　revelation　of

the　golden　shower　flying　about　without　a　gleam　of　gold　for　herself。

It　remained　prodigious　to　the　end；　the　money　her　fine　friends　were

able　to　spend　to　get　still　more；　or　even　to　complain　to　fine

friends　of　their　own　that　they　were　in　want。　　The　pleasures　they

proposed　were　equalled　only　by　those　they　declined；　and　they　made

their　appointments　often　so　expensively　that　she　was　left　wondering

at　the　nature　of　the　delights　to　which　the　mere　approaches　were　so

paved　with　shillings。　　She　quivered　on　occasion　into　the　perception

of　this　and　that　one　whom　she　would　on　the　chance　have　just　simply

liked　to　BE。　　Her　conceit；　her　baffled　vanity；　was　possibly

monstrous；　she　certainly　often　threw　herself　into　a　defiant

conviction　that　she　would　have　done　the　whole　thing　much　better。

But　her　greatest　comfort；　mostly；　was　her　comparative　vision　of　the

men；　by　whom　I　mean　the　unmistakeable　gentlemen；　for　she　had　no

interest　in　the　spurious　or　the　shabby　and　no　mercy　at　all　for　the

poor。　　She　could　have　found　a　sixpence；　outside；　for　an　appearance

of　want；　but　her　fancy；　in　some　directions　so　alert；　had　never　a

throb　of　response　for　any　sign　of　the　sordid。　　The　men　she　did

track；　moreover；　she　tracked　mainly　in　one　relation；　the　relation

as　to　which　the　cage　convinced　her；　she　believed；　more　than

anything　else　could　have　done；　that　it　was　quite　the　most　diffused。



She　found　her　ladies；　in　short；　almost　always　in　communication　with

her　gentlemen；　and　her　gentlemen　with　her　ladies；　and　she　read　into

the　immensity　of　their　intercourse　stories　and　meanings　without

end。　　Incontestably　she　grew　to　think　that　the　men　cut　the　best

figure；　and　in　this　particular；　as　in　many　others；　she　arrived　at　a

philosophy　of　her　own；　all　made　up　of　her　private　notations　and

cynicisms。　　It　was　a　striking　part　of　the　business；　for　example；

that　it　was　much　more　the　women；　on　the　whole；　who　were　after　the

men　than　the　men　who　were　after　the　women：　　it　was　literally

visible　that　the　general　attitude　of　the　one　sex　was　that　of　the

object　pursued　and　defensive；　apologetic　and　attenuating；　while　the

light　of　her　own　nature　helped　her　more　or　less　to　conclude　as　to

the　attitude　of　the　other。　　Perhaps　she　herself　a　little　even　fell

into　the　custom　of　pursuit　in　occasionally　deviating　only　for

gentlemen　from　her　high　rigour　about　the　stamps。　　She　had　early　in

the　day　made　up　her　mind；　in　fine；　that　they　had　the　best　manners；

and　if　there　were　none　of　them　she　noticed　when　Captain　Everard　was

there；　there　were　plenty　she　could　place　and　trace　and　name　at

other　times；　plenty　who；　with　their　way　of　being　〃nice〃　to　her；　and

of　handling；　as　if　their　pockets　were　private　tills　loose　mixed

masses　of　silver　and　gold；　were　such　pleasant　appearances　that　she

could　envy　them　without　dislike。　　THEY　never　had　to　give　change

they　only　had　to　get　it。　　They　ranged　through　every　suggestion；

every　shade　of　fortune；　which　evidently　included　indeed　lots　of　bad

luck　as　well　as　of　good；　declining　even　toward　Mr。　Mudge　and　his

bland　firm　thrift；　and　ascending；　in　wild　signals　and　rocket…

flights；　almost　to　within　hail　of　her　highest　standard。　　So　from

month　to　month　she　went　on　with　them　all；　through　a　thousand　ups

and　downs　and　a　thousand　pangs　and　indifferences。　　What　virtually

happened　was　that　in　the　shuffling　herd　that　passed　before　her　by

far　the　greater　part　only　passeda　proportion　but　just　appreciable

stayed。　　Most　of　the　elements　swam　straight　away；　lost　themselves

in　the　bottomless　common；　and　by　so　doing　really　kept　the　page

clear。　　On　the　clearness　therefore　what　she　did　retain　stood

sharply　out；　she　nipped　and