manalive-第29节

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asked　for　cherry　brandy；　a　liqueur　which　I　keep；　but　is　seldom　demanded。
Then　the　monster；　with　great　politeness；　invited　me　to　partake
of　a　vermouth　before　my　dinner；　and　we　fell　into　conversation。
He　had　apparently　crossed　from　Kent　by　a　small　boat　got　at　a　private
bargain　because　of　some　odd　fancy　he　had　for　passing　promptly　in　an
easterly　direction；　and　not　waiting　for　any　of　the　official　boats。
He　was；　he　somewhat　vaguely　explained；　looking　for　a　house。　　When　I
naturally　asked　him　where　the　house　was；　he　answered　that　he　did　not　know；
it　was　on　an　island；　it　was　somewhere　to　the　east；　or；　as　he　expressed
it　with　a　hazy　and　yet　impatient　gesture；　‘over　there。'

〃I　asked　him　how；　if　he　did　not　know　the　place；　he　would　know　it　when　he
saw　it。　　Here　he　suddenly　ceased　to　be　hazy；　and　became　alarmingly　minute。
He　gave　a　description　of　the　house　detailed　enough　for　an　auctioneer。
I　have　forgotten　nearly　all　the　details　except　the　last　two；　which　were
that　the　lamp…post　was　painted　green；　and　that　there　was　a　red　pillar…box
at　the　corner。

〃‘A　red　pillar…box！'　I　cried　in　astonishment。　　‘Why；　the　place　must
be　in　England！'

〃‘I　had　forgotten；'　he　said；　nodding　heavily。　　‘That　is　the　island's　name。'

〃‘But；　~nom　du　nom~；'　I　cried　testily；　‘you've　just　come
from　England；　my　boy。'

〃‘They　SAID　it　was　England；'　said　my　imbecile；　conspiratorially。
‘They　said　it　was　Kent。　　But　Kentish　men　are　such　liars　one　can't
believe　anything　they　say。'

〃‘Monsieur；'　I　said；　‘you　must　pardon　me。　　I　am　elderly；
and　the　~fumisteries~　of　the　young　men　are　beyond　me。
I　go　by　common　sense；　or；　at　the　largest；　by　that　extension
of　applied　common　sense　called　science。'

〃‘Science！'　cried　the　stranger。　　‘There　is　only　one　good　things
science　ever　discovereda　good　thing；　good　tidings　of　great　joy
that　the　world　is　round。'

〃I　told　him　with　civility　that　his　words　conveyed　no　impression
to　my　intelligence。　　‘I　mean；'　he　said；　‘that　going　right　round
the　world　is　the　shortest　way　to　where　you　are　already。'

〃‘Is　it　not　even　shorter；'　I　asked；　‘to　stop　where　you　are？'

〃‘No；　no；　no！'　he　cried　emphatically。　　‘That　way　is　long　and　very　weary。
At　the　end　of　the　world；　at　the　back　of　the　dawn；　I　shall　find
the　wife　I　really　married　and　the　house　that　is　really　mine。
And　that　house　will　have　a　greener　lamp…post　and　a　redder　pillar…box。
Do　you；'　he　asked　with　a　sudden　intensity；　‘do　you　never　want　to　rush
out　of　your　house　in　order　to　find　it？'

〃‘No；　I　think　not；'　I　replied；　‘reason　tells　a　man　from
the　first　to　adapt　his　desires　to　the　probable　supply　of　life。
I　remain　here；　content　to　fulfil　the　life　of　man。
All　my　interests　are　here；　and　most　of　my　friends；　and'

〃‘And　yet；'　he　cried；　starting　to　his　almost　terrific　height；
‘you　made　the　French　Revolution！'

〃‘Pardon　me；〃　I　said；　‘I　am　not　quite　so　elderly。
A　relative　perhaps。'

〃‘I　mean　your　sort　did！'　exclaimed　this　personage。
‘Yes；　your　damned　smug；　settled；　sensible　sort　made
the　French　Revolution。　　Oh！　　I　know　some　say　it　was　no　good；
and　you're　just　back　where　you　were　before。　　Why；　blast　it　all；
that's　just　where　we　all　want　to　beback　where　we　were　before！
That　is　revolutiongoing　right　round！　　Every　revolution；
like　a　repentance；　is　a　return。'

〃He　was　so　excited　that　I　waited　till　he　had　taken　his　seat　again；
and　then　said　something　indifferent　and　soothing；　but　he　struck
the　tiny　table　with　his　colossal　fist　and　went　on。

〃‘I　am　going　to　have　a　revolution；　not　a　French　Revolution；　but　an
English　Revolution。　　God　has　given　to　each　tribe　its　own　type　of　mutiny。
The　Frenchmen　march　against　the　citadel　of　the　city　together；　the　Englishman
marches　to　the　outskirts　of　the　town；　and　alone。　　But　I　am　going　to　turn
the　world　upside　down；　too。　　I'm　going　to　turn　myself　upside　down。
I'm　going　to　walk　upside　down　in　the　cursed　upsidedownland　of　the　Antipodes；
where　trees　and　men　hang　head　downward　in　the　sky。　　But　my　revolution；
like　yours；　like　the　earth's；　will　end　up　in　the　holy；　happy　place
the　celestial；　incredible　placethe　place　where　we　were　before。'

〃With　these　remarks；　which　can　scarcely　be　reconciled　with　reason；
he　leapt　from　the　seat　and　strode　away　into　the　twilight；
swinging　his　pole　and　leaving　behind　him　an　excessive　payment；
which　also　pointed　to　some　loss　of　mental　balance。
This　is　all　I　know　of　the　episode　of　the　man　landed　from　the
fishing…boat；　and　I　hope　it　may　serve　the　interests　of　justice。
Accept；　Sir；　the　assurances　of　the　very　high　consideration；
with　which　I　have　the　honour　to　be　your　obedient　servant；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Jules　Durobin。〃


〃The　next　document　in　our　dossier；〃　continued　Inglewood；
〃comes　from　the　town　of　Crazok；　in　the　central　plains　of　Russia；
and　runs　as　follows：


〃Sir；My　name　is　Paul　Nickolaiovitch：　　I　am　the　stationmaster
at　the　station　near　Crazok。　　The　great　trains　go　by　across
the　plains　taking　people　to　China；　but　very　few　people　get
down　at　the　platform　where　I　have　to　watch。　　This　makes　my　life
rather　lonely；　and　I　am　thrown　back　much　upon　the　books　I　have。
But　I　cannot　discuss　these　very　much　with　my　neighbours；
for　enlightened　ideas　have　not　spread　in　this　part　of　Russia
so　much　as　in　other　parts。　　Many　of　the　peasants　round　here
have　never　heard　of　Bernard　Shaw。

〃I　am　a　Liberal；　and　do　my　best　to　spread　Liberal　ideas；　but　since
the　failure　of　the　revolution　this　has　been　even　more　difficult。
The　revolutionists　committed　many　acts　contrary　to　the　pure　principles
of　humanitarianism；　with　which　indeed；　owing　to　the　scarcity　of　books；
they　were　ill　acquainted。　　I　did　not　approve　of　these　cruel　acts；
though　provoked　by　the　tyranny　of　the　government；　but　now　there
is　a　tendency　to　reproach　all　Intelligents　with　the　memory　of　them。
This　is　very　unfortunate　for　Intelligents。

〃It　was　when　the　railway　strike　was　almost　over；　and　a　few　trains
came　through　at　long　intervals；　that　I　stood　one　day　watching
a　train　that　had　come　in。　　Only　one　person　got　out　of　the　train；
far　away　up　at　the　other　end　of　it；　for　it　was　a　very　long　train。
It　was　evening；　with　a　cold；　greenish　sky。　　A　little　snow　had　fallen；
but　not　enough　to　whiten　the　plain；　which　stretched　away　a　sort
of　sad　purple　in　all　directions；　save　where　the　flat　tops
of　some　distant　tablelands　caught　the　evening　light　like　lakes。
As　the　solitary　man　came　stamping　along　on　the　thin　snow　by　the　train
he　grew　larger　and　larger；　I　thought　I　had　never　seen　so　large　a　man。
But　he　looked　even　taller　than　he　was；　I　think；　because　his
shoulders　were　very　big　and　his　head　comparatively　little。
From　the　big　shoulders　hung　a　tattered　old　jacket；　striped　dull
red　and　dirty　white；　very　thin　for　the　winter；　and　one　hand　rested
on　a　huge　pole　such　as　peasants　rake　in　weeds　with　to　burn　them。

〃Before　he　had　traversed　the　full　length　of　the　train　he　was　entangled　in　one
of　those　knots　of　rowdies　that　were　the　embers　of　the　extinct　revolution；
though　they　mostly　disgraced　themselves　upon　the　government　side。
I　was　just　moving　to　his　assistance；　when　he　whirled　up　his　rake　and　laid
out　right　and　left　with　such　energy　that　he　came　through　them　without　scathe
and　strode　right　up　to　me；　leaving　them　staggered　and　really　astonished。

〃Yet　when　he　reached　me；　after　so　abrupt　an　assertion　of　his　aim；
he　could　only　say　rather　dubiously　in　French　that　he　wanted　a　house。

〃‘There　are　not　many　houses　to　be　had　round　here；'　I　answered
in　the　same　language；　‘the　district　has　been　very　disturbed。
A　revolution；　as　you　know；　has　recently　been　suppressed。
Any　further　building'

〃‘Oh！　I　don't　mean　that；'　he　cried；　‘I　mean　a　real　housea　live　house。
It　really　is　a　live　house；　for　it　runs　away　from　me。'

〃‘I　am　ashamed　to　say　that　something　in　his　phrase　or　gesture
moved　me　profoundly。　　We　Russians　are　brought　up　in　an　atmosphere
of　folk…lore；　and　its　unfortunate　effects　can　still　be　seen
in　the　bright　colours　of　the　children's　dolls　and　of　the　ikons。
For　an　instant　the　idea　of　a　house　running　away　from　a　man　gave
me　pleasure；　for　the　enlightenment　of　man　moves　slowly。

〃‘Have　you　no　other　house　of　your　own？'　　I　asked。

〃‘I　have　left　it；'　he　said　very　sadly。　　‘It　was　not　the　house　that　grew　dull；
but　I　that　grew　dull　in　it。　　My　wife　was　better　than　all　women；　and　yet　I
could　not　feel　it。'

〃‘And　so；'　I　said　with　sympathy；　‘you　walked　straight　out　of　the　front　door；
like　a　masculine　Nora。'

〃‘Nora？'　he　inquired　politely；　apparently　supposing　it　to　be　a　Russian　word。

〃‘I　mean　Nora　in　〃The　Doll's　House；〃'　I　replied。

〃At　this　he　looked　very　much　astonished；　and　I　knew　he　was　an　Englishman；
for　Englishmen　always　think　that　Russians　study　nothing　but　‘ukases。'

〃‘〃The　Doll's　House〃？'　he　cried　vehemently；　‘why；　that　is　just　where　Ibsen
was　so　wrong！　　Why；　the　whole　aim　of　a　house　is　to　be　a　doll's　house。
Don't　you　remember；　when　you　were　a　child；　how　those　little　windows
WERE　windows；　while　the　big　windows　weren't。　A　child　has　a　doll's　house；
and　shrieks　when　a　front　door　opens　inwards。　　A　banker　has　a　real　house；
yet　how　numerous　are　the　bankers　who　fail　to　emit　the　faintest　shriek
when　their　real　front　doors　open　inwards。'

〃Something　from　the　folk…lore　of　my　i