tea-table talk-第2节

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〃There　is　a　line　of　common　sense　running　through　all　things；〃　I　replied；　〃the　secret　of　life　consists　in　not　diverging　far　from　it　on　either　side。　　He　had　been　the　most　devoted　wooer；　never　happy　out　of　her　eyes；　but　before　they　had　been　married　a　year　she　found　to　her　astonishment　that　he　could　be　content　even　away　from　her　skirts；　that　he　actually　took　pains　to　render　himself　agreeable　to　other　women。　　He　would　spend　whole　afternoons　at　his　club；　slip　out　for　a　walk　occasionally　by　himself；　shut　himself　up　now　and　again　in　his　study。　　It　went　so　far　that　one　day　he　expressed　a　distinct　desire　to　leave　her　for　a　week　and　go　a…fishing　with　some　other　men。　　She　never　complainedat　least；　not　to　him。〃

〃That　is　where　she　was　foolish；〃　said　the　Girton　Girl。　　〃Silence　in　such　cases　is　a　mistake。　　The　other　party　does　not　know　what　is　the　matter　with　you；　and　you　yourselfyour　temper　bottled　up　within　become　more　disagreeable　every　day。〃

〃She　confided　her　trouble　to　a　friend；〃　I　explained。

〃I　so　dislike　people　who　do　that；〃　said　the　Woman　of　the　World。　〃Emily　never　would　speak　to　George；　she　would　come　and　complain　about　him　to　me；　as　if　I　were　responsible　for　him：　　I　wasn't　even　his　mother。　　When　she　had　finished；　George　would　come　along；　and　I　had　to　listen　to　the　whole　thing　over　again　from　his　point　of　view。　I　got　so　tired　of　it　at　last　that　I　determined　to　stop　it。〃

〃How　did　you　succeed？〃　asked　the　Old　Maid；　who　appeared　to　be　interested　in　the　recipe。

〃I　knew　George　was　coming　one　afternoon；〃　explained　the　Woman　of　the　World；　〃so　I　persuaded　Emily　to　wait　in　the　conservatory。　　She　thought　I　was　going　to　give　him　good　advice；　instead　of　that　I　sympathised　with　him　and　encouraged　him　to　speak　his　mind　freely；　which　he　did。　　It　made　her　so　mad　that　she　came　out　and　told　him　what　she　thought　of　him。　　I　left　them　at　it。　　They　were　both　of　them　the　better　for　it；　and　so　was　I。〃

〃In　my　case；〃　I　said；　〃it　came　about　differently。　　Her　friend　explained　to　him　just　what　was　happening。　　She　pointed　out　to　him　how　his　neglect　and　indifference　were　slowly　alienating　his　wife's　affections　from　him。　　He　argued　the　subject。

〃'But　a　lover　and　a　husband　are　not　the　same；'　he　contended；　'the　situation　is　entirely　different。　　You　run　after　somebody　you　want　to　overtake；　but　when　you　have　caught　him　up；　you　settle　down　quietly　and　walk　beside　him；　you　don't　continue　shouting　and　waving　your　handkerchief　after　you　have　gained　him。'

〃Their　mutual　friend　presented　the　problem　differently。〃

〃'You　must　hold　what　you　have　won；'　she　said；　'or　it　will　slip　away　from　you。　　By　a　certain　course　of　conduct　and　behaviour　you　gained　a　sweet　girl's　regard；　show　yourself　other　than　you　were；　how　can　you　expect　her　to　think　the　same　of　you？'

〃'You　mean；'　he　inquired；　'that　I　should　talk　and　act　as　her　husband　exactly　as　I　did　when　her　lover？'

〃'Precisely；'　said　the　friend　'why　not？'

〃'It　seems　to　me　a　mistake；'　he　grumbled。

〃'Try　it　and　see；'　said　the　friend。

〃'All　right；'　he　said；　'I　will。'　　And　he　went　straight　home　and　set　to　work。〃

〃Was　it　too　late；〃　asked　the　Old　Maid；　〃or　did　they　come　together　again？〃

〃For　the　next　mouth；〃　I　answered；　〃they　were　together　twenty…four　hours　of　the　day。　　And　then　it　was　the　wife　who　suggested；　like　the　poet　in　Gilbert's　Fatience；　the　delight　with　which　she　would　welcome　an　occasional　afternoon　off。〃

〃He　hung　about　her　while　she　was　dressing　in　the　morning。　　Just　as　she　had　got　her　hair　fixed　he　would　kiss　it　passionately　and　it　would　come　down　again。　　All　meal…time　he　would　hold　her　hand　under　the　table　and　insist　on　feeding　her　with　a　fork。　　Before　marriage　he　had　behaved　once　or　twice　in　this　sort　of　way　at　picnics；　and　after　marriage；　when　at　breakfast…time　he　had　sat　at　the　other　end　of　the　table　reading　the　paper　or　his　letters；　she　had　reminded　him　of　it　reproachfully。　　The　entire　day　he　never　left　her　side。　　She　could　never　read　a　book；　instead；　he　would　read　to　her　aloud；　generally　Browning'　poems　or　translations　from　Goethe。　　Reading　aloud　was　not　an　accomplishment　of　his；　but　in　their　courting　days　she　had　expressed　herself　pleased　at　his　attempts；　and　of　this　he　took　care；　in　his　turn；　to　remind　her。　　It　was　his　idea　that　if　the　game　were　played　at　all；　she　should　take　a　hand　also。　　If　he　was　to　blither；　it　was　only　fair　that　she　should　bleat　back。　　As　he　explained；　for　the　future　they　would　both　be　lovers　all　their　life　long；　and　no　logical　argument　in　reply　could　she　think　of。　　If　she　tried　to　write　a　letter；　he　would　snatch　away　the　paper　her　dear　hands　were　pressing　and　fall　to　kissing　itand；　of　course；　smearing　it。　　When　he　wasn't　giving　her　pins　and　needles　by　sitting　on　her　feet　he　was　balancing　himself　on　the　arm　of　her　chair　and　occasionally　falling　over　on　top　of　her。　　If　she　went　shopping；　he　went　with　her　and　made　himself　ridiculous　at　the　dressmaker's。　　In　society　he　took　no　notice　of　anybody　but　of　her；　and　was　hurt　if　she　spoke　to　anybody　but　to　him。　　Not　that　it　was　often；　during　that　month；　that　they　did　see　any　society；　most　invitations　he　refused　for　them　both；　reminding　her　how　once　upon　a　time　she　had　regarded　an　evening　alone　with　him　as　an　entertainment　superior　to　all　others。　　He　called　her　ridiculous　names；　talked　to　her　in　baby　language；　while　a　dozen　times　a　day　it　became　necessary　for　her　to　take　down　her　back　hair　and　do　it　up　afresh。　　At　the　end　of　a　month；　as　I　have　said；　it　was　she　who　suggested　a　slight　cessation　of　affection。〃

〃Had　I　been　in　her　place；〃　said　the　Girton　Girl；　〃it　would　have　been　a　separation　I　should　have　suggested。　　I　should　have　hated　him　for　the　rest　of　my　life。〃

〃For　merely　trying　to　agree　with　you？〃　I　said。

〃For　showing　me　I　was　a　fool　for　ever　having　wanted　his　affection；〃　replied　the　Girton　Girl。

〃You　can　generally；〃　said　the　Philosopher；　〃make　people　ridiculous　by　taking　them　at　their　word。〃

〃Especially　women；〃　murmured　the　Minor　Poet。

〃I　wonder；〃　said　the　Philosopher；　〃is　there　really　so　much　difference　between　men　and　women　as　we　think？　　What　there　is；　may　it　not　be　the　result　of　Civilisation　rather　than　of　Nature；　of　training　rather　than　of　instinct？〃

〃Deny　the　contest　between　male　and　female；　and　you　deprive　life　of　half　its　poetry；〃　urged　the　Minor　Poet。

〃Poetry；〃　returned　the　Philosopher；　〃was　made　for　man；　not　man　for　poetry。　　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　the　contest　you　speak　of　is　somewhat　in　the　nature　of　a　'put…up　job'　on　the　part　of　you　poets。　In　the　same　way　newspapers　will　always　advocate　war；　it　gives　them　something　to　write　about；　and　is　not　altogether　unconnected　with　sales。　　To　test　Nature's　original　intentions；　it　is　always　safe　to　study　our　cousins　the　animals。　　There　we　see　no　sign　of　this　fundamental　variation；　the　difference　is　merely　one　of　degree。〃

〃I　quite　agree　with　you；〃　said　the　Girton　Girl。　　〃Man；　acquiring　cunning；　saw　the　advantage　of　using　his　one　superiority；　brute　strength；　to　make　woman　his　slave。　　In　all　other　respects　she　is　undoubtedly　his　superior。〃

〃In　a　woman's　argument；〃　I　observed；　〃equality　of　the　sexes　invariably　does　mean　the　superiority　of　woman。〃

〃That　is　very　curious；〃　added　the　Philosopher。　　〃As　you　say；　a　woman　never　can　be　logical。〃

〃Are　all　men　logical？〃　demanded　the　Girton　Girl。

〃As　a　class；〃　replied　the　Minor　Poet；　〃yes。〃



CHAPTER　II



〃What　woman　suffers　from；〃　said　the　Philosopher；　〃is　over…praise。　It　has　turned　her　head。〃

〃You　admit；　then；　that　she　has　a　head？〃　demanded　the　Girton　Girl。

〃It　has　always　been　a　theory　of　mine；〃　returned　the　Philosopher；　〃that　by　Nature　she　was　intended　to　possess　one。　　It　is　her　admirers　who　have　always　represented　her　as　brainless。〃

〃Why　is　it　that　the　brainy　girl　invariably　has　straight　hair？〃　asked　the　Woman　of　the　World。

〃Because　she　doesn't　curl　it；〃　explained　the　Girton　Girl。　　She　spoke　somewhat　snappishly；　it　seemed　to　me。

〃I　never　thought　of　that；〃　murmured　the　Woman　of　the　World。

〃It　is　to　be　noted　in　connection　with　the　argument；〃　I　ventured　to　remark；　〃that　we　hear　but　little　concerning　the　wives　of　intellectual　men。　　When　we　do；　as　in　the　case　of　the　Carlyles；　it　is　to　wish　we　did　not。〃

〃When　I　was　younger　even　than　I　am　now；〃　said　the　Minor　Poet；　〃I　thought　a　good　deal　of　marriagevery　young　men　do。　　My　wife；　I　told　myself；　must　be　a　woman　of　mind。　　Yet；　curiously；　of　all　the　women　I　have　ever　loved；　no　single　one　has　been　remarkable　for　intellect　present　company；　as　usual；　of　course　excepted。〃

〃Why　is　it；〃　sighed　the　Philosopher；　〃that　in　the　most　serious　business　of　our　life；　marriage；　serious　considerations　count　for　next　to　nothing？　　A　dimpled　chin　can；　and　often　does；　secure　for　a　girl　the　best　of　husbands；　while　virtue　and　understanding　combined　cannot　be　relied　upon　to　obtain　her　even　one　of　the　worst。〃

〃I　think　the　explanation　is；〃　replied　the　Minor　Poet；　〃that　as　regards；　let　us　say；　the　most　natural　business　of　our　life；　marriage；　our　natural　instincts　alone　are　brought　into　play。　Marriageclothe　the　naked　fact　in　what　flowers　of　rhetoric　we　will…　…has　to　do　with　the　purely　animal　part　of　our　being。　　The　man　is　drawn　towards　it　by　his　primeval　desires；　the　woman　by　her　inborn　craving　towards　motherhood。〃

The　thin；　white　hands　of　the　Ol