novel notes-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ecay。

I　puzzle　about　this　for　an　instant；　but　soon　forget　to　wonder；　for　when　the　Dream　Fairy　tells　us　tales　we　are　only　as　little　children；　sitting　round　with　open　eyes；　believing　all；　though　marvelling　that　such　things　should　be。

Each　night；　when　all　else　in　the　house　sleeps；　the　door　of　that　room　opens　noiselessly；　and　the　man　enters　and　closes　it　behind　him。　Each　night　he　draws　away　the　white　sheet；　and　takes　the　small　dead　body　in　his　arms；　and　through　the　dark　hours　he　paces　softly　to　and　fro；　holding　it　close　against　his　breast；　kissing　it　and　crooning　to　it；　like　a　mother　to　her　sleeping　baby。

When　the　first　ray　of　dawn　peeps　into　the　room；　he　lays　the　dead　child　back　again；　and　smooths　the　sheet　above　her；　and　steals　away。

And　he　succeeds　and　prospers　in　all　things；　and　each　day　he　grows　richer　and　greater　and　more　powerful。



CHAPTER　III



We　had　much　trouble　with　our　heroine。　　Brown　wanted　her　ugly。　Brown's　chief　ambition　in　life　is　to　be　original；　and　his　method　of　obtaining　the　original　is　to　take　the　unoriginal　and　turn　it　upside　down。

If　Brown　were　given　a　little　planet　of　his　own　to　do　as　he　liked　with；　he　would　call　day；　night；　and　summer；　winter。　　He　would　make　all　his　men　and　women　walk　on　their　heads　and　shake　hands　with　their　feet；　his　trees　would　grow　with　their　roots　in　the　air；　and　the　old　cock　would　lay　all　the　eggs　while　the　hens　sat　on　the　fence　and　crowed。　　Then　he　would　step　back　and　say；　〃See　what　an　original　world　I　have　created；　entirely　my　own　idea！〃

There　are　many　other　people　besides　Brown　whose　notion　of　originality　would　seem　to　be　precisely　similar。

I　know　a　little　girl；　the　descendant　of　a　long　line　of　politicians。　The　hereditary　instinct　is　so　strongly　developed　in　her　that　she　is　almost　incapable　of　thinking　for　herself。　　Instead；　she　copies　in　everything　her　elder　sister；　who　takes　more　after　the　mother。　　If　her　sister　has　two　helpings　of　rice　pudding　for　supper；　then　she　has　two　helpings　of　rice　pudding。　　If　her　sister　isn't　hungry　and　doesn't　want　any　supper　at　all；　then　she　goes　to　bed　without　any　supper。

This　lack　of　character　in　the　child　troubles　her　mother；　who　is　not　an　admirer　of　the　political　virtues；　and　one　evening；　taking　the　little　one　on　her　lap；　she　talked　seriously　to　her。

〃Do　try　to　think　for　yourself；〃　said　she。　　〃Don't　always　do　just　what　Jessie　does；　that's　silly。　　Have　an　idea　of　your　own　now　and　then。　　Be　a　little　original。〃

The　child　promised　she'd　try；　and　went　to　bed　thoughtful。

Next　morning；　for　breakfast；　a　dish　of　kippers　and　a　dish　of　kidneys　were　placed　on　the　table；　side　by　side。　　Now　the　child　loved　kippers　with　an　affection　that　amounted　almost　to　passion；　while　she　loathed　kidneys　worse　than　powders。　　It　was　the　one　subject　on　which　she　did　know　her　own　mind。

〃A　kidney　or　a　kipper　for　you；　Jessie？〃　asked　the　mother；　addressing　the　elder　child　first。

Jessie　hesitated　for　a　moment；　while　her　sister　sat　regarding　her　in　an　agony　of　suspense。

〃Kipper；　please；　ma；〃　Jessie　answered　at　last；　and　the　younger　child　turned　her　head　away　to　hide　the　tears。

〃You'll　have　a　kipper；　of　course；　Trixy？〃　said　the　mother；　who　had　noticed　nothing。

〃No；　thank　you；　ma；〃　said　the　small　heroine；　stifling　a　sob；　and　speaking　in　a　dry；　tremulous　voice；　〃I'll　have　a　kidney。〃

〃But　I　thought　you　couldn't　bear　kidneys；〃　exclaimed　her　mother；　surprised。

〃No；　ma；　I　don't　like　'em　much。〃

〃And　you're　so　fond　of　kippers！〃

〃Yes；　ma。〃

〃Well；　then；　why　on　earth　don't　you　have　one？〃

〃'Cos　Jessie's　going　to　have　one；　and　you　told　me　to　be　original；〃　and　here　the　poor　mite；　reflecting　upon　the　price　her　originality　was　going　to　cost　her；　burst　into　tears。


The　other　three　of　us　refused　to　sacrifice　ourselves　upon　the　altar　of　Brown's　originality。　　We　decided　to　be　content　with　the　customary　beautiful　girl。

〃Good　or　bad？〃　queried　Brown。

〃Bad；〃　responded　MacShaughnassy　emphatically。　　〃What　do　you　say；　Jephson？〃

〃Well；〃　replied　Jephson；　taking　the　pipe　from　between　his　lips；　and　speaking　in　that　soothingly　melancholy　tone　of　voice　that　he　never　varies；　whether　telling　a　joke　about　a　wedding　or　an　anecdote　relating　to　a　funeral；　〃not　altogether　bad。　　Bad；　with　good　instincts；　the　good　instincts　well　under　control。〃

〃I　wonder　why　it　is；〃　murmured　MacShaughnassy　reflectively；　〃that　bad　people　are　so　much　more　interesting　than　good。〃

〃I　don't　think　the　reason　is　very　difficult　to　find；〃　answered　Jephson。　　〃There's　more　uncertainty　about　them。　　They　keep　you　more　on　the　alert。　　It's　like　the　difference　between　riding　a　well…　broken；　steady…going　hack　and　a　lively　young　colt　with　ideas　of　his　own。　　The　one　is　comfortable　to　travel　on；　but　the　other　provides　you　with　more　exercise。　　If　you　start　off　with　a　thoroughly　good　woman　for　your　heroine　you　give　your　story　away　in　the　first　chapter。　　Everybody　knows　precisely　how　she　will　behave　under　every　conceivable　combination　of　circumstances　in　which　you　can　place　her。　On　every　occasion　she　will　do　the　same　thingthat　is　the　right　thing。

〃With　a　bad　heroine；　on　the　other　hand；　you　can　never　be　quite　sure　what　is　going　to　happen。　　Out　of　the　fifty　or　so　courses　open　to　her；　she　may　take　the　right　one；　or　she　may　take　one　of　the　forty…　nine　wrong　ones；　and　you　watch　her　with　curiosity　to　see　which　it　will　be。〃

〃But　surely　there　are　plenty　of　good　heroines　who　are　interesting；〃　I　said。

〃At　intervalswhen　they　do　something　wrong；〃　answered　Jephson。　　〃A　consistently　irreproachable　heroine　is　as　irritating　as　Socrates　must　have　been　to　Xantippe；　or　as　the　model　boy　at　school　is　to　all　the　other　lads。　　Take　the　stock　heroine　of　the　eighteenth…century　romance。　　She　never　met　her　lover　except　for　the　purpose　of　telling　him　that　she　could　not　be　his；　and　she　generally　wept　steadily　throughout　the　interview。　　She　never　forgot　to　turn　pale　at　the　sight　of　blood；　nor　to　faint　in　his　arms　at　the　most　inconvenient　moment　possible。　　She　was　determined　never　to　marry　without　her　father's　consent；　and　was　equally　resolved　never　to　marry　anybody　but　the　one　particular　person　she　was　convinced　he　would　never　agree　to　her　marrying。　　She　was　an　excellent　young　woman；　and　nearly　as　uninteresting　as　a　celebrity　at　home。〃

〃Ah；　but　you're　not　talking　about　good　women　now；〃　I　observed。　〃You're　talking　about　some　silly　person's　idea　of　a　good　woman。〃

〃I　quite　admit　it；〃　replied　Jephson。　　〃Nor；　indeed；　am　I　prepared　to　say　what　is　a　good　woman。　　I　consider　the　subject　too　deep　and　too　complicated　for　any　mere　human　being　to　give　judgment　upon。　　But　I　AM　talking　of　the　women　who　conformed　to　the　popular　idea　of　maidenly　goodness　in　the　age　when　these　books　were　written。　　You　must　remember　goodness　is　not　a　known　quantity。　　It　varies　with　every　age　and　every　locality；　and　it　is；　generally　speaking；　your　'silly　persons'　who　are　responsible　for　its　varying　standards。　　In　Japan；　a　'good'　girl　would　be　a　girl　who　would　sell　her　honour　in　order　to　afford　little　luxuries　to　her　aged　parents。　　In　certain　hospitable　islands　of　the　torrid　zone　the　'good'　wife　goes　to　lengths　that　we　should　deem　altogether　unnecessary　in　making　her　husband's　guest　feel　himself　at　home。　　In　ancient　Hebraic　days；　Jael　was　accounted　a　good　woman　for　murdering　a　sleeping　man；　and　Sarai　stood　in　no　danger　of　losing　the　respect　of　her　little　world　when　she　led　Hagar　unto　Abraham。　　In　eighteenth…century　England；　supernatural　stupidity　and　dulness　of　a　degree　that　must　have　been　difficult　to　attain；　were　held　to　be　feminine　virtuesindeed；　they　are　so　stilland　authors；　who　are　always　among　the　most　servile　followers　of　public　opinion；　fashioned　their　puppets　accordingly。　Nowadays　'slumming'　is　the　most　applauded　virtue；　and　so　all　our　best　heroines　go　slumming；　and　are　'good　to　the　poor。'〃

〃How　useful　'the　poor'　are；〃　remarked　MacShaughnassy；　somewhat　abruptly；　placing　his　feet　on　the　mantelpiece；　and　tilting　his　chair　back　till　it　stood　at　an　angle　that　caused　us　to　rivet　our　attention　upon　it　with　hopeful　interest。　　〃I　don't　think　we　scribbling　fellows　ever　fully　grasp　how　much　we　owe　to　'the　poor。'　　Where　would　our　angelic　heroines　and　our　noble…hearted　heroes　be　if　it　were　not　for　'the　poor'？　　We　want　to　show　that　the　dear　girl　is　as　good　as　she　is　beautiful。　　What　do　we　do？　　We　put　a　basket　full　of　chickens　and　bottles　of　wine　on　her　arm；　a　fetching　little　sun…bonnet　on　her　head；　and　send　her　round　among　the　poor。　　How　do　we　prove　that　our　apparent　scamp　of　a　hero　is　really　a　noble　young　man　at　heart？　　Why；　by　explaining　that　he　is　good　to　the　poor。

〃They　are　as　useful　in　real　life　as　they　are　in　Bookland。　　What　is　it　consoles　the　tradesman　when　the　actor；　earning　eighty　pounds　a　week；　cannot　pay　his　debts？　　Why；　reading　in　the　theatrical　newspapers　gushing　accounts　of　the　dear　fellow's　invariable　generosity　to　the　poor。　　What　is　it　stills　the　small　but　irritating　voice　of　conscience　when　we　have　successfully　accomplished　some　extra　big　feat　of　swindling？　　Why；　the　noble　resolve　to　give　ten　per　cent　of　the　net　profits　to　the　poor。

〃What　does　a　man　do　when　he　finds　himself　growing　old；　and　feels　that　it　is　time　for　him　to　think　seriously　about　securing　his　position　in　the　next　world？　　Why；　he　becomes　suddenly　goo