the research magnificent-第29节

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ttle　square…cornered　sofa。　〃Of　course；　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders；〃　she　said；　〃of　course　the　world　must　belong　to　the　people　who　dare。　　Of　course　people　aren't　all　alike；　and　dull　people；　as　Mr。　Benham　says；　and　spiteful　people；　and　narrow　people　have　no　right　to　any　voice　at　all　in　things。　。　。　。

4

In　saying　this　she　did　but　echo　Benham's　very　words；　and　all　she　said　and　did　that　evening　was　in　quick　response　to　Benham's　earnest　expression　of　his　views。　　She　found　Benham　a　delightful　novelty。　She　liked　to　argue　because　there　was　no　other　talk　so　lively；　and　she　had　perhaps　a　lurking　intellectual　grudge　against　Mr。　Rathbone…　Sanders　that　made　her　welcome　an　ally。　　Everything　from　her　that　night　that　even　verges　upon　the　notable　has　been　told；　and　yet　it　sufficed；　together　with　something　in　the　clear；　long　line　of　her　limbs；　in　her　voice；　in　her　general　physical　quality；　to　convince　Benham　that　she　was　the　freest；　finest；　bravest　spirit　that　he　had　ever　encountered。　In　the　papers　he　left　behind　him　was　to　be　found　his　perplexed　endeavours　to　explain　this　mental　leap；　that　after　all　his　efforts　still　remained　unexplained。　　He　had　been　vividly　impressed　by　the　decision　and　courage　of　her　treatment　of　the　dogs；　it　was　just　the　sort　of　thing　he　could　not　do。　　And　there　was　a　certain　contagiousness　in　the　petting　admiration　with　which　her　family　treated　her。　　But　she　was　young　and　healthy　and　so　was　he；　and　in　a　second　mystery　lies　the　key　of　the　first。　　He　had　fallen　in　love　with　her；　and　that　being　so　whatever　he　needed　that　instantly　she　was。　　He　needed　a　companion；　clean　and　brave　and　understanding。　。　。　。　In　his　bed　in　the　Ship　that　night　he　thought　of　nothing　but　her　before　he　went　to　sleep；　and　when　next　morning　he　walked　on　his　way　over　the　South　Downs　to　Chichester　his　mind　was　full　of　her　image　and　of　a　hundred　pleasant　things　about　her。　　In　his　confessions　he　wrote；　〃I　felt　there　was　a　sword　in　her　spirit。　　I　felt　she　was　as　clean　as　the　wind。〃　Love　is　the　most　chastening　of　powers；　and　he　did　not　even　remember　now　that　two　days　before　he　had　told　the　wind　and　the　twilight　that　he　would　certainly　〃roll　and　rollick　in　women〃　unless　there　was　work　for　him　to　do。　　She　had　a　peculiarly　swift　and　easy　stride　that　went　with　him　in　his　thoughts　along　the　turf　by　the　wayside　halfway　and　more　to　Chichester。　　He　thought　always　of　the　two　of　them　as　being　side　by　side。　　His　imagination　became　childishly　romantic。　　The　open　down　about　him　with　its　scrub　of　thorn　and　yew　became　the　wilderness　of　the　world；　and　through　it　they　wentin　armour；　weightless　armourand　they　wore　long　swords。　　There　was　a　breeze　blowing　and　larks　were　singing　and　something；　something　dark　and　tortuous　dashed　suddenly　in　headlong　flight　from　before　their　feet。　　It　was　an　ethical　problem　such　as　those　Mrs。　Skelmersdale　nursed　in　her　bosom。　But　at　the　sight　of　Amanda　it　had　straightened　outand　fled。　。　。　。　And　interweaving　with　such　imaginings；　he　was　some　day　to　record；　there　were　others。　　She　had　brought　back　to　his　memory　the　fancies　that　had　been　aroused　in　his　first　reading　of　Plato's　REPUBLIC；　she　made　him　think　of　those　women　Guardians；　who　were　the　friends　and　mates　of　men。　　He　wanted　now　to　re…read　that　book　and　the　LAWS。　　He　could　not　remember　if　the　Guardians　were　done　in　the　LAWS　as　well　as　in　the　REPUBLIC。　　He　wished　he　had　both　these　books　in　his　rucksack；　but　as　he　had　not；　he　decided　he　would　hunt　for　them　in　Chichester。　When　would　he　see　Amanda　again？　　He　would　ask　his　mother　to　make　the　acquaintance　of　these　very　interesting　people；　but　as　they　did　not　come　to　London　very　much　it　might　be　some　time　before　he　had　a　chance　of　seeing　her　again。　　And；　besides；　he　was　going　to　America　and　India。　　The　prospect　of　an　exploration　of　the　world　was　still　noble　and　attractive；　but　he　realized　it　would　stand　very　much　in　the　way　of　his　seeing　more　of　Amanda。　　Would　it　be　a　startling　and　unforgivable　thing　if　presently　he　began　to　write　to　her？　　Girls　of　that　age　and　spirit　living　in　out…of…the…way　villages　have　been　known　to　marry。　。　。　。　Marriage　didn't　at　this　stage　strike　Benham　as　an　agreeable　aspect　of　Amanda's　possibilities；　it　was　an　inconvenience；　his　mind　was　running　in　the　direction　of　pedestrian　tours　in　armour　of　no　particular　weight；　amidst　scenery　of　a　romantic　wildness。　。　。　。　When　he　had　gone　to　the　house　and　taken　his　leave　that　morning　it　had　seemed　quite　in　the　vein　of　the　establishment　that　he　should　be　received　by　Amanda　alone　and　taken　up　the　long　garden　before　anybody　else　appeared；　to　see　the　daffodils　and　the　early　apple…trees　in　blossom　and　the　pear…trees　white　and　delicious。　Then　he　had　taken　his　leave　of　them　all　and　made　his　social　tentatives。　　Did　they　ever　come　to　London？　　When　they　did　they　must　let　his　people　know。　　He　would　so　like　them　to　know　his　mother；　Lady　Marayne。　　And　so　on　with　much　gratitude。　Amanda　had　said　that　she　and　the　dogs　would　come　with　him　up　the　hill；；　but　it　was　a　glorious　sort　of　inhumanity。　They　had　a　spiritlike　sharp　knives　cutting　through　life。〃　It　was　her　best　bit　of　phrasing　and　it　pleased　Benham　very　much。　But；　indeed；　it　was　not　her　own　phrasing；　she　had　culled　it　from　a　disquisition　into　which　she　had　led　Mr。　Rathbone…me　from　going　to　piecesand　wasting　existence。　　It's　rather　difficult　sometimes　to　tell　what　one　thinks　and　feels〃　She　had　not　really　listened　to　him。　〃Who　is　that　woman；〃　she　interrupted　sudd　she　had　said　it　exactly　as　a　boy　might　have　said　it；　she　had　brought　him　up　to　the　corner　of　Up　Park　and　had　sat　down　there　on　a　heap　of　stones　and　watched　him　until　he　was　out　of　sight；　waving　to　him　when　he　looked　back。　　〃Come　back　again；〃　she　had　cried。　In　Chichester　he　found　a　little　green…bound　REPUBLIC　in　a　second…　hand　book…shop　near　the　Cathedral；　but　there　was　no　copy　of　the　LAWS　to　be　found　in　the　place。　　Then　he　was　taken　with　the　brilliant　idea　of　sleeping　the　night　in　Chichester　and　going　back　next　day　via　Harting　to　Petersfield　station　and　London。　　He　carried　out　this　scheme　and　got　to　South　Harting　neatly　about　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　　He　found　Mrs。　Wilder　and　Mrs。　Morris　and　Amanda　and　the　dogs　entertaining　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders　at　tea；　and　they　all　seemed　a　little　surprised；　and；　except　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders；　they　all　seemed　pleased　to　see　him　again　so　soon。　　His　explanation　of　why　he　hadn't　gone　back　to　London　from　Chichester　struck　him　as　a　little　unconvincing　in　the　cold　light　of　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders'　eye。　　But　Amanda　was　manifestly　excited　by　his　return；　and　he　told　them　his　impressions　of　Chichester　and　described　the　entertainment　of　the　evening　guest　at　a　country　inn　and　suddenly　produced　his　copy　of　the　REPUBLIC。　　〃I　found　this　in　a　book…shop；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　brought　it　for　you；　because　it　describes　one　of　the　best　dreams　of　aristocracy　there　has　ever　been　dreamt。〃　At　first　she　praised　it　as　a　pretty　book　in　the　dearest　little　binding；　and　then　realized　that　there　were　deeper　implications；　and　became　grave　and　said　she　would　read　it　through　and　through；　she　loved　such　speculative　reading。　She　came　to　the　door　with　the　others　and　stayed　at　the　door　after　they　had　gone　in　again。　　When　he　looked　back　at　the　corner　of　the　road　to　Petersfield　she　was　still　at　the　door　and　waved　farewell　to　him。　He　only　saw　a　light　slender　figure；　but　when　she　came　back　into　the　sitting…room　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders　noted　the　faint　flush　in　her　cheek　and　an　unwonted　abstraction　in　her　eye。　And　in　the　evening　she　tucked　her　feet　up　in　the　armchairSanders；　and　she　had　sent　it　to　Benham　as　she　might　have　sent　him　a　flower。

6

Benham　re…entered　the　flat　from　which　he　had　fled　so　precipitately　with　three　very　definite　plans　in　his　mind。　　The　first　was　to　set　out　upon　his　grand　tour　of　the　world　with　as　little　delay　as　possible；　to　shut　up　this　Finacue　Street　establishment　for　a　long　time；　and　get　rid　of　the　soul…destroying　perfections　ofenly；　〃Mrs。　Fly…by…Night；　or　some　such　name；　who　rings　you　up　on　the　telephone？〃　Benham　hesitaon't　start　saying　things　like　a　moral　windmill　in　a　whirlwind。　　It's　all　a　muddle。　　I　suppose　every　one　in　London　is　getting　in　or　out　of　these　entanglementsor　something　of　the　sort。　　And　this　seems　a　comparatively　slight　one。　I　wish　it　hadn't　happened。　　They　do　happen。〃　An　expression　of　perplexity　came　into　her　face。　　She　looked　at　him。　〃Why　do　you　want　to　throw　her　over？〃　〃I　WANT　to　throw　her　over；〃　said　Benham。　He　stood　up　and　went　to　the　hearthrug；　and　his　mother　reflected　that　this　was　exactly　what　all　men　did　at　just　this　phase　of　a　discussion。　　Then　things　ceased　to　be　sensible。　From　overhead　he　said　to　her：　〃I　want　to　get　away　from　this　complication；　this　servitude。　　I　want　to　do　somesome　work。　　I　want　to　get　my　mind　clear　and　my　hands　clear。　　I　want　to　study　government　and　the　big　business　of　the　world。〃　〃And　she's　in　the　way？〃　He　assented。　〃You　men！〃　said　Lady　Marayne　after　a　little　pause。　　〃What　queer　beasts　you　are！　　Here　is　a　woman　who　is　kind　to　you。　　She's　fond　of　you。　　I　could　tell　she's　fond　of　you　directly　I　heard　her。　　And　you　amuse　yourself　with　her。　　And　then　it's　Gobble；　Gobble；　Gobble；　Great　Work；　Hands　Clear；　Big　Business　of　the　World。　　Why　couldn't　you　think　of　that　before；　Poff？　　Why　did　you　begin　with　her　Merkle。　　The　second　was　to　end　his　ill…advised　int