elizabeth and her german garden-第23节

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　　　　　　　Prattling；　bimetallic　star！〃

〃No　doubt　she　had　understood　very　little；〃　said　the　Man　of　Wrath；　taking　no　notice　of　this　effusion。

〃And　no　doubt　the　gentleman　hadn't　understood　much　either。〃　Irais　was　plainly　irritated。

〃Your　opinion　of　woman；〃　said　Minora　in　a　very　small　voice；　〃is　not　a　high　one。　　But；　in　the　sick　chamber；　I　suppose　you　agree　that　no　one　could　take　her　place？　〃

〃If　you　are　thinking　of　hospital…nurses；〃　I　said；　〃I　must　tell　you　that　I　believe　he　married　chiefly　that　he　might　have　a　wife　instead　of　a　strange　woman　to　nurse　him　when　he　is　sick。〃

〃But；〃　said　Minora；　bewildered　at　the　way　her　illusions　were　being　knocked　about；　〃the　sick…room　is　surely　the　very　place　of　all　others　in　which　a　woman's　gentleness　and　tact　are　most　valuable。〃

〃Gentleness　and　tact？〃　repeated　the　Man　of　Wrath。　〃I　have　never　met　those　qualities　in　the　professional　nurse。　According　to　my　experience；　she　is　a　disagreeable　person　who　finds　in　private　nursing　exquisite　opportunities　for　asserting　her　superiority　over　ordinary　and　prostrate　mankind。　I　know　of　no　more　humiliating　position　for　a　man　than　to　be　in　bed　having　his　feverish　brow　soothed　by　a　sprucely…dressed　strange　woman；　bristling　with　starch　and　spotlessness。　He　would　give　half　his　income　for　his　clothes；　and　probably　the　other　half　if　she　would　leave　him　alone；　and　go　away　altogether。　He　feels　her　superiority　through　every　pore；　he　never　before　realised　how　absolutely　inferior　he　is；　he　is　abjectly　polite；　and　contemptibly　conciliatory；　if　a　friend　comes　to　see　him；　he　eagerly　praises　her　in　case　she　should　be　listening　behind　the　screen；　he　cannot　call　his　soul　his　own；　and；　what　is　far　more　intolerable；　neither　is　he　sure　that　his　body　really　belongs　to　him；　he　has　read　of　ministering　angels　and　the　light　touch　of　a　woman's　hand；　but　the　day　on　which　he　can　ring　for　his　servant　and　put　on　his　socks　in　private　fills　him　with　the　same　sort　of　wildness　of　joy　that　he　felt　as　a　homesick　schoolboy　at　the　end　of　his　first　term。〃

Minora　was　silent。　　Irais's　foot　was　livelier　than　ever。　The　Man　of　Wrath　stood　smiling　blandly　down　upon　us。　You　can't　argue　with　a　person　so　utterly　convinced　of　his　infallibility　that　he　won't　even　get　angry　with　you；　so　we　sat　round　and　said　nothing。

〃If；〃　he　went　on；　addressing　Irais；　who　looked　rebellious；　〃you　doubt　the　truth　of　my　remarks；　and　still　cling　to　the　old　poetic　notion　of　noble；　self…sacrificing　women　tenderly　helping　the　patient　over　the　rough　places　on　the　road　to　death　or　recovery；　let　me　beg　you　to　try　for　yourself；　next　time　any　one　in　your　house　is　ill；　whether　the　actual　fact　in　any　way　corresponds　to　the　picturesque　belief。　The　angel　who　is　to　alleviate　our　sufferings　comes　in　such　a　questionable　shape；　that　to　the　unimaginative　she　appears　merely　as　an　extremely　self…confident　young　woman；　wisely　concerned　first　of　all　in　securing　her　personal　comfort；　much　given　to　complaints　about　her　food　and　to　helplessness　where　she　should　be　helpful；　possessing　an　extraordinary　capacity　for　fancying　herself　slighted；　or　not　regarded　as　the　superior　being　she　knows　herself　to　be；　morbidly　anxious　lest　the　servants　should；　by　some　mistake；　treat　her　with　offensive　cordiality；　pettish　if　the　patient　gives　more　trouble　than　she　had　expected；　intensely　injured　and　disagreeable　if　he　is　made　so　courageous　by　his　wretchedness　as　to　wake　her　during　the　night　an　act　of　desperation　of　which　I　was　guilty　once；　and　once　only。　Oh；　these　good　women！　　What　sane　man　wants　to　have　to　do　with　angels？　And　especially　do　we　object　to　having　them　about　us　when　we　are　sick　and　sorry；　when　we　feel　in　every　fibre　what　poor　things　we　are；　and　when　all　our　fortitude　is　needed　to　enable　us　to　bear　our　temporary　inferiority　patiently；　without　being　forced　besides　to　assume　an　attitude　of　eager　and　grovelling　politeness　towards　the　angel　in　the　house。〃

There　was　a　pause。

〃I　didn't　know　you　could　talk　so　much；　Sage；〃　said　Irais　at　length。

〃What　would　you　have　women　do；　then？〃　asked　Minora　meekly。　Irais　began　to　beat　her　foot　up　and　down　again；what　did　it　matter　what　Men　of　Wrath　would　have　us　do？　　〃There　are　not；〃　continued　Minora；　blushing；　〃husbands　enough　for　every　one；　and　the　rest　must　do　something。〃

〃Certainly；〃　replied　the　oracle。　　〃Study　the　art　of　pleasing　by　dress　and　manner　as　long　as　you　are　of　an　age　to　interest　us；　and　above　all；　let　all　women；　pretty　and　plain；　married　and　single；　study　the　art　of　cookery。　　If　you　are　an　artist　in　the　kitchen　you　will　always　be　esteemed。〃

I　sat　very　still。　　Every　German　woman；　even　the　wayward　Irais；　has　learned　to　cook；　I　seem　to　have　been　the　only　one　who　was　naughty　and　wouldn't。

〃Only　be　careful；〃　he　went　on；　〃in　studying　both　arts；　never　to　forget　the　great　truth　that　dinner　precedes　blandishments　and　not　blandishments　dinner。　　A　man　must　be　made　comfortable　before　he　will　make　love　to　you；　and　though　it　is　true　that　if　you　offered　him　a　choice　between　Spickgans　and　kisses；　he　would　say　he　would　take　both；　yet　he　would　invariably　begin　with　the　Spickgans；　and　allow　the　kisses　to　wait。〃

At　this　I　got　up；　and　Irais　followed　my　example。　〃Your　cynicism　is　disgusting；〃　I　said　icily。

〃You　two　are　always　exceptions　to　anything　I　may　say；〃　he　said；　smiling　amiably。

He　stooped　and　kissed　Irais's　hand。　　She　is　inordinately　vain　of　her　hands；　and　says　her　husband　married　her　for　their　sake；　which　I　can　quite　believe。　　I　am　glad　they　are　on　her　and　not　on　Minora；　for　if　Minora　had　had　them　I　should　have　been　annoyed。　　Minora's　are　bony；　with　chilly…looking　knuckles；　ignored　nails；　and　too　much　wrist。　I　feel　very　well　disposed　towards　her　when　my　eye　falls　on　them。　She　put　one　forward　now；　evidently　thinking　it　would　be　kissed　too。

〃Did　you　know；〃　said　Irais；　seeing　the　movement；　〃that　it　is　the　custom　here　to　kiss　women's　hands？〃

〃But　only　married　women's；〃　I　added；　not　desiring　her　to　feel　out　of　it；　〃never　young　girls'。〃

She　drew　it　in　again。　　〃It　is　a　pretty　custom；〃　she　said　with　a　sigh；　and　pensively　inscribed　it　in　her　book。


January　15th。The　bills　for　my　roses　and　bulbs　and　other　last　year's　horticultural　indulgences　were　all　on　the　table　when　I　came　down　to　breakfast　this　morning。　　They　rather　frightened　me。　　Gardening　is　expensive；　I　find；　when　it　has　to　be　paid　for　out　of　one's　own　private　pin…money。　The　Man　of　Wrath　does　not　in　the　least　want　roses；　or　flowering　shrubs；　or　plantations；　or　new　paths；　and　therefore；　he　asks；　why　should　he　pay　for　them？　So　he　does　not　and　I　do；　and　I　have　to　make　up　for　it　by　not　indulging　all　too　riotously　in　new　clothes；　which　is　no　doubt　very　chastening。　I　certainly　prefer　buying　new　rose…trees　to　new　dresses；　if　I　cannot　comfortably　have　both；　and　I　see　a　time　coming　when　the　passion　for　my　garden　will　have　taken　such　a　hold　on　me　that　I　shall　not　only　entirely　cease　buying　more　clothes；　but　begin　to　sell　those　that　I　already　have。　The　garden　is　so　big　that　everything　has　to　be　bought　wholesale；　and　I　fear　I　shall　not　be　able　to　go　on　much　longer　with　only　one　man　and　a　stork；　because　the　more　I　plant　the　more　there　will　be　to　water　in　the　inevitable　drought；　and　the　watering　is　a　serious　consideration　when　it　means　going　backwards　and　forwards　all　day　long　to　a　pump　near　the　house；　with　a　little　water…cart。　People　living　in　England；　in　almost　perpetual　mildness　and　moisture；　don't　really　know　what　a　drought　is。　If　they　have　some　weeks　of　cloudless　weather；　it　is　generally　preceded　and　followed　by　good　rains；　but　we　have　perhaps　an　hour's　shower　every　week；　and　then　comes　a　month　or　six　weeks'　drought。　　The　soil　is　very　light；　and　dries　so　quickly　that；　after　the　heaviest　thunder…shower；　I　can　walk　over　any　of　my　paths　in　my　thin　shoes；　and　to　keep　the　garden　even　moderately　damp　it　should　pour　with　rain　regularly　every　day　for　three　hours。　My　only　means　of　getting　water　is　to　go　to　the　pump　near　the　house；　or　to　the　little　stream　that　forms　my　eastern　boundary；　and　the　little　stream　dries　up　too　unless　there　has　been　rain；　and　is　at　the　best　of　times　difficult　to　get　at；　having　steep　banks　covered　with　forget…me…nots。　I　possess　one　moist；　peaty　bit　of　ground；　and　that　is　to　be　planted　with　silver　birches　in　imitation　of　the　Hirschwald；　and　is　to　be　carpeted　between　the　birches　with　flaming　azaleas。　　All　the　rest　of　my　soil　is　sandy　the　soil　for　pines　and　acacias；　but　not　the　soil　for　roses；　yet　see　what　love　will　dothere　are　more　roses　in　my　garden　than　any　other　flower！　Next　spring　the　bare　places　are　to　be　filled　with　trees　that　I　have　ordered：　pines　behind　the　delicate　acacias；　and　startling　mountain…ashes；　oaks；　copper…beeches；　maples；　larches；　juniper…treeswas　it　not　Elijah　who　sat　down　to　rest　under　a　juniper…tree？　I　have　often　wondered　how　he　managed　to　get　under　it。　　It　is　a　compact　little　tree；　not　more　than　two　to　three　yards　high　here；　and　all　closely　squeezed　up　together。　　Perhaps　they　grew　more　aggressively　where　he　was。　By　the　time　the　babies　have　grown　old　and　disagreeable　it　will　be　very　pretty　here；　and　then　possibly　they　won't　like　it；　and；　if　they　have　inherited　the　Man　of　Wrath's　indifference　to　gardens；　they　will　let　it　run　wild　and　leave　it　to　return　to　the　state　in　which　I　found　it。　Or　perhaps　their　thr