idle ideas in 1905-第27节

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for　the　prosecution。　　She　also　kills　her　baby。　　You　are　not　to　blame
her　for　that；　because　at　the　time　she　was　feeling　poorly。　　I　don't
see　why　this　girl　should　have　a　special　line　of　angels　to　take　her　up
to　heaven。　　There　must　have　been　decent；　hard…working　women　in
Nurnburg　more　entitled　to　the　ticket。

Why　is　it　that　all　these　years　we　have　been　content　to　accept
Marguerite　as　a　type　of　innocence　and　virtue？　　The　explanation　is；　I
suppose；　that　Goethe　wrote　at　a　time　when　it　was　the　convention　to
regard　all　women　as　good。　　Anything　in　petticoats　was　virtuous。　　If
she　did　wrong　it　was　always　somebody　else's　fault。　　Cherchez　la　femme
was　a　later　notion。　　In　the　days　of　Goethe　it　was　always　Cherchez
l'homme。　　It　was　the　man's　fault。　　It　was　the　devil's　fault。　　It　was
anybody's　fault　you　liked；　but　not　her's。

The　convention　has　not　yet　died　out。　　I　was　reading　the　other　day　a
most　interesting　book　by　a　brilliant　American　authoress。　　Seeing　I
live　far　away　from　the　lady's　haunts；　I　venture　to　mention　names。　　I
am　speaking　of　〃Patience　Sparhawk；〃　by　Gertrude　Atherton。　　I　take
this　book　because　it　is　typical　of　a　large　body　of　fiction。　　Miss
Sparhawk　lives　a　troubled　life：　　it　puzzles　her。　　She　asks　herself
what　is　wrong。　　Her　own　idea　is　that　it　is　civilisation。

If　it　is　not　civilisation；　then　it　is　the　American　man　or　Natureor
Democracy。　　Miss　Sparhawk　marries　the　wrong　man。　　Later　on　she　gets
engaged　to　another　wrong　man。　　In　the　end　we　are　left　to　believe　she
is　about　to　be　married　to　the　right　man。　　I　should　be　better
satisfied　if　I　could　hear　Miss　Sparhawk　talking　six　months　after　that
last　marriage。　　But　if　a　mistake　has　again　been　made　I　am　confident
that；　in　Miss　Sparhawk's　opinion；　the　fault　will　not　be　Miss
Sparhawk's。　　The　argument　is　always　the　same：　　Miss　Sparhawk；　being　a
lady；　can　do　no　wrong。

If　Miss　Sparhawk　cared　to　listen　to　me　for　five　minutes；　I　feel　I
could　put　her　right　on　this　point。

〃It　is　quite　true；　my　dear　girl；〃　I　should　say　to　her；　〃something　is
wrongvery　wrong。　　But　it　is　not　the　American　man。　　Never　you　mind
the　American　man：　　you　leave　him　to　worry　out　his　own　salvation。　　You
are　not　the　girl　to　put　him　right；　even　where　he　is　wrong。　　And　it　is
not　civilisation。　　Civilisation　has　a　deal　to　answer　for；　I　admit：
don't　you　load　it　up　with　this　additional　trouble。　　The　thing　that　is
wrong　in　this　case　of　yoursif　you　will　forgive　my　saying　sois
you。　　You　make　a　fool　of　yourself；　you　marry　a　man　who　is　a　mere
animal　because　he　appeals　to　your　animal　instincts。　　Then；　like　the
lady　who　cried　out　'Alack；　I've　married　a　black；'　you　appeal　to
heaven　against　the　injustice　of　being　mated　with　a　clown。　　You　are
not　a　nice　girl；　either　in　your　ideas　or　in　your　behaviour。　　I　don't
blame　you　for　it；　you　did　not　make　yourself。　　But　when　you　set　to
work　to　attract　all　that　is　lowest　in　man；　why　be　so　astonished　at
your　own　success？　　There　are　plenty　of　shocking　American　men；　I
agree。　　One　meets　the　class　even　outside　America。　　But　nice　American
girls　will　tell　you　that　there　are　also　nice　American　men。　　There　is
an　old　proverb　about　birds　of　a　feather。　　Next　time　you　find　yourself
in　the　company　of　a　shocking　American　man；　you　just　ask　yourself　how
he　got　there；　and　how　it　is　he　seems　to　be　feeling　at　home。　　You
learn　self…control。　　Get　it　out　of　your　head　that　you　are　the　centre
of　the　universe；　and　grasp　the　idea　that　a　petticoat　is　not　a　halo；
and　you　will　find　civilisation　not　half　as　wrong　as　you　thought　it。〃

I　know　what　Miss　Sparhawk's　reply　would　be。

〃You　say　all　this　to　meto　me；　a　lady？　　Great　Heavens！　　What　has
become　of　chivalry？〃

A　Frenchman　was　once　put　on　trial　for　murdering　his　father　and
mother。　　He　confessed　his　guilt；　but　begged　for　mercy　on　the　plea
that　he　was　an　orphan。　　Chivalry　was　founded　on　the　assumption　that
woman　was　worthy　to　be　worshipped。　　The　modern　woman's　notion　is　that
when　she　does　wrong　she　ought　to　be　excused　by　chivalrous　man　because
she　is　a　lady。

I　like　the　naughty　heroine；　we　all　of　us　do。　　The　early　Victorian
heroinethe　angel　in　a　white　frock；　was　a　bore。　　We　knew　exactly
what　she　was　going　to　dothe　right　thing。　　We　did　not　even　have　to
ask　ourselves；　〃What　will　she　think　is　the　right　thing　to　do　under
the　circumstances？〃　　It　was　always　the　conventional　right　thing。　　You
could　have　put　it　to　a　Sunday　school　and　have　got　the　answer　every
time。　　The　heroine　with　passions；　instincts；　emotions；　is　to　be
welcomed。　　But　I　want　her　to　grasp　the　fact　that　after　all　she　is
only　one　of　us。　　I　should　like　her　better　if；　instead　of　demanding：

〃What　is　wrong　in　civilisation？　　What　is　the　world　coming　to？〃　and　so
forth；　she　would　occasionally　say　to　herself：

〃Guess　I've　made　a　fool　of　myself　this　time。　　I　do　feel　that　'shamed
of　myself。〃

She　would　not　lose　by　it。　　We　should　respect　her　all　the　more。



WHAT　MRS。　WILKINS　THOUGHT　ABOUT　IT。



Last　year；　travelling　on　the　Underground　Railway；　I　met　a　man；　he　was
one　of　the　saddest…looking　men　I　had　seen　for　years。　　I　used　to　know
him　well　in　the　old　days　when　we　were　journalists　together。　　I　asked
him；　in　a　sympathetic　tone；　how　things　were　going　with　him。　　I
expected　his　response　would　be　a　flood　of　tears；　and　that　in　the　end
I　should　have　to　fork　out　a　fiver。　　To　my　astonishment；　his　answer
was　that　things　were　going　exceedingly　well　with　him。　　I　did　not　want
to　say　to　him　bluntly：

〃Then　what　has　happened　to　you　to　make　you　look　like　a　mute　at　a
temperance　funeral？〃　I　said：

〃And　how　are　all　at　home？〃

I　thought　that　if　the　trouble　lay　there　he　would　take　the
opportunity。　　It　brightened　him　somewhat；　the　necessity　of　replying
to　the　question。　　It　appeared　that　his　wife　was　in　the　best　of
health。

〃You　remember　her；〃　he　continued　with　a　smile；　〃wonderful　spirits；
always　cheerful；　nothing　seems　to　put　her　out；　not　even〃

He　ended　the　sentence　abruptly　with　a　sigh。

His　mother…in…law；　I　learned　from　further　talk　with　him；　had　died
since　I　had　last　met　him；　and　had　left　them　a　comfortable　addition　to
their　income。　　His　eldest　daughter　was　engaged　to　be　married。

〃It　is　entirely　a　love　match；〃　he　explained；　〃and　he　is　such　a　dear；
good　fellow；　that　I　should　not　have　made　any　objection　even　had　he
been　poor。　　But；　of　course；　as　it　is；　I　am　naturally　all　the　more
content。〃

His　eldest　boy；　having　won　the　Mottle　Scholarship；　was　going　up　to
Cambridge　in　the　Autumn。　　His　own　health；　he　told　me；　had　greatly
improved；　and　a　novel　he　had　written　in　his　leisure　time　promised　to
be　one　of　the　successes　of　the　season。　　Then　it　was　that　I　spoke
plainly。

〃If　I　am　opening　a　wound　too　painful　to　be　touched；〃　I　said；　〃tell
me。　　If；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　an　ordinary　sort　of　trouble　upon
which　the　sympathy　of　a　fellow　worker　may　fall　as　balm；　let　me　hear
it。〃

〃So　far　as　I　am　concerned；〃　he　replied；　〃I　should　be　glad　to　tell
you。　　Speaking　about　it　does　me　good；　and　may　leadso　I　am　always　in
hopesto　an　idea。　　But；　for　your　own　sake；　if　you　take　my　advice；
you　will　not　press　me。〃

〃How　can　it　affect　me？〃　I　asked；　〃it　is　nothing　to　do　with　me；　is
it？〃

〃It　need　have　nothing　to　do　with　you；〃　he　answered；　〃if　you　are
sensible　enough　to　keep　out　of　it。　　If　I　tell　you：　　from　this　time
onward　it　will　be　your　trouble　also。　　Anyhow；　that　is　what　has
happened　in　four　other　separate　cases。　　If　you　like　to　be　the　fifth
and　complete　the　half　dozen　of　us；　you　are　welcome。　　But　remember　I
have　warned　you。〃

〃What　has　it　done　to　the　other　five？〃　I　demanded。

〃It　has　changed　them　from　cheerful；　companionable　persons　into　gloomy
one…idead　bores；〃　he　told　me。　　〃They　think　of　but　one　thing；　they
talk　of　but　one　thing；　they　dream　of　but　one　thing。　　Instead　of
getting　over　it；　as　time　goes　on；　it　takes　possession　of　them　more
and　more。　　There　are　men；　of　course；　who　would　be　unaffected　by　it
who　could　shake　it　off。　　I　warn　you　in　particular　against　it；
because；　in　spite　of　all　that　is　said；　I　am　convinced　you　have　a
sense　of　humour；　and　that　being　so；　it　will　lay　hold　of　you。　　It　will
plague　you　night　and　day。　　You　see　what　it　has　made　of　me！　　Three
months　ago　a　lady　interviewer　described　me　as　of　a　sunny　temperament。
If　you　know　your　own　business　you　will　get　out　at　the　next　station。〃

I　wish　now　I　had　followed　his　advice。　　As　it　was；　I　allowed　my
curiosity　to　take　possession　of　me；　and　begged　him　to　explain。　　And
he　did　so。

〃It　was　just　about　Christmas　time；〃　he　said。　　〃We　were　discussing　the
Drury　Lane　Pantomimesome　three　or　four　of　usin　the　smoking　room
of　the　Devonshire　Club；　and　young　Gold　said　he　thought　it　would　prove
a　mistake；　the　introduction　of　a　subject　like　the　Fiscal　question
into　the　story　of　Humpty　Dumpty。　　The　two　things；　so　far　as　he　could
see；　had　nothing　to　do　with　one　another。　　He　added　that　he
entertained　a　real　regard　for　Mr。　Dan　Leno；　whom　he　had　once　met　on　a
steamboat；　but　that　there　were　other　topics　upon　which　he　would
prefer　to　seek　that　gentleman's　guidance。　　Nettleship；　on　the　other
hand；　declared　that　he　had　no　sympathy　with　the　argument　that　artists
should　never　intrude　upon　public　affairs。　　The　actor　was　a　fellow
citizen　with　the　rest　of　us。　　He　said　that；　whethe