the egoist-第81部分

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


things　to　set　his　pride　throbbing　in　the　quick。　She　had　gone
bleeding　about　first　to　one；　then　to　another；　she　had　betrayed　him
to　Vernon；　and　to　Mrs。　Mountstuart；　a　look　in　the　eyes　of　Horace
De　Craye　said；　to　him　as　well：　to　whom　not？　He　might　hold　to　her
for　vengeance；　but　that　appetite　was　short…lived　in　him　if　it
ministered　nothing　to　his　purposes。　〃I　discard　all　idea　of
vengeance；〃　he　said；　and　thrilled　burningly　to　a　smart　in　his
admiration　of　the　man　who　could　be　so　magnanimous　under　mortal
injury；　for　the　more　admirable　he；　the　more　pitiable。　He　drank　a
drop　or　two　of　self…pity　like　a　poison；　repelling　the　assaults　of
public　pity。　Clara　must　be　given　up。　It　must　be　seen　by　the　world
that；　as　he　felt；　the　thing　he　did　was　right。　Laocoon　of　his　own
serpents；　he　struggled　to　a　certain　magnificence　of　attitude　in
the　muscular　net　of　constrictions　he　flung　around　himself。　Clara
must　be　given　up。　Oh；　bright　Abominable！　She　must　be　given　up：　but
not　to　one　whose　touch　of　her　would　be　darts　in　the　blood　of　the
yielder；　snakes　in　his　bed：　she　must　be　given　up　to　an
extinguisher；　to　be　the　second　wife　of　an　old…fashioned
semi…recluse；　disgraced　in　his　first。　And　were　it　publicly　known
that　she　had　been　cast　off；　and　had　fallen　on　old　Vernon　for　a
refuge；　and　part　in　spite；　part　in　shame；　part　in　desperation；
part　in　a　fit　of　good　sense　under　the　circumstances；　espoused　him；
her　beauty　would　not　influence　the　world　in　its　judgement。　The
world　would　know　what　to　think。　As　the　instinct　of
self…preservation　whispered　to　Willoughby；　the　world；　were　it
requisite；　might　be　taught　to　think　what　it　assuredly　would　not
think　if　she　should　be　seen　tripping　to　the　altar　with　Horace　De
Craye。　Self…preservation；　not　vengeance；　breathed　that　whisper。　He
glanced　at　her　iniquity　for　a　justification　of　it；　without　any
desire　to　do　her　a　permanent　hurt：　he　was　highly　civilized：　but
with　a　strong　intention　to　give　her　all　the　benefit　of　a　scandal；
supposing　a　scandal；　or　ordinary　tattle。

〃And　so　he　handed　her　to　his　cousin　and　secretary；　Vernon
Whitford；　who　opened　his　mouth　and　shut　his　eyes。〃

You　hear　the　world？　How　are　we　to　stop　it　from　chattering？　Enough
that　he　had　no　desire　to　harm　her。　Some　gentle　anticipations　of
her　being　tarnished　were　imperative；　they　came　spontaneously　to
him；　otherwise　the　radiance　of　that　bright　Abominable　in　loss
would　have　been　insufferable；　he　could　not　have　borne　it；　he　could
never　have　surrendered　her。　Moreover；　a　happy　present　effect　was
the　result。　He　conjured　up　the　anticipated　chatter　and　shrug　of
the　world　so　vividly　that　her　beauty　grew　hectic　with　the　stain；
bereft　of　its　formidable　magnetism。　He　could　meet　her　calmly；　he
had　steeled　himself。　Purity　in　women　was　his　principal　stipulation。
and　a　woman　puffed　at；　was　not　the　person　to　cause　him　tremours。

Consider　him　indulgently：　the　Egoist　is　the　Son　of　Himself。　He　is
likewise　the　Father。　And　the　son　loves　the　father；　the　father　the
son；　they　reciprocate　affection　through　the　closest　of　ties；　and
shall　they　view　behaviour　unkindly　wounding　either　of　them；　not
for　each　other's　dear　sake　abhorring　the　criminal？　They　would　not
injure　you；　but　they　cannot　consent　to　see　one　another　suffer　or
crave　in　vain。　The　two　rub　together　in　sympathy　besides
relationship　to　an　intenser　one。　Are　you；　without　much　offending；
sacrificed　by　them；　it　is　on　the　altar　of　their　mutual　love；　to
filial　piety　or　paternal　tenderness：　the　younger　has　offered　a
dainty　morsel　to　the　elder；　or　the　elder　to　the　younger。　Absorbed
in　their　great　example　of　devotion　do　they　not　think　of　you。　They
are　beautiful。

Yet　is　it　most　true　that　the　younger　has　the　passions　of　youth：
whereof　will　come　division　between　them；　and　this　is　a　tragic
state。　They　are　then　pathetic。　This　was　the　state　of　Sir
Willoughby　lending　ear　to　his　elder；　until　he　submitted　to　bite　at
the　fruit　proposed　to　himwith　how　wry　a　mouth　the　venerable
senior　chose　not　to　mark。　At　least；　as　we　perceive；　a　half　of　him
was　ripe　of　wisdom　in　his　own　interests。　The　cruder　half　had　but
to　be　obedient　to　the　leadership　of　sagacity　for　his　interests　to
be　secured；　and　a　filial　disposition　assisted　him；　painfully
indeed；　but　the　same　rare　quality　directed　the　good　gentleman　to
swallow　his　pain。　That　the　son　should　bewail　his　fate　were　a
dishonour　to　the　sire。　He　reverenced；　and　submitted。　Thus；　to　say；
consider　him　indulgently；　is　too　much　an　appeal　for　charity　on
behalf　of　one　requiring　but　initial　anatomya　slicing　in　halves
to　exonerate；　perchance　exalt　him。　The　Egoist　is　our
fountain…head；　primeval　man：　the　primitive　is　born　again；　the
elemental　reconstituted。　Born　again；　into　new　conditions；　the
primitive　may　be　highly　polished　of　men；　and　forfeit　nothing　save
the　roughness　of　his　original　nature。　He　is　not　only　his　own
father；　he　is　ours；　and　he　is　also　our　son。　We　have　produced　him。
he　us。　Such　were　we；　to　such　are　we　returning：　not　other；　sings
the　poet；　than　one　who　toilfully　works　his　shallop　against　the
tide；　〃si　brachia　forte　remisit〃：let　him　haply　relax　the
labour　of　his　arms；　however　high　up　the　stream；　and　back　he　goes；
〃in　pejus〃；　to　the　early　principle　of　our　being；　with　seeds　and
plants；　that　are　as　carelessly　weighed　in　the　hand　and　as
indiscriminately　husbanded　as　our　humanity。

Poets　on　the　other　side　may　be　cited　for　an　assurance　that　the
primitive　is　not　the　degenerate：　rather　is　he　a　sign　of　the
indestructibility　of　the　race；　of　the　ancient　energy　in　removing
obstacles　to　individual　growth；　a　sample　of　what　we　would　be；　had
we　his　concentrated　power。　He　is　the　original　innocent；　the　pure
simple。　It　is　we　who　have　fallen；　we　have　melted　into　Society；
diluted　our　essence；　dissolved。　He　stands　in　the　midst
monumentally；　a　land…mark　of　the　tough　and　honest　old　Ages；　with
the　symbolic　alphabet　of　striking　arms　and　running　legs；　our　early
language；　scrawled　over　his　person；　and　the　glorious　first　flint
and　arrow…head　for　his　crest：　at　once　the　spectre　of　the
Kitchen…midden　and　our　ripest　issue。　

But　Society　is　about　him。　The　occasional　spectacle　of　the
primitive　dangling　on　a　rope　has　impressed　his　mind　with　the
strength　of　his　natural　enemy：　from　which　uncongenial　sight　he　has
turned　shuddering　hardly　less　to　behold　the　blast　that　is　blown
upon　a　reputation　where　one　has　been　disrespectful　of　the　many。　By
these　means；　through　meditation　on　the　contrast　of　circumstances
in　life；　a　pulse　of　imagination　has　begun　to　stir；　and　he　has
entered　the　upper　sphere　or　circle　of　spiritual　Egoism：　he　has
become　the　civilized　Egoist；　primitive　still；　as　sure　as　man　has
teeth；　but　developed　in　his　manner　of　using　them。

Degenerate　or　not　（and　there　is　no　just　reason　to　suppose　it）　Sir
Willoughby　was　a　social　Egoist；　fiercely　imaginative　in　whatsoever
concerned　him。　He　had　discovered　a　greater　realm　than　that　of　the
sensual　appetites；　and　he　rushed　across　and　around　it　in　his
conquering　period　with　an　Alexander's　pride。　On　these　wind…like
journeys　he　had　carried　Constantia；　subsequently　Clara；　and
however　it　may　have　been　in　the　case　of　Miss　Durham；　in　that　of
Miss　Middleton　it　is　almost　certain　she　caught　a　glimpse　of　his
interior　from　sheer　fatigue　in　hearing　him　discourse　of　it。　What
he　revealed　was　not　the　cause　of　her　sickness：　women　can　bear
revelationsthey　are　exciting：　but　the　monotonousness。　He　slew
imagination。　There　is　no　direr　disaster　in　love　than　the　death　of
imagination。　He　dragged　her　through　the　labyrinths　of　his
penetralia；　in　his　hungry　coveting　to　be　loved　more　and　still
more；　more　still；　until　imagination　gave　up　the　ghost；　and　he
talked　to　her　plain　hearing　like　a　monster。　It　must　have　been
that；　for　the　spell　of　the　primitive　upon　women　is　masterful　up　to
the　time　of　contact。

〃And　so　he　handed　her　to　his　cousin　and　secretary；　Vernon
Whitford；　who　opened　his　mouth　and　shut　his　eyes。〃

The　urgent　question　was；　how　it　was　to　be　accomplished。
Willoughby　worked　at　the　subject　with　all　his　power　of
concentration：　a　power　that　had　often　led　him　to　feel　and　say；
that　as　a　barrister；　a　diplomatist；　or　a　general；　he　would　have
won　his　grades：　and　granting　him　a　personal　interest　in　the
business；　he　might　have　achieved　eminence：　he　schemed　and　fenced
remarkably　well。

He　projected　a　scene；　following　expressions　of　anxiety　on　account
of　old　Vernon　and　his　future　settlement：　and　then　Clara　
maintaining　her　doggedness；　to　which　he　was　now　so　accustomed　that
he　could　not　conceive　a　change　in　itsays　he：　〃If　you　determine
on　breaking　I　give　you　back　your　word　on　one　condition。〃　Whereupon
she　starts：　he　insists　on　her　promise：　she　declines：　affairs
resume　their　former　footing；　she　frets：　she　begs　for　the
disclosure：　he　flatters　her　by　telling　her　his　desire　to　keep　her
in　the　family：　she　is　unilluminated；　but　strongly　moved　by
curiosity：　he　philosophizes　on　marriage　〃What　are　we？　poor
creatures！　we　must　get　through　life　as　we　can；　doing　as　much　good
as　we　can　to　those　we　love；　and　think　as　you　please；　I　love　old
Vernon。　Am　I　not　giving　you　the　greatest　possible　proof　of　it？〃
She　will　not　see。　Then　flatly　out　comes　the　one　condition。　That
and　no　other。　〃Take　Vernon　and　I　release　you。〃　She　refuses。　Now
ensues　the　debate；　all　the　oratory　being　with　him。　〃Is　it　because
of　his　unfortunate　first　marriage？　You　assured　me　you　thought　no
worse　of　him；〃　etc。　She　declares　the　proposal　revolting。　He　can
distinguish　nothing　that　should　offend　her　in　a　proposal　to　make
his　cousin　happy　if　she　will　not　him。　Irony　and　sarcasm　relieve
his　emotions；　but　he　convinces　her　he　is　dealing　plainly　and
intends　generosity。　She　is　confused；　she　speaks　in　maiden　fashion。
He　touches　again　on　Vernon's　early　escapade。　She　does　not　enjoy
it。　The　scene　closes　with　his　bidding　her　reflect　on　it；　and　
remember　the　one　condition　of　her　release。　Mrs。　Mountstuart
Jenkinson；　now　reduced　to　believe　that　he　burns　to　be　free；　is　then
called　in　for　an　interview　with　Clara。　His　aunts　Eleanor　and
Isabel　besiege　her。　Laetitia　in　passionate　earnest　besieges　her。
Her　father　is　wrought　on　to　besiege　her。　Finally　Vernon　is
attacked　by　Willoughby　and　Mrs。　Mountstuart：and　here；
Willoughby　chose　to　think；　was　the　main　d