the secret places of the heart- 第21部分

he　had　lived　each　several　year　of　her　existence　in　a　distinctive　and　conclusive　manner　with　the　utmost　mental　profit　and　no　particular　tarnish　or　injury。　He　could　talk　with　her　as　if　he　talked　with　a　man　like　himselfbut　with　a　zest　no　man　could　give　him。　It　was　evident　that　the　good　things　she　had　said　at　first　came　as　the　natural　expression　of　a　broad　stream　of　alert　thought；　they　were　no　mere　display　specimens　from　one　of　those　jackdaw　collections　of　bright　things　so　many　clever　women　waste　their　wits　in　accumulating。　She　was　not　talking　for　effect　at　all；　she　was　talking　because　she　was　tremendously　interested　in　her　discovery　of　the　spectacle　of　history；　and　delighted　to　find　another　person　as　possessed　as　she　was。　Belinda　having　been　conducted　to　her　shops；　the　two　made　their　way　through　the　bright　evening　sunlight　to　the　compact　gracefulness　of　the　cathedral。　A　glimpse　through　a　wrought…　iron　gate　of　a　delightful　garden　of　spring　flowers；　alyssum；　aubrietia；　snow…upon…the…mountains；　daffodils；　narcissus　and　the　like；　held　them　for　a　time；　and　then　they　came　out　upon　the　level；　grassy　space；　surrounded　by　little　ripe　old　houses；　on　which　the　cathedral　stands。　They　stood　for　some　moments　surveying　it。　〃It's　a　perfect　little　lady　of　a　cathedral；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃But　why；　I　wonder；　did　we　build　it？　〃　〃Your　memory　ought　to　be　better　than　mine；〃　she　said；　with　her　half…closed　eyes　blinking　up　at　the　sunlit　spire　sharp　against　the　blue。　〃I've　been　away　for　so　long…over　there…that　I　forget　altogether。　Why　DID　we　build　it？〃　She　had　fallen　in　quite　early　with　this　freak　of　speaking　and　thinking　as　if　he　and　she　were　all　mankind。　It　was　as　if　her　mind　had　been　prepared　for　it　by　her　own　eager　exploration　in　Europe。　〃My　friend；　the　philosopher；〃　he　had　said；　〃will　not　have　it　that　we　are　really　the　individuals　we　think　we　are。　You　must　talk　to　himhe　is　a　very　curious　and　subtle　thinker。　We　are　just　thoughts　in　the　Mind　of　the　Race；　he　says；　passing　thoughts。　We　arewhat　does　he　call　it？　Man　on　his　Planet；　taking　control　of　life。〃　〃Man　and　woman；〃　she　had　amended。　But　just　as　man　on　his　planet　taking　control　of　life　had　failed　altogether　to　remember　why　the　ditch　at　Avebury　was　on　the　inside　instead　of　the　outside　of　the　vallum；　so　now　Miss　Grammont　and　Sir　Richmond　found　very　great　difficulty　in　recalling　why　they　had　built　Salisbury　Cathedral。　〃We　built　temples　by　habit　and　tradition；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃But　the　impulse　was　losing　its　force。　〃　She　looked　up　at　the　spire　and　then　at　him　with　a　faintly　quizzical　expression。　But　he　had　his　reply　ready。　〃We　were　beginning　to　feel　our　power　over　matter。　We　were　already　very　clever　engineers。　What　interested　us　here　wasn't　the　old　religion　any　more。　We　wanted　to　exercise　and　display　our　power　over　stone。　We　made　it　into　reeds　and　branches。　We　squirted　it　up　in　all　these　spires　and　pinnacles。　The　priest　and　his　altar　were　just　an　excuse。　Do　you　think　people　have　ever　feared　and　worshipped　in　thisthis　artist's　larkas　they　did　in　Stonehenge？〃　〃I　certainly　do　not　remember　that　I　ever　worshipped　here；〃　she　said。　Sir　Richmond　was　in　love　with　his　idea。　〃The　spirit　of　the　Gothic　cathedrals；〃　he　said；　〃is　the　spirit　of　the　sky…　scrapers。　It　is　architecture　in　a　mood　of　flaming　ambition。　The　Freemasons　on　the　building　could　hardly　refrain　from　jeering　at　the　little　priest　they　had　left　down　below　there；　performing　antiquated　puerile　mysteries　at　his　altar。　He　was　just　their　excuse　for　doing　it　all。〃　〃Sky…scrapers？〃　she　conceded。　〃An　early　display　of　the　sky…　scraper　spirit。　。　。　。　You　are　doing　your　best　to　make　me　feel　thoroughly　at　home。〃　〃You　are　more　at　home　here　still　than　in　that　new　country　of　ours　over　the　Atlantic。　But　it　seems　to　me　now　that　I　do　begin　to　remember　building　this　cathedral　and　all　the　other　cathedrals　we　built　in　Europe。　。　。　。　It　was　the　fun　of　building　made　us　do　it。　。　。　〃　〃H'm；〃　she　said。　〃And　my　sky…scrapers？〃　〃Still　the　fun　of　building。　That　is　the　thing　I　envy　most　about　America。　It's　still　large　enough；　mentally　and　materially；　to　build　all　sorts　of　things。　。　。　。　Over　here；　the　sites　are　frightfully　crowded。　。　。　。　〃　〃And　what　do　you　think　we　are　building　now？　And　what　do　you　think　you　are　building　over　here？〃　〃What　are　we　building　now？　I　believe　we　have　almost　grown　up。　I　believe　it　is　time　we　began　to　build　in　earnest。　For　good。　。　。　。〃　〃But　are　we　building　anything　at　all？〃　〃A　new　world。〃　〃Show　it　me；〃　she　said。　〃We're　still　only　at　the　foundations；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。〃　Nothing　shows　as　yet。〃　〃I　wish　I　could　believe　they　were　foundations。〃　〃But　can　you　doubt　we　are　scrapping　the　old？　。　。　。〃　It　was　too　late　in　the　afternoon　to　go　into　the　cathedral；　so　they　strolled　to　and　fro　round　and　about　the　west　end　and　along　the　path　under　the　trees　towards　the　river；　exchanging　their　ideas　very　frankly　and　freely　about　the　things　that　had　recently　happened　to　the　world　and　what　they　thought　they　ought　to　be　doing　in　it。　Section　5　After　dinner　our　four　tourists　sat　late　and　talked　in　a　corner　of　the　smoking…room。　The　two　ladies　had　vanished　hastily　at　the　first　dinner　gong　and　reappeared　at　the　second；　mysteriously　and　pleasantly　changed　from　tweedy　pedestrians　to　indoor　company。　They　were　quietly　but　definitely　dressed；　pretty　alterations　had　happened　to　their　coiffure；　a　silver　band　and　deep　red　stones　lit　the　dusk　of　Miss　Grammont's　hair　and　a　necklace　of　the　same　colourings　kept　the　peace　between　her　jolly　sun…burnt　cheek　and　her　soft　untanned　neck。　It　was　evident　her　recent　uniform　had　included　a　collar　of　great　severity。　Miss　Seyffert　had　revealed　a　plump　forearm　and　proclaimed　it　with　a　clash　of　bangles。　Dr。　Martineau　thought　her　evening　throat　much　too　confidential。　The　conversation　drifted　from　topic　to　topic。　It　had　none　of　the　steady　continuity　of　Sir　Richmond's　duologue　with　Miss　Grammont。　Miss　Seyffert's　methods　were　too　discursive　and　exclamatory。　She　broke　every　thread　that　appeared。　The　Old　George　at　Salisbury　is　really　old；　it　shows　it；　and　Miss　Seyffert　laced　the　entire　evening　with　her　recognition　of　the　fact。　〃Just　look　at　that　old　beam！〃　she　would　cry　suddenly。　〃　To　think　it　was　exactly　where　it　is　before　there　was　a　Cabot　in　America！〃　Miss　Grammont　let　her　companion　pull　the　talk　about　as　she　chose。　After　the　animation　of　the　afternoon　a　sort　of　lazy　contentment　had　taken　possession　of　the　younger　lady。　She　sat　deep　in　a　basket　chair　and　spoke　now　and　then。　Miss　Seyffert　gave　her　impressions　of　France　and　Italy。　She　talked　of　the　cabmen　of　Naples　and　the　beggars　of　Amalfi。　Apropos　of　beggars；　Miss　Grammont　from　the　depths　of　her　chair　threw　out　the　statement　that　Italy　was　frightfully　overpopulated。　〃In　some　parts　of　Italy　it　is　like　mites　on　a　cheese。　Nobody　seems　to　be　living。　Everyone　is　too　busy　keeping　alive。〃　〃Poor　old　women　carrying　loads　big　enough　for　mules；〃　said　Miss　Seyffert。　〃Little　children　working　like　slaves；〃　said　Miss　Grammont。　〃And　everybody　begging。　Even　the　people　at　work　by　the　roadside。　Who　ought　to　be　getting　wagessufficient。　。　。　。〃　〃Beggingfrom　foreignersis　just　a　sport　in　Italy；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃It　doesn't　imply　want。　But　I　agree　that　a　large　part　of　Italy　is　frightfully　overpopulated。　The　whole　world　is。　Don't　you　think　so；　Martineau？〃　〃Wellyesfor　its　present　social　organization。　〃　〃For　any　social　organization；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃I've　no　doubt　of　it；〃　said　Miss　Seyffert；　and　added　amazingly：　〃I'm　out　for　Birth　Control　all　the　time。〃　A　brief　but　active　pause　ensued。　Dr。　Martineau　in　a　state　of　sudden　distress　attempted　to　drink　out　of　a　cold　and　empty　coffee　cup。　〃The　world　swarms　with　cramped　and　undeveloped　lives；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃Which　amount　to　nothing。　Which　do　not　even　represent　happiness。　And　which　help　to　use　up　the　resources；　the　fuel　and　surplus　energy　of　the　world。〃　〃I　suppose　they　have　a　sort　of　liking　for　their　lives；〃　Miss　Grammont　reflected。　〃Does　that　matter？　They　do　nothing　to　carry　life　on。　They　are　just　vain　repetitionsimperfect　dreary；　blurred　repetitions　of　one　common　life。　All　that　they　feel　has　been　felt；　all　that　they　do　has　been　done　better　before。　Because　they　are　crowded　and　hurried　and　underfed　and　undereducated。　And　as　for　liking　their　lives；　they　need　never　have　had　the　chance。〃　〃How　many　people　are　there　in　the　world？〃　she　asked　abruptly。　〃I　don't　know。　Twelve　hundred；　fifteen　hundred　millions　perhaps。〃　〃And　in　your　world？〃　〃I'd　have　two　hundred　and　fifty　millions；　let　us　say。　At　most。　It　would　be　quite　enough　for　this　little　planet；　for　a　time；　at　any　rate。　Don't　you　think　so；　doctor？〃　〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Dr。　Martineau。　〃Oddly　enough；　I　have　never　thought　about　that　question　before。　At　least；　not　from　this　angle。〃　〃But　could　you　pick　out　two　hundred　and　fifty　million　aristocrats？〃　began　Miss　Grammont。　〃My　native　instinctive　democracy〃　〃Need　not　be　outraged；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃Any　two　hundred　and　fifty　million　would　do；　They'd　be　able　to　develop　fully；　all　of　them。　As　things　are；　only　a　minority　can　do　that。　The　rest　never　get　a　chance。〃　〃That's　what　I　always　say；〃　said　Miss　Seyffert。　〃A　New　Age；〃　said　Dr。　Martineau；　〃a　New　World。　We　may　be　coming　to　such　a　stage；　when　population；　as　much　as　fuel；　will　be　under　a　world　control。　If　one　thing；　why　not　the　other？　I　admit　that　the　movement　of　thoug