the research magnificent-第29章

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　as　possible。　　The　Benham　style　of　connubial　conversation　had　long　since　decided　for　emphasis　rather　than　delicacy。　〃I　think；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃that　this　wanting　to　take　London　by　storm　is　a　beastly　VULGAR　thing　to　want　to　do。〃　Amanda　compressed　her　lips。　〃I　want　to　work　out　things　in　my　mind；〃　he　went　on。　　〃I　do　not　want　to　be　distracted　by　social　things；　and　I　do　not　want　to　be　distracted　by　picturesque　things。　　This　lifeit's　all　very　well　on　the　surface；　but　it　isn't　real。　　I'm　not　getting　hold　of　reality。　Things　slip　away　from　me。　　God！　but　how　they　slip　away　from　me！〃　He　got　up　and　walked　to　the　side　of　the　boat。　She　surveyed　his　back　for　some　moments。　　Then　she　went　and　leant　over　the　rail　beside　him。　〃I　want　to　go　to　London；〃　she　said。　〃I　don't。〃　〃Where　do　you　want　to　go？〃　〃Where　I　can　see　into　the　things　that　hold　the　world　together。〃　〃I　have　loved　this　wanderingI　could　wander　always。　　But　。　。　。　Cheetah！　　I　tell　you　I　WANT　to　go　to　London。〃　He　looked　over　his　shoulder　into　her　warm　face。　　〃NO；〃　he　said。　〃But；　I　ask　you。〃　He　shook　his　head。　She　put　her　face　closer　and　whispered。　　〃Cheetah！　big　beast　of　my　heart。　　Do　you　hear　your　mate　asking　for　something？〃　He　turned　his　eyes　back　to　the　mountains。　　〃I　must　go　my　own　way。〃　〃Haven't　I；　so　far；　invented　things；　made　life　amusing；　Cheetah？　Can't　you　trust　the　leopard's　wisdom？〃　He　stared　at　the　coast　inexorably。　〃I　wonder；〃　she　whispered。　〃What？〃　〃You　ARE　that；　Cheetah；　that　lank；　long；　EAGER　beast。〃　Suddenly　with　a　nimble　hand　she　had　unbottoned　and　rolled　up　the　sleeve　of　her　blouse。　　She　stuck　her　pretty　blue…veined　arm　before　his　eyes。　　〃Look　here；　sir；　it　was　you；　wasn't　it？　　It　was　your　powerful　jaw　inflicted　this　bite　upon　the　arm　of　a　defenceless　young　leopardess〃　〃Amanda！〃　〃Well。〃　　She　wrinkled　her　brows。　He　turned　about　and　stood　over　her；　he　shook　a　finger　in　her　face　and　there　was　a　restrained　intensity　in　his　voice　as　he　spoke。　〃Look　here；　Amanda！〃　he　said；　〃if　you　think　that　you　are　going　to　make　me　agree　to　any　sort　of　project　about　London；　to　any　sort　of　complication　of　our　lives　with　houses　in　smart　streets　and　a　campaign　of　social　assertionby　THAT；　then　may　I　be　damned　for　an　uxorious　fool！〃　Her　eyes　met　his　and　there　was　mockery　in　her　eyes。　〃This；　Cheetah；　is　the　morning　mood；〃　she　remarked。　〃This　is　the　essential　mood。　　Listen；　Amanda〃　He　stopped　short。　　He　looked　towards　the　gangway；　they　both　looked。　The　magic　word　〃Breakfast〃　came　simultaneously　from　them。　〃Eggs；〃　she　said　ravenously；　and　led　the　way。　A　smell　of　coffee　as　insistent　as　an　herald's　trumpet　had　called　a　truce　between　them。

3

Their　marriage　had　been　a　comparatively　inconspicuous　one；　but　since　that　time　they　had　been　engaged　upon　a　honeymoon　of　great　extent　and　variety。　　Their　wedding　had　taken　place　at　South　Harting　church　in　the　marked　absence　of　Lady　Marayne；　and　it　had　been　marred　by　only　one　untoward　event。　　The　Reverend　Amos　Pugh　who；　in　spite　of　the　earnest　advice　of　several　friends　had　insisted　upon　sharing　in　the　ceremony；　had　suddenly　covered　his　face　with　the　sleeves　of　his　surplice　and　fled　with　a　swift　rustle　to　the　vestry；　whence　an　uproar　of　inadequately　smothered　sorrow　came　as　an　obligato　accompaniment　to　the　more　crucial　passages　of　the　service。　　Amanda　appeared　unaware　of　the　incident　at　the　time；　but　afterwards　she　explained　things　to　Benham。　　〃Curates；〃　she　said；　〃are　such　pent…up　men。　　One　ought；　I　suppose；　to　remember　that。　　But　he　never　had　anything　to　go　upon　at　allnot　anythingexcept　his　own　imaginations。〃　〃I　suppose　when　you　met　him　you　were　nice　to　him。〃　〃I　was　nice　to　him；　of　course。　。　。　。〃　They　drove　away　from　Harting；　as　it　were；　over　the　weeping　remains　of　this　infatuated　divine。　　His　sorrow　made　them　thoughtful　for　a　time；　and　then　Amanda　nestled　closer　to　her　lover　and　they　forgot　about　him；　and　their　honeymoon　became　so　active　and　entertaining　that　only　very　rarely　and　transitorily　did　they　ever　think　of　him　again。　The　original　conception　of　their　honeymoon　had　been　identical　with　the　plans　Benham　had　made　for　the　survey　and　study　of　the　world；　and　it　was　through　a　series　of　modifications；　replacements　and　additions　that　it　became　at　last　a　prolonged　and　very　picturesque　tour　in　Switzerland；　the　Austrian　Tyrol；　North　Italy；　and　down　the　Adriatic　coast。　　Amanda　had　never　seen　mountains；　and　longed；　she　said；　to　climb。　　This　took　them　first　to　Switzerland。　　Then；　in　spite　of　their　exalted　aims；　the　devotion　of　their　lives　to　noble　purposes；　it　was　evident　that　Amanda　had　no　intention　of　scamping　the　detail　of　love；　and　for　that　what　background　is　so　richly　beautiful　as　Italy？　　An　important　aspect　of　the　grand　tour　round　the　world　as　Benham　had　planned　it；　had　been　interviews；　inquiries　and　conversations　with　every　sort　of　representative　and　understanding　person　he　could　reach。　　An　unembarrassed　young　man　who　wants　to　know　and　does　not　promise　to　bore　may　reach　almost　any　one　in　that　way；　he　is　as　impersonal　as　pure　reason　and　as　mobile　as　a　letter；　but　the　presence　of　a　lady　in　his　train　leaves　him　no　longer　unembarrassed。　　His　approach　has　become　a　social　event。　　The　wife　of　a　great　or　significant　personage　must　take　notice　or　decide　not　to　take　notice。　　Of　course　Amanda　was　prepared　to　go　anywhere；　just　as　Benham's　shadow；　it　was　the　world　that　was　unprepared。　　And　a　second　leading　aspect　of　his　original　scheme　had　been　the　examination　of　the　ways　of　government　in　cities　and　the　shifting　and　mixture　of　nations　and　races。　　It　would　have　led　to　back　streets；　and　involved　and　complicated　details；　and　there　was　something　in　the　fine　flame　of　girlhood　beside　him　that　he　felt　was　incompatible　with　those　shadows　and　that　dust。　　And　also　they　were　lovers　and　very　deeply　in　love。　　It　was　amazing　how　swiftly　that　draggled　shameful　London　sparrow…gamin；　Eros；　took　heart　from　Amanda；　and　became　wonderful；　beautiful；　glowing；　life…giving；　confident；　clear…eyed；　how　he　changed　from　flesh　to　sweet　fire；　and　grew　until　he　filled　the　sky。　So　that　you　see　they　went　to　Switzerland　and　Italy　at　last　very　like　two　ordinary　young　people　who　were　not　aristocrats　at　all；　had　no　theory　about　the　world　or　their　destiny；　but　were　simply　just　ardently　delighted　with　the　discovery　of　one　another。　Nevertheless　Benham　was　for　some　time　under　a　vague　impression　that　in　a　sort　of　way　still　he　was　going　round　the　world　and　working　out　his　destinies。　It　was　part　of　the　fascination　of　Amanda　that　she　was　never　what　he　had　supposed　her　to　be；　and　that　nothing　that　he　set　out　to　do　with　her　ever　turned　out　as　they　had　planned　it。　　Her　appreciations　marched　before　her　achievement；　and　when　it　came　to　climbing　it　seemed　foolish　to　toil　to　summits　over　which　her　spirit　had　flitted　days　before。　　Their　Swiss　expeditions　which　she　had　foreseen　as　glorious　wanderings　amidst　the　blue　ice　of　crevasses　and　nights　of　exalted　hardihood　became　a　walking　tour　of　fitful　vigour　and　abundant　fun　and　delight。　　They　spent　a　long　day　on　the　ice　of　the　Aletsch　glacier；　but　they　reached　the　inn　on　its　eastward　side　with　magnificent　appetites　a　little　late　for　dinner。　Amanda　had　revealed　an　unexpected　gift　for　nicknames　and　pretty　fancies。　　She　named　herself　the　Leopard；　the　spotless　Leopard；　in　some　obscure　way　she　intimated　that　the　colour　was　black；　but　that　was　never　to　be　admitted　openly；　there　was　supposed　to　be　some　lurking　traces　of　a　rusty　brown　but　the　word　was　spotless　and　the　implication　white；　a　dazzling　white；　she　would　play　a　thousand　variations　on　the　theme；　in　moments　of　despondency　she　was　only　a　black　cat；　a　common　lean　black　cat；　and　sacks　and　half…bricks　almost　too　good　for　her。　　But　Benham　was　always　a　Cheetah。　　That　had　come　to　her　as　a　revelation　from　heaven。　　But　so　clearly　he　was　a　Cheetah。　　He　was　a　Hunting　Leopard；　the　only　beast　that　has　an　up…　cast　face　and　dreams　and　looks　at　you　with　absent…minded　eyes　like　a　man。　　She　laced　their　journeys　with　a　fantastic　monologue　telling　in　the　third　person　what　the　Leopard　and　the　Cheetah　were　thinking　and　seeing　and　doing。　　And　so　they　walked　up　mountains　and　over　passes　and　swam　in　the　warm　clear　water　of　romantic　lakes　and　loved　each　other　mightily　always；　in　chestnut　woods　and　olive　orchards　and　flower…starred　alps　and　pine　forests　and　awning…covered　boats；　and　by　sunset　and　moonlight　and　starshine；　and　out　of　these　agreeable　solitudes　they　came　brown　and　dusty；　striding　side　by　side　into　sunlit　entertaining　fruit…piled　market…places　and　envious　hotels。　For　days　and　weeks　together　it　did　not　seem　to　Benham　that　there　was　anything　that　mattered　in　life　but　Amanda　and　the　elemental　joys　of　living。　　And　then　the　Research　Magnificent　began　to　stir　in　him　again。　　He　perceived　that　Italy　was　not　India；　that　the　clue　to　the　questions　he　must　answer　lay　in　the　crowded　new　towns　that　they　avoided；　in　the　packed　bookshops　and　the　talk　of　men；　and　not　in　the　picturesque　and　flowery　solitudes　to　which　their　lovemaking　carried　them。　Moods　began　in　which　he　seemed　to　forget　Amanda　altogether。　This　happened　first　in　the　Certosa　di　Pavia　whither　they　had　gone　one　afternoon　from　Milan。　　That　was　quite　soon　after　they　were　married。　　They　had　a　bumping　journey　thither　in　a　motor…car；　a　little　doubtful　if　the　excursion　was　worth　while；　and　they　found　a　great　amazement　in　the　lavish　beauty　and　decorative　wealth　of　that　vast　church　and　its　associated　cloisters；　set　far　away　from　any　population　as　it　seemed　in　a　flat　wilderness　of　reedy　ditches　and　patchy　cultivation。　　The　distilleries　and　outbuildings　were　desertedtheir　white　walls　were　covered　by　one　monstrously　great　and　old　wisteria　in　flowerthe　soaring　marvellous　church　was　in　possession　of　a　knot　of　unattractive　guides。　　One　of　these　conducted　them　through　the　painted　treasures　of　the　gold　and　marble　chapels；　he　was　an　elderly　but　animated　person　who　evidently　found　Amanda　more　wonderful　than　any　church。　　He　poured　out　great　accumulations　of　information　and　compliments　before　her。　　Benham　dropped　behind；　went　astray　and　was　presently　recovered　dreaming　in　the　great　cloister。　　The　guide　showed　them　over　two　of　the　cells　that　opened　thereupon；　each　a　delightful　house　for　a　solitary；　bookish　and　clean；　and　each　with　a　little　secret　walled　garden　of　its　own。　　He　was　covertly　tipped　against　all　regulations　and　departed　regretfulry　with　a　beaming　dismissal　from　Amanda。　　She　found　Benham　wondering　why　the　Carthusians　had　failed　to　produce　anything　better　in　the　world　than　a　liqueur。　　〃One　might　have　imagined　that　men　would　have　done　something　in　this　beautiful　quiet；　that　there　would　have　come　thought　from　here　or　will　from　here。〃　〃In　these　dear　little　nests　they　ought　to　have　put　lovers；〃　said　Amanda。　〃Oh；　of　course；　YOU　would　have　made　the　place　Thelema。　。　。　。〃　But　as　they　went　shaking　and　bumping　back　along　the　evil　road　to　Milan；　he　fell　into　a　deep　musing。　　Suddenly　he　said；　〃Work　has　to　be　done。　　Because　this　order　or　that　has　failed；　there　is　no　reason　why　we　should　fail。　　And　look　at　those　ragged　children　in　the　road　ahead　of　us；　and　those　dirty　women　sitting　in　the　doorways；　and　the　foul　ugliness　of　these　gaunt　nameless　towns　through　which　we　go！　They　are　what　they　are；　because　we　are　what　we　areidlers；　excursionists。　　In　a　world　we　ought　to　rule。　。　。　。　〃Amanda；　we've　got　to　get　to　work。　。　。　。〃　That　was　his　first　displ