the new machiavelli-第91节

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moment　which　would　justify　my　absence。　。　。　。



I　cannot　convey　to　you　the　intolerable　wretchedness　and　rebellion　of　

my　separation　from　Isabel。　　It　seemed　that　in　the　past　two　years　all　

my　thoughts　had　spun　commisures　to　Isabel's　brain　and　I　could　think　

of　nothing　that　did　not　lead　me　surely　to　the　need　of　the　one　

intimate　I　had　found　in　the　world。　　I　came　back　to　the　House　and　the　

office　and　my　home；　I　filled　all　my　days　with　appointments　and　duty；　

and　it　did　not　save　me　in　the　least　from　a　lonely　emptiness　such　as　

I　had　never　felt　before　in　all　my　life。　　I　had　little　sleep。　　In　the　

daytime　I　did　a　hundred　things；　I　even　spoke　in　the　House　on　two　

occasions；　and　by　my　own　low　standards　spoke　well；　and　it　seemed　to　

me　that　I　was　going　about　in　my　own　brain　like　a　hushed　survivor　in　

a　house　whose　owner　lies　dead　upstairs。



I　came　to　a　crisis　after　that　wild　dinner　of　Tarvrille's。　　Something　

in　that　stripped　my　soul　bare。



It　was　an　occasion　made　absurd　and　strange　by　the　odd　accident　that　

the　house　caught　fire　upstairs　while　we　were　dining　below。　　It　was　a　

men's　dinner〃　　A　dinner　of　all　sorts；〃　said　Tarvrille；　when　he　

invited　me；　〃everything　from　Evesham　and　Gane　to　Wilkins　the　author；　

and　Heaven　knows　what　will　happen！〃　　I　remember　that　afterwards　

Tarvrille　was　accused　of　having　planned　the　fire　to　make　his　dinner　

a　marvel　and　a　memory。　　It　was　indeed　a　wonderful　occasion；　and　I　

suppose　if　I　had　not　been　altogether　drenched　in　misery；　I　should　

have　found　the　same　wild　amusement　in　it　that　glowed　in　all　the　

others。　　There　were　one　or　two　university　dons；　Lord　George　Fester；　

the　racing　man；　Panmure；　the　artist；　two　or　three　big　City　men；　

Weston　Massinghay　and　another　prominent　Liberal　whose　name　I　can't　

remember；　the　three　men　Tarvrille　had　promised　and　Esmeer；　Lord　

Wrassleton；　Waulsort；　the　member　for　Monckton；　Neal　and　several　

others。　　We　began　a　little　coldly；　with　duologues；　but　the　

conversation　was　already　becoming　generalso　far　as　such　a　long　

table　permittedwhen　the　fire　asserted　itself。



It　asserted　itself　first　as　a　penetrating　and　emphatic　smell　of　

burning　rubber；it　was　caused　by　the　fusing　of　an　electric　wire。　　

The　reek　forced　its　way　into　the　discussion　of　the　Pekin　massacres　

that　had　sprung　up　between　Evesham；　Waulsort；　and　the　others　at　the　

end　of　the　table。　　〃Something　burning；〃　said　the　man　next　to　me。



〃Something　must　be　burning；〃　said　Panmure。



Tarvrille　hated　undignified　interruptions。　　He　had　a　particularly　

imperturbable　butler　with　a　cadaverous　sad　face　and　an　eye　of　rigid　

disapproval。　　He　spoke　to　this　individual　over　his　shoulder。　　〃Just　

see；　will　you；〃　he　said；　and　caught　up　the　pause　in　the　talk　to　his　

left。



Wilkins　was　asking　questions；　and　I；　too；　was　curious。　　The　story　of　

the　siege　of　the　Legations　in　China　in　the　year　1900　and　all　that　

followed　upon　that；　is　just　one　of　those　disturbing　interludes　in　

history　that　refuse　to　join　on　to　that　general　scheme　of　

protestation　by　which　civilisation　is　maintained。　　It　is　a　break　in　

the　general　flow　of　experience　as　disconcerting　to　statecraft　as　the　

robbery　of　my　knife　and　the　scuffle　that　followed　it　had　been　to　me　

when　I　was　a　boy　at　Penge。　　It　is　like　a　tear　in　a　curtain　revealing　

quite　unexpected　backgrounds。　　I　had　never　given　the　business　a　

thought　for　years；　now　this　talk　brought　back　a　string　of　pictures　

to　my　mind；　how　the　reliefs　arrived　and　the　plundering　began；　how　

section　after　section　of　the　International　Army　was　drawn　into　

murder　and　pillage；　how　the　infection　spread　upward　until　the　wives　

of　Ministers　were　busy　looting；　and　the　very　sentinels　stripped　and　

crawled　like　snakes　into　the　Palace　they　were　set　to　guard。　　It　did　

not　stop　at　robbery；　men　were　murdered；　women；　being　plundered；　were　

outraged；　children　were　butchered；　strong　men　had　found　themselves　

with　arms　in　a　lawless；　defenceless　city；　and　this　had　followed。　　

Now　it　was　all　recalled。



〃Respectable　ladies　addicted　to　district　visiting　at　home　were　as　

bad　as　any　one；〃　said　Panmure。　　〃Glazebrook　told　me　of　oneflushed　

like　a　woman　at　a　bargain　sale；　he　saidand　when　he　pointed　out　to　

her　that　the　silk　she'd　got　was　bloodstained；　she　just　said；　'Oh；　

bother！'　and　threw　it　aside　and　went　back。　。　。　。〃



We　became　aware　that　Tarvrille's　butler　had　returned。　　We　tried　not　

to　seem　to　listen。



〃Beg　pardon；　m'lord；〃　he　said。　　〃The　house　IS　on　fire；　m'lord。〃



〃Upstairs；　m'lord。〃



〃Just　overhead；　m'lord。〃



〃The　maids　are　throwing　water；　m'lord；　and　I've　telephoned　FIRE。〃



〃No；　m'lord；　no　immediate　danger。〃



〃It's　all　right；〃　said　Tarvrille　to　the　table　generally。　　Go　on！　　

It's　not　a　general　conflagration；　and　the　fire　brigade　won't　be　five　

minutes。　　Don't　see　that　it's　our　affair。　　The　stuff's　insured。　　

They　say　old　Lady　Paskershortly　was　dreadful。　　Like　a　harpy。　　The　

Dowager　Empress　had　shown　her　some　little　things　of　hers。　　Pet　

thingshidden　away。　　Susan　went　straight　for　themused　to　take　an　

umbrella　for　the　silks。　　Born　shoplifter。〃



It　was　evident　he　didn't　want　his　dinner　spoilt；　and　we　played　up　

loyally。



〃This　is　recorded　history；〃　said　Wilkins；〃　practically。　　It　makes　

one　wonder　about　unrecorded　history。　　In　India；　for　example。〃



But　nobody　touched　that。



〃Thompson；〃　said　Tarvrille　to　the　imperturbable　butler；　and　

indicating　the　table　generally；　〃champagne。　　Champagne。　　Keep　it　

going。〃



〃M'lord；〃　and　Thompson　marshalled　his　assistants。



Some　man　I　didn't　know　began　to　remember　things　about　Mandalay。　　

〃It's　queer；〃　he　said；　〃how　people　break　out　at　times；〃　and　told　his　

story　of　an　army　doctor；　brave；　public…spirited；　and；　as　it　

happened；　deeply　religious；　who　was　caught　one　evening　by　the　

excitement　of　plunderingand　stole　and　hid；　twisted　the　wrist　of　a　

boy　until　it　broke；　and　was　afterwards　overcome　by　wild　remorse。



I　watched　Evesham　listening　intently。　　〃Strange；〃　he　said；　〃very　

strange。　　We　are　such　stuff　as　thieves　are　made　of。　　And　in　China；　

too；　they　murdered　peoplefor　the　sake　of　murdering。　　Apart；　so　to　

speak；　from　mercenary　considerations。　　I'm　afraid　there's　no　doubt　

of　it　in　certain　cases。　　No　doubt　at　all。　　Young　soldiers　fresh　from　

German　high　schools　and　English　homes！〃



〃Did　OUR　people？〃　asked　some　patriot。



〃Not　so　much。　　But　I'm　afraid　there　were　cases。　。　。　。　　Some　of　the　

Indian　troops　were　pretty　bad。〃



Gane　picked　up　the　tale　with　confirmations。



It　is　all　printed　in　the　vividest　way　as　a　picture　upon　my　memory；　

so　that　were　I　a　painter　I　think　I　could　give　the　deep　rich　browns　

and　warm　greys　beyond　the　brightly　lit　table；　the　various　

distinguished　faces；　strongly　illuminated；　interested　and　keen；　

above　the　black　and　white　of　evening　dress；　the　alert　menservants　

with　their　heavier；　clean…shaved　faces　indistinctly　seen　in　the　

dimness　behind。　　Then　this　was　coloured　emotionally　for　me　by　my　

aching　sense　of　loss　and　sacrifice；　and　by　the　chance　trend　of　our　

talk　to　the　breaches　and　unrealities　of　the　civilised　scheme。　　We　

seemed　a　little　transitory　circle　of　light　in　a　universe　of　darkness　

and　violence；　an　effect　to　which　the　diminishing　smell　of　burning　

rubber；　the　trampling　of　feet　overhead；　the　swish　of　water；　added　

enormously。　　Everybodyunless；　perhaps；　it　was　Eveshamdrank　

rather　carelessly　because　of　the　suppressed　excitement　of　our　

situation；　and　talked　the　louder　and　more　freely。



〃But　what　a　flimsy　thing　our　civilisation　is！〃　said　Evesham；　〃a　mere　

thin　net　of　habits　and　associations！〃



〃I　suppose　those　men　came　back；〃　said　Wilkins。



〃Lady　Paskershortly　did！〃　chuckled　Evesham。



〃How　do　they　fit　it　in　with　the　rest　of　their　lives？〃　　Wilkins　

speculated。　　〃I　suppose　there's　Pekin…stained　police　officers；　

Pekin…stained　J。　P。'strying　petty　pilferers　in　the　severest　

manner。〃　。　。　。



Then　for　a　time　things　became　preposterous。　　There　was　a　sudden　

cascade　of　water　by　the　fireplace；　and　then　absurdly　the　ceiling　

began　to　rain　upon　us；　first　at　this　point　and　then　that。　　〃My　new　

suit！〃　cried　some　one。　　〃Perrrrrr…up　pe…rr〃a　new　vertical　line　of　

blackened　water　would　establish　itself　and　form　a　spreading　pool　

upon　the　gleaming　cloth。　　The　men　nearest　would　arrange　catchment　

areas　of　plates　and　flower　bowls。　　〃Draw　up！〃　said　Tarvrille；　〃draw　

up。　　That's　the　bad　end　of　the　table！〃　　He　turned　to　the　

imperturbable　butler。　　〃Take　round　bath　towels；〃　he　said；　and　

presently　the　men　behind　us　were　offeringwith　inflexible　dignity

〃Port　wine；　Sir。　　Bath　towel；　Sir！〃　　Waulsort；　with　streaks　of　

blackened　water　on　his　forehead；　was　suddenly　reminded　of　a　wet　year　

when　he　had　followed　the　French　army　manoeuvres。　　An　animated　

dispute　sprang　up　between　him　and　Neal　about　the　relative　efficiency　

of　the　new　French　and　German　field　guns。　　Wrassleton　joined　in　and　a　

little　drunken　shrivelle