novel notes-第26节

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〃The　smoking…room　door　opened　and　closed；　and　he　still　sat　gazing　dreamily　at　the　ash　of　his　cigar；　and　smiling。

〃One　moment；　perhaps　two　passed；　but　the　time　seemed　much　longer。　The　man　blew　the　gray　cloud　from　before　his　eyes　and　waited。　　Then　he　heard　what　he　had　been　expecting　to　heara　piercing　shriek。　Then　another；　which；　expecting　to　hear　the　clanging　of　the　distant　door　and　the　scurrying　back　of　her　footsteps　along　the　passage；　puzzled　him；　so　that　the　smile　died　away　from　his　lips。

〃Then　another；　and　another；　and　another；　shriek　after　shriek。

〃The　native　servant；　gliding　noiselessly　about　the　room；　laid　down　the　thing　that　was　in　his　hand　and　moved　instinctively　towards　the　door。　　The　man　started　up　and　held　him　back。

〃'Keep　where　you　are；'　he　said　hoarsely。　　'It　is　nothing。　　Your　mistress　is　frightened；　that　is　all。　　She　must　learn　to　get　over　this　folly。'　　Then　he　listened　again；　and　the　shrieks　ended　with　what　sounded　curiously　like　a　smothered　laugh；　and　there　came　a　sudden　silence。

〃And　out　of　that　bottomless　silence；　Fear　for　the　first　time　in　his　life　came　to　the　man；　and　he　and　the　dusky　servant　looked　at　each　other　with　eyes　in　which　there　was　a　strange　likeness；　and　by　a　common　instinct　moved　together　towards　the　place　where　the　silence　came　from。

〃When　the　man　opened　the　door　he　saw　three　things：　　one　was　the　dead　python；　lying　where　he　had　left　it；　the　second　was　a　live　python；　its　comrade　apparently；　slowly　crawling　round　it；　the　third　a　crushed；　bloody　heap　in　the　middle　of　the　floor。

〃He　himself　remembered　nothing　more　until；　weeks　afterwards；　he　opened　his　eyes　in　a　darkened；　unfamiliar　place；　but　the　native　servant；　before　he　fled　screaming　from　the　house；　saw　his　master　fling　himself　upon　the　living　serpent　and　grasp　it　with　his　hands；　and　when；　later　on；　others　burst　into　the　room　and　caught　him　staggering　in　their　arms；　they　found　the　second　python　with　its　head　torn　off。

〃That　is　the　incident　that　changed　the　character　of　my　manif　it　be　changed；〃　concluded　Jephson。　　〃He　told　it　me　one　night　as　we　sat　on　the　deck　of　the　steamer；　returning　from　Bombay。　　He　did　not　spare　himself。　　He　told　me　the　story；　much　as　I　have　told　it　to　you；　but　in　an　even；　monotonous　tone；　free　from　emotion　of　any　kind。　　I　asked　him；　when　he　had　finished；　how　he　could　bear　to　recall　it。

〃'Recall　it！'　he　replied；　with　a　slight　accent　of　surprise；　'it　is　always　with　me。'〃



CHAPTER　VIII



One　day　we　spoke　of　crime　and　criminals。　　We　had　discussed　the　possibility　of　a　novel　without　a　villain；　but　had　decided　that　it　would　be　uninteresting。

〃It　is　a　terribly　sad　reflection；〃　remarked　MacShaughnassy；　musingly；　〃but　what　a　desperately　dull　place　this　earth　would　be　if　it　were　not　for　our　friends　the　bad　people。　　Do　you　know；〃　he　continued；　〃when　I　hear　of　folks　going　about　the　world　trying　to　reform　everybody　and　make　them　good；　I　get　positively　nervous。　　Once　do　away　with　sin；　and　literature　will　become　a　thing　of　the　past。　Without　the　criminal　classes　we　authors　would　starve。〃

〃I　shouldn't　worry；〃　replied　Jephson；　drily；　〃one　half　mankind　has　been　'reforming'　the　other　half　pretty　steadily　ever　since　the　Creation；　yet　there　appears　to　be　a　fairly　appreciable　amount　of　human　nature　left　in　it；　notwithstanding。　　Suppressing　sin　is　much　the　same　sort　of　task　that　suppressing　a　volcano　would　beplugging　one　vent　merely　opens　another。　　Evil　will　last　our　time。〃

〃I　cannot　take　your　optimistic　view　of　the　case；〃　answered　MacShaughnassy。　　〃It　seems　to　me　that　crimeat　all　events；　interesting　crimeis　being　slowly　driven　out　of　our　existence。　Pirates　and　highwaymen　have　been　practically　abolished。　　Dear　old　'Smuggler　Bill'　has　melted　down　his　cutlass　into　a　pint…can　with　a　false　bottom。　　The　pressgang　that　was　always　so　ready　to　rescue　our　hero　from　his　approaching　marriage　has　been　disbanded。　　There's　not　a　lugger　fit　for　the　purposes　of　abduction　left　upon　the　coast。　　Men　settle　their　'affairs　of　honour'　in　the　law　courts；　and　return　home　wounded　only　in　the　pocket。　　Assaults　on　unprotected　females　are　confined　to　the　slums；　where　heroes　do　not　dwell；　and　are　avenged　by　the　nearest　magistrate。　　Your　modern　burglar　is　generally　an　out…of…　work　green…grocer。　　His　'swag'　usually　consists　of　an　overcoat　and　a　pair　of　boots；　in　attempting　to　make　off　with　which　he　is　captured　by　the　servant…girl。　　Suicides　and　murders　are　getting　scarcer　every　season。　　At　the　present　rate　of　decrease；　deaths　by　violence　will　be　unheard　of　in　another　decade；　and　a　murder　story　will　be　laughed　at　as　too　improbable　to　be　interesting。　　A　certain　section　of　busybodies　are　even　crying　out　for　the　enforcement　of　the　seventh　commandment。　　If　they　succeed　authors　will　have　to　follow　the　advice　generally　given　to　them　by　the　critics；　and　retire　from　business　altogether。　　I　tell　you　our　means　of　livelihood　are　being　filched　from　us　one　by　one。　　Authors　ought　to　form　themselves　into　a　society　for　the　support　and　encouragement　of　crime。〃

MacShaughnassy's　leading　intention　in　making　these　remarks　was　to　shock　and　grieve　Brown；　and　in　this　object　he　succeeded。　　Brown　is　or　was；　in　those　daysan　earnest　young　man　with　an　exaltedsome　were　inclined　to　say　an　exaggeratedview　of　the　importance　and　dignity　of　the　literary　profession。　　Brown's　notion　of　the　scheme　of　Creation　was　that　God　made　the　universe　so　as　to　give　the　literary　man　something　to　write　about。　　I　used　at　one　time　to　credit　Brown　with　originality　for　this　idea；　but　as　I　have　grown　older　I　have　learned　that　the　theory　is　a　very　common　and　popular　one　in　cultured　circles。

Brown　expostulated　with　MacShaughnassy。　　〃You　speak；〃　he　said；　〃as　though　literature　were　the　parasite　of　evil。〃

〃And　what　else　is　she？〃　replied　the　MacShaughnassy；　with　enthusiasm。　〃What　would　become　of　literature　without　folly　and　sin？　　What　is　the　work　of　the　literary　man　but　raking　a　living　for　himself　out　of　the　dust…heap　of　human　woe？　　Imagine；　if　you　can；　a　perfect　worlda　world　where　men　and　women　never　said　foolish　things　and　never　did　unwise　ones；　where　small　boys　were　never　mischievous　and　children　never　made　awkward　remarks；　where　dogs　never　fought　and　cats　never　screeched；　where　wives　never　henpecked　their　husbands　and　mothers…　in…law　never　nagged；　where　men　never　went　to　bed　in　their　boots　and　sea…captains　never　swore；　where　plumbers　understood　their　work　and　old　maids　never　dressed　as　girls；　where　niggers　never　stole　chickens　and　proud　men　were　never　sea…sick！　where　would　be　your　humour　and　your　wit？　　Imagine　a　world　where　hearts　were　never　bruised；　where　lips　were　never　pressed　with　pain；　where　eyes　were　never　dim；　where　feet　were　never　weary；　where　stomachs　were　never　empty！　where　would　be　your　pathos？　　Imagine　a　world　where　husbands　never　loved　more　wives　than　one；　and　that　the　right　one；　where　wives　were　never　kissed　but　by　their　husbands；　where　men's　hearts　were　never　black　and　women's　thoughts　never　impure；　where　there　was　no　hating　and　no　envying；　no　desiring；　no　despairing！　where　would　be　your　scenes　of　passion；　your　interesting　complications；　your　subtle　psychological　analyses？　　My　dear　Brown；　we　writersnovelists；　dramatists；　poets　we　fatten　on　the　misery　of　our　fellow…creatures。　　God　created　man　and　woman；　and　the　woman　created　the　literary　man　when　she　put　her　teeth　into　the　apple。　　We　came　into　the　world　under　the　shadow　of　the　serpent。　　We　are　special　correspondents　with　the　Devil's　army。　We　report　his　victories　in　our　three…volume　novels；　his　occasional　defeats　in　our　five…act　melodramas。〃

〃All　of　which　is　very　true；〃　remarked　Jephson；　〃but　you　must　remember　it　is　not　only　the　literary　man　who　traffics　in　misfortune。　The　doctor；　the　lawyer；　the　preacher；　the　newspaper　proprietor；　the　weather　prophet；　will　hardly；　I　should　say；　welcome　the　millennium。　I　shall　never　forget　an　anecdote　my　uncle　used　to　relate；　dealing　with　the　period　when　he　was　chaplain　of　the　Lincolnshire　county　jail。　　One　morning　there　was　to　be　a　hanging；　and　the　usual　little　crowd　of　witnesses；　consisting　of　the　sheriff；　the　governor；　three　or　four　reporters；　a　magistrate；　and　a　couple　of　warders；　was　assembled　in　the　prison。　　The　condemned　man；　a　brutal　ruffian　who　had　been　found　guilty　of　murdering　a　young　girl　under　exceptionally　revolting　circumstances；　was　being　pinioned　by　the　hangman　and　his　assistant；　and　my　uncle　was　employing　the　last　few　moments　at　his　disposal　in　trying　to　break　down　the　sullen　indifference　the　fellow　had　throughout　manifested　towards　both　his　crime　and　his　fate。

My　uncle　failing　to　make　any　impression　upon　him；　the　governor　ventured　to　add　a　few　words　of　exhortation；　upon　which　the　man　turned　fiercely　on　the　whole　of　them。

〃'Go　to　hell；'　he　cried；　'with　your　snivelling　jaw。　　Who　are　you；　to　preach　at　me？　　YOU'RE　glad　enough　I'm　hereall　of　you。　　Why；　I'm　the　only　one　of　you　as　ain't　going　to　make　a　bit　over　this　job。　Where　would　you　all　be；　I　should　like　to　know；　you　canting　swine；　if　it　wasn't　for　me　and　my　sort？　　Why；　it's　the　likes　of　me　as　KEEPS　the　likes　of　you；'　with　which　he　walked　straight　to　the　gallows　and　told　the　hangman　to　'hurry　up'　and　not　keep　the　gentlemen　waiting。〃

〃There　was　some　'grit'　in　that　man；〃　said　MacShaughnassy。

〃Yes；〃　added　Jephson；　〃and