novel notes-第36节

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〃Carn't　yer　understand；〃　retorted　the　conductor；　equally　indignant；　〃of　course　I　say　Sharing　CrossI　mean　Charing　Cross；　but　that　don't　mean　that　it　IS　Charing　Cross。　　That　means〃　and　then　perceiving　from　the　blank　look　on　the　Frenchman's　face　the　utter　impossibility　of　ever　making　the　matter　clear　to　him；　he　turned　to　us　with　an　appealing　gesture；　and　asked：

〃Does　any　gentleman　know　the　French　for　'bloomin'　idiot'？〃

A　day　or　two　afterwards；　I　happened　to　enter　his　omnibus　again。

〃Well；〃　I　asked　him；　〃did　you　get　your　French　friend　to　Charing　Cross　all　right？〃

〃No；　sir；〃　he　replied；　〃you'll　'ardly　believe　it；　but　I　'ad　a　bit　of　a　row　with　a　policeman　just　before　I　got　to　the　corner；　and　it　put　'im　clean　out　o'　my　'ead。　　Blessed　if　I　didn't　run　'im　on　to　Victoria。〃



CHAPTER　XI



Said　Brown　one　evening；　〃There　is　but　one　vice；　and　that　is　selfishness。〃

Jephson　was　standing　before　the　fire　lighting　his　pipe。　　He　puffed　the　tobacco　into　a　glow；　threw　the　match　into　the　embers；　and　then　said：

〃And　the　seed　of　all　virtue　also。〃

〃Sit　down　and　get　on　with　your　work；〃　said　MacShaughnassy　from　the　sofa　where　he　lay　at　full　length　with　his　heels　on　a　chair；　〃we're　discussing　the　novel。　　Paradoxes　not　admitted　during　business　hours。〃

Jephson；　however；　was　in　an　argumentative　mood。

〃Selfishness；〃　he　continued；　〃is　merely　another　name　for　Will。　Every　deed；　good　or　bad；　that　we　do　is　prompted　by　selfishness。　　We　are　charitable　to　secure　ourselves　a　good　place　in　the　next　world；　to　make　ourselves　respected　in　this；　to　ease　our　own　distress　at　the　knowledge　of　suffering。　　One　man　is　kind　because　it　gives　him　pleasure　to　be　kind；　just　as　another　is　cruel　because　cruelty　pleases　him。　　A　great　man　does　his　duty　because　to　him　the　sense　of　duty　done　is　a　deeper　delight　than　would　be　the　case　resulting　from　avoidance　of　duty。　　The　religious　man　is　religious　because　he　finds　a　joy　in　religion；　the　moral　man　moral　because　with　his　strong　self…　respect；　viciousness　would　mean　wretchedness。　　Self…sacrifice　itself　is　only　a　subtle　selfishness：　　we　prefer　the　mental　exaltation　gained　thereby　to　the　sensual　gratification　which　is　the　alternative　reward。　　Man　cannot　be　anything　else　but　selfish。　　Selfishness　is　the　law　of　all　life。　　Each　thing；　from　the　farthest　fixed　star　to　the　smallest　insect　crawling　on　the　earth；　fighting　for　itself　according　to　its　strength；　and　brooding　over　all；　the　Eternal；　working　for　HIMSELF：　　that　is　the　universe。〃

〃Have　some　whisky；〃　said　MacShaughnassy；　〃and　don't　be　so　complicatedly　metaphysical。　　You　make　my　head　ache。〃

〃If　all　action；　good　and　bad；　spring　from　selfishness；〃　replied　Brown；　〃then　there　must　be　good　selfishness　and　bad　selfishness：　and　your　bad　selfishness　is　my　plain　selfishness；　without　any　adjective；　so　we　are　back　where　we　started。　　I　say　selfishnessbad　selfishnessis　the　root　of　all　evil；　and　there　you　are　bound　to　agree　with　me。〃

〃Not　always；〃　persisted　Jephson；　〃I've　known　selfishness　selfishness　according　to　the　ordinarily　accepted　meaning　of　the　termto　be　productive　of　good　actions。　　I　can　give　you　an　instance；　if　you　like。〃

〃Has　it　got　a　moral？〃　asked　MacShaughnassy；　drowsily；

Jephson　mused　a　moment。　　〃Yes；〃　he　said　at　length；　〃a　very　practical　moraland　one　very　useful　to　young　men。〃

〃That's　the　sort　of　story　we　want；〃　said　the　MacShaughnassy；　raising　himself　into　a　sitting　position。　　〃You　listen　to　this；　Brown。〃

Jephson　seated　himself　upon　a　chair；　in　his　favourite　attitude；　with　his　elbows　resting　upon　the　back；　and　smoked　for　a　while　in　silence。

〃There　are　three　people　in　this　story；〃　he　began；　〃the　wife；　the　wife's　husband；　and　the　other　man。　　In　most　dramas　of　this　type；　it　is　the　wife　who　is　the　chief　character。　　In　this　case；　the　interesting　person　is　the　other　man。

〃The　wifeI　met　her　once：　　she　was　the　most　beautiful　woman　I　have　ever　seen；　and　the　most　wicked…looking；　which　is　saying　a　good　deal　for　both　statements。　　I　remember；　during　a　walking　tour　one　year；　coming　across　a　lovely　little　cottage。　　It　was　the　sweetest　place　imaginable。　　I　need　not　describe　it。　　It　was　the　cottage　one　sees　in　pictures；　and　reads　of　in　sentimental　poetry。　　I　was　leaning　over　the　neatly…cropped　hedge；　drinking　in　its　beauty；　when　at　one　of　the　tiny　casements　I　saw；　looking　out　at　me；　a　face。　　It　stayed　there　only　a　moment；　but　in　that　moment　the　cottage　had　become　ugly；　and　I　hurried　away　with　a　shudder。

〃That　woman's　face　reminded　me　of　the　incident。　　It　was　an　angel's　face；　until　the　woman　herself　looked　out　of　it：　　then　you　were　struck　by　the　strange　incongruity　between　tenement　and　tenant。

〃That　at　one　time　she　had　loved　her　husband；　I　have　little　doubt。　Vicious　women　have　few　vices；　and　sordidness　is　not　usually　one　of　them。　　She　had　probably　married　him；　borne　towards　him　by　one　of　those　waves　of　passion　upon　which　the　souls　of　animal　natures　are　continually　rising　and　falling。　　On　possession；　however；　had　quickly　followed　satiety；　and　from　satiety　had　grown　the　desire　for　a　new　sensation。

〃They　were　living　at　Cairo　at　the　period；　her　husband　held　an　important　official　position　there；　and　by　virtue　of　this；　and　of　her　own　beauty　and　tact；　her　house　soon　became　the　centre　of　the　Anglo…　Saxon　society　ever　drifting　in　and　out　of　the　city。　　The　women　disliked　her；　and　copied　her。　　The　men　spoke　slightingly　of　her　to　their　wives；　lightly　of　her　to　each　other；　and　made　idiots　of　themselves　when　they　were　alone　with　her。　　She　laughed　at　them　to　their　faces；　and　mimicked　them　behind　their　backs。　　Their　friends　said　it　was　clever。

〃One　year　there　arrived　a　young　English　engineer；　who　had　come　out　to　superintend　some　canal　works。　　He　brought　with　him　satisfactory　letters　of　recommendation；　and　was　at　once　received　by　the　European　residents　as　a　welcome　addition　to　their　social　circle。　　He　was　not　particularly　good…looking；　he　was　not　remarkably　charming；　but　he　possessed　the　one　thing　that　few　women　can　resist　in　a　man；　and　that　is　strength。　　The　woman　looked　at　the　man；　and　the　man　looked　back　at　the　woman；　and　the　drama　began。

〃Scandal　flies　swiftly　through　small　communities。　　Before　a　month；　their　relationship　was　the　chief　topic　of　conversation　throughout　the　quarter。　　In　less　than　two；　it　reached　the　ears　of　the　woman's　husband。

〃He　was　either　an　exceptionally　mean　or　an　exceptionally　noble　character；　according　to　how　one　views　the　matter。　　He　worshipped　his　wifeas　men　with　big　hearts　and　weak　brains　often　do　worship　such　womenwith　dog…like　devotion。　　His　only　dread　was　lest　the　scandal　should　reach　proportions　that　would　compel　him　to　take　notice　of　it；　and　thus　bring　shame　and　suffering　upon　the　woman　to　whom　he　would　have　given　his　life。　　That　a　man　who　saw　her　should　love　her　seemed　natural　to　him；　that　she　should　have　grown　tired　of　himself；　a　thing　not　to　be　wondered　at。　　He　was　grateful　to　her　for　having　once　loved　him；　for　a　little　while。

〃As　for　'the　other　man；'　he　proved　somewhat　of　an　enigma　to　the　gossips。　　He　attempted　no　secrecy；　if　anything；　he　rather　paraded　his　subjugationor　his　conquest；　it　was　difficult　to　decide　which　term　to　apply。　　He　rode　and　drove　with　her；　visited　her　in　public　and　in　private　（in　such　privacy　as　can　be　hoped　for　in　a　house　filled　with　chattering　servants；　and　watched　by　spying　eyes）；　loaded　her　with　expensive　presents；　which　she　wore　openly；　and　papered　his　smoking…den　with　her　photographs。　　Yet　he　never　allowed　himself　to　appear　in　the　least　degree　ridiculous；　never　allowed　her　to　come　between　him　and　his　work。　　A　letter　from　her；　he　would　lay　aside　unopened　until　he　had　finished　what　he　evidently　regarded　as　more　important　business。　　When　boudoir　and　engine…shed　became　rivals；　it　was　the　boudoir　that　had　to　wait。

〃The　woman　chafed　under　his　self…control；　which　stung　her　like　a　lash；　but　clung　to　him　the　more　abjectly。

〃'Tell　me　you　love　me！'　she　would　cry　fiercely；　stretching　her　white　arms　towards　him。

〃'I　have　told　you　so；'　he　would　reply　calmly；　without　moving。

〃'I　want　to　hear　you　tell　it　me　again；'　she　would　plead　with　a　voice　that　trembled　on　a　sob。　　'Come　close　to　me　and　tell　it　me　again；　again；　again！'

〃Then；　as　she　lay　with　half…closed　eyes；　he　would　pour　forth　a　flood　of　passionate　words　sufficient　to　satisfy　even　her　thirsty　ears；　and　afterwards；　as　the　gates　clanged　behind　him；　would　take　up　an　engineering　problem　at　the　exact　point　at　which　half　an　hour　before；　on　her　entrance　into　the　room；　he　had　temporarily　dismissed　it。

〃One　day；　a　privileged　friend　put　bluntly　to　him　this　question：　'Are　you　playing　for　love　or　vanity？'

〃To　which　the　man；　after　long　pondering；　gave　this　reply：　　''Pon　my　soul；　Jack；　I　couldn't　tell　you。'

〃Now；　when　a　man　is　in　love　with　a　woman　who　cannot　make　up　her　mind　whether　she　loves　him　or　not；　we　call　the　complication　comedy；　where　it　is　the　woman　who　is　in　earnest　the　result　is　generally　tragedy。

〃They　continued　to　meet　and　to　make　love。　　They　talkedas　people　in　their　position　are　prone　to　talkof　the　beautiful　life　they　would　lead　if　it　only　were　not　for　the　thing　that　was；　of　the　earthly　paradiseor；　maybe；　'earthy'　would　be　the　more　suitable　adjective　they　would　each　create　for　the　other；　if　only　they　had　the　right　which　th