the research magnificent-第35部分

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ting　Coombe　and　the　Hartings。　　He　told　them　that　London　had　suddenly　become　intolerable〃In　the　spring　sunshine。〃　〃You　live　in　London？〃　said　Mrs。　Wilder。　Yes。　ad　ever　not　done；　for　everything　in　the　world。　　In　a　moment　of　lucidity　he　even　had　remorse　for　drinking　that　stout　honest　cup　of　black　coffee。　。　。　。　And　so　on　and　so　on　and　so　on。　。　。　。　When　daylight　came　it　found　Benham　still　wide　awake。　　Things　crept　mournfully　out　of　the　darkness　into　a　reproachful　clearness。　　The　sound　of　birds　that　had　been　so　delightful　on　the　yesterday　was　now　no　longer　agreeable。　　The　thrushes；　he　thought；　repeated　themselves　a　great　deal。　He　fell　asleep　as　it　seemed　only　a　few　minutes　before　the　landlord；　accompanied　by　a　great　smell　of　frying　bacon；　came　to　call　him。

18

The　second　day　opened　rather　dully　for　Benham。　　There　was　not　an　idea　left　in　his　head　about　anything　in　the　world。　　It　wasSOLID。　He　walked　through　Bramley　and　Godalming　and　Witley　and　so　came　out　upon　the　purple　waste　of　Hindhead。　　He　strayed　away　from　the　road　and　found　a　sunny　place　of　turf　amidst　the　heather　and　lay　down　and　slept　for　an　hour　or　so。　　He　arose　refreshed。　　He　got　some　food　at　the　Huts　Inn　on　the　Hindhead　crest　and　went　on　across　sunlit　heathery　wildernesses　variegated　by　patches　of　spruce　and　fir　and　silver　birch。　　And　then　suddenly　his　mental　inanition　was　at　an　end　and　his　thoughts　were　wide　and　brave　again。　　He　was　astonished　that　for　a　moment　he　could　have　forgotten　that　he　was　vowed　to　the　splendid　life。　〃Continence　by　preoccupation；〃　he　tried　the　phrase。　。　。　。　〃A　man　must　not　give　in　to　fear；　neither　must　hund　himself　upon　a　sandy　ridge　looking　very　beautifully　into　a　sudden　steep　valley　that　he　learnt　was　Harting　Coombe；　he　had　been　through　a　West　Harting　and　a　South　Harting　and　read　finger…posts　pointing　to　others　of　the　clan；　and　in　the　evening；　at　the　foot　of　a　steep　hill　where　two　roads　met；　he　sat　down　to　consider　whether　he　should　go　back　and　spend　the　night　in　one　of　the　two　kindly…looking　inns　of　the　latter　place　or　push　on　over　the　South　Downs　towards　the　unknown　luck　of　Singleton　or　Chichester。　　As　he　sat　down　two　big　retrievers；　black　and　brown；　came　headlong　down　the　road。　　The　black　carried　a　stick；　the　brown　disputed　and　pursued。　　As　they　came　abreast　of　him　the　foremost　a　little　relaxed　his　hold；　the　pursuer　grabbed　at　it；　and　in　an　instant　the　rivalry　had　flared　to　rage　and　a　first…class　dogfight　was　in　progress。　Benham　detested　dog…fights。　　He　stood　up；　pale　and　distressed。　　〃Lie　down！〃　he　cried。　　〃Shut　up；　you　brutes！〃　and　was　at　a　loss　for　further　action。　Then　it　was　Amanda　leapt　into　his　world；　a　light；　tall　figure　of　a　girl；　fluttering　a　short　petticoat。　　Hatless　she　was；　brown；　flushed；　and　her　dark　hair　tossing　loose；　and　in　a　moment　she　had　the　snarling　furious　dogs　apart；　each　gripped　firmly　by　its　collar。　Then　with　a　wriggle　black　was　loose　and　had　closed　again。　　Inspired　by　the　best　traditions　of　chivalry　Benham　came　to　her　assistance。　He　was　not　expert　with　dogs。　　He　grasped　the　black　dog　under　its　ear。　　He　was　bitten　in　the　wrist；　rather　in　excitement　than　malice；　and　with　a　certain　excess　of　zeal　he　was　strangling　the　brute　before　you　could　count　ten。　Amanda　seized　the　fallen　stick　and　whacked　the　dog　she　held；　reasonably　but　effectively　until　its　yelps　satisfied　her。　　〃There！〃　she　said　pitching　her　victim　from　her；　and　stood　erect　again。　　She　surveyed　the　proceedings　of　her　helper　for　the　first　time。　〃You　needn't；〃　she　said；　〃choke　Sultan　anymore。〃　〃Ugh！〃　she　said；　as　though　that　was　enough　for　Sultan。　　And　peace　was　restored。　〃I'm　obliged　to　you。　　But　。　。　。　　I　say！　　He　didn't　bite　you；　did　he？　　Oh；　SULTAN！〃　Sultan　tried　to　express　his　disgust　at　the　affair。　　Rotten　business。　When　a　fellow　is　fighting　one　can't　be　meticulous。　　And　if　people　come　interfering。　　StillSORRY！　　　So　Sultan　by　his　code　of　eye　and　tail。　〃May　I　see？　。　。　。　　Something　ought　to　be　done　to　this。　。　。　。〃　She　took　his　wrist　in　her　hand；　and　her　cheek　and　eyelashes　came　within　a　foot　of　his　face。　Some　observant　element　in　his　composition　guessed；　and　guessed　quite　accurately；　that　she　was　nineteen。　。　。　。

2

She　had　an　eyebrow　like　a　quick　stroke　of　a　camel's…hair　brush；　she　had　a　glowing　face；　half　childish　imp；　half　woman；　she　had　honest　hazel　eyes；　a　voice　all　music；　a　manifest　decision　of　character。　And　he　must　have　this　bite　seen　to　at　once。　　She　lived　not　five　minutes　away。　　He　must　come　with　her。　She　had　an　aunt　who　behaved　like　a　mother　and　a　mother　who　behaved　like　a　genteel　visitor；　and　they　both　agreed　with　Amanda　that　although　Mr。　Walter　Long　and　his　dreadful　muzzles　and　everything　did　seem　to　have　stamped　out　rabies；　yet　you　couldn't　be　too　careful　with　a　dog　bite。　　A　dog　bite　might　be　injurious　in　all　sorts　of　waysparticularly　Sultan's　bite。　　He　was；　they　had　to　confess；　a　dog　without　refinement；　a　coarse…minded　omnivorous　dog。　　Both　the　elder　ladies　insisted　upon　regarding　Benham's　wound　as　clear　evidence　of　some　gallant　rescue　of　Aman　And　he　had　wanted　to　think　things　out。　In　London　one　could　do　no　thinking　〃Here　we　do　nothing　else；〃　said　Amanda。　〃Except　dog…fights；〃　said　the　elder　cousin。　〃I　thought　I　would　just　wander　and　think　and　sleep　in　the　open　air。　Have　you　ever　tried　to　sleep　in　the　open　air？〃　〃In　the　summer　we　all　do；〃　said　the　younger　cousin。　　〃Amanda　makes　us。　　We　go　out　on　to　the　little　lawn　at　the　back。〃　〃You　see　Amanda　has　some　friends　at　Limpsfield。　　And　there　they　all　go　ouda　from　imminent　danger　〃she's　always　so　RECKLESS　with　those　dogs；〃　as　though　Amanda　was　not　manifestly　capable　of　taking　care　of　herself；　and　when　he　had　been　Listerined　and　bandaged；　they　would　have　it　that　he　should　join　them　at　their　supper…dinner；　which　was　already　prepared　and　waiting。　They　treated　him　as　if　he　were　still　an　undergraduate；　they　took　his　arrangements　in　hand　as　though　he　was　a　favourite　nephew。　　He　must　stay　in　Harting　that　night。　　Both　the　Ship　and　the　Coach　and　Horses　were　excellent　inns；　and　over　the　Downs　there　would　be　nothing　for　miles　and　miles。　。　。　。　The　house　was　a　little　long　house　with　a　verandah　and　a　garden　in　front　of　it　with　flint…edged　paths；　the　room　in　which　they　sat　and　ate　was　long　and　low　and　equipped　with　pieces　of　misfitting　good　furniture；　an　accidental…looking　gilt　tarnished　mirror；　and　a　sprinkling　of　old　and　middle…aged　books。　　Some　one　had　lit　a　fire；　which　cracked　and　spurted　about　cheerfully　in　a　motherly　fireplace；　and　a　lamp　and　some　candles　got　lit。　　Mrs。　Wilder；　Amanda's　aunt；　a　comfortable　dark　broad…browed　woman；　directed　things；　and　sat　at　the　end　of　the　table　and　placed　Benham　on　her　right　hand　between　herself　and　Amanda。　　Amanda's　mother　remained　undeveloped；　a　watchful　little　woman　with　at　least　an　eyebrow　like　her　daughter's。　　Her　name；　it　seemed；　was　Morris。　　No　servant　appeared；　but　two　cousins　of　a　vague　dark　picturesqueness　and　with　a　stamp　of　thirty　upon　them；　the　first　young　women　Benham　had　ever　seen　dressed　in　djibbahs；　sat　at　the　table　or　moved　about　and　attended　to　the　simple　needs　of　the　service。　　The　reconciled　dogs　were　in　the　room　and　shifted　inquiring　noses　from　one　human　being　to　another。　Amanda's　people　were　so　easy　and　intelligent　and　friendly；　and　Benham　after　his　thirt