death of the lion-第3节

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there。　　What　all　this　meant　rolled　over　me；　and　I　fear　I　grew　a　
little　faint　…　it　meant　so　much　more　than　I　could　say　〃yea〃　to　on　
the　spot。　　In　a　flash；　somehow；　all　was　different；　the　tremendous　
wave　I　speak　of　had　swept　something　away。　　It　had　knocked　down；　I　
suppose；　my　little　customary　altar；　my　twinkling　tapers　and　my　
flowers；　and　had　reared　itself　into　the　likeness　of　a　temple　vast　
and　bare。　　When　Neil　Paraday　should　come　out　of　the　house　he　would　
come　out　a　contemporary。　　That　was　what　had　happened：　　the　poor　man　
was　to　be　squeezed　into　his　horrible　age。　　I　felt　as　if　he　had　been　
overtaken　on　the　crest　of　the　hill　and　brought　back　to　the　city。　　A　
little　more　and　he　would　have　dipped　down　the　short　cut　to　
posterity　and　escaped。



CHAPTER　IV。



WHEN　he　came　out　it　was　exactly　as　if　he　had　been　in　custody；　for　
beside　him　walked　a　stout　man　with　a　big　black　beard；　who；　save　
that　he　wore　spectacles；　might　have　been　a　policeman；　and　in　whom　
at　a　second　glance　I　recognised　the　highest　contemporary　
enterprise。

〃This　is　Mr。　Morrow；〃　said　Paraday；　looking；　I　thought；　rather　
white：　　〃he　wants　to　publish　heaven　knows　what　about　me。〃

I　winced　as　I　remembered　that　this　was　exactly　what　I　myself　had　
wanted。　　〃Already？〃　I　cried　with　a　sort　of　sense　that　my　friend　had　
fled　to　me　for　protection。

Mr。　Morrow　glared；　agreeably；　through　his　glasses：　　they　suggested　
the　electric　headlights　of　some　monstrous　modem　ship；　and　I　felt　as　
if　Paraday　and　I　were　tossing　terrified　under　his　bows。　　I　saw　his　
momentum　was　irresistible。　　〃I　was　confident　that　I　should　be　the　
first　in　the　field。　　A　great　interest　is　naturally　felt　in　Mr。　
Paraday's　surroundings；〃　he　heavily　observed。

〃I　hadn't　the　least　idea　of　it；〃　said　Paraday；　as　if　he　had　been　
told　he　had　been　snoring。

〃I　find　he　hasn't　read　the　article　in　THE　EMPIRE；〃　Mr。　Morrow　
remarked　to　me。　　〃That's　so　very　interesting　…　it's　something　to　
start　with；〃　he　smiled。　　He　had　begun　to　pull　off　his　gloves；　which　
were　violently　new；　and　to　look　encouragingly　round　the　little　
garden。　　As　a　〃surrounding〃　I　felt　how　I　myself　had　already　been　
taken　in；　I　was　a　little　fish　in　the　stomach　of　a　bigger　one。　　〃I　
represent；〃　our　visitor　continued；　〃a　syndicate　of　influential　
journals；　no　less　than　thirty…seven；　whose　public　…　whose　publics；　
I　may　say　…　are　in　peculiar　sympathy　with　Mr。　Paraday's　line　of　
thought。　　They　would　greatly　appreciate　any　expression　of　his　views　
on　the　subject　of　the　art　he　so　nobly　exemplifies。　　In　addition　to　
my　connexion　with　the　syndicate　just　mentioned　I　hold　a　particular　
commission　from　THE　TATLER；　whose　most　prominent　department；　
'Smatter　and　Chatter'　…　I　dare　say　you've　often　enjoyed　it　…　
attracts　such　attention。　　I　was　honoured　only　last　week；　as　a　
representative　of　THE　TATLER；　with　the　confidence　of　Guy　
Walsingham；　the　brilliant　author　of　'Obsessions。'　　She　pronounced　
herself　thoroughly　pleased　with　my　sketch　of　her　method；　she　went　
so　far　as　to　say　that　I　had　made　her　genius　more　comprehensible　
even　to　herself。〃

Neil　Paraday　had　dropped　on　the　garden…bench　and　sat　there　at　once　
detached　and　confounded；　he　looked　hard　at　a　bare　spot　in　the　lawn；　
as　if　with　an　anxiety　that　had　suddenly　made　him　grave。　　His　
movement　had　been　interpreted　by　his　visitor　as　an　invitation　to　
sink　sympathetically　into　a　wicker　chair　that　stood　hard　by；　and　
while　Mr。　Morrow　so　settled　himself　I　felt　he　had　taken　official　
possession　and　that　there　was　no　undoing　it。　　One　had　heard　of　
unfortunate　people's　having　〃a　man　in　the　house；〃　and　this　was　just　
what　we　had。　　There　was　a　silence　of　a　moment；　during　which　we　
seemed　to　acknowledge　in　the　only　way　that　was　possible　the　
presence　of　universal　fate；　the　sunny　stillness　took　no　pity；　and　
my　thought；　as　I　was　sure　Paraday's　was　doing；　performed　within　the　
minute　a　great　distant　revolution。　　I　saw　just　how　emphatic　I　
should　make　my　rejoinder　to　Mr。　Pinhorn；　and　that　having　come；　like　
Mr。　Morrow；　to　betray；　I　must　remain　as　long　as　possible　to　save。　　
Not　because　I　had　brought　my　mind　back；　but　because　our　visitors　
last　words　were　in　my　ear；　I　presently　enquired　with　gloomy　
irrelevance　if　Guy　Walsingham　were　a　woman。

〃Oh　yes；　a　mere　pseudonym　…　rather　pretty；　isn't　it？　…　and　
convenient；　you　know；　for　a　lady　who　goes　in　for　the　larger　
latitude。　　'Obsessions；　by　Miss　So…and…so；'　would　look　a　little　
odd；　but　men　are　more　naturally　indelicate。　　Have　you　peeped　into　
'Obsessions'？〃　Mr。　Morrow　continued　sociably　to　our　companion。

Paraday；　still　absent；　remote；　made　no　answer；　as　if　he　hadn't　
heard　the　question：　　a　form　of　intercourse　that　appeared　to　suit　
the　cheerful　Mr。　Morrow　as　well　as　any　other。　　Imperturbably　bland；　
he　was　a　man　of　resources　…　he　only　needed　to　be　on　the　spot。　　He　
had　pocketed　the　whole　poor　place　while　Paraday　and　I　were　wool…
gathering；　and　I　could　imagine　that　he　had　already　got　his　〃heads。〃　　
His　system；　at　any　rate；　was　justified　by　the　inevitability　with　
which　I　replied；　to　save　my　friend　the　trouble：　　〃Dear　no　…　he　
hasn't　read　it。　　He　doesn't　read　such　things！〃　I　unwarily　added。

〃Things　that　are　TOO　far　over　the　fence；　eh？〃　　I　was　indeed　a　
godsend　to　Mr。　Morrow。　　It　was　the　psychological　moment；　it　
determined　the　appearance　of　his　note…book；　which；　however；　he　at　
first　kept　slightly　behind　him；　even　as　the　dentist　approaching　his　
victim　keeps　the　horrible　forceps。　　〃Mr。　Paraday　holds　with　the　
good　old　proprieties　…　I　see！〃　　And　thinking　of　the　thirty…seven　
influential　journals；　I　found　myself；　as　I　found　poor　Paraday；　
helplessly　assisting　at　the　promulgation　of　this　ineptitude。　　
〃There's　no　point　on　which　distinguished　views　are　so　acceptable　as　
on　this　question　…　raised　perhaps　more　strikingly　than　ever　by　Guy　
Walsingham　…　of　the　permissibility　of　the　larger　latitude。　　I've　an　
appointment；　precisely　in　connexion　with　it；　next　week；　with　Dora　
Forbes；　author　of　'The　Other　Way　Round；'　which　everybody's　talking　
about。　　Has　Mr。　Paraday　glanced　at　'The　Other　Way　Round'？〃　　Mr。　
Morrow　now　frankly　appealed　to　me。　　I　took　on　myself　to　repudiate　
the　supposition；　while　our　companion；　still　silent；　got　up　
nervously　and　walked　away。　　His　visitor　paid　no　heed　to　his　
withdrawal；　but　opened　out　the　note…book　with　a　more　fatherly　pat。　　
〃Dora　Forbes；　I　gather；　takes　the　ground；　the　same　as　Guy　
Walsingham's；　that　the　larger　latitude　has　simply　got　to　come。　　He　
holds　that　it　has　got　to　be　squarely　faced。　　Of　course　his　sex　
makes　him　a　less　prejudiced　witness。　　But　an　authoritative　word　
from　Mr。　Paraday　…　from　the　point　of　view　of　HIS　sex；　you　know　…　
would　go　right　round　the　globe。　　He　takes　the　line　that　we　HAVEN'T　
got　to　face　it？〃

I　was　bewildered：　　it　sounded　somehow　as　if　there　were　three　sexes。　　
My　interlocutor's　pencil　was　poised；　my　private　responsibility　
great。　　I　simply　sat　staring；　none　the　less；　and　only　found　
presence　of　mind　to　say：　　〃Is　this　Miss　Forbes　a　gentleman？〃

Mr。　Morrow　had　a　subtle　smile。　　〃It　wouldn't　be　'Miss'　…　there's　a　
wife！〃

〃I　mean　is　she　a　man？〃

〃The　wife？〃　…　Mr。　Morrow　was　for　a　moment　as　confused　as　myself。　　
But　when　I　explained　that　I　alluded　to　Dora　Forbes　in　person　he　
informed　me；　with　visible　amusement　at　my　being　so　out　of　it；　that　
this　was　the　〃pen…name〃　of　an　indubitable　male　…　he　had　a　big　red　
moustache。　　〃He　goes　in　for　the　slight　mystification　because　the　
ladies　are　such　popular　favourites。　　A　great　deal　of　interest　is　
felt　in　his　acting　on　that　idea　…　which　IS　clever；　isn't　it？　…　and　
there's　every　prospect　of　its　being　widely　imitated。〃　　Our　host　at　
this　moment　joined　us　again；　and　Mr。　Morrow　remarked　invitingly　
that　he　should　be　happy　to　make　a　note　of　any　observation　the　
movement　in　question；　the　bid　for　success　under　a　lady's　name；　
might　suggest　to　Mr。　Paraday。　　But　the　poor　man；　without　catching　
the　allusion；　excused　himself；　pleading　that；　though　greatly　
honoured　by　his　visitor's　interest；　he　suddenly　felt　unwell　and　
should　have　to　take　leave　of　him　…　have　to　go　and　lie　down　and　keep　
quiet。　　His　young　friend　might　be　trusted　to　answer　for　him；　but　he　
hoped　Mr。　Morrow　didn't　expect　great　things　even　of　his　young　
friend。　　His　young　friend；　at　this　moment；　looked　at　Neil　Paraday　
with　an　anxious　eye；　greatly　wondering　if　he　were　doomed　to　be　ill　
again；　but　Paraday's　own　kind　face　met　his　question　reassuringly；　
seemed　to　say　in　a　glance　intelligible　enough：　　〃Oh　I'm　not　ill；　
but　I'm　scared：　　get　him　out　of　the　house　as　quietly　as　possible。〃　　
Getting　newspaper…men　out　of　the　house　was　odd　business　for　an　
emissary　of　Mr。　Pinhorn；　and　I　was　so　exhilarated　by　the　idea　of　it　
that　I　called　after　him　as　he　left　us：　　〃Read　the　article　in　THE　
EMPIRE　and　you'll　soon　be　all　right！〃



CHAPTER　V。



〃DELICIOUS　my　having　come　down　to　tell　him　of　it！〃　Mr。　Morrow　
ejaculated。　　〃My　cab　was　at　the　door　twenty　minutes　after　THE　
EMPIRE　had　been　laid　on　my　breakfast…table。　　Now　what　have　you　got　
for　me？〃　he　continued；　dropping　again　into　his　chair；　from　which；　
however；　he　the　next　moment　eagerly　rose。　　〃I　was　shown　into　the　
drawing…room；　bu