malvina of brittany-第1节

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Malvina　of　Brittany

by　Jerome　K。　Jerome





Contents。

MALVINA　OF　BRITTANY。
　　　　　The　Preface。
　　　　　I。　　　The　Story。
　　　　　II。　　How　it　came　about。
　　　　　III。　How　cousin　Christopher　became　mixed　up　with　it。
　　　　　IV。　　How　it　was　kept　from　Mrs。　Arlington。
　　　　　V。　　　How　it　was　told　to　Mrs。　Marigold。
　　　　　VI。　　And　how　it　was　finished　too　soon。
　　　　　The　Prologue。
THE　STREET　OF　THE　BLANK　WALL。
HIS　EVENING　OUT。
THE　LESSON。
SYLVIA　OF　THE　LETTERS。
THE　FAWN　GLOVES。




MALVINA　OF　BRITTANY。




THE　PREFACE。



The　Doctor　never　did　believe　this　story；　but　claims　for　it　that；　to
a　great　extent；　it　has　altered　his　whole　outlook　on　life。

〃Of　course；　what　actually　happenedwhat　took　place　under　my　own
nose；〃　continued　the　Doctor；　〃I　do　not　dispute。　　And　then　there　is
the　case　of　Mrs。　Marigold。　　That　was　unfortunate；　I　admit；　and　still
is；　especially　for　Marigold。　　But；　standing　by　itself；　it　proves
nothing。　　These　fluffy；　giggling　womenas　often　as　not　it　is　a　mere
shell　that　they　shed　with　their　first　youthone　never　knows　what　is
underneath。　　With　regard　to　the　others；　the　whole　thing　rests　upon　a
simple　scientific　basis。　　The　idea　was　'in　the　air；'　as　we　saya
passing　brain…wave。　　And　when　it　had　worked　itself　out　there　was　an
end　of　it。　　As　for　all　this　Jack…and…the…Beanstalk　tomfoolery〃

There　came　from　the　darkening　uplands　the　sound　of　a　lost　soul。　　It
rose　and　fell　and　died　away。

〃Blowing　stones；〃　explained　the　Doctor；　stopping　to　refill　his　pipe。
〃One　finds　them　in　these　parts。　　Hollowed　out　during　the　glacial
period。　　Always　just　about　twilight　that　one　hears　it。　　Rush　of　air
caused　by　sudden　sinking　of　the　temperature。　　That's　how　all　these
sort　of　ideas　get　started。〃

The　Doctor；　having　lit　his　pipe；　resumed　his　stride。

〃I　don't　say；〃　continued　the　Doctor；　〃that　it　would　have　happened
without　her　coming。　　Undoubtedly　it　was　she　who　supplied　the
necessary　psychic　conditions。　　There　was　that　about　hera　sort　of
atmosphere。　　That　quaint　archaic　French　of　hersKing　Arthur　and　the
round　table　and　Merlin；　it　seemed　to　recreate　it　all。　　An　artful
minx；　that　is　the　only　explanation。　　But　while　she　was　looking　at
you；　out　of　that　curious　aloofness　of　hers〃

The　Doctor　left　the　sentence　uncompleted。

〃As　for　old　Littlecherry；〃　the　Doctor　began　again　quite　suddenly；
〃that's　his　specialityfolklore；　occultism；　all　that　flummery。　　If
you　knocked　at　his　door　with　the　original　Sleeping　Beauty　on　your
arm　he'd　only　fuss　round　her　with　cushions　and　hope　that　she'd　had　a
good　night。　　Found　a　seed　oncechipped　it　out　of　an　old　fossil；　and
grew　it　in　a　pot　in　his　study。　　About　the　most　dilapidated　weed　you
ever　saw。　　Talked　about　it　as　if　he　had　re…discovered　the　Elixir　of
Life。　　Even　if　he　didn't　say　anything　in　actually　so　many　words；
there　was　the　way　he　went　about。　　That　of　itself　was　enough　to　have
started　the　whole　thing；　to　say　nothing　of　that　loony　old　Irish
housekeeper　of　his；　with　her　head　stuffed　full　of　elves　and　banshees
and　the　Lord　knows　what。〃

Again　the　Doctor　lapsed　into　silence。　　One　by　one　the　lights　of　the
village　peeped　upward　out　of　the　depths。　　A　long；　low　line　of　light；
creeping　like　some　luminous　dragon　across　the　horizon；　showed　the
track　of　the　Great　Western　express　moving　stealthily　towards
Swindon。

〃It　was　altogether　out　of　the　common；〃　continued　the　Doctor；　〃quite
out　of　the　common；　the　whole　thing。　　But　if　you　are　going　to　accept
old　Littlecherry's　explanation　of　it〃

The　Doctor　struck　his　foot　against　a　long　grey　stone；　half　hidden　in
the　grass；　and　only　just　saved　himself　from　falling。

〃Remains　of　some　old　cromlech；〃　explained　the　Doctor。　　〃Somewhere
about　here；　if　we　were　to　dig　down；　we　should　find　a　withered　bundle
of　bones　crouching　over　the　dust　of　a　prehistoric　luncheon…basket。
Interesting　neighbourhood！〃

The　descent　was　rough。　　The　Doctor　did　not　talk　again　until　we　had
reached　the　outskirts　of　the　village。

〃I　wonder　what's　become　of　them？〃　mused　the　Doctor。　　〃A　rum　go；　the
whole　thing。　　I　should　like　to　have　got　to　the　bottom　of　it。〃

We　had　reached　the　Doctor's　gate。　　The　Doctor　pushed　it　open　and
passed　in。　　He　seemed　to　have　forgotten　me。

〃A　taking　little　minx；〃　I　heard　him　muttering　to　himself　as　he
fumbled　with　the　door。　　〃And　no　doubt　meant　well。　　But　as　for　that
cock…and…bull　story〃


I　pieced　it　together　from　the　utterly　divergent　versions　furnished
me　by　the　Professor　and　the　Doctor；　assisted；　so　far　as　later
incidents　are　concerned；　by　knowledge　common　to　the　village。



I。　　　THE　STORY。



It　commenced；　so　I　calculate；　about　the　year　2OOO　B。C。；　or；　to　be
more　precisefor　figures　are　not　the　strong　point　of　the　old
chroniclerswhen　King　Heremon　ruled　over　Ireland　and　Harbundia　was
Queen　of　the　White　Ladies　of　Brittany；　the　fairy　Malvina　being　her
favourite　attendant。　　It　is　with　Malvina　that　this　story　is　chiefly
concerned。　　Various　quite　pleasant　happenings　are　recorded　to　her
credit。　　The　White　Ladies　belonged　to　the　〃good　people；〃　and；　on　the
whole；　lived　up　to　their　reputation。　　But　in　Malvina；　side　by　side
with　much　that　is　commendable；　there　appears　to　have　existed　a　most
reprehensible　spirit　of　mischief；　displaying　itself　in　pranks　that；
excusable；　or　at　all　events　understandable；　in；　say；　a　pixy　or　a
pigwidgeon；　strike　one　as　altogether　unworthy　of　a　well…principled
White　Lady；　posing　as　the　friend　and　benefactress　of　mankind。　　For
merely　refusing　to　dance　with　herat　midnight；　by　the　shores　of　a
mountain　lake；　neither　the　time　nor　the　place　calculated　to　appeal
to　an　elderly　gentleman；　suffering　possibly　from　rheumatismshe　on
one　occasion　transformed　an　eminently　respectable　proprietor　of　tin
mines　into　a　nightingale；　necessitating　a　change　of　habits　that　to　a
business　man　must　have　been　singularly　irritating。　　On　another
occasion　a　quite　important　queen；　having　had　the　misfortune　to
quarrel　with　Malvina　over　some　absurd　point　of　etiquette　in
connection　with　a　lizard；　seems；　on　waking　the　next　morning；　to　have
found　herself　changed　into　what　one　judges；　from　the　somewhat　vague
description　afforded　by　the　ancient　chroniclers；　to　have　been　a　sort
of　vegetable　marrow。

Such　changes；　according　to　the　Professor；　who　is　prepared　to
maintain　that　evidence　of　an　historical　nature　exists　sufficient　to
prove　that　the　White　Ladies　formed　at　one　time　an　actual　living
community；　must　be　taken　in　an　allegorical　sense。　　Just　as　modern
lunatics　believe　themselves　to　be　china　vases　or　poll…parrots；　and
think　and　behave　as　such；　so　it　must　have　been　easy；　the　Professor
argues；　for　beings　of　superior　intelligence　to　have　exerted　hypnotic
influence　upon　the　superstitious　savages　by　whom　they　were
surrounded；　and　who；　intellectually　considered；　could　have　been
little　more　than　children。

〃Take　Nebuchadnezzar。〃　　I　am　still　quoting　the　Professor。　　〃Nowadays
we　should　put　him　into　a　strait…waistcoat。　　Had　he　lived　in　Northern
Europe　instead　of　Southern　Asia；　legend　would　have　told　us　how　some
Kobold　or　Stromkarl　had　turned　him　into　a　composite　amalgamation　of
a　serpent；　a　cat　and　a　kangaroo。〃　　Be　that　as　it　may；　this　passion
for　changein　other　peopleseems　to　have　grown　upon　Malvina　until
she　must　have　become　little　short　of　a　public　nuisance；　and
eventually　it　landed　her　in　trouble。

The　incident　is　unique　in　the　annals　of　the　White　Ladies；　and　the
chroniclers　dwell　upon　it　with　evident　satisfaction。　　It　came　about
through　the　betrothal　of　King　Heremon's　only　son；　Prince　Gerbot；　to
the　Princess　Berchta　of　Normandy。　　Malvina　seems　to　have　said
nothing；　but　to　have　bided　her　time。　　The　White　Ladies　of　Brittany；
it　must　be　remembered；　were　not　fairies　pure　and　simple。　　Under
certain　conditions　they　were　capable　of　becoming　women；　and　this
fact；　one　takes　it；　must　have　exerted　a　disturbing　influence　upon
their　relationships　with　eligible　male　mortals。　　Prince　Gerbot　may
not　have　been　altogether　blameless。　　Young　men　in　those　sadly
unenlightened　days　may　not；　in　their　dealings　with　ladies；　white　or
otherwise；　have　always　been　the　soul　of　discretion　and　propriety。
One　would　like　to　think　the　best　of　her。

But　even　the　best　is　indefensible。　　On　the　day　appointed　for　the
wedding　she　seems　to　have　surpassed　herself。　　Into　what　particular
shape　or　form　she　altered　the　wretched　Prince　Gerbot；　or　into　what
shape　or　form　she　persuaded　him　that　he　had　been　altered；　it　really；
so　far　as　the　moral　responsibility　of　Malvina　is　concerned；　seems　to
be　immaterial；　the　chronicle　does　not　state：　　evidently　something
too　indelicate　for　a　self…respecting　chronicler　to　even　hint　at。
As；　judging　from　other　passages　in　the　book；　squeamishness　does　not
seem　to　have　been　the　author's　literary　failing；　the　sensitive
reader　can　feel　only　grateful　for　the　omission。　　It　would　have　been
altogether　too　harrowing。

It　had；　of　course；　from　Malvina's　point　of　view；　the　desired　effect。
The　Princess　Berchta　appears　to　have　given　one　look　and　then　to　have
fallen　fainting　into　the　arms　of　her　attendants。　　The　marriage　was
postponed　indefinitely；　and　Malvina；　one　sadly　suspects；　chortled。
Her　triumph　was　short…lived。

Unfortunately　for　her；　King　Heremon　had　always　bee