the research magnificent-第56节

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　she　will　go　on　until　the　end。　　With　Easton　it　had　been　necessary　for　her　to　key　herself　to　a　simple　exalted　romanticism　that　was　entirely　insincere。　She　had　so　accustomed　herself　to　these　poses　that　her　innate　gestures　were　forgotten。　　She　could　not　recover　them；　she　could　not　even　reinvent　them。　　Between　us　there　were　momentary　gleams　as　though　presently　we　should　be　our　frank　former　selves　again。　　They　were　never　more　than　momentary。　。　。　。〃　And　that　was　all　that　this　astonishing　man　had　seen　fit　to　tell　of　his　last　parting　from　his　wife。　Perhaps　he　did　Amanda　injustice。　　Perhaps　there　was　a　stronger　thread　of　reality　in　her　desire　to　recover　him　than　he　supposed。　Clearly　he　believed　that　under　the　circumstances　Amanda　would　have　tried　to　recover　anybody。　She　had　dressed　for　that　morning's　encounter　in　a　very　becoming　and　intimate　wrap　of　soft　mauve　and　white　silk；　and　she　had　washed　and　dried　her　dark　hair　so　that　it　was　a　vapour　about　her　face。　　She　set　herself　with　a　single　mind　to　persuade　herself　and　Benham　that　they　were　inseparable　lovers；　and　she　would　not　be　deflected　by　his　grim　determination　to　discuss　the　conditions　of　their　separation。　　When　he　asked　her　whether　she　wanted　a　divorce；　she　offered　to　throw　over　Sir　Philip　and　banish　him　for　ever　as　lightly　as　a　great　lady　might　sacrifice　an　objectionable　poodle　to　her　connubial　peace。　Benham　passed　through　perplexing　phases；　so　that　she　herself　began　to　feel　that　her　practice　with　Easton　had　spoilt　her　hands。　　His　initial　grimness　she　could　understand；　and　partially　its　breakdown　into　irritability。　　But　she　was　puzzled　by　his　laughter。　　For　he　laughed　abruptly。　〃You　know；　Amanda；　I　came　home　in　a　mood　of　tremendous　tragedy。　　And　really；you　are　a　Lark。〃　And　then　overriding　her　altogether；　he　told　her　what　he　meant　to　do　about　their　future　and　the　future　of　their　little　son。　〃You　don't　want　a　divorce　and　a　fuss。　　Then　I'll　leave　things。　　I　perceive　I've　no　intention　of　marrying　any　more。　　But　you'd　better　do　the　straight　thing。　　People　forget　and　forgive。　　Especially　when　there　is　no　one　about　making　a　fuss　against　you。　〃Perhaps；　after　all；　there　is　something　to　be　said　for　shirking　it。　We'll　both　be　able　to　get　at　the　boy　then。　　You'll　not　hurt　him；　and　I　shall　want　to　see　him。　　It's　better　for　the　boy　anyhow　not　to　have　a　divorce。　〃I'll　not　stand　in　your　way。　　I'll　get　a　little　flat　and　I　shan't　come　too　much　to　London；　and　when　I　do；　you　can　get　out　of　town。　You　must　be　discreet　about　Easton；　and　if　people　say　anything　about　him；　send　them　to　me。　　After　all；　this　is　our　private　affair。　〃We'll　go　on　about　money　matters　as　we　have　been　going。　　I　trust　to　you　not　to　run　me　into　overwhelming　debts。　　And；　of　course；　if　at　any　time；　you　do　want　to　marryon　account　of　children　or　anything　if　nobody　knows　of　this　conversation　we　can　be　divorced　then。　。　。　。〃　Benham　threw　out　these　decisions　in　little　dry　sentences　while　Amanda　gathered　her　forces　for　her　last　appeal。　It　was　an　unsuccessful　appeal；　and　at　the　end　she　flung　herself　down　before　him　and　clung　to　his　knees。　　He　struggled　ridiculously　to　get　himself　clear；　and　when　at　last　he　succeeded　she　dropped　prostrate　on　the　floor　with　her　dishevelled　hair　about　her。　She　heard　the　door　close　behind　him；　and　still　she　lay　there；　a　dark　Guinevere；　until　with　a　start　she　heard　a　step　upon　the　thick　carpet　without。　　He　had　come　back。　　The　door　reopened。　　There　was　a　slight　pause；　and　then　she　raised　her　face　and　met　the　blank　stare　of　the　second　housemaid。　　There　are　moments；　suspended　fragments　of　time　rather　than　links　in　its　succession；　when　the　human　eye　is　more　intelligible　than　any　words。　The　housemaid　made　a　rapid　apologetic　noise　and　vanished　with　a　click　of　the　door。　〃DAMN！〃　said　Amanda。　Then　slowly　she　rose　to　her　knees。　She　meditated　through　vast　moments。　〃It's　a　cursed　thing　to　be　a　woman；〃　said　Amanda。　　She　stood　up。　She　put　her　hand　on　the　telephone　in　the　corner　and　then　she　forgot　about　it。　　After　another　long　interval　of　thought　she　spoke。　〃Cheetah！〃　she　said；　〃Old　Cheetah！　。　。　。　〃I　didn't　THINK　it　of　you。　。　。　。〃　Then　presently　with　the　even　joyless　movements　of　one　who　does　a　reasonable　business；　with　something　indeed　of　the　manner　of　one　who　packs　a　trunk；　she　rang　up　Sir　Philip　Easton。

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The　head　chambermaid　on　the　first　floor　of　the　Westwood　Hotel　in　Danebury　Street　had　a　curious　and　perplexing　glimpse　of　Benham's　private　processes　the　morning　after　this　affair。　Benham　had　taken　Room　27　on　the　afternoon　of　his　return　to　London。　She　had　seen　him　twice　or　three　times；　and　he　had　struck　her　as　a　coldly　decorous　person；　tall；　white…faced；　slow　speaking；　the　last　man　to　behave　violently　or　surprise　a　head　chambermaid　in　any　way。　On　the　morning　of　his　departure　she　was　told　by　the　first…floor　waiter　that　the　occupant　of　Room　26　had　complained　of　an　uproar　in　the　night；　and　almost　immediately　she　was　summoned　to　see　Benham。　He　was　standing　facing　the　door　and　in　a　position　which　did　a　little　obscure　the　condition　of　the　room　behind　him。　　He　was　carefully　dressed；　and　his　manner　was　more　cold　and　decorous　than　ever。　　But　one　of　his　hands　was　tied　up　in　a　white　bandage。　〃I　am　going　this　morning；〃　he　said；　〃I　am　going　down　now　to　breakfast。　　I　have　had　a　few　little　accidents　with　some　of　the　things　in　the　room　and　I　have　cut　my　hand。　　I　want　you　to　tell　the　manager　and　see　that　they　are　properly　charged　for　on　the　bill。　。　。　。　　Thank　you。''　The　head　chambermaid　was　left　to　consider　the　accidents。　Benham's　things　were　all　packed　up　and　the　room　had　an　air　of　having　been　straightened　up　neatly　and　methodically　after　a　destructive　cataclysm。　　One　or　two　items　that　the　chambermaid　might　possibly　have　overlooked　in　the　normal　course　of　things　were　carefully　exhibited。　　For　example；　the　sheet　had　been　torn　into　half　a　dozen　strips　and　they　were　lying　side　by　side　on　the　bed。　　The　clock　on　the　mantelpiece　had　been　knocked　into　the　fireplace　and　then　pounded　to　pieces。　　All　the　looking…glasses　in　the　room　were　smashed；　apparently　the　electric　lamp　that　stood　on　the　night　table　by　the　bedside　had　been　wrenched　off　and　flung　or　hammered　about　amidst　the　other　breakables。　　And　there　was　a　considerable　amount　of　blood　splashed　about　the　room。　　The　head　chambermaid　felt　unequal　to　the　perplexities　of　the　spectacle　and　summoned　her　most　convenient　friend；　the　head　chambermaid　on　the　third　floor；　to　her　aid。　　The　first…floor　waiter　joined　their　deliberations　and　several　housemaids　displayed　a　respectful　interest　in　the　maful　to　Martindale　House　and　the　thing　was　rankling　almost　unendurably。　　It　seemed　to　be　a　relief　to　him　to　show　his　son　very　fully　the　essentially　illogical　position　of　his　assailant。　　He　was　entirely　inattentive　to　Benham's　carefully　made　conversational　opportunities。　He　would　be　silent　at　times　while　Benham　talked　and　then　he　would　break　out　suddenly　with：　〃What　seems　to　me　so　unreasonable；　so　ridiculous；　in　the　whole　of　that　fellow's　second　argumentif　one　can　call　it　an　argument。　。　。　。　　A　man　who　reasons　as　he　does　is　bound　to　get　laughed　at。　　If　people　will　only　see　it。　。　。　。〃

CHAPTER　THE　SIXTH　THE　NEW　HAROUN　AL　RASCHID

1

Benham　corresponded　with　Amanda　until　the　summer　of　1913。　　Sometimes　the　two　wrote　coldly　to　one　another；　sometimes　with　warm　affection；　sometimes　with　great　bitterness。　　When　he　met　White　in　Johannesburg　durtter。　　Finally　they　invoked　the　manager。　　He　was　still　contemplating　the　scene　of　the　disorder　when　the　precipitate　retreat　of　his　subordinates　warned　him　of　Benham's　return。　Benham　was　smoking　a　cigarette　and　his　bearing　was　reassuringly　tranquil。　〃I　had　a　kind　of　nightmare；〃　he　said。　　〃I　am　fearfully　sorry　to　have　disarranged　your　room。　　You　must　charge　me　for　the　inconvenience　as　well　as　for　the　damage。

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〃An　aristocrat　cannot　be　a　lover。〃　〃One　cannot　serve　at　once　the　intricacies　of　the　wider　issues　of　life　and　the　intricacies　of　another　human　being。　　I　do　not　mean　that　one　may　not　love。　　One　loves　the　more　because　one　does　not　concentrate　one's　love。　　One　loves　nations；　the　people　passing　in　the　street；　beasts　hurt　by　the　wayside；　troubled　scoundrels　and　university　dons　in　tears。　。　。　。　〃But　if　one　does　not　give　one's　whole　love　and　life　into　a　woman's　hands　I　do　not　think　one　can　expect　to　be　loved。　〃An　aristocrat　must　do　without　close　personal　love。　。　。　。〃　This　much　was　written　at　the　top　of　a　sheet　of　paper。　　The　writing　ended　halfway　down　the　page。　　Manifestly　it　was　an　abandoned　beginning。　　And　it　was；　it　seemed　to　White；　the　last　page　of　all　this　confusion　of　matter　that　dealt　with　the　Second　and　Third　Limitations。　　Its　incompleteness　made　its　expression　perfect。　。　。　。　There　Benham's　love　experience　ended。　　He　turned　to　the　great　business　of　the　world。　　Desire　and　Jealousy　should　deflect　his　life　no　more；　like　Fear　they　were　to　be　dismissed　as　far　as　possible　and　subdued　when　they　could　not　be　altogether　dismissed。　　Whatever　stirrings　of　blood　or　imagination　there　were　in　him　after　that　parting；　whatever　failures　from　this　resolution；　they　left　no　trace　on　the　rest　of　his　research；　which　was　concerned　with　the　hates　of　peoples　and　classes　and　war　and　peace　and　the　possibilities　science　unveils　and　starry　speculations　of　what　mankind　may　do。

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But　Benham　did　not