the research magnificent-第36节

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cknames　and　pretty　fancies。　　She　named　herself　the　Leopard；　the　spotless　Leopard；　in　some　obscure　way　she　intimated　that　the　colour　was　black；　but　that　was　never　to　be　admitted　openly；　there　was　supposed　to　be　some　lurking　traces　of　a　rusty　brown　but　the　word　was　spotless　and　the　implication　white；　a　dazzling　white；　she　would　play　a　thousand　variations　on　the　theme；　in　moments　of　despondency　she　was　only　a　black　cat；　a　common　lean　black　cat；　and　sacks　and　half…bricks　almost　too　good　for　her。　　But　Benham　was　always　a　Cheetah。　　That　had　come　to　her　as　a　revelation　from　heaven。　　But　so　clearly　he　was　a　Cheetah。　　He　was　a　Hunting　Leopard；　the　only　beast　that　has　an　up…　cast　face　and　dreams　and　looks　at　you　with　absent…minded　eyes　like　a　man。　　She　laced　their　journeys　with　a　fantastic　monologue　telling　in　the　third　person　what　the　Leopard　and　the　Cheetah　were　thinking　and　seeing　and　doing。　　And　so　they　walked　up　mountains　and　over　passes　and　swam　in　the　warm　clear　water　of　romantic　lakes　and　loved　each　other　mightily　always；　in　chestnut　woods　and　olive　orchards　and　flower…starred　alps　and　pine　forests　and　awning…covered　boats；　and　by　sunset　and　moonlight　and　starshine；　and　out　of　these　agreeable　solitudes　they　came　brown　and　dusty；　striding　side　by　side　into　sunlit　entertaining　fruit…piled　market…places　and　envious　hotels。　For　days　and　weeks　together　it　did　not　seem　to　Benham　that　there　was　anything　that　mattered　in　life　but　Amanda　and　the　elemental　joys　of　living。　　And　then　the　Research　Magnificent　began　to　stir　in　him　again。　　He　perceived　that　Italy　was　not　India；　that　the　clue　to　the　questions　he　must　answer　lay　in　the　crowded　new　towns　that　they　avoided；　in　the　packed　bookshops　and　the　talk　of　men；　and　not　in　the　picturesque　and　flowery　solitudes　to　which　their　lovemaking　carried　them。　Moods　began　in　which　he　seemed　to　forget　Amanda　altogether。　This　happened　first　in　the　Certosa　di　Pavia　whither　they　had　gone　one　afternoon　from　Milan。　　That　was　quite　soon　after　they　were　married。　　They　had　a　bumping　journey　thither　in　a　motor…car；　a　little　doubtful　if　the　excursion　was　worth　while；　and　they　found　a　great　amazement　in　the　lavish　beauty　and　decorative　wealth　of　that　vast　church　and　its　associated　cloisters；　set　far　away　from　any　population　as　it　seemed　in　a　flat　wilderness　of　reedy　ditches　and　patchy　cultivation。　　The　distilleries　and　outbuildings　were　desertedtheir　white　walls　were　covered　by　one　monstrously　great　and　old　wisteria　in　flowerthe　soaring　marvellous　church　was　in　possession　of　a　knot　of　unattractive　guides。　　One　of　these　conducted　them　through　the　painted　treasures　of　the　gold　and　marble　chapels；　he　was　an　elderly　but　animated　person　who　evidently　found　Amanda　more　wonderful　than　any　church。　　He　poured　out　great　accumulations　of　information　and　compliments　before　her。　　Benham　dropped　behind；　went　astray　and　was　presently　recovered　dreaming　in　the　great　cloister。　　The　guide　showed　them　over　two　of　the　cells　that　opened　thereupon；　each　a　delightful　house　for　a　solitary；　bookish　and　clean；　and　each　with　a　little　secret　walled　garden　of　its　own。　　He　was　covertly　tipped　against　all　regulations　and　departed　regretfulry　with　a　beaming　dismissal　from　Amanda。　　She　found　Benham　wondering　why　the　Carthusians　had　failed　to　produce　anything　better　in　the　world　than　a　liqueur。　　〃One　might　have　imagined　that　men　would　have　done　something　in　this　beautiful　quiet；　that　there　would　have　come　thought　from　here　or　will　from　here。〃　〃In　these　dear　little　nests　they　ought　to　have　put　lovers；〃　said　Amanda。　〃Oh；　of　course；　YOU　would　have　made　the　place　Thelema。　。　。　。〃　But　as　they　went　shaking　and　bumping　back　along　the　evil　road　to　Milan；　he　fell　into　a　deep　musing。　　Suddenly　he　said；　〃Work　has　to　be　done。　　Because　this　order　or　that　has　failed；　there　is　no　reason　why　we　should　fail。　　And　look　at　those　ragged　children　in　the　road　ahead　of　us；　and　those　dirty　women　sitting　in　the　doorways；　and　the　foul　ugliness　of　these　gaunt　nameless　towns　through　which　we　go！　They　are　what　they　are；　because　we　are　what　we　areidlers；　excursionists。　　In　a　world　we　ought　to　rule。　。　。　。　〃Amanda；　we've　got　to　get　to　work。　。　。　。〃　That　was　his　first　display　of　this　new　mood；　which　presently　became　a　common　one。　　He　was　less　and　less　content　to　let　the　happy　hours　slip　by；　more　and　more　sensitive　to　the　reminders　in　giant　ruin　and　deserted　cell；　in　a　chance　encounter　with　a　string　of　guns　and　soldiers　on　their　way　to　manoeuvres　or　in　the　sight　of　a　stale　newspaper；　of　a　great　world　process　going　on　in　which　he　was　now　playing　no　part　at　all。　　And　a　curious　irritability　manifested　itself　more　and　more　plainly；　whenever　human　pettiness　obtruded　upon　his　attention；　whenever　some　trivial　dishonesty；　some　manifest　slovenliness；　some　spiritless　failure；　a　cheating　waiter　or　a　wayside　beggar　brought　before　him　the　shiftless；　selfish；　aimless　elements　in　humanity　that　war　against　the　great　dream　of　life　made　glorious。　　〃Accursed　things；〃　he　would　say；　as　he　flung　some　importunate　cripple　at　a　church　door　a　ten…centime　piece；　〃why　were　they　born？　　Why　do　they　consent　to　live？　　They　are　no　better　than　some　chance　fungus　that　is　because　it　must。〃　〃It　takes　all　sorts　to　make　a　world；〃　said　Amanda。　〃Nonsense；〃　said　Benham。　　〃Where　is　the　megatherium？　　That　sort　of　creature　has　to　go。　　Our　sort　of　creature　has　to　end　it。〃　〃Then　why　did　you　give　it　money？〃　〃Because　　I　don't　want　the　thing　to　be　more　wretched　than　it　is。　But　if　I　could　prevent　more　of　them　。　。　。　　What　am　I　doing　to　prevent　them？〃　〃These　beggars　annoy　you；〃　said　Amanda　after　a　pause。　　〃They　do　me。　Let　us　go　back　into　the　mountains。〃　But　he　fretted　in　the　mountains。　They　made　a　ten　days'　tour　from　Macugnaga　over　the　Monte　Moro　to　Sass；　and　thence　to　Zermatt　and　back　by　the　Theodule　to　Macugnaga。　The　sudden　apparition　of　douaniers　upon　the　Monte　Moro　annoyed　Benham；　and　he　was　also　irritated　by　the　solemn　English　mountain　climbers　at　Saas　Fee。　　They　were　as　bad　as　golfers；　he　said；　and　reflected　momentarily　upon　his　father。　　Amanda　fell　in　love　with　Monte　Rosa；　she　wanted　to　kiss　its　snowy　forehead；　she　danced　like　a　young　goat　down　the　path　to　Mattmark；　and　rolled　on　the　turf　when　she　came　to　gentians　and　purple　primulas。　　Benham　was　tremendously　in　love　with　her　most　of　the　time；　but　one　day　when　they　were　sitting　over　the　Findelen　glacier　his　perceptions　blundered　for　the　first　time　upon　the　fundamental　antagonism　of　their　quality。　　She　was　sketching　out　jolly　things　that　they　were　to　do　together；　expeditions；　entertainments；　amusements；　and　adventures；　with　a　voluble　swiftness；　and　suddenly　in　a　flash　his　eyes　were　opened；　and　he　saw　that　she　would　never　for　a　moment　feel　the　quality　that　made　life　worth　while　for　him。　　He　saw　it　in　a　flash；　and　in　that　flash　he　made　his　urgent　resolve　not　to　see　it。　　From　that　moment　forth　his　bearing　was　poisoned　by　his　secret　determination　not　to　think　of　this；　not　to　admit　it　to　his　mind。　　And　forbidden　to　come　into　his　presence　in　its　proper　form；　this　conflict　of　intellectual　temperaments　took　on　strange　disguises；　and　the　gathering　tension　of　his　mind　sought　to　relieve　itself　along　grotesque　irrelevant　channels。　There　was；　for　example；　the　remarkable　affair　of　the　drive　from　Macugnaga　to　Piedimulera。　They　had　decided　to　walk　down　in　a　leisurely　fashion；　but　with　the　fatigues　of　the　precipitous　clamber　down　from　Switzerland　still　upon　them　they　found　the　white　road　between　rock　above　and　gorge　below　wearisome；　and　the　valley　hot　in　the　late　morning　sunshine；　and　already　before　they　reached　the　inn　they　had　marked　for　lunch　Amanda　had　suggested　driving　the　rest　of　the　way。　　The　inn　had　a　number　of　brigand…like　customers　consuming　such　sustenance　as　garlic　and　salami　and　wine；　it　received　them　with　an　indifference　that　bordered　on　disrespect；　until　the　landlord；　who　seemed　to　be　something　of　a　beauty　himself；　discovered　the　merits　of　Amanda。　　Then　he　became　markedly　attentive。　　He　was　a　large；　fat；　curly…headed　person　with　beautiful　eyes；　a　cherished　moustache；　and　an　air　of　great　gentility；　and　when　he　had　welcomed　his　guests　and　driven　off　the　slatternly　waiting…maid；　and　given　them　his　best　table；　and　consented；　at　Amanda's　request；　to　open　a　window；　he　went　away　and　put　on　a　tie　and　collar。　　It　was　an　attention　so　conspicuous　that　even　the　group　of　men　in　the　far　corner　noticed　and　commented　on　it；　and　then　they　commented　on　Amanda　and　Benham；　assuming　an　ignorance　of　Italian　in　the　visitors　that　was　only　partly　justifiable。　〃Bellissima；〃　〃bravissima；〃　〃signorina；〃　〃Inglesa；〃　one　need　not　be　born　in　Italy　to　understand　such　words　as　these。　　Also　they　addressed　sly　comments　and　encouragements　to　the　landlord　as　he　went　to　and　fro。　Benham　was　rather　still　and　stiff　during　the　meal；　but　it　ill　becomes　an　English　aristocrat　to　discuss　the　manners　of　an　alien　population；　and　Amanda　was　amused　by　the　effusion　of　the　landlord　and　a　little　disposed　to　experiment　upon　him。　　She　sat　radiating　light　amidst　the　shadows。　The　question　of　the　vehicle　was　broached。　　The　landlord　was　doubtful；　then　an　idea；　it　was　manifestly　a　questionable　idea；　occurred　to　him。　　He　went　to　consult　an　obscure　brown…faced　individual　in　the　corner；　disappeared；　and　the　world　without　became　eloquent。　　Presently　he　retu