the unbearable bassington-第30节

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be　confronted　with　another。　　Many　a　man　who　would　patiently　undergo　

martyrdom　for　religion's　sake　would　be　furiously　unwilling　to　be　a　

martyr　to　neuralgia。



〃I　think　that　is　why　you　English　love　animals　so　much；〃　pursued　the　

young　diplomat；　〃you　are　such　splendid　animals　yourselves。　　You　are　

lively　because　you　want　to　be　lively；　not　because　people　are　

looking　on　at　you。　　Monsieur　Courtenay　is　certainly　an　animal。　　I　

mean　it　as　a　high　compliment。〃



〃Am　I　an　animal？〃　asked　Elaine。



〃I　was　going　to　say　you　are　an　angel；〃　said　the　Russian；　in　some　

embarrassment；　〃but　I　do　not　think　that　would　do；　angels　and　

animals　would　never　get　on　together。　　To　get　on　with　animals　you　

must　have　a　sense　of　humour；　and　I　don't　suppose　angels　have　any　

sense　of　humour；　you　see　it　would　be　no　use　to　them　as　they　never　

hear　any　jokes。〃



〃Perhaps；〃　said　Elaine；　with　a　tinge　of　bitterness　in　her　voice；　

〃perhaps　I　am　a　vegetable。〃



〃I　think　you　most　remind　me　of　a　picture；〃　said　the　Russian。



It　was　not　the　first　time　Elaine　had　heard　the　simile。



〃I　know；〃　she　said；　〃the　Narrow　Gallery　at　the　Louvre；　attributed　

to　Leonardo　da　Vinci。〃



Evidently　the　impression　she　made　on　people　was　solely　one　of　

externals。



Was　that　how　Courtenay　regarded　her？　　Was　that　to　be　her　function　

and　place　in　life；　a　painted　background；　a　decorative　setting　to　

other　people's　triumphs　and　tragedies？　　Somehow　to…night　she　had　

the　feeling　that　a　general　might　have　who　brought　imposing　forces　

into　the　field　and　could　do　nothing　with　them。　　She　possessed　youth　

and　good　looks；　considerable　wealth；　and　had　just　made　what　would　

be　thought　by　most　people　a　very　satisfactory　marriage。　　And　

already　she　seemed　to　be　standing　aside　as　an　onlooker　where　she　

had　expected　herself　to　be　taking　a　leading　part。



〃Does　this　sort　of　thing　appeal　to　you？〃　she　asked　the　young　

Russian；　nodding　towards　the　gay　scrimmage　of　masqueraders　and　

rather　prepared　to　hear　an　amused　negative。〃



〃But　yes；　of　course；〃　he　answered；　〃costume　balls；　fancy　fairs；　

cafe　chantant；　casino；　anything　that　is　not　real　life　appeals　to　us　

Russians。　　Real　life　with　us　is　the　sort　of　thing　that　Maxim　Gorki　

deals　in。　　It　interests　us　immensely；　but　we　like　to　get　away　from　

it　sometimes。〃



Madame　Kelnicort　came　up　with　another　prospective　partner；　and　

Elaine　delivered　her　ukase：　one　more　dance　and　then　back　to　the　

hotel。　　Without　any　special　regret　she　made　her　retreat　from　the　

revel　which　Courtenay　was　enjoying　under　the　impression　that　it　was　

life　and　the　young　Russian　under　the　firm　conviction　that　it　was　

not。



Elaine　breakfasted　at　her　aunts'　table　the　next　morning　at　much　her　

usual　hour。　　Courtenay　was　sleeping　the　sleep　of　a　happy　tired　

animal。　　He　had　given　instructions　to　be　called　at　eleven　o'clock；　

from　which　time　onward　the　NEUE　FREIE　PRESSE；　the　ZEIT；　and　his　

toilet　would　occupy　his　attention　till　he　appeared　at　the　luncheon　

table。　　There　were　not　many　people　breakfasting　when　Elaine　arrived　

on　the　scene；　but　the　room　seemed　to　be　fuller　than　it　really　was　

by　reason　of　a　penetrating　voice　that　was　engaged　in　recounting　how　

far　the　standard　of　Viennese　breakfast　fare　fell　below　the　

expectations　and　desires　of　little　Jerome　and　the　girls。



〃If　ever　little　Jerome　becomes　President　of　the　United　States；〃　

said　Elaine；　〃I　shall　be　able　to　contribute　quite　an　informing　

article　on　his　gastronomic　likes　and　dislikes　to　the　papers。〃



The　aunts　were　discreetly　inquisitive　as　to　the　previous　evening's　

entertainment。



〃If　Elaine　would　flirt　mildly　with　somebody　it　would　be　such　a　good　

thing；〃　said　Mrs。　Goldbrook；　〃it　would　remind　Courtenay　that　he's　

not　the　only　attractive　young　man　in　the　world。〃



Elaine；　however；　did　not　gratify　their　hopes；　she　referred　to　the　

ball　with　the　detachment　she　would　have　shown　in　describing　a　

drawing…room　show　of　cottage　industries。　　It　was　not　difficult　to　

discern　in　her　description　of　the　affair　the　confession　that　she　

had　been　slightly　bored。　　From　Courtenay；　later　in　the　day；　the　

aunts　received　a　much　livelier　impression　of　the　festivities；　from　

which　it　was　abundantly　clear　that　he　at　any　rate　had　managed　to　

amuse　himself。　　Neither　did　it　appear　that　his　good　opinion　of　his　

own　attractions　had　suffered　any　serious　shock。　　He　was　distinctly　

in　a　very　good　temper。



〃The　secret　of　enjoying　a　honeymoon；〃　said　Mrs。　Goldbrook　

afterwards　to　her　sister；　〃is　not　to　attempt　too　much。〃



〃You　mean　…　？〃



〃Courtenay　is　content　to　try　and　keep　one　person　amused　and　happy；　

and　he　thoroughly　succeeds。〃



〃I　certainly　don't　think　Elaine　is　going　to　be　very　happy；〃　said　

her　sister；　〃but　at　least　Courtenay　saved　her　from　making　the　

greatest　mistake　she　could　have　made　…　marrying　that　young　

Bassington。〃



〃He　has　also；〃　said　Mrs。　Goldbrook；　〃helped　her　to　make　the　next　

biggest　mistake　of　her　life　…　marrying　Courtenay　Youghal。







CHAPTER　XVI







IT　was　late　afternoon　by　the　banks　of　a　swiftly　rushing　river；　a　

river　that　gave　back　a　haze　of　heat　from　its　waters　as　though　it　

were　some　stagnant　steaming　lagoon；　and　yet　seemed　to　be　whirling　

onward　with　the　determination　of　a　living　thing；　perpetually　eager　

and　remorseless；　leaping　savagely　at　any　obstacle　that　attempted　to　

stay　its　course；　an　unfriendly　river；　to　whose　waters　you　committed　

yourself　at　your　peril。　　Under　the　hot　breathless　shade　of　the　

trees　on　its　shore　arose　that　acrid　all…pervading　smell　that　seems　

to　hang　everywhere　about　the　tropics；　a　smell　as　of　some　monstrous　

musty　still…room　where　herbs　and　spices　have　been　crushed　and　

distilled　and　stored　for　hundreds　of　years；　and　where　the　windows　

have　seldom　been　opened。　　In　the　dazzling　heat　that　still　held　

undisputed　sway　over　the　scene；　insects　and　birds　seemed　

preposterously　alive　and　active；　flitting　their　gay　colours　through　

the　sunbeams；　and　crawling　over　the　baked　dust　in　the　full　swing　

and　pursuit　of　their　several　businesses；　the　flies　engaged　in　

Heaven　knows　what；　and　the　fly…catchers　busy　with　the　flies。　　

Beasts　and　humans　showed　no　such　indifference　to　the　temperature；　

the　sun　would　have　to　slant　yet　further　downward　before　the　earth　

would　become　a　fit　arena　for　their　revived　activities。　　In　the　

sheltered　basement　of　a　wayside　rest…house　a　gang　of　native　

hammock…bearers　slept　or　chattered　drowsily　through　the　last　hours　

of　the　long　mid…day　halt；　wide　awake；　yet　almost　motionless　in　the　

thrall　of　a　heavy　lassitude；　their　European　master　sat　alone　in　an　

upper　chamber；　staring　out　through　a　narrow　window…opening　at　the　

native　village；　spreading　away　in　thick　clusters　of　huts　girt　

around　with　cultivated　vegetation。　　It　seemed　a　vast　human　ant…

hill；　which　would　presently　be　astir　with　its　teeming　human　life；　

as　though　the　Sun　God　in　his　last　departing　stride　had　roused　it　

with　a　careless　kick。　　Even　as　Comus　watched　he　could　see　the　

beginnings　of　the　evening's　awakening。　　Women；　squatting　in　front　

of　their　huts；　began　to　pound　away　at　the　rice　or　maize　that　would　

form　the　evening　meal；　girls　were　collecting　their　water　pots　

preparatory　to　a　walk　down　to　the　river；　and　enterprising　goats　

made　tentative　forays　through　gaps　in　the　ill…kept　fences　of　

neighbouring　garden　plots；　their　hurried　retreats　showed　that　here　

at　least　someone　was　keeping　alert　and　wakeful　vigil。　　Behind　a　hut　

perched　on　a　steep　hill…side；　just　opposite　to　the　rest…house；　two　

boys　were　splitting　wood　with　a　certain　languid　industry；　further　

down　the　road　a　group　of　dogs　were　leisurely　working　themselves　up　

to　quarrelling　pitch。　　Here　and　there；　bands　of　evil…looking　pigs　

roamed　about；　busy　with　foraging　excursions　that　came　unpleasantly　

athwart　the　border…line　of　scavenging。　　And　from　the　trees　that　

bounded　and　intersected　the　village　rose　the　horrible；　tireless；　

spiteful…sounding　squawking　of　the　iron…throated　crows。



Comus　sat　and　watched　it　all　with　a　sense　of　growing　aching　

depression。　　It　was　so　utterly　trivial　to　his　eyes；　so　devoid　of　

interest；　and　yet　it　was　so　real；　so　serious；　so　implacable　in　its　

continuity。　　The　brain　grew　tired　with　the　thought　of　its　unceasing　

reproduction。　　It　had　all　gone　on；　as　it　was　going　on　now；　by　the　

side　of　the　great　rushing　swirling　river；　this　tilling　and　planting　

and　harvesting；　marketing　and　store…keeping；　feast…making　and　

fetish…worship　and　love…making；　burying　and　giving　in　marriage；　

child…bearing　and　child…rearing；　all　this　had　been　going　on；　in　the　

shimmering；　blistering　heat　and　the　warm　nights；　while　he　had　been　

a　youngster　at　school；　dimly　recognising　Africa　as　a　division　of　

the　earth's　surface　that　it　was　advisable　to　have　a　certain　nodding　

acquaintance　with。



It　had　been　going　on　in　all　its　trifling　detail；　all　its　serious　

intensity；　when　his　father　and　his　gra