the research magnificent-第15部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


　Benham　would　have　felt　the　mere　asking　of　this　question　was　a　thing　ignoble；　not　to　be　tolerated。　　It　was；　as　it　were；　treason　to　nobility。　　But　Prothero　putothero。　　BILLY！　Like　a　goat　or　something。　　People　called　William　don't　get　their　Christian　name　insisted　upon　unless　they　are　vulnerable　somewhere。　Any　form　of　William　stamps　a　weakness；　Willie；　Willy；　Will；　Billy；　Bill；　it's　a　fearful　handle　for　one's　friends。　　At　any　rate　Poff　had　escaped　that。　　But　this　Prothero！　〃But　who　IS　this　Billy　Prothero？〃　she　asked　one　evening　in　the　walled　garden。　〃He　was　at　Minchinghampton。〃　〃But　who　IS　he？　　Who　is　his　father？　　Where　does　he　come　from？〃　Benham　sought　in　his　mind　for　a　space。　　〃I　don't　know；〃　he　said　at　last。　　Billy　had　always　been　rather　reticent　about　his　people。　　She　demanded　descriptions。　　She　demanded　an　account　of　Billy's　furniture；　Billy's　clothes；　Billy's　form　of　exercise。　　It　dawned　upon　Benham　that　for　some　inexplicable　reason　she　was　hostile　to　Billy。　　It　was　like　the　unmasking　of　an　ambuscade。　　He　had　talked　a　lot　about　Prothero's　ideas　and　the　discussions　of　social　reform　and　social　service　that　went　on　in　his　rooms；　for　Billy　read　at　unknown　times；　and　was　open　at　all　hours　to　any　argumentative　caller。　　To　Lady　Marayne　all　ideas　were　obnoxious；　a　form　of　fogging；　all　ideas；　she　held；　were　queer　ideas。　　〃And　does　he　call　himself　a　Socialist？〃　she　asked。　　〃I　THOUGHT　he　would。〃　〃Poff；〃　she　cried　suddenly；　〃you're　not　a　SOCIALIST？〃　〃Such　a　vague　term。〃　〃But　these　friends　of　yoursthey　seem　to　be　ALL　Socialists。　　Red　ties　and　everything　complete。〃　〃They　have　ideas；〃　he　evaded。　　He　tried　to　express　it　better。　　〃They　give　one　something　to　take　hold　of。〃　She　sat　up　stiffly　on　the　garden…seat。　　She　lifted　her　finger　at　him；　very　seriously。　　〃I　hope；〃　she　said　with　all　her　heart；　〃that　you　will　have　nothing　to　do　with　such　ideas。　　Nothing。　　SOCIALISM！〃　〃They　make　a　case。〃　〃Pooh！　　Any　one　can　make　a　case。〃　〃But〃　〃There's　no　sense　in　them。　　What　is　the　good　of　talking　about　upsetting　everything？　　Just　disorder。　　How　can　one　do　anything　then？　You　mustn't。　　You　mustn't。　　No。　　It's　nonsense；　little　Poff。　　It's　absurd。　　And　you　may　spoil　so　much。　。　。　。　　I　HATE　the　way　you　talk　of　it。　。　。　。　　As　if　　it　wasn't　allabsolutelyRUBBISH。　。　。　。〃　She　was　earnest　almost　to　the　intonation　of　tears。　Why　couldn't　her　son　go　straight　for　his　ends；　clear　tangible　ends；　as　she　had　always　done？　　This　thinking　about　everything！　　She　had　never　thought　about　anything　in　all　her　life　for　more　than　half　an　hourand　it　had　always　turned　out　remarkably　well。　Benham　felt　baffled。　　There　was　a　pause。　　How　on　earth　could　he　go　on　telling　her　his　ideas　if　this　was　how　they　were　to　be　taken？　〃I　wish　sometimes；〃　his　mother　said　abruptly；　with　an　unusually　sharp　note　in　her　voice；　〃that　you　wouldn't　look　quite　so　like　your　father。〃　〃But　I'm　NOT　like　my　father！〃　said　Benham　puzzled。　〃No；〃　she　insisted；　and　with　an　air　of　appealing　to　his　soberer　reason；　〃so　why　should　you　go　LOOKING　like　him？　　That　CONCERNED　expression。　。　。　。　She　jumped　to　her　feet。　　〃Poff；〃　she　said；　〃I　want　to　go　and　see　the　evening　primroses　pop。　　You　and　I　are　talking　nonsense。　　THEY　don't　have　ideas　anyhow。　　They　just　popas　God　meant　them　to　do。　　What　stupid　things　we　human　beings　are！〃　Her　philosophical　moments　were　perhaps　the　most　baffling　of　all。

6

Billy　Prothero　became　the　symbol　in　the　mind　of　Lady　Marayne　for　all　that　disappointed　her　in　Benham。　　He　had　to　become　the　symbol；　because　she　could　not　think　of　complicated　or　abstract　things；　she　had　to　make　things　personal；　and　he　was　the　only　personality　available。　　She　fretted　over　his　existence　for　some　days　therefore　（once　she　awakened　and　thought　about　him　in　the　night）；　and　then　suddenly　she　determined　to　grasp　her　nettle。　　She　decided　to　seize　and　obliterate　this　Prothero。　　He　must　come　to　Chexington　and　be　thoroughly　and　conclusively　led　on；　examined；　ransacked；　shown　up；　and　disposed　of　for　ever。　　At　once。　　She　was　not　quite　clear　how　she　meant　to　do　this；　but　she　was　quite　resolved　that　it　had　to　be　done。　Anything　is　better　than　inaction。　There　was　a　little　difficulty　about　dates　and　engagements；　but　he　came；　and　through　the　season　of　expectation　Benham；　who　was　now　for　the　first　time　in　contact　with　the　feminine　nature；　was　delighted　at　the　apparent　change　to　cordiality。　　So　that　he　talked　of　Billy　to　his　mother　much　more　than　he　had　ever　done　before。　Billy　had　been　his　particular　friend　at　Minchinghampton；　at　least　during　the　closing　two　years　of　his　school　life。　　Billy　had　fallen　into　friendship　with　Benham；　as　some　of　us　fall　in　love；　quite　suddenly；　when　he　saw　Benham　get　down　from　the　fence　and　be　sick　after　his　encounter　with　the　bull。　　Already　Billy　was　excited　by　admiration；　but　it　was　the　incongruity　of　the　sickness　conquered　him。　　He　went　back　to　the　school　with　his　hands　more　than　usually　in　his　pockets；　and　no　eyes　for　anything　but　this　remarkable　strung…up　fellow…creature。　　He　felt　he　had　never　observed　Benham　before；　and　he　was　astonished　that　he　had　not　done　so。　Billy　Prothero　was　a　sturdy　sort　of　boy；　generously　wanting　in　good　looks。　　His　hair　was　rough；　and　his　complexion　muddy；　and　he　walked　about　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　long　flexible　lips　protruded　in　a　whistle；　and　a　rather　shapeless　nose　well　up　to　show　he　didn't　care。　　Providence　had　sought　to　console　him　by　giving　him　a　keen　eye　for　the　absurdity　of　other　people。　　He　had　a　suggestive　tongue；　and　he　professed　and　practised　cowardice　to　the　scandal　of　all　his　acquaintances。　　He　was　said　never　to　wash　behind　his　ears；　but　this　report　wronged　him。　　There　had　been　a　time　when　he　did　not　do　so；　but　his　mother　had　won　him　to　a　promise；　and　now　that　operation　was　often　the　sum　of　his　simple　hasty　toilet。　　His　desire　to　associate　himself　with　Benham　was　so　strong　that　it　triumphed　over　a　defensive　reserve。　　It　enabled　him　to　detect　accessible　moments；　do　inobtrusive　friendly　services；　and　above　all　amuse　his　quarry。　　He　not　only　amused　Benham；　he　stimulated　him。　　They　came　to　do　quite　a　number　of　things　together。　　In　the　language　of　schoolboy　stories　they　became　〃inseparables。〃　Prothero's　first　desire；　so　soon　as　they　were　on　a　footing　that　enabled　him　to　formulate　desires；　was　to　know　exactly　what　Benham　thought　he　was　up　to　in　crossing　a　field　with　a　bull　in　it　instead　of　going　round；　and　by　the　time　he　began　to　understand　that；　he　had　conceived　an　affection　for　him　that　was　to　last　a　lifetime。　〃I　wasn't　going　to　be　bullied　by　a　beast；〃　said　Benham。　〃Suppose　it　had　been　an　elephant？〃　Prothero　cried。　。　。　。　　〃A　mad　elephant？　。　。　。　　A　pack　of　wolves？〃　Benham　was　too　honest　not　to　see　that　he　was　entangled。　　〃Well；　suppose　in　YOUR　case　it　had　been　a　wild　cat？　。　。　。　　A　fierce　mastiff？　。　。　。　　A　mastiff？　。　。　。　　A　terrier？　。　。　。　　A　lap　dog？〃　〃Yes；　but　my　case　is　that　there　are　limits。〃　Benham　was　impatient　at　the　idea　of　limits。　　With　a　faintly　malicious　pleasure　Prothero　lugged　him　back　to　that　idea。　〃We　both　admit　there　are　limits；〃　Prothero　concluded。　　〃But　between　the　absolutely　impossible　and　the　altogether　possible　there's　the　region　of　risk。　　You　think　a　man　ought　to　take　that　risk〃　　He　reflected。　　〃I　thinknoI　think　NOT。〃　〃If　he　feels　afraid；〃　cried　Benha