the research magnificent-第13部分

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。　。　。　　He　must　choose。　　But　I　know　his　choice。　　Yes；　yes；I'm　not　blind。　　She's　worked　upon　him。　。　。　。　　I　have　done　what　I　could　to　bring　out　the　manhood　in　him。　　Perhaps　it　will　bear　the　strain。　。　。　。　　It　will　be　a　wrench；　old　manGod　knows。〃　He　did　his　very　best　to　make　it　a　wrench。

2

Benham's　mother；　whom　he　saw　quarterly　and　also　on　the　first　of　May；　because　it　was　her　birthday；　touched　and　coloured　his　imagination　far　more　than　his　father　did。　　She　was　now　Lady　Marayne；　and　a　prominent；　successful；　and　happy　little　lady。　　Her　dereliction　had　been　forgiven　quite　soon；　and　whatever　whisper　of　it　remained　was　very　completely　forgotten　during　the　brief　period　of　moral　kindliness　which　followed　the　accession　of　King　Edward　the　Seventh。　It　no　doubt　contributed　to　her　social　reinstatement　that　her　former　husband　was　entirely　devoid　of　social　importance；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　Sir　Godfrey　Marayne's　temporary　monopoly　of　the　caecal　operation　which　became　so　fashionable　in　the　last　decade　of　Queen　Victoria's　reign　as　to　be　practically　epidemic；　created　a　strong　feeling　in　her　favour。　She　was　blue…eyed　and　very　delicately　complexioned；　quick…moving；　witty；　given　to　little　storms　of　clean　enthusiasm；　she　loved　handsome　things；　brave　things；　successful　things；　and　the　respect　and　affection　of　all　the　world。　　She　did　quite　what　she　liked　upon　impulse；　and　nobody　ever　thought　ill　of　her。　Her　family　were　the　Mantons　of　Blent；　quite　good　west…country　people。　　She　had　broken　away　from　them　before　she　was　twenty　to　marry　Benham；　whom　she　had　idealized　at　a　tennis　party。　　He　had　talked　of　his　work　and　she　had　seen　it　in　a　flash；　the　noblest　work　in　the　world；　him　at　his　daily　divine　toil　and　herself　a　Madonna　surrounded　by　a　troupe　of　Blessed　Boysall　of　good　family；　some　of　quite　the　best。　　For　a　time　she　had　kept　it　up　even　more　than　he　had；　and　then　Nolan　had　distracted　her　with　a　realization　of　the　heroism　that　goes　to　the　ends　of　the　earth。　　She　became　sick　with　desire　for　the　forests　of　Brazil；　and　the　Pacific；　anda　peak　in　Darien。　　Immediately　the　school　was　frowsty　beyond　endurance；　and　for　the　first　time　she　let　herself　perceive　how　dreadfully　a　gentleman　and　a　scholar　can　smell　of　pipes　and　tobacco。　　Only　one　course　lay　open　to　a　woman　of　spirit。　。　。　。　For　a　year　she　did　indeed　live　like　a　woman　of　spirit；　and　it　was　at　Nolan's　bedside　that　Marayne　was　first　moved　to　admiration。　　She　was　plucky。　　All　men　love　a　plucky　woman。　Sir　Godfrey　Marayne　smelt　a　good　deal　of　antiseptic　soap；　but　he　talked　in　a　way　that　amused　her；　and　he　trusted　as　well　as　adored　her。　　She　did　what　she　liked　with　his　money；　her　own　money；　and　her　son's　trust　money；　and　she　did　very　well。　　From　the　earliest　Benham's　visits　were　to　a　gracious　presence　amidst　wealthy　surroundings。　　The　transit　from　the　moral　blamelessness　of　Seagate　had　an　entirely　misleading　effect　of　ascent。　Their　earlier　encounters　became　rather　misty　in　his　memory；　they　occurred　at　various　hotels　in　Seagate。　　Afterwards　he　would　go；　first　taken　by　a　governess；　and　later　going　alone；　to　Charing　Cross；　where　he　would　be　met；　in　earlier　times　by　a　maid　and　afterwards　by　a　deferential　manservant　who　called　him　〃Sir；〃　and　conveyed；　sometimes　in　a　hansom　cab　and　later　in　a　smart　brougham；　by　Trafalgar　Square；　Lower　Regent　Street；　Piccadilly；　and　streets　of　increasing　wealth　and　sublimity　to　Sir　Godfrey's　house　in　Desborough　Street。　　Very　naturally　he　fell　into　thinking　of　these　discreet　and　well…governed　West　End　streets　as　a　part　of　his　mother's　atmosphere。　The　house　had　a　dignified　portico；　and　always　before　he　had　got　down　to　the　pavement　the　door　opened　agreeably　and　a　second　respectful　manservant　stood　ready。　　Then　came　the　large　hall；　with　its　noiseless　carpets　and　great　Chinese　jars；　its　lacquered　cabinets　and　the　wide　staircase；　and　floating　down　the　wide　staircase；　impatient　to　greet　him；　light　and　shining　as　a　flower　petal；　sweet　and　welcoming；　radiating　a　joyfulness　as　cool　and　clear　as　a　dewy　morning；　came　his　mother。　　〃WELL；　little　man；　my　son；〃　she　would　cry　in　her　happy　singing　voice；　〃WELL？〃　So　he　thought　she　must　always　be；　but　indeed　these　meetings　meant　very　much　to　her；　she　dressed　for　them　and　staged　them；　she　perceived　the　bright　advantages　of　her　rarity　and　she　was　quite　determined　to　have　her　son　when　the　time　came　to　possess　him。　　She　kissed　him　but　not　oppressively；　she　caressed　him　cleverly；　it　was　only　on　these　rare　occasions　that　he　was　ever　kissed　or　caressed；　and　she　talked　to　his　shy　boyishness　until　it　felt　a　more　spirited　variety　of　manhood。　　〃What　have　you　been　doing？〃　she　asked；　〃since　I　saw　you　last。〃　She　never　said　he　had　grown；　but　she　told　him　he　looked　tall；　and　though　the　tea　was　a　marvellous　display　it　was　never　an　obtrusive　tea；　it　wasn't　poked　at　a　fellow；　a　various　plenty　flowed　well　within　reach　of　one's　arm；　like　an　agreeable　accompaniment　to　their　conversation。　〃What　have　you　done？　　All　sorts　of　brave　things？　　Do　you　swim　now？　I　can　swim。　　Oh！　I　can　swim　half　a　mile。　　Some　day　we　will　swim　races　together。　　Why　not？　　And　you　ride？　。　。　。　〃The　horse　boltedand　you　stuck　on？　　Did　you　squeak？　　I　stick　on；　but　I　HAVE　to　squeak。　　But　youof　course；　No！　you　mustn't。　　I'm　just　a　little　woman。　　And　I　ride　big　horses。　。　。　。〃　And　for　the　end　she　had　invented　a　characteristic　little　ceremony。　She　would　stand　up　in　front　of　him　and　put　her　hands　on　his　shoulders　and　look　into　his　face。　〃Clean　eyes？〃　she　would　say。　　〃still？〃　Then　she　would　take　his　ears　in　her　little　firm　hands　and　kiss　very　methodically　his　eyes　and　his　forehead　and　his　cheeks　and　at　last　his　lips。　　Her　own　eyes　would　suddenly　brim　bright　with　tears。　〃GO；〃　she　would　say。　That　was　the　end。　It　seemed　to　Benham　as　though　he　was　being　let　down　out　of　a　sunlit　fairyland　to　this　grey　world　again。

3

The　contrast　between　Lady　Marayne's　pretty　amenities　and　the　good　woman　at　Seagate　who　urged　herself　almost　hourly　to　forget　that　William　Porphyry　was　not　her　own　son；　was　entirely　unfair。　　The　second　Mrs。　Benham's　conscientious　spirit　and　a　certain　handsome　ability　about　her　fitted　her　far　more　than　her　predecessor　for　the　onerous　duties　of　a　schoolmaster's　wife；　but　whatever　natural　buoyancy　she　possessed　was　outweighed　by　an　irrepressible　conviction　derived　from　an　episcopal　grandparent　that　the　remarriage　of　divorced　persons　is　sinful；　and　by　a　secret　but　well…founded　doubt　whether　her　husband　loved　her　with　a　truly　romantic　passion。　　She　might　perhaps　have　borne　either　of　these　troubles　singly；　but　the　two　crushed　her　spirit。　Her　temperament　was　not　one　that　goes　out　to　meet　happiness。　　She　had　reluctant　affections　and　suspected　rather　than　welcomed　the　facility　of　other　people's。　　Her　susceptibility　to　disagreeable　impressions　was　however　very　ample；　and　life　was　fenced　about　with　protections　for　her　〃feelings。〃　　It　filled　young　Benham　with　inexpressible　indignations　that　his　sweet　own　mother；　so　gay；　so　brightly　cheerful　that　even　her　tears　were　stars；　was　never　to　be　mentioned　in　his　stepmother's　presence；　and　it　was　not　until　he　had　fully　come　to　years　of　reflection　that　he　began　to　realize　with　what　honesty；　kindness　and　patience　this　naturally　not　very　happy　lady　had　nursed；　protected；　mend