the trees of pride-第1节

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The　Trees　of　Pride

by　G。K。　Chesterton





THE　TREES　OF　PRIDE：
　　I。　THE　TALE　OF　THE　PEACOCK　TREES
　　II。　THE　WAGER　OF　SQUIRE　VANE
　　III。　THE　MYSTERY　OF　THE　WELL
　　IV。　THE　CHASE　AFTER　THE　TRUTH




THE　TREES　OF　PRIDE

I。　THE　TALE　OF　THE　PEACOCK　TREES

Squire　Vane　was　an　elderly　schoolboy　of　English　education　and　Irish　extraction。　　His　English　education；　at　one　of　the　great　public　schools；　had　preserved　his　intellect　perfectly　and　permanently　at　the　stage　of　boyhood。　　But　his　Irish　extraction　subconsciously　upset　in　him　the　proper　solemnity　of　an　old　boy；　and　sometimes　gave　him　back　the　brighter　outlook　of　a　naughty　boy。　He　had　a　bodily　impatience　which　played　tricks　upon　him　almost　against　his　will；　and　had　already　rendered　him　rather　too　radiant　a　failure　in　civil　and　diplomatic　service。　Thus　it　is　true　that　compromise　is　the　key　of　British　policy；　especially　as　effecting　an　impartiality　among　the　religions　of　India；　but　Vane's　attempt　to　meet　the　Moslem　halfway　by　kicking　off　one　boot　at　the　gates　of　the　mosque；　was　felt　not　so　much　to　indicate　true　impartiality　as　something　that　could　only　be　called　an　aggressive　indifference。　　Again；　it　is　true　that　an　English　aristocrat　can　hardly　enter　fully　into　the　feelings　of　either　party　in　a　quarrel　between　a　Russian　Jew　and　an　Orthodox　procession　carrying　relics；　but　Vane's　idea　that　the　procession　might　carry　the　Jew　as　well；　himself　a　venerable　and　historic　relic；　was　misunderstood　on　both　sides。　　In　short；　he　was　a　man　who　particularly　prided　himself　on　having　no　nonsense　about　him；　with　the　result　that　he　was　always　doing　nonsensical　things。　He　seemed　to　be　standing　on　his　head　merely　to　prove　that　he　was　hard…headed。

He　had　just　finished　a　hearty　breakfast；　in　the　society　of　his　daughter；　at　a　table　under　a　tree　in　his　garden　by　the　Cornish　coast。　　For；　having　a　glorious　circulation；　he　insisted　on　as　many　outdoor　meals　as　possible；　though　spring　had　barely　touched　the　woods　and　warmed　the　seas　round　that　southern　extremity　of　England。　　His　daughter　Barbara；　a　good…looking　girl　with　heavy　red　hair　and　a　face　as　grave　as　one　of　the　garden　statues；　still　sat　almost　motionless　as　a　statue　when　her　father　rose。　A　fine　tall　figure　in　light　clothes；　with　his　white　hair　and　mustache　flying　backwards　rather　fiercely　from　a　face　that　was　good…humored　enough；　for　he　carried　his　very　wide　Panama　hat　in　his　hand；　he　strode　across　the　terraced　garden；　down　some　stone　steps　flanked　with　old　ornamental　urns　to　a　more　woodland　path　fringed　with　little　trees；　and　so　down　a　zigzag　road　which　descended　the　craggy　Cliff　to　the　shore；　where　he　was　to　meet　a　guest　arriving　by　boat。　　A　yacht　was　already　in　the　blue　bay；　and　he　could　see　a　boat　pulling　toward　the　little　paved　pier。

And　yet　in　that　short　walk　between　the　green　turf　and　the　yellow　sands　he　was　destined　to　find。　　his　hard…headedness　provoked　into　a　not　unfamiliar　phase　which　the　world　was　inclined　to　call　hot…headedness。　The　fact　was　that　the　Cornish　peasantry；　who　composed　his　tenantry　and　domestic　establishment；　were　far　from　being　people　with　no　nonsense　about　them。　There　was；　alas！　a　great　deal　of　nonsense　about　them；　with　ghosts；　witches；　and　traditions　as　old　as　Merlin；　they　seemed　to　surround　him　with　a　fairy　ring　of　nonsense。　But　the　magic　circle　had　one　center：　　there　was　one　point　in　which　the　curving　conversation　of　the　rustics　always　returned。　It　was　a　point　that　always　pricked　the　Squire　to　exasperation；　and　even　in　this　short　walk　he　seemed　to　strike　it　everywhere。　He　paused　before　descending　the　steps　from　the　lawn　to　speak　to　the　gardener　about　potting　some　foreign　shrubs；　and　the　gardener　seemed　to　be　gloomily　gratified；　in　every　line　of　his　leathery　brown　visage；　at　the　chance　of　indicating　that　he　had　formed　a　low　opinion　of　foreign　shrubs。

〃We　wish　you'd　get　rid　of　what　you've　got　here；　sir；〃　he　observed；　digging　doggedly。　　〃Nothing'll　grow　right　with　them　here。〃

〃Shrubs！〃　said　the　Squire；　laughing。　　〃You　don't　call　the　peacock　trees　shrubs；　do　you？　　Fine　tall　treesyou　ought　to　be　proud　of　them。〃

〃Ill　weeds　grow　apace；〃　observed　the　gardener。　　〃Weeds　can　grow　as　houses　when　somebody　plants　them。〃　　Then　he　added：　〃Him　that　sowed　tares　in　the　Bible；　Squire。〃

〃Oh；　blast　your〃　began　the　Squire；　and　then　replaced　the　more　apt　and　alliterative　word　〃Bible〃　by　the　general　word　〃superstition。〃　He　was　himself　a　robust　rationalist；　but　he　went　to　church　to　set　his　tenants　an　example。　　Of　what；　it　would　have　puzzled　him　to　say。

A　little　way　along　the　lower　path　by　the　trees　he　encountered　a　woodcutter；　one　Martin；　who　was　more　explicit；　having　more　of　a　grievance。　　His　daughter　was　at　that　time　seriously　ill　with　a　fever　recently　common　on　that　coast；　and　the　Squire；　who　was　a　kind…hearted　gentleman；　would　normally　have　made　allowances　for　low　spirits　and　loss　of　temper。　But　he　came　near　to　losing　his　own　again　when　the　peasant　persisted　in　connecting　his　tragedy　with　the　traditional　monomania　about　the　foreign　trees。

〃If　she　were　well　enough　I'd　move　her；〃　said　the　woodcutter；　〃as　we　can't　move　them；　I　suppose。　　I'd　just　like　to　get　my　chopper　into　them　and　feel　'em　come　crashing　down。〃

〃One　would　think　they　were　dragons；〃　said　Vane。

〃And　that's　about　what　they　look　like；〃　replied　Martin。　　〃Look　at　'em！〃

The　woodman　was　naturally　a　rougher　and　even　wilder　figure　than　the　gardener。　　His　face　also　was　brown；　and　looked　like　an　antique　parchment；　and　it　was　framed　in　an　outlandish　arrangement　of　raven　beard　and　whiskers；　which　was　really　a　fashion　fifty　years　ago；　but　might　have　been　five　thousand　years　old　or　older。　Phoenicians；　one　felt；　trading　on　those　strange　shores　in　the　morning　of　the　world；　might　have　combed　or　curled　or　braided　their　blue…black　hair　into　some　such　quaint　patterns。　For　this　patch　of　population　was　as　much　a　corner　of　Cornwall　as　Cornwall　is　a　corner　of　England；　a　tragic　and　unique　race；　small　and　interrelated　like　a　Celtic　clan。　　The　clan　was　older　than　the　Vane　family；　though　that　was　old　as　county　families　go。　For　in　many　such　parts　of　England　it　is　the　aristocrats　who　are　the　latest　arrivals。　　It　was　the　sort　of　racial　type　that　is　supposed　to　be　passing；　and　perhaps　has　already　passed。

The　obnoxious　objects　stood　some　hundred　yards　away　from　the　speaker；　who　waved　toward　them　with　his　ax；　and　there　was　something　suggestive　in　the　comparison。　　That　coast；　to　begin　with；　stretching　toward　the　sunset；　was　itself　almost　as　fantastic　as　a　sunset　cloud。　It　was　cut　out　against　the　emerald　or　indigo　of　the　sea　in　graven　horns　and　crescents　that　might　be　the　cast　or　mold　of　some　such　crested　serpents；　and；　beneath；　was　pierced　and　fretted　by　caves　and　crevices；　as　if　by　the　boring　of　some　such　titanic　worms。　Over　and　above　this　draconian　architecture　of　the　earth　a　veil　of　gray　woods　hung　thinner　like　a　vapor；　woods　which　the　witchcraft　of　the　sea　had；　as　usual；　both　blighted　and　blown　out　of　shape。　To　the　right　the　trees　trailed　along　the　sea　front　in　a　single　line；　each　drawn　out　in　thin　wild　lines　like　a　caricature。　　At　the　other　end　of　their　extent　they　multiplied　into　a　huddle　of　hunchbacked　trees；　a　wood　spreading　toward　a　projecting　part　of　the　high　coast。　It　was　here　that　the　sight　appeared　to　which　so　many　eyes　and　minds　seemed　to　be　almost　automatically　turning。

Out　of　the　middle　of　this　low；　and　more　or　less　level　wood；　rose　three　separate　stems　that　shot　up　and　soared　into　the　sky　like　a　lighthouse　out　of　the　waves　or　a　church　spire　out　of　the　village　roofs。　They　formed　a　clump　of　three　columns　close　together；　which　might　well　be　the　mere　bifurcation；　or　rather　trifurcation；　of　one　tree；　the　lower　part　being　lost　or　sunken　in　the　thick　wood　around。　Everything　about　them　suggested　something　stranger　and　more　southern　than　anything　even　in　that　last　peninsula　of　Britain　which　pushes　out　farthest　toward　Spain　and　Africa　and　the　southern　stars。　Their　leathery　leafage　had　sprouted　in　advance　of　the　faint　mist　of　yellow…green　around　them；　and　it　was　of　another　and　less　natural　green；　tinged　with　blue；　like　the　colors　of　a　kingfisher。　But　one　might　fancy　it　the　scales　of　some　three…headed　dragon　towering　over　a　herd　of　huddled　and　fleeing　cattle。

〃I　am　exceedingly　sorry　your　girl　is　so　unwell；〃　said　Vane　shortly。　〃But　really〃　and　he　strode　down　the　steep　road　with　plunging　strides。

The　boat　was　already　secured　to　the　little　stone　jetty；　and　the　boatman；　a　younger　shadow　of　the　woodcutter　and；　indeed；　a　nephew　of　that　useful　malcontentsaluted　his　territorial　lord　with　the　sullen　formality　of　the　family。　The　Squire　acknowledged　it　casually　and　had　soon　forgotten　all　such　things　in　shaking　hands　with　the　visitor　who　had　just　come　ashore。　The　visitor　was　a　long；　loose　man；　very　lean　to　be　so　young；　whose　long；　fine　features　seemed　wholly　fitted　together　of　bone　and　nerve；　and　seemed　somehow　to　contrast　with　his　hair；　that　showed　in　vivid　yellow　patches　upon　his　hollow　temples　under　the　brim　of　his　white　holiday　hat。　　He　was　carefully　dressed　in　exquisite　taste；　though　he　had　come　straight　from　a　considerable　sea　voyage；　and　he　carried　something　in　his　hand　which　in　his　long　European　travels；　and　even　longer　European　visits；　he　had　almost　forgotten　to