the research magnificent-第38节

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s　how　annoyed　one　gets。　　Suddenly　when　that　horse　shied　I　realized　what　a　beastly　business　life　wasas　those　brutes　up　there　live　it。　　I　want　to　clear　out　the　whole　hot；　dirty；　little　aimless　nest　of　them。　。　。　。〃　〃No；　I'm　sure；〃　he　repeated　after　a　pause　as　though　he　had　been　digesting　something　〃I　wasn't　thinking　about　you　at　all。〃

4

The　suppression　of　his　discovery　that　his　honeymoon　was　not　in　the　least　the　great　journey　of　world　exploration　he　had　intended；　but　merely　an　impulsive　pleasure　hunt；　was　by　no　means　the　only　obscured　and　repudiated　conflict　that　disturbed　the　mind　and　broke　out　upon　the　behaviour　of　Benham。　　Beneath　that　issue　he　was　keeping　down　a　far　more　intimate　conflict。　　It　was　in　those　lower；　still　less　recognized　depths　that　the　volcanic　fire　arose　and　the　earthquakes　gathered　strength。　　The　Amanda　he　had　loved；　the　Amanda　of　the　gallant　stride　and　fluttering　skirt　was　with　him　still；　she　marched　rejoicing　over　the　passes；　and　a　dearer　Amanda；　a　soft　whispering　creature　with　dusky　hair；　who　took　possession　of　him　when　she　chose；　a　soft　creature　who　was　nevertheless　a　fierce　creature；　was　also　interwoven　with　his　life。　　But　　But　there　was　now　also　a　multitude　of　other　Amandas　who　had　this　in　common　that　they　roused　him　to　opposition；　that　they　crossed　his　moods　and　jarred　upon　his　spirit。　And　particularly　there　was　the　Conquering　Amanda　not　so　much　proud　of　her　beauty　as　eager　to　test　it；　so　that　she　was　not　unmindful　of　the　stir　she　made　in　hotel　lounges；　nor　of　the　magic　that　may　shine　memorably　through　the　most　commonplace　incidental　conversation。　This　Amanda　was　only　too　manifestly　pleased　to　think　that　she　made　peasant　lovers　discontented　and　hotel　porters　unmercenary；　she　let　her　light　shine　before　men。　　We　lovers；　who　had　deemed　our　own　subjugation　a　profound　privilege；　love　not　this　further　expansiveness　of　our　lady's　empire。　　But　Benham　knew　that　no　aristocrat　can　be　jealous；　jealousy　he　held　to　be　the　vice　of　the　hovel　and　farmstead　and　suburban　villa；　and　at　an　enormous　expenditure　of　will　he　ignored　Amanda's　waving　flags　and　roving　glances。　　So；　too；　he　denied　that　Amanda　who　was　sharp　and　shrewd　about　money　matters；　that　flash　of　an　Amanda　who　was　greedy　for　presents　and　possessions；　that　restless　Amanda　who　fretted　at　any　cessation　of　excitement；　and　that　darkly　thoughtful　Amanda　whom　chance　observations　and　questions　showed　to　be　still　considering　an　account　she　had　to　settle　with　Lady　Marayne。　　He　resisted　these　impressions；　he　shut　them　out　of　his　mind；　but　still　they　worked　into　his　thoughts；　and　presently　he　could　find　himself　asking；　even　as　he　and　she　went　in　step　striding　side　by　side　through　the　red…　scarred　pinewoods　in　the　most　perfect　outward　harmony；　whether　after　all　he　was　so　happily　mated　as　he　declared　himself　to　be　a　score　of　times　a　day；　whether　he　wasn't　catching　glimpses　of　reality　through　a　veil　of　delusion　that　grew　thinner　and　thinner　and　might　leave　him　disillusioned　in　the　face　of　a　relationship　Sometimes　a　man　may　be　struck　by　a　thought　as　though　he　had　been　struck　in　the　face；　and　when　the　name　of　Mrs。　Skelmersdale　came　into　his　head；　he　glanced　at　his　wife　by　his　side　as　if　it　were　something　that　she　might　well　have　heard。　　Was　this　indeed　the　same　thing　as　that？　　Wonderful；　fresh　as　the　day　of　Creation；　clean　as　flame；　yet　the　same！　　Was　Amanda　indeed　the　sister　of　Mrs。　Skelmersdale　wrought　of　clean　fire；　but　her　sister？　。　。　。　But　also　beside　the　inimical　aspects　which　could　set　such　doubts　afoot　there　were　in　her　infinite　variety　yet　other　Amandas　neither　very　dear　nor　very　annoying；　but　for　the　most　part　delightful；　who　entertained　him　as　strangers　might；　Amandas　with　an　odd　twist　which　made　them　amusing　to　watch；　jolly　Amandas　who　were　simply　irrelevant。　　There　was　for　example　Amanda　the　Dog　Mistress；　with　an　astonishing　tact　and　understanding　of　dogs；　who　could　explain　dogs　and　the　cock　of　their　ears　and　the　droop　of　their　tails　and　their　vanity　and　their　fidelity；　and　why　they　looked　up　and　why　they　suddenly　went　off　round　the　corner；　and　their　pride　in　the　sound　of　their　voices　and　their　dastardly　thoughts　and　sniffing　satisfactions；　so　that　for　the　first　time　dogs　had　souls　for　Benham　to　see。　　And　there　was　an　Amanda　with　a　striking　passion　for　the　sleekness　and　soft　noses　of　horses。　　And　there　was　an　Amanda　extremely　garrulous；　who　was　a　biographical　dictionary　and　critical　handbook　to　all　the　girls　in　the　school　she　had　attended　at　Chichesterthey　seemed　a　very　girlish　lot　of　girls；　and　an　Amanda　who　was　very　knowingknowing　was　the　only　word　for　itabout　pictures　and　architecture。　　And　these　and　all　the　other　Amandas　agreed　together　to　develop　and　share　this　one　quality　in　common；　that　altogether　they　pointed　to　no　end；　they　converged　on　nothing。　She　was；　it　grew　more　and　more　apparent；　a　miscellany　bound　in　a　body。　　She　was　an　animated　discursiveness。　　That　passion　to　get　all　things　together　into　one　aristocratic　aim；　that　restraint　of　purpose；　that　imperative　to　focus；　which　was　the　structural　essential　of　Benham's　spirit；　was　altogether　foreign　to　her　composition。　There　were　so　many　Amandas；　they　were　as　innumerable　as　the　Venuses　Cytherea；　Cypria；　Paphia；　Popularia；　Euploea；　Area；　Verticordia；　Etaira；　Basilea；　Myrtea；　Libertina；　Freya；　Astarte；　Philommedis；　Telessigamma；　Anadyomene；　and　a　thousand　others　to　whom　men　have　bowed　and　built　temples；　a　thousand　and　the　same；　and　yet　it　seemed　to　Benham　there　was　still　one　wanting。　The　Amanda　he　had　loved　most　wonderfully　was　that　Amanda　in　armour　who　had　walked　with　him　through　the　wilderness　of　the　world　along　the　road　to　Chichesterand　that　Amanda　came　back　to　him　no　more。

5

Amanda　too　was　making　her　observations　and　discoveries。　These　moods　of　his　perplexed　her；　she　was　astonished　to　find　he　was　becoming　irritable；　she　felt　that　he　needed　a　firm　but　gentle　discipline　in　his　deportment　as　a　lover。　　At　first　he　had　been　perfect。　。　。　。　But　Amanda　was　more　prepared　for　human　inconsecutiveness　than　Benham；　because　she　herself　was　inconsecutive；　and　her　dissatisfaction　with　his　irritations　and　preoccupation　broadened　to　no　general　discontent。　　He　had　seemed　perfect　and　he　wasn't。　　So　nothing　was　perfect。　　And　he　had　to　be　managed；　just　as　one　must　manage　a　dog　or　a　cousin　or　a　mother　or　a　horse。　　Anyhow　she　had　got　him；　she　had　no　doubt　that　she　held　him　by　a　thousand　ties；　the　spotless　leopard　had　him　between　her　teeth；　he　was　a　prisoner　in　the　dusk　of　her　hair；　and　the　world　was　all　one　vast　promise　of　entertainment。

6

But　the　raid　into　the　Balkans　was　not　the　tremendous　success　she　had　expected　it　to　be。　　They　had　adventures；　but　they　were　not　the　richly　coloured；　mediaeval　affairs　she　had　anticipated。　　For　the　most　part　until　Benham　broke　loose　beyond　Ochrida　they　were　adventures　in　discomfort。　　In　those　remote　parts　of　Europe　inns　die　away　and　cease；　and　it　had　never　occurred　to　Amanda　that　inns　could　die　away　anywhere。　　She　had　thought　that　they　just　became　very　simple　and　natural　and　quaint。　　And　she　had　thought　that　when　benighted　people　knocked　at　a　door　it　would　presently　open　hospitably。　　She　had　not　expected　shots　at　random　from　the　window。　And　it　is　not　usual　in　Albania　generally　for　women；　whether　they　are　Christian　or　Moslem；　to　go　about　unveiled；　when　they　do　so　it　leads　to　singular　manifestations。　　The　moral　sense　of　the　men　is　shocked　and　staggered；　and　they　show　it　in　many　homely　ways。　　Small　boys　at　that　age　when　feminine　beauty　does　not　yet　prevail　with　them；　pelt。　Also　in　Mahometan　districts　they　pelt　men　who　do　not　wear　fezzes；　while　occasionally　Christians　of　the　shawl…headed　or　skull…cap　persuasions　will　pelt　a　fez。　　Sketching　is　always　a　peltable　or　mobable　offence；　as　being　contrary　to　the　Koran；　and　sitting　down　tempts　the　pelter。　　Generally　they　pelt。　　The　dogs　of　Albania　are　numerous；　big；　dirty；　white　dogs；　large　and　hostile；　and　they　attack　with　little　hesitation。　　The　women　of　Albania　are　secluded　and　remote；　and　indisposed　to　be　of　service　to　an　alien　sister。　　Roads　are　infrequent　and　most　bridges　have　broken　down。　　No　bridge　has　been　repaired　since　the　later　seventeenth　century；　and　no　new　bridge　has　been　made　since　the　decline　and　fall　of　the　Roman　Empire。　　There　are　no　shops　at　all。　　The　scenery　is　magnificent　but　precipitous；　and　many　of　the　high　roads　are　difficult　to　trace。　　And　there　is　rain。　　In　Albania　there　is　sometimes　very　heavy　rain。　Yet　in　spite　of　these　drawbacks　they　spent　some　splendid　hours　in　their　exploration　of　that　wild　lost　country　beyond　the　Adriatic　headlands。　　There　was　the　approach　to　Cattaro　for　example；　through　an　arm　of　the　sea；　amazingly　beautiful　on　either　shore；　that　wound　its　way　into　the　wild　mountains　and　ended　in　a　deep　blue　bay　under　the　tremendous　declivity　of　Montenegro。　　The　quay；　with　its　trees　and　lateen　craft；　ran　along　under　the　towers　and　portcullised　gate　of　the　old　Venetian　wall；　within　clustered　the　town；　and　then　the　fortifications　zigzagged　up　steeply　to　a　monstrous　fantastic　fortress　perched　upon　a　great　mountain　headland　that　overhung　the　town。　　Behind　it　the　rocks；　slashed　to　and　fro　with　the　road　to　Cettinje；　continued　to　ascend　into　blue　haze；　upward　and　upward　until　they　became　a　purple　curtain　that　filled　half　the