novel notes-第25节

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〃He　was　a　friend　of　some　cousins　of　mine；〃　Jephson　began；　〃people　I　used　to　see　a　good　deal　of　in　my　undergraduate　days。　　When　I　met　him　first　he　was　a　young　fellow　of　twenty…six；　strong　mentally　and　physically；　and　of　a　stern　and　stubborn　nature　that　those　who　liked　him　called　masterful；　and　that　those　who　disliked　hima　more　numerous　bodytermed　tyrannical。　　When　I　saw　him　three　years　later；　he　was　an　old　man　of　twenty…nine；　gentle　and　yielding　beyond　the　border…line　of　weakness；　mistrustful　of　himself　and　considerate　of　others　to　a　degree　that　was　often　unwise。　　Formerly；　his　anger　had　been　a　thing　very　easily　and　frequently　aroused。　　Since　the　change　of　which　I　speak；　I　have　never　known　the　shade　of　anger　to　cross　his　face　but　once。　　In　the　course　of　a　walk；　one　day；　we　came　upon　a　young　rough　terrifying　a　small　child　by　pretending　to　set　a　dog　at　her。　　He　seized　the　boy　with　a　grip　that　almost　choked　him；　and　administered　to　him　a　punishment　that　seemed　to　me　altogether　out　of　proportion　to　the　crime；　brutal　though　it　was。

〃I　remonstrated　with　him　when　he　rejoined　me。

〃'Yes；'　he　replied　apologetically；　'I　suppose　I'm　a　hard　judge　of　some　follies。'　　And；　knowing　what　his　haunted　eyes　were　looking　at；　I　said　no　more。

〃He　was　junior　partner　in　a　large　firm　of　tea　brokers　in　the　City。　There　was　not　much　for　him　to　do　in　the　London　office；　and　when；　therefore；　as　the　result　of　some　mortgage　transactions；　a　South　Indian　tea　plantation　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　firm；　it　was　suggested　that　he　should　go　out　and　take　the　management　of　it。　　The　plan　suited　him　admirably。　　He　was　a　man　in　every　way　qualified　to　lead　a　rough　life；　to　face　a　by　no　means　contemptible　amount　of　difficulty　and　danger；　to　govern　a　small　army　of　native　workers　more　amenable　to　fear　than　to　affection。　　Such　a　life；　demanding　thought　and　action；　would　afford　his　strong　nature　greater　interest　and　enjoyment　than　he　could　ever　hope　to　obtain　amid　the　cramped　surroundings　of　civilisation。

〃Only　one　thing　could　in　reason　have　been　urged　against　the　arrangement；　that　thing　was　his　wife。　　She　was　a　fragile；　delicate　girl；　whom　he　had　married　in　obedience　to　that　instinct　of　attraction　towards　the　opposite　which　Nature；　for　the　purpose　of　maintaining　her　average；　has　implanted　in　our　breastsa　timid；　meek…eyed　creature；　one　of　those　women　to　whom　death　is　less　terrible　than　danger；　and　fate　easier　to　face　than　fear。　　Such　women　have　been　known　to　run　screaming　from　a　mouse　and　to　meet　martyrdom　with　heroism。　　They　can　no　more　keep　their　nerves　from　trembling　than　an　aspen　tree　can　stay　the　quivering　of　its　leaves。

〃That　she　was　totally　unfitted　for；　and　would　be　made　wretched　by　the　life　to　which　his　acceptance　of　the　post　would　condemn　her　might　have　readily　occurred　to　him；　had　he　stopped　to　consider　for　a　moment　her　feelings　in　the　matter。　　But　to　view　a　question　from　any　other　standpoint　than　his　own　was　not　his　habit。　　That　he　loved　her　passionately；　in　his　way；　as　a　thing　belonging　to　himself；　there　can　be　no　doubt；　but　it　was　with　the　love　that　such　men　have　for　the　dog　they　will　thrash；　the　horse　they　will　spur　to　a　broken　back。　　To　consult　her　on　the　subject　never　entered　his　head。　　He　informed　her　one　day　of　his　decision　and　of　the　date　of　their　sailing；　and；　handing　her　a　handsome　cheque；　told　her　to　purchase　all　things　necessary　to　her；　and　to　let　him　know　if　she　needed　more；　and　she；　loving　him　with　a　dog…like　devotion　that　was　not　good　for　him；　opened　her　big　eyes　a　little　wider；　but　said　nothing。　　She　thought　much　about　the　coming　change　to　herself；　however；　and；　when　nobody　was　by；　she　would　cry　softly；　then；　hearing　his　footsteps；　would　hastily　wipe　away　the　traces　of　her　tears；　and　go　to　meet　him　with　a　smile。

〃Now；　her　timidity　and　nervousness；　which　at　home　had　been　a　butt　for　mere　chaff；　became；　under　the　new　circumstances　of　their　life；　a　serious　annoyance　to　the　man。　　A　woman　who　seemed　unable　to　repress　a　scream　whenever　she　turned　and　saw　in　the　gloom　a　pair　of　piercing　eyes　looking　out　at　her　from　a　dusky　face；　who　was　liable　to　drop　off　her　horse　with　fear　at　the　sound　of　a　wild　beast's　roar　a　mile　off；　and　who　would　turn　white　and　limp　with　horror　at　the　mere　sight　of　a　snake；　was　not　a　companionable　person　to　live　with　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Indian　jungles。

〃He　himself　was　entirely　without　fear；　and　could　not　understand　it。　To　him　it　was　pure　affectation。　　He　had　a　muddled　idea；　common　to　men　of　his　stamp；　that　women　assume　nervousness　because　they　think　it　pretty　and　becoming　to　them；　and　that　if　one　could　only　convince　them　of　the　folly　of　it　they　might　be　induced　to　lay　it　aside；　in　the　same　way　that　they　lay　aside　mincing　steps　and　simpering　voices。　A　man　who　prided　himself；　as　he　did；　upon　his　knowledge　of　horses；　might；　one　would　think；　have　grasped　a　truer　notion　of　the　nature　of　nervousness；　which　is　a　mere　matter　of　temperament。　　But　the　man　was　a　fool。

〃The　thing　that　vexed　him　most　was　her　horror　of　snakes。　　He　was　unblessedor　uncursed；　whichever　you　may　preferwith　imagination　of　any　kind。　　There　was　no　special　enmity　between　him　and　the　seed　of　the　serpent。　　A　creature　that　crawled　upon　its　belly　was　no　more　terrible　to　him　than　a　creature　that　walked　upon　its　legs；　indeed；　less　so；　for　he　knew　that；　as　a　rule；　there　was　less　danger　to　be　apprehended　from　them。　　A　reptile　is　only　too　eager　at　all　times　to　escape　from　man。　　Unless　attacked　or　frightened；　it　will　make　no　onset。　　Most　people　are　content　to　acquire　their　knowledge　of　this　fact　from　the　natural　history　books。　　He　had　proved　it　for　himself。　His　servant；　an　old　sergeant　of　dragoons；　has　told　me　that　he　has　seen　him　stop　with　his　face　six　inches　from　the　head　of　a　hooded　cobra；　and　stand　watching　it　through　his　eye…glass　as　it　crawled　away　from　him；　knowing　that　one　touch　of　its　fangs　would　mean　death　from　which　there　could　be　no　possible　escape。　　That　any　reasoning　being　should　be　inspired　with　terrorsickening；　deadly　terrorby　such　pitifully　harmless　things；　seemed　to　him　monstrous；　and　he　determined　to　try　and　cure　her　of　her　fear　of　them。

〃He　succeeded　in　doing　this　eventually　somewhat　more　thoroughly　than　he　had　anticipated；　but　it　left　a　terror　in　his　own　eyes　that　has　not　gone　out　of　them　to　this　day；　and　that　never　will。

〃One　evening；　riding　home　through　a　part　of　the　jungle　not　far　from　his　bungalow；　he　heard　a　soft；　low　hiss　close　to　his　ear；　and；　looking　up；　saw　a　python　swing　itself　from　the　branch　of　a　tree　and　make　off　through　the　long　grass。　　He　had　been　out　antelope…shooting；　and　his　loaded　rifle　hung　by　his　stirrup。　　Springing　from　the　frightened　horse；　he　was　just　in　time　to　get　a　shot　at　the　creature　before　it　disappeared。　　He　had　hardly　expected；　under　the　circumstances；　to　even　hit　it。　　By　chance　the　bullet　struck　it　at　the　junction　of　the　vertebrae　with　the　head；　and　killed　it　instantly。　　It　was　a　well…marked　specimen；　and；　except　for　the　small　wound　the　bullet　had　made；　quite　uninjured。　　He　picked　it　up；　and　hung　it　across　the　saddle；　intending　to　take　it　home　and　preserve　it。

〃Galloping　along；　glancing　down　every　now　and　again　at　the　huge；　hideous　thing　swaying　and　writhing　in　front　of　him　almost　as　if　still　alive；　a　brilliant　idea　occurred　to　him。　　He　would　use　this　dead　reptile　to　cure　his　wife　of　her　fear　of　living　ones。　　He　would　fix　matters　so　that　she　should　see　it；　and　think　it　was　alive；　and　be　terrified　by　it；　then　he　would　show　her　that　she　had　been　frightened　by　a　mere　dead　thing；　and　she　would　feel　ashamed　of　herself；　and　be　healed　of　her　folly。　　It　was　the　sort　of　idea　that　would　occur　to　a　fool。

〃When　he　reached　home；　he　took　the　dead　snake　into　his　smoking…room；　then；　locking　the　door；　the　idiot　set　out　his　prescription。　　He　arranged　the　monster　in　a　very　natural　and　life…like　position。　　It　appeared　to　be　crawling　from　the　open　window　across　the　floor；　and　any　one　coming　into　the　room　suddenly　could　hardly　avoid　treading　on　it。　　It　was　very　cleverly　done。

〃That　finished；　he　picked　out　a　book　from　the　shelves；　opened　it；　and　laid　it　face　downward　upon　the　couch。　　When　he　had　completed　all　things　to　his　satisfaction　he　unlocked　the　door　and　came　out；　very　pleased　with　himself。

〃After　dinner　he　lit　a　cigar　and　sat　smoking　a　while　in　silence。

〃'Are　you　feeling　tired？'　he　said　to　her　at　length；　with　a　smile。

〃She　laughed；　and；　calling　him　a　lazy　old　thing；　asked　what　it　was　he　wanted。

〃'Only　my　novel　that　I　was　reading。　　I　left　it　in　my　den。　　Do　you　mind？　　You　will　find　it　open　on　the　couch。'

〃She　sprang　up　and　ran　lightly　to　the　door。

〃As　she　paused　there　for　a　moment　to　look　back　at　him　and　ask　the　name　of　the　book；　he　thought　how　pretty　and　how　sweet　she　was；　and　for　the　first　time　a　faint　glimmer　of　the　true　nature　of　the　thing　he　was　doing　forced　itself　into　his　brain。

〃'Never　mind；'　he　said；　half　rising；　'I'll'；　then；　enamoured　of　the　brilliancy　of　his　plan；　checked　himself；　and　she　was　gone。

〃He　heard　her　footsteps　passing　along　the　matted　passage；　and　smiled　to　himself。　　He　thought　the　affair　was　going　to　be　rather　amusing。　One　finds　it　difficult　to　pity　him　even　now　when　one　thinks　of　it。

〃The　smoking…room　door　opened　and　closed；　and　he　still　sat　gazing　dreamily　at　the　as