the research magnificent-第16部分

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n　ought　to　take　that　risk〃　　He　reflected。　　〃I　thinknoI　think　NOT。〃　〃If　he　feels　afraid；〃　cried　Benham；　seeing　his　one　point。　　〃If　he　feels　afraid。　　Then　he　ought　to　take　it。　。　。　。〃　After　a　digestive　interval；　Prothero　asked；　〃WHY？　　Why　should　he？〃　The　discussion　of　that　momentous　question；　that　Why？　which　Benham　perhaps　might　never　have　dared　ask　himself；　and　which　Prothero　perhaps　might　never　have　attempted　to　anit　one　afternoon　in　a　way　that　permitted　no　high　dismissal　of　their　doubts。　　〃You　can't　build　your　honour　on　fudge；　Benham。　　Like　committing　sacrilegein　order　to　buy　a　cloth　for　the　altar。〃　By　that　Benham　was　slipped　from　the　recognized　code　and　launched　upon　speculations　which　became　the　magnificent　research。　It　was　not　only　in　complexion　and　stature　and　ways　of　thinking　that　Billy　and　Benham　contrasted。　　Benham　inclined　a　little　to　eloquence；　he　liked　very　clean　hands；　he　had　a　dread　of　ridiculous　outlines。　Prothero　lapsed　readily　into　ostentatious　slovenliness；　when　his　hands　were　dirty　he　pitied　them　sooner　than　scrubbed　them；　he　would　have　worn　an　overcoat　with　one　tail　torn　off　rather　than　have　gone　cold。　　Moreover；　Prothero　had　an　earthy　liking　for　animals；　he　could　stroke　and　tickle　strange　cats　until　they　wanted　to　leave　father　and　mother　and　all　earthly　possessions　and　follow　after　him；　and　he　mortgaged　a　term's　pocket　money　and　bought　and　kept　a　small　terrier　in　the　school　house　against　all　law　and　tradition；　under　the　baseless　pretence　that　it　was　a　stray　animal　of　unknown　origin。　Benham；　on　the　other　hand；　was　shy　with　small　animals　and　faintly　hostile　to　big　ones。　　Beasts　he　thought　were　just　beasts。　　And　Prothero　had　a　gift　for　caricature；　while　Benham's　aptitude　was　for　music。　It　was　Prothero's　eyes　and　pencil　that　first　directed　Benham　to　the　poor　indolences　and　evasions　and　insincerities　of　the　masters。　　It　was　Prothero's　wicked　pictures　that　made　him　see　the　shrivelled　absurdity　of　the　vulgar　theology。　　But　it　was　Benham　who　stood　between　Prothero　and　that　rather　coarsely　conceived　epicureanism　that　seemed　his　logical　destiny。　　When　quite　early　in　their　Cambridge　days　Prothero's　revolt　against　foppery　reached　a　nadir　of　personal　neglect；　and　two　philanthropists　from　the　rooms　below　him；　goaded　beyond　the　normal　tolerance　of　Trinity；　and　assisted　by　two　sportsmen　from　Trinity　Hall；　burnt　his　misshapen　straw　hat　（after　partly　filling　it　with　gunpowder　and　iron　filings）　and　sought　to　duck　him　in　the　fountain　in　the　court；　it　was　Benham；　in　a　state　between　distress　and　madness；　and　armed　with　a　horn…handled　cane　of　exceptional　size；　who　intervened；　turned　the　business　into　a　blend　of　wrangle　and　scuffle；　introduced　the　degrading　topic　of　duelling　into　a　simple　wholesome　rag　of　four　against　one；　carried　him　off　under　the　cloud　of　horror　created　by　this　impropriety　and　so　saved　him；　still　only　slightly　wetted；　not　only　from　this　indignity　but　from　the　experiment　in　rationalism　that　had　provoked　it。　Because　Benham　made　it　perfectly　clear　what　he　had　thought　and　felt　about　this　hat。　Such　was　the　illuminating　young　man　whom　Lady　Marayne　decided　to　invite　to　Chexington；　into　the　neighbourhood　of　herself；　Sir　Godfrey；　and　her　circle　of　friends。

7

He　was　quite　anxious　to　satisfy　the　requirements　of　Benham's　people　and　to　do　his　friend　credit。　　He　was　still　in　the　phase　of　being　a　penitent　pig；　and　he　inquired　carefully　into　the　needs　and　duties　of　a　summer　guest　in　a　country　house。　　He　knew　it　was　quite　a　considerable　country　house；　and　that　Sir　Godfrey　wasn't　Benham's　father；　but　like　most　people；　he　was　persuaded　that　Lady　Marayne　had　divorced　the　parental　Benham。　　He　arrived　dressed　very　neatly　in　a　brown　suit　that　had　only　one　fault；　it　had　not　the　remotest　suggestion　of　having　been　made　for　him。　　It　fitted　his　body　fairly　well；　it　did　annex　his　body　with　only　a　few　slight　incompatibilities；　but　it　repudiated　his　hands　and　face。　　He　had　a　conspicuously　old　Gladstone　bag　and　a　conspicuously　new　despatch　case；　and　he　had　forgotten　black　ties　and　dress　socks　and　a　hair　brush。　　He　arrived　in　the　late　afternoon；　was　met　by　Benham；　in　tennis　flannels；　looking　smartened　up　and　a　little　unfamiliar；　and　taken　off　in　a　spirited　dog…cart　driven　by　a　typical　groom。　　He　met　his　host　and　hostess　at　dinner。　Sir　Godfrey　was　a　rationalist　and　a　residuum。　　Very　much　of　him；　too　much　perhaps；　had　gone　into　the　acquirement　and　perfect　performance　of　the　caecal　operation；　the　man　one　met　in　the　social　world　was　what　was　left　over。　　It　had　the　effect　of　being　quiet；　but　in　its　unobtrusive　way　knobby。　　He　had　a　knobby　brow；　with　an　air　about　it　of　having　recently　been　intent；　and　his　conversation　was　curiously　spotted　with　little　knobby　arrested　anecdotes。　　If　any　one　of　any　distinction　was　named；　he　would　reflect　and　say；　〃Of　course；ah；　yes；　I　know　him；　I　know　him。　　Yes；　I　did　him　a　little　servicein　‘96。〃　And　something　in　his　manner　would　suggest　a　satisfaction；　or　a　dissatisfaction　with　confidential　mysteries。　He　welcomed　Billy　Prothero　in　a　colourless　manner；　and　made　conversation　about　Cambridge。　　He　had　known　one　or　two　of　the　higher　dons。　　One　he　had　done　at　Cambridge　quite　recently。　　〃The　inns　are　better　than　they　are　at　Oxford；　which　is　not　saying　very　much；　but　the　place　struck　me　as　being　changed。　　The　men　seemed　younger。　。　。　。〃　The　burden　of　the　conversation　fell　upon　Lady　Marayne。　　She　looked　extraordinarily　like　a　flower　to　Billy；　a　little　diamond　buckle　on　a　black　velvet　band　glittered　between　the　two　masses　of　butter…　coloured　hair　that　flowed　back　from　her　forehead；　her　head　was　poised　on　the　prettiest　neck　conceivable；　and　her　shapely　little　shoulders　and　her　shapely　little　arms　came　decidedly　but　pleasantly　out　of　a　softness　and　sparkle　of　white　and　silver　and　old　rose。　　She　talked　what　sounded　like　innocent　commonplaces　a　little　spiced　by　whim；　though　indeed　each　remark　had　an　exploratory　quality；　and　her　soft　blue　eyes　rested　ever　and　again　upon　Billy's　white　tie。　　It　seemed　she　did　so　by　the　merest　inadvertency；　but　it　made　the　young　man　wish　he　had　after　all　borrowed　a　black　one　from　Benham。　　But　the　manservant　who　had　put　his　things　out　had　put　it　out；　and　he　hadn't　been　quite　sure。　　Also　she　noted　all　the　little　things　he　did　with　fork　and　spoon　and　glass。　　She　gave　him　an　unusual　sense　of　being　brightly；　accurately　and　completely　visible。　Chexington；　it　seemed　to　Billy；　was　done　with　a　large　and　costly　and　easy　completeness。　　The　table　with　its　silver　and　flowers　was　much　more　beautifully　done　than　any　table　he　had　sat　at　before；　and　in　the　dimness　beyond　the　brightness　there　were　two　men　to　wait　on　the　four　of　them。　　The　old　grey　butler　was　really　wonderfully　good。　。　。　。　〃You　shoot；　Mr。　Prothero？〃　〃You　hunt；　Mr。　Prothero？〃　〃You　know　Scotland　well；　Mr。　Prothero？〃　These　questions　disturbed　Prothero。　　He　did　not　shoot；　he　did　not　hunt；　he　did　not　go　to　Scotland　for　the　grouse；　he　did　not　belong；　and　Lady　Marayne　ought　to　have　seen　that　he　did　not　belong　to　the　class　that　does　these　things。　〃You　ride　much；　Mr。　Prothero？〃　Billy　conceived　a　suspicion　that　these　innocent　inquiries　were　designed　to　emphasize　a　contrast　in　his　social　quality。　　But　he　could　not　be　sure。　　One　never　could　be　sure　with　Lady　Marayn