the egoist-第23部分

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times　on　my　grounds。　It's　curious　to　calculate。　Of　course　the　shop
failed；　and　Flitch's　independence　consists　in　walking　about　with
his　hands　in　his　empty　pockets；　and　looking　at　the　Hall　from　some
elevation　near。〃

〃Is　he　married？　Has　he　children？〃　said　Clara。

〃Nine；　and　a　wife　that　cannot　cook　or　sew　or　wash　linen。〃

〃You　could　not　give　him　employment？〃

〃After　his　having　dismissed　himself？〃

〃It　might　be　overlooked。〃

〃Here　he　was　happy。　He　decided　to　go　elsewhere；　to　be　freeof
course；　of　my　yoke。　He　quitted　my　service　against　my　warning。
Flitch；　we　will　say；　emigrated　with　his　wife　and　children；　and　the
ship　foundered。　He　returns；　but　his　place　is　filled；　he　is　a　ghost
here；　and　I　object　to　ghosts。〃

〃Some　work　might　be　found　for　him。〃

〃It　will　be　the　same　with　old　Vernon；　my　dear。　If　he　goes；　he　goes
for　good。　It　is　the　vital　principle　of　my　authority　to　insist　on
that。　A　dead　leaf　might　as　reasonably　demand　to　return　to　the
tree。　Once　off；　off　for　all　eternity！　I　am　sorry。　but　such　was
your　decision；　my　friend。　I　have；　you　see；　Clara；　elements　in
me〃

〃Dreadful！〃

〃Exert　your　persuasive　powers　with　Vernon。　You　can　do　well…nigh
what　you　will　with　the　old　fellow。　We　have　Miss　Dale　this　evening
for　a　week　or　two。　Lead　him　to　some　ideas　of　her。Elements　in
me；　I　was　remarking；　which　will　no　more　bear　to　be　handled
carelessly　than　gunpowder。　At　the　same　time；　there　is　no　reason
why　they　should　not　be　respected；　managed　with　some　degree　of
regard　for　me　and　attention　to　consequences。　Those　who　have　not
done　so　have　repented。〃

〃You　do　not　speak　to　others　of　the　elements　in　you；〃　said　Clara。

〃I　certainly　do　not：　I　have　but　one　bride；〃　was　his　handsome
reply。

〃Is　it　fair　to　me　that　you　should　show　me　the　worst　of　you？〃

〃All　myself；　my　own？〃

His　ingratiating　droop　and　familiar　smile　rendered　〃All　myself〃　so
affectionately　meaningful　in　its　happy　reliance　upon　her　excess　of
love；　that　at　last　she　understood　she　was　expected　to　worship　him
and　uphold　him　for　whatsoever　he　might　be；　without　any　estimation
of　qualities：　as　indeed　love　does；　or　young　love　does：　as　she
perhaps　did　once；　before　he　chilled　her　senses。　That　was　before
her　〃little　brain〃　had　become　active　and　had　turned　her　senses　to
revolt。

It　was　on　the　full　river　of　love　that　Sir　Willoughby　supposed　the
whole　floating　bulk　of　his　personality　to　be　securely　sustained；
and　therefore　it　was　that；　believing　himself　swimming　at　his　ease；
he　discoursed　of　himself。

She　went　straight　away　from　that　idea　with　her　mental　exclamation：
〃Why　does　he　not　paint　himself　in　brighter　colours　to　me！〃　and　the
question：　〃Has　he　no　ideal　of　generosity　and　chivalry？〃

But　the　unfortunate　gentleman　imagined　himself　to　be　loved；　on
Love's　very　bosom。　He　fancied　that　everything　relating　to　himself
excited　maidenly　curiosity；　womanly　reverence；　ardours　to　know
more　of　him；　which　he　was　ever　willing　to　satisfy　by　repeating　the
same　things。　His　notion　of　women　was　the　primitive　black　and
white：　there　are　good　women；　bad　women；　and　he　possessed　a　good
one。　His　high　opinion　of　himself　fortified　the　belief　that
Providence；　as　a　matter　of　justice　and　fitness；　must　necessarily
select　a　good　one　for　himor　what　are　we　to　think　of　Providence？
And　this　female；　shaped　by　that　informing　hand；　would　naturally　be
in　harmony　with　him；　from　the　centre　of　his　profound　identity　to
the　raying　circle　of　his　variations。　Know　the　centre；　you　know　the
circle；　and　you　discover　that　the　variations　are　simply
characteristics；　but　you　must　travel　on　the　rays　from　the　circle
to　get　to　the　centre。　Consequently　Sir　Willoughby　put　Miss
Middleton　on　one　or　other　of　these　converging　lines　from　time　to
time。　Us；　too；　he　drags　into　the　deeps；　but　when　we　have　harpooned
a　whale　and　are　attached　to　the　rope；　down　we　must　go；　the　miracle
is　to　see　us　rise　again。

Women　of　mixed　essences　shading　off　the　divine　to　the　considerably
lower　were　outside　his　vision　of　woman。　His　mind　could　as　little
admit　an　angel　in　pottery　as　a　rogue　in　porcelain。　For　him　they
were　what　they　were　when　fashioned　at　the　beginning；　many　cracked；
many　stained；　here　and　there　a　perfect　specimen　designed　for　the
elect　of　men。　At　a　whisper　of　the　world　he　shut　the　prude's　door
on　them　with　a　slam；　himself　would　have　branded　them　with　the
letters　in　the　hue　of　fire。　Privately　he　did　so；　and　he　was
constituted　by　his　extreme　sensitiveness　and　taste　for
ultra…feminine　refinement　to　be　a　severe　critic　of　them　during　the
carnival　of　egoism；　the　love…season。　Constantia　。。。　can　it　he
told？　　She　had　been；　be　it　said；　a　fair　and　frank　young　merchant
with　him　in　that　season；　she　was　of　a　nature　to　be　a　mother　of
heroes；　she　met　the　salute；　almost　half…way；　ingenuously　unlike
the　coming　mothers　of　the　regiments　of　marionettes；　who　retire　in
vapours；　downcast；　as　by　convention；　ladies　most　flattering　to　the
egoistical　gentleman；　for　they　proclaim　him　the　〃first〃。
Constantia's　offence　had　been　no　greater；　but　it　was　not　that
dramatic　performance　of　purity　which　he　desired　of　an　affianced
lady；　and　so　the　offence　was　great。

The　love…season　is　the　carnival　of　egoism；　and　it　brings　the
touchstone　to　our　natures。　I　speak　of　love；　not　the　mask；　and　not
of　the　flutings　upon　the　theme　of　love；　but　of　the　passion；　a
flame　having；　like　our　mortality；　death　in　it　as　well　as　life；
that　may　or　may　not　be　lasting。　Applied　to　Sir　Willoughby；　as　to
thousands　of　civilized　males；　the　touchstone　found　him　requiring
to　be　dealt　with　by　his　betrothed　as　an　original　savage。　She　was
required　to　play　incessantly　on　the　first　reclaiming　chord　which
led　our　ancestral　satyr　to　the　measures　of　the　dance；　the
threading　of　the　maze；　and　the　setting　conformably　to　his　partner
before　it　was　accorded　to　him　to　spin　her　with　both　hands　and　a
chirrup　of　his　frisky　heels。　To　keep　him　in　awe　and　hold　him
enchained；　there　are　things　she　must　never　do；　dare　never　say；
must　not　think。　She　must　be　cloistral。　Now；　strange　and　awful
though　it　be　to　hear；　women　perceive　this　requirement　of　them　in
the　spirit　of　the　man；　they　perceive；　too；　and　it　may　be
gratefully；　that　they　address　their　performances　less　to　the
taming　of　the　green　and　prankish　monsieur　of　the　forest　than　to　the
pacification　of　a　voracious　aesthetic　gluttony；　craving　them
insatiably；　through　all　the　tenses；　with　shrieks　of　the　lamentable
letter　〃I〃　for　their　purity。　Whether　they　see　that　it　has　its
foundation　in　the　sensual；　and　distinguish　the　ultra…refined　but
lineally　great…grandson　of　the　Hoof　in　this　vast　and　dainty
exacting　appetite　is　uncertain。　They　probably　do　not；　the　more　the
damage；　for　in　the　appeasement　of　the　glutton　they　have　to
practise　much　simulation；　they　are　in　their　way　losers　like　their
ancient　mothers。　It　is　the　palpable　and　material　of　them　still
which　they　are　tempted　to　flourish；　wherewith　to　invite　and　allay
pursuit：　a　condition　under　which　the　spiritual；　wherein　their　hope
lies；　languishes。　The　capaciously　strong　in　soul　among　women　will
ultimately　detect　an　infinite　grossness　in　the　demand　for　purity
infinite；　spotless　bloom。　Earlier　or　later　they　see　they　have　been
victims　of　the　singular　Egoist；　have　worn　a　mask　of　ignorance　to　be
named　innocent；　have　turned　themselves　into　market　produce　for
his　delight；　and　have　really　abandoned　the　commodity　in
ministering　to　the　lust　for　it；　suffered　themselves　to　be　dragged
ages　back　in　playing　upon　the　fleshly　innocence　of　happy　accident
to　gratify　his　jealous　greed　of　possession；　when　it　should　have
been　their　task　to　set　the　soul　above　the　fairest　fortune　and　the
gift　of　strength　in　women　beyond　ornamental　whiteness。　Are　they
not　of　nature　warriors；　like　men？men's　mates　to　bear　them
heroes　instead　of　puppets？　But　the　devouring　male　Egoist　prefers
them　as　inanimate　overwrought　polished　pure　metal　precious
vessels；　fresh　from　the　hands　of　the　artificer；　for　him　to　walk
away　with　hugging；　call　all　his　own；　drink　of；　and　fill　and　drink
of；　and　forget　that　he　stole　them。

This　running　off　on　a　by…road　is　no　deviation　from　Sir　Willoughby
Patterne　and　Miss　Clara　Middleton。　He；　a　fairly　intelligent　man；
and　very　sensitive；　was　blinded　to　what　was　going　on　within　her
visibly　enough；　by　her　production　of　the　article　he　demanded　of
her　sex。　He　had　to　leave　the　fair　young　lady　to　ride　to　his
county…town；　and　his　design　was　to　conduct　her　through　the　covert
of　a　group　of　laurels；　there　to　revel　in　her　soft　confusion。　She
resisted；　nay；　resolutely　returned　to　the　lawn…sward。　He
contrasted　her　with　Constantia　in　the　amorous　time；　and　rejoiced
in　his　disappointment。　He　saw　the　goddess　Modesty　guarding　Purity；
and　one　would　be　bold　to　say　that　he　did　not　hear　the　Precepts；
Purity's　aged　grannams　maternal　and　paternal；　cawing　approval　of
her　over　their　munching　gums。　And　if　you　ask　whether　a　man；
sensitive　and　a　lover；　can　be　so　blinded；　you　are　condemned　to
re…peruse　the　foregoing　paragraph。

Miss　Middleton　was　not　sufficiently　instructed　in　the　position　of
her　sex　to　know　that　she　had　plunged　herself　in　the　thick　of　the
strife　of　one　of　their　great　battles。　Her　personal　position；
however；　was　instilling　knowledge　rapidly；　as　a　disease　in　the
frame　teaches　us　what　we　are　and　have　to　contend　with。　Could　she
marry　this　man？　He　was　evidently　manageable。　Could　she　condescend
to　the　use　of　arts　in　managing　him　to　obtain　a　placable　life？a
horror　of　swampy　flatness！　So　vividly　did　the　sight　of　that　dead
heaven　over　an　unvarying　level　earth　swim　on　her　fancy；　that　she
shut　her　eyes　in　angry　exclusion　of　it　as　if　it　were　outside；
assailing　her；　and　she　nearly　stumbled　upon　young　Crossjay。

〃Oh；　have　I　hurt　you？〃　he　cried。

〃No；〃　said　she；　〃it　was　my　fault。　Lead　me　somewhere　away　from
everybody。〃

The　boy　took　her　hand；　and　she　resumed　her　thoughts；　and；　pressing
his　fingers　and　feeling　warm　to　him　both　for　his　presence　and
silence；　so　does　the　blood　in　youth　lead　the　mind；　even　cool　and
innocent　blood；　even　with　a　touch；　that　she　said　to　herself；　〃And
if　I　marry；　and　then　。。。　Where　will　honour　be　then？　I　marry　him　to
be　true　to　my　word　of　honour；　and　if　then　。。。　！〃　An　intolerable
languor　caused　her　to　sigh　profoundly。　I