the research magnificent-第44节

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at　times　almost　perfunctory　in　the　contemplation　of　these　approaching　delights　and　splendours　and　excitements。　She　knew；　indeed；　that　ideas　were　at　work　in　Benham's　head；　but　she　was　a　realist。　　She　did　not　see　why　ideas　should　stand　in　the　way　of　a　career。　　Ideas　are　a　brightness；　the　good　looks　of　the　mind。　　One　talks　ideas；　but　THE　THING　THAT　IS；　IS　THE　THING　THAT　IS。　　And　though　she　believed　that　Benham　had　a　certain　strength　of　character　of　his　own；　she　had　that　sort　of　confidence　in　his　love　for　her　and　in　the　power　of　her　endearments　that　has　in　it　the　assurance　of　a　faint　contempt。　　She　had　mingled　pride　and　sense　in　the　glorious　realization　of　the　power　over　him　that　her　wit　and　beauty　gave　her。　She　had　held　him　faint　with　her　divinity；　intoxicated　with　the　pride　of　her　complete　possession；　and　she　did　not　dream　that　the　moment　when　he　should　see　clearly　that　she　could　deliberately　use　these　ultimate　delights　to　rule　and　influence　him；　would　be　the　end　of　their　splendour　and　her　power。　　Her　nature；　which　was　just　a　nest　of　vigorous　appetites；　was　incapable　of　suspecting　his　gathering　disillusionment　until　it　burst　upon　her。　Now　with　her　attention　set　upon　London　ahead　he　could　observe　her。　In　the　beginning　he　had　never　seemed　to　be　observing　her　at　all；　they　dazzled　one　another；　it　seemed　extraordinary　now　to　him　to　note　how　much　he　had　been　able　to　disregard。　　There　were　countless　times　still　when　he　would　have　dropped　his　observation　and　resumed　that　mutual　exaltation　very　gladly；　but　always　now　other　things　possessed　her　mind。　。　。　。　There　was　still　an　immense　pleasure　for　him　in　her　vigour；　there　was　something　delightful　in　her　pounce；　even　when　she　was　pouncing　on　things　superficial；　vulgar　or　destructive。　　She　made　him　understand　and　share　the　excitement　of　a　big　night　at　the　opera；　the　glitter　and　prettiness　of　a　smart　restaurant；　the　clustering　little　acute　adventures　of　a　great　reception　of　gay　people；　just　as　she　had　already　made　him　understand　and　sympathize　with　dogs。　　She　picked　up　the　art　world　where　he　had　laid　it　down；　and　she　forced　him　to　feel　dense　and　slow　before　he　rebelled　against　her　multitudinous　enthusiasms　and　admirations。　　South　Harting　had　had　its　little　group　of　artistic　people；　it　is　not　one　of　your　sleepy　villages；　and　she　slipped　back　at　once　into　the　movement。　　Those　were　the　great　days　of　John；　the　days　before　the　Post　Impressionist　outbreak。　　John；　Orpen；　Tonks；　she　bought　them　with　vigour。　　Artistic　circles　began　to　revolve　about　her。　　Very　rapidly　she　was　in　possession。　。　。　。　And　among　other　desirable　things　she　had；　it　seemed；　pounced　upon　and　captured　Lady　Marayne。　At　any　rate　it　was　clear　that　that　awful　hostile　silence　and　aloofness　was　to　end。　　Benham　never　quite　mastered　how　it　was　done。　But　Amanda　had　gone　in　one　morning　to　Desborough　Street；　very　sweetly　and　chastely　dressed；　had　abased　herself　and　announced　a　possible　（though　subsequently　disproved）　grandchild。　　And　she　had　appreciated　the　little　lady　so　highly　and　openly；　she　had　so　instantly　caught　and　reproduced　her　tone；　that　her　success；　though　only　temporary　in　its　completeness；　was　immediate。　　In　the　afternoon　Benham　was　amazed　by　the　apparition　of　his　mother　amidst　the　scattered　unsettled　furnishings　of　the　new　home　Amanda　had　chosen　in　Lancaster　Gate。　　He　was　in　the　hall；　the　door　stood　open　awaiting　packing…cases　from　a　van　without。　　In　the　open　doorway　she　shone；　looking　the　smallest　of　dainty　things。　　There　was　no　effect　of　her　coming　but　only　of　her　having　arrived　there；　as　a　little　blue　butterfly　will　suddenly　alight　on　a　flower。　〃Well；　Poff！〃　said　Lady　Marayne；　ignoring　abysses；　〃What　are　you　up　to　now；　Poff？　　Come　and　embrace　me。　。　。　。〃　〃No；　not　so；〃　she　said；　〃stiffest　of　sons。　。　。　。〃　She　laid　hold　of　his　ears　in　the　old　fashion　and　kissed　one　eye。　〃Congratulations；　dear　little　Poff。　　Oh！　congratulations！　　In　heaps。　I'm　so　GLAD。〃　Now　what　was　that　for？　And　then　Amanda　came　out　upon　the　landing　upstairs；　saw　the　encounter　with　an　involuntary　cry　of　joy；　and　came　downstairs　with　arms　wide　open。　　It　was　the　first　intimation　he　had　of　their　previous　meeting。　　He　was　for　some　minutes　a　stunned；　entirely　inadequate　Benham。　。　。　。

4

At　first　Amanda　knew　nobody　in　London；　except　a　few　people　in　the　Hampstead　Garden　suburb　that　she　had　not　the　slightest　wish　to　know；　and　then　very　quickly　she　seemed　to　know　quite　a　lot　of　people。　　The　artistic　circle　brought　in　people；　Lady　Marayne　brought　in　people；　they　spread。　　It　was　manifest　the　Benhams　were　a　very　bright　young　couple；　he　would　certainly　do　something　considerable　presently；　and　she　was　bright　and　daring；　jolly　to　look　at　and　excellent　fun；　and；　when　you　came　to　talk　to　her；　astonishingly　well　informed。　　They　passed　from　one　hostess's　hand　to　another：　they　reciprocated。　　The　Clynes　people　and　the　Rushtones　took　her　up；　Mr。　Evesham　was　amused　by　her；　Lady　Beach　Mandarin　proclaimed　her　charm　like　a　trumpet；　the　Young　Liberal　people　made　jealous　advances；　Lord　Moggeridge　found　she　listened　well；　she　lit　one　of　the　brightest　weekend　parties　Lady　Marayne　had　ever　gathered　at　Chexington。　　And　her　descriptions　of　recent　danger　and　adventure　in　Albania　not　only　entertained　her　hearers　but　gave　her　just　that　flavour　of　personal　courage　which　completes　the　fascination　of　a　young　woman。　　People　in　the　gaps　of　a　halting　dinner…table　conversation　would　ask：　〃Have　you　met　Mrs。　Benham？〃　Meanwhile　Benham　appeared　to　be　talking。　　A　smiling　and　successful　young　woman；　who　a　year　ago　had　been　nothing　more　than　a　leggy　girl　with　a　good　lot　of　miscellaneous　reading　in　her　head；　and　vaguely　engaged；　or　at　least　friendly　to　the　pitch　of　engagement；　to　Mr。　Rathbone…Sanders；　may　be　forgiven　if　in　the　full　tide　of　her　success　she　does　not　altogether　grasp　the　intention　of　her　husband's　discourse。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　he　was　obsessed　by　a　responsibility　for　civilization　and　the　idea　that　he　was　aristocratic。　　（Secretly　she　was　inclined　to　doubt　whether　he　was　justified　in　calling　himself　aristocratic；　at　the　best　his　mother　was　county…stuff；　but　still　if　he　did　there　was　no　great　harm　in　it　nowadays。）　　Clearly　his　line　was　Tory…Democracy；　social　reform　through　the　House　of　Lords　and　friendly　intimacy　with　the　more　spirited　young　peers。　　And　it　was　only　very　slowly　and　reluctantly　that　she　was　forced　to　abandon　this　satisfactory　solution　of　his　problem。　　She　reproduced　all　the　equipment　and　comforts　of　his　Finacue　Street　study　in　their　new　home；　she　declared　constantly　that　she　would　rather　forego　any　old　social　thing　than　interfere　with　his　work；　she　never　made　him　go　anywhere　with　her　without　first　asking　if　his　work　permitted　it。　　To　relieve　him　of　the　burthen　of　such　social　attentions　she　even　made　a　fag　or　so。　　The　making　of　fags　out　of　manifestly　stricken　men；　the　keeping　of　tamed　and　hopeless　admirers；　seemed　to　her　to　be　the　most　natural　and　reasonable　of　feminine　privileges。　　They　did　their　useful　little　services　until　it　pleased　the　Lord　Cheetah　to　come　to　his　own。　　That　was　how　she　put　it。　。　。　。　But　at　last　he　was　talking　to　her　in　tones　that　could　no　longer　be　ignored。　　He　was　manifestly　losing　his　temper　with　her。　　There　was　a　novel　austerity　in　his　voice　and　a　peculiar　whiteness　about　his　face　on　certain　occasions　that　lingered　in　her　memory。　He　was　indeed　making　elaborate　explanations。　　He　said　that　what　he　wanted　to　do　was　to　understand　〃the　collective　life　of　the　world；〃　and　that　this　was　not　to　be　done　in　a　West…End　study。　　He　had　an　extraordinary　contempt；　it　seemed；　for　both　sides　in　the　drama　of　British　politics。　　He　had　extravagant　ideas　of　beginning　in　some　much　more　fundamental　way。　　He　wanted　to　understand　this　〃collective　life　of　the　world；〃　because　ultimately　he　wanted　to　help　control　it。　（Was　there　ever　such　nonsense？）　　The　practical　side　of　this　was　serious　enough；　however；　he　was　back　at　his　old　idea　of　going　round　the　earth。　　Later　on　that　might　be　rather　a　jolly　thing　to　do；　but　not　until　they　had　struck　root　a　little　more　surely　in　London。　And　then　with　amazement；　with　incredulity；　with　indignation；　she　began　to　realize　that　he　was　proposing　to　go　off　by　himself　upon　this　vague　extravagant　research；　that　all　this　work　she　had　been　doing　to　make　a　social　place　for　him　in　London　was　as　nothing　to　him；　that　he　was　thinking　of　himself　as　separable　from　her。　。　。　。　〃But；　Cheetah！　　How　can　you　leave　your　spotless　leopard？　　You　would　howl　in　the　lonely　jungle！〃　〃Possibly　I　shall。　　But　I　am　going。〃　〃Then　I　shall　come。〃　〃No。〃　He　considered　her　reasons。　　〃You　see　you　are　not　interested。〃　〃But　I　am。〃　〃Not　as　I　am。　　You　would　turn　it　all　into　a　jolly　holiday。　　You　don't　want　to　see　things　as　I　want　to　do。　　You　want　romance。　　All　the　world　is　a　show　for　you。　　As　a　show　I　can't　endure　it。　　I　want　to　lay　hands　on　it。〃　〃But；　Cheetah！〃　she　said；　〃this　is　separation。〃　〃You　will　have　your　life　here。　　And　I　shall　come　back。〃　〃But；　Cheetah！　　How　can　we　be　separated？〃　〃We　are　separated；〃　he　said。　Her　eyes　became　round　with　astonishment。　　Then　her　face　puckered。　〃Cheetah！〃　she　cried　in　a　voice　of　soft　distress；　〃I　love　you。　　What　do　you　mean？〃　And　she　staggered　forward；　tear…blinded；　and　felt　for　his　neck　and　shoulders；　so　that　she　might　weep　in　his　arms。　。　。　。

5

〃Don't　say　we　ar