idle ideas in 1905-第26节

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〃What　d'yer　mean；　stealing　it？〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Hooligan。　　〃Why；　I　was
carrying　it　for　yer！〃

The　white　man　has　got　into　the　way　of　〃carrying〃　other　people's
burdens；　and　now　it　looks　as　if　the　yellow　man　were　going　to　object
to　our　carrying　his　any　further。　　Maybe　he　is　going　to　get　nasty；　and
insist　on　carrying　it　himself。　　We　call　this　〃the　yellow　danger。〃

A　friend　of　minehe　is　a　man　who　in　the　street　walks　into　lamp…
posts；　and　apologisessees　rising　from　the　East　the　dawn　of　a　new
day　in　the　world's　history。　　The　yellow　danger　is　to　him　a　golden
hope。　　He　sees　a　race　long　stagnant；　stretching　its　giant　limbs　with
the　first　vague　movements　of　returning　life。　　He　is　a　poor　sort　of
patriot；　he　calls　himself；　I　suppose；　a　white　man；　yet　he　shamelessly
confesses　he　would　rather　see　Asia's　millions　rise　from　the　ruins　of
their　ancient　civilization　to　take　their　part　in　the　future　of
humanity；　than　that　half　the　population　of　the　globe　should　remain
bound　in　savagery　for　the　pleasure　and　the　profit　of　his　own
particular　species。

He　even　goes　so　far　as　to　think　that　the　white　man　may　have　something
to　learn。　　The　world　has　belonged　to　him　now　for　some　thousands　of
years。　　Has　he　done　all　with　it　that　could　have　been　done？　　Are　his
ideals　the　last　word？

Not　what　the　yellow　man　has　absorbed　from　Europe；　but　what　he　is
going　to　give　Europe　it　is　that　interests　my　friend。　　He　is　watching
the　birth　of　a　new　forcean　influence　as　yet　unknown。　　He　clings　to
the　fond　belief　that　new　ideas；　new　formulae；　to　replace　the　old　worn
shibboleths；　may；　during　these　thousands　of　years；　have　been
developing　in　those　keen　brains　that　behind　the　impressive　yellow
mask　have　been　working　so　long　in　silence　and　in　mystery。



WHY　DIDN'T　HE　MARRY　THE　GIRL？



What　is　wrong　with　marriage；　anyhow？　　I　find　myself　pondering　this
question　so　often；　when　reading　high…class　literature。　　I　put　it　to
myself　again　the　other　evening；　during　a　performance　of　Faust。　　Why
could　not　Faust　have　married　the　girl？　　I　would　not　have　married　her
myself　for　any　consideration　whatsoever；　but　that　is　not　the
argument。　　Faust；　apparently；　could　not　see　anything　amiss　with　her。
Both　of　them　were　mad　about　each　other。　　Yet　the　idea　of　a　quiet；
unostentatious　marriage　with　a　week's　honeymoon；　say；　in　Vienna；
followed　by　a　neat　little　cottage　orne；　not　too　far　from　Nurnberg；　so
that　their　friends　could　have　come　out　to　them；　never　seems　to　have
occurred　to　either　of　them。

There　could　have　been　a　garden。　　Marguerite　might　have　kept　chickens
and　a　cow。　　That　sort　of　girl；　brought　up　to　hard　work　and　by　no
means　too　well　educated；　is　all　the　better　for　having　something　to
do。　　Later；　with　the　gradual　arrival　of　the　family；　a　good；　all…round
woman　might　have　been　hired　in　to　assist。　　Faust；　of　course；　would
have　had　his　study　and　got　to　work　again；　that　would　have　kept　him
out　of　further　mischief。　　The　idea　that　a　brainy　man；　his　age；　was
going　to　be　happy　with　nothing　to　do　all　day　but　fool　round　a
petticoat　was　ridiculous　from　the　beginning。　　Valentinea　good
fellow；　Valentine；　with　nice　ideaswould　have　spent　his　Saturdays　to
Monday　with　them。　　Over　a　pipe　and　a　glass　of　wine；　he　and　Faust
would　have　discussed　the　local　politics。

He　would　have　danced　the　children　on　his　knee；　have　told　them　tales
about　the　wartaught　the　eldest　boy　to　shoot。　　Faust；　with　a
practical　man　like　Valentine　to　help　him；　would　probably　have
invented　a　new　gun。　　Valentine　would　have　got　it　taken　up。

Things　might　have　come　of　it。　　Sybil；　in　course　of　time；　would　have
married　and　settled　downperhaps　have　taken　a　little　house　near　to
them。　　He　and　Marguerite　would　have　jokedwhen　Mrs。　Sybil　was　not
aroundabout　his　early　infatuation。　　The　old　mother　would　have
toddled　over　from　Nurnbergnot　too　often；　just　for　the　day。

The　picture　grows　upon　one　the　more　one　thinks　of　it。　　Why　did　it
never　occur　to　them？　　There　would　have　been　a　bit　of　a　bother　with
the　Old　Man。　　I　can　imagine　Mephistopheles　being　upset　about　it；
thinking　himself　swindled。　　Of　course；　if　that　was　the　reasonif
Faust　said　to　himself：

〃I　should　like　to　marry　the　girl；　but　I　won't　do　it；　it　would　not　be
fair　to　the　Old　Man；　he　has　been　to　a　lot　of　trouble　working　this
thing　up；　in　common　gratitude　I　cannot　turn　round　now　and　behave　like
a　decent；　sensible　man；　it　would　not　be　playing　the　game〃if　this
was　the　way　Faust　looked　at　the　matter　there　is　nothing　more　to　be
said。　　Indeed；　it　shows　him　in　rather　a　fine　lightnoble；　if
quixotic。

If；　on　the　other　hand；　he　looked　at　the　question　from　the　point　of
view　of　himself　and　the　girl；　I　think　the　thing　might　have　been
managed。　　All　one　had　to　do　in　those　days　when　one　wanted　to　get　rid
of　the　Devil　was　to　show　him　a　sword　hilt。　　Faust　and　Marguerite
could　have　slipped　into　a　church　one　morning；　and　have　kept　him　out
of　the　way　with　a　sword　hilt　till　the　ceremony　was　through。　　They
might　have　hired　a　small　boy：

〃You　see　the　gentleman　in　red？　　Well；　he　wants　us　and　we　don't　want
him。　　That　is　the　only　difference　between　us。　　Now；　you　take　this
sword；　and　when　you　see　him　coming　show　him　the　hilt。　　Don't　hurt
him；　just　show　him　the　sword　and　shake　your　head。　　He　will
understand。〃

The　old　gentleman's　expression；　when　subsequently　Faust　presented　him
to　Marguerite；　would　have　been　interesting：

〃Allow　me；　my　wife。　　My　dear；　aa　friend　of　mine。　　You　may　remember
meeting　him　that　night　at　your　aunt's。〃

As　I　have　said；　there　would　have　been　ructions；　but　I　do　not　myself
see　what　could　have　been　done。　　There　was　nothing　in　the　bond　to　the
effect　that　Faust　should　not　marry；　so　far　as　we　are　told。　　The　Old
Man　had　a　sense　of　humour。　　My　own　opinion　is　that；　after　getting
over　the　first　annoyance；　he　himself　would　have　seen　the　joke。　　I　can
even　picture　him　looking　in　now　and　again　on　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Faust。　　The
children　would　be　hurried　off　to　bed。　　There　would　be；　for　a　while；
an　atmosphere　of　constraint。

But　the　Old　Man　had　a　way　with　him。　　He　would　have　told　one　or　two
stories　at　which　Marguerite　would　have　blushed；　at　which　Faust　would
have　grinned。　　I　can　see　the　old　fellow　occasionally　joining　the
homely　social　board。　　The　children；　awed　at　first；　would　have　sat
silent；　with　staring　eyes。　　But；　as　I　have　said；　the　Old　Man　had　a
way　with　him。　　Why　should　he　not　have　reformed？　　The　good　woman's
unconsciously　exerted　influencethe　sweet　childish　prattle！　　One
hears　of　such　things。　　Might　he　not　have　come　to　be　known　as
〃Nunkie〃？

MyselfI　believe　I　have　already　mentioned　itI　would　not　have
married　Marguerite。　　She　is　not　my　ideal　of　a　good　girl。　　I　never
liked　the　way　she　deceived　her　mother。　　And　that　aunt　of　hers！　　Well；
a　nice　girl　would　not　have　been　friends　with　such　a　woman。　　She　did
not　behave　at　all　too　well　to　Sybil；　either。　　It　is　clear　to　me　that
she　led　the　boy　on。　　And　what　was　she　doing　with　that　box　of　jewels；
anyhow？　　She　was　not　a　fool。　　She　could　not　have　gone　every　day　to
that　fountain；　chatted　with　those　girl　friends　of　hers；　and　learnt
nothing。　　She　must　have　known　that　people　don't　go　leaving　twenty
thousand　pounds'　worth　of　jewels　about　on　doorsteps　as　part　of　a
round　game。　　Her　own　instinct；　if　she　had　been　a　good　girl；　would
have　told　her　to　leave　the　thing　alone。

I　don't　believe　in　these　innocent　people　who　do　not　know　what　they
are　doing　half　their　time。　　Ask　any　London　magistrate　what　he　thinks
of　the　lady　who　explains　that　she　picked　up　the　diamond　brooch：…

〃Not　meaning；　of　course；　your　Worship；　to　take　it。　　I　would　not　do
such　a　thing。　　It　just　happened　this　way；　your　Worship。　　I　was
standing　as　you　might　say　here；　and　not　seeing　anyone　about　in　the
shop　I　opened　the　case　and　took　it　out；　thinking　as　perhaps　it　might
belong　to　someone；　and　then　this　gentleman　here；　as　I　had　not　noticed
before；　comes　up　quite　suddenly　and　says；　'You　come　along　with　me；'
he　says。　　'What　for；'　I　says；　'when　I　don't　even　know　you？'　I　says。
'For　stealing；'　he　says。　　'Well；　that's　a　hard　word　to　use　to　a
lady；'　I　says；　'I　don't　know　what　you　mean；　I'm　sure。'〃

And　if　she　had　put　them　all　on；　not　thinking；　what　would　a　really
nice　girl　have　done　when　the　gentleman　came　up　and　assured　her　they
were　hers？　　She　would　have　been　thirty　seconds　taking　them　off　and
flinging　them　back　into　the　box。

〃Thank　you；〃　she　would　have　said；　〃I'll　trouble　you　to　leave　this
garden　as　quickly　as　you　entered　it　and　take　them　with　you。　　I'm　not
that　sort　of　girl。〃

Marguerite　clings　to　the　jewels；　and　accepts　the　young　man's　arm　for
a　moonlight　promenade。　　And　when　it　does　enter　into　her　innocent　head
that　he　and　she　have　walked　that　shady　garden　long　enough；　what　does
she　do　when　she　has　said　good…bye　and　shut　the　door？　　She　opens　the
ground…floor　window　and　begins　to　sing！

Maybe　I　am　not　poetical；　but　I　do　like　justice。　　When　other　girls　do
these　sort　of　things　they　get　called　names。　　I　cannot　see　why　this
particular　girl　should　be　held　up　as　an　ideal。　　She　kills　her　mother。
According　to　her　own　account　this　was　an　accident。　　It　is　not　an
original　line　of　defence；　and　we　are　not　allowed　to　hear　the　evidence
for　the　prosecution。　　She　also　kills　her　baby。　　You　ar