the poet at the breakfast table-第47节

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tongue。　　I　do　not　think　it　was　a　mere　fancy　of　mine　that　he　bears　a
kind　of　resemblance　to　the　tribe　of　insects　he　gives　his　life　to
studying。　　His　shiny　black　coat；　his　rounded　back；　convex　with　years
of　stooping　over　his　minute　work；　his　angular　movements；　made　natural
to　him　by　his　habitual　style　of　manipulation；　the　aridity　of　his
organism；　with　which　his　voice　is　in　perfect　keeping；all　these
marks　of　his　special　sedentary　occupation　are　so　nearly　what　might　be
expected；　and　indeed　so　much；　in　accordance　with　the　more　general
fact　that　a　man's　aspect　is　subdued　to　the　look　of　what　he　works　in；
that　I　do　not　feel　disposed　to　accuse　myself　of　exaggeration　in　my
account　of　the　Scarabee's　appearance。　　But　I　think　he　has　learned
something　else　of　his　coleopterous　friends。　　The　beetles　never　smile。
Their　physiognomy　is　not　adapted　to　the　display　of　the　emotions；　the
lateral　movement　of　their　jaws　being　effective　for　alimentary
purposes；　but　very　limited　in　its　gamut　of　expression。　　It　is　with
these　unemotional　beings　that　the　Scarabee　passes　his　life。　　He　has
but　one　object；　and　that　is　perfectly　serious；　to　his　mind；　in　fact；
of　absorbing　interest　and　importance。　　In　one　aspect　of　the　matter　he
is　quite　right；　for　if　the　Creator　has　taken　the　trouble　to　make　one
of　His　creatures　in　just　such　a　way　and　not　otherwise；　from　the
beginning　of　its　existence　on　our　planet　in　ages　of　unknown
remoteness　to　the　present　time；　the　man　who　first　explains　His　idea
to　us　is　charged　with　a　revelation。　　It　is　by　no　means　impossible
that　there　may　be　angels　in　the　celestial　hierarchy　to　whom　it　would
be　new　and　interesting。　　I　have　often　thought　that　spirits　of　a
higher　order　than　man　might　be　willing　to　learn　something　from　a
human　mind　like　that　of　Newton；　and　I　see　no　reason　why　an　angelic
being　might　not　be　glad　to　hear　a　lecture　from　Mr。　　Huxley；　or　Mr。
Tyndall；　or　one　of　our　friends　at　Cambridge。

I　have　been　sinuous　as　the　Links　of　Forth　seen　from　Stirling　Castle；
or　as　that　other　river　which　threads　the　Berkshire　valley　and　runs；　a
perennial　stream；　through　my　memory；from　which　I　please　myself　with
thinking　that　I　have　learned　to　wind　without　fretting　against　the
shore；　or　forgetting　cohere　I　am　flowing；sinuous；　I　say；　but　not
jerky；no；　not　jerky　nor　hard　to　follow　for　a　reader　of　the　right
sort；　in　the　prime　of　life　and　full　possession　of　his　or　her
faculties。

All　this　last　page　or　so；　you　readily　understand；　has　been　my
private　talk　with　you；　the　Reader。　　The　cue　of　the　conversation　which
I　interrupted　by　this　digression　is　to　be　found　in　the　words　〃a　good
motto；〃　from　which　I　begin　my　acccount　of　the　visit　again。

Do　you　receive　many　visitors；I　mean　vertebrates；　not　articulates？
said　the　Master。

I　thought　this　question　might　perhaps　bring　il　disiato　riso；　the
long…wished…for　smile；　but　the　Scarabee　interpreted　it　in　the
simplest　zoological　sense；　and　neglected　its　hint　of　playfulness　with
the　most　absolute　unconsciousness；　apparently；　of　anything　not
entirely　serious　and　literal。

You　mean　friends；　I　suppose；he　answered。　I　have　correspondents；
but　I　have　no　friends　except　this　spider。　　I　live　alone；　except　when
I　go　to　my　subsection　meetings；　I　get　a　box　of　insects　now　and　then；
and　send　a　few　beetles　to　coleopterists　in　other　entomological
districts；　but　science　is　exacting；　and　a　man　that　wants　to　leave　his
record　has　not　much　time　for　friendship。　　There　is　no　great　chance
either　for　making　friends　among　naturalists。　　People　that　are　at　work
on　different　things　do　not　care　a　great　deal　for　each　other's
specialties；　and　people　that　work　on　the　same　thing　are　always　afraid
lest　one　should　get　ahead　of　the　other；　or　steal　some　of　his　ideas
before　he　has　made　them　public。　　There　are　none　too　many　people　you
can　trust　in　your　laboratory。　　I　thought　I　had　a　friend　once；　but　he
watched　me　at　work　and　stole　the　discovery　of　a　new　species　from　me；
and；　what　is　more；　had　it　named　after　himself。　　Since　that　time　I
have　liked　spiders　better　than　men。　　They　are　hungry　and　savage；　but
at　any　rate　they　spin　their　own　webs　out　of　their　own　insides。　　I
like　very　well　to　talk　with　gentlemen　that　play　with　my　branch　of
entomology；　I　do　not　doubt　it　amused　you；　and　if　you　want　to　see
anything　I　can　show　you；　I　shall　have　no　scruple　in　letting　you　see
it。　　I　have　never　had　any　complaint　to　make　of　amatoors。

Upon　my　honor；I　would　hold　my　right　hand　up　and　take　my　Bible…
oath；　if　it　was　not　busy　with　the　pen　at　this　moment；I　do　not
believe　the　Scarabee　had　the　least　idea　in　the　world　of　the　satire　on
the　student　of　the　Order　of　Things　implied　in　his　invitation　to　the
〃amatoor。〃　　As　for　the　Master；　he　stood　fire　perfectly；　as　he　always
does；　but　the　idea　that　he；　who　had　worked　a　considerable　part　of
several　seasons　at　examining　and　preparing　insects；　who　believed
himself　to　have　given　a　new　tabanus　to　the　catalogue　of　native
diptera；　the　idea　that　he　was　playing　with　science；　and　might　be
trusted　anywhere　as　a　harmless　amateur；　from　whom　no　expert　could
possibly　fear　any　anticipation　of　his　unpublished　discoveries；　went
beyond　anything　set　down　in　that　book　of　his　which　contained　so　much
of　the　strainings　of　his　wisdom。

The　poor　little　Scarabee　began　fidgeting　round　about　this　time；　and
uttering　some　half…audible　words；　apologetical；　partly；　and　involving
an　allusion　to　refreshments。　　As　he　spoke；　he　opened　a　small
cupboard；　and　as　he　did　so　out　bolted　an　uninvited　tenant　of　the
same；　long　in　person；　sable　in　hue；　and　swift　of　movement；　on　seeing
which　the　Scarabee　simply　said；　without　emotion；　blatta；　but　I；
forgetting　what　was　due　to　good　manners；　exclaimed　cockroach！

We　could　not　make　up　our　minds　to　tax　the　Scarabee's　hospitality；
already　levied　upon　by　the　voracious　articulate。　　So　we　both　alleged
a　state　of　utter　repletion；　and　did　not　solve　the　mystery　of　the
contents　of　the　cupboard；not　too　luxurious；　it　may　be　conjectured；
and　yet　kindly　offered；　so　that　we　felt　there　was　a　moist　filament　of
the　social　instinct　running　like　a　nerve　through　that　exsiccated　and
almost　anhydrous　organism。

We　left　him　with　professions　of　esteem　and　respect　which　were　real。
We　had　gone；　not　to　scoff；　but　very　probably　to　smile；　and　I　will　not
say　we　did　not。　　But　the　Master　was　more　thoughtful　than　usual。

If　I　had　not　solemnly　dedicated　myself　to　the　study　of　the　Order　of
Things；he　said；I　do　verily　believe　I　would　give　what　remains　to
me　of　life　to　the　investigation　of　some　single　point　I　could　utterly
eviscerate　and　leave　finally　settled　for　the　instruction　and；　it　may
be；　the　admiration　of　all　coming　time。　　The　keel　ploughs　ten　thousand
leagues　of　ocean　and　leaves　no　trace　of　its　deep…graven　furrows。　　The
chisel　scars　only　a　few　inches　on　the　face　of　a　rock；　but　the　story
it　has　traced　is　read　by　a　hundred　generations。　　The　eagle　leaves　no
track　of　his　path；　no　memory　of　the　place　where　he　built　his　nest；
but　a　patient　mollusk　has　bored　a　little　hole　in　a　marble　column　of
the　temple　of　Serapis；　and　the　monument　of　his　labor　outlasts　the
altar　and　the　statue　of　the　divinity。

Whew！said　I　to　myself；that　sounds　a　little　like　what　we　college
boys　used　to　call　a　〃squirt。〃　　The　Master　guessed　my　thought　and
said；　smiling；

That　is　from　one　of　my　old　lectures。　　A　man's　tongue　wags　along
quietly　enough；　but　his　pen　begins　prancing　as　soon　as　it　touches
paper。　　I　know　what　you　are　thinkingyou're　thinking　this　is　a
squirt。　　That　word　has　taken　the　nonsense　out　of　a　good　many　high…
stepping　fellows。　　But　it　did　a　good　deal　of　harm　too；　and　it　was　a
vulgar　lot　that　applied　it　oftenest。

I　am　at　last　perfectly　satisfied　that　our　Landlady　has　no　designs　on
the　Capitalist；　and　as　well　convinced　that　any　fancy　of　mine　that　he
was　like　to　make　love　to　her　was　a　mistake。　　The　good　woman　is　too
much　absorbed　in　her　children；　and　more　especially　in　〃the　Doctor；〃
as　she　delights　to　call　her　son；　to　be　the　prey　of　any　foolish　desire
of　changing　her　condition。　　She　is　doing　very　well　as　it　is；　and　if
the　young　man　succeeds；　as　I　have　little　question　that　he　will；　I
think　it　probable　enough　that　she　will　retire　from　her　position　as
the　head　of　a　boarding…house。　　We　have　all　liked　the　good　woman　who
have　lived　with　her；I　mean　we　three　friends　who　have　put　ourselves
on　record。　　Her　talk；　I　must　confess；　is　a　little　diffuse　and　not
always　absolutely　correct；　according　to　the　standard　of　the　great
Worcester；　she　is　subject　to　lachrymose　cataclysms　and　semiconvulsive
upheavals　when　she　reverts　in　memory　to　her　past　trials；　and
especially　when　she　recalls　the　virtues　of　her　deceased　spouse；　who
was；　I　suspect；　an　adjunct　such　as　one　finds　not　rarely　annexed　to　a
capable　matron　in　charge　of　an　establishment　like　hers；　that　is　to
say；　an　easy…going；　harmless；　fetch…and…carry；　carve…and…help；　get…
out…of…the…way　kind　of　neuter；　who　comes　up　three　times　（as　they　say
drowning　people　do）　every　day；　namely；　at　breakfast；　dinner；　and　tea；
and　disappears；　submerged　beneath　the　waves　of　life；　during　the
intervals　of　these　events。

It　is　a　source　of　genuine　delight　to　me；　who　am　of　a　kindly　nature
enough；　according　to　my　own　reckoning；　to　watch　the　good　woma