fraternity-第13部分

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al…work）；　she　went　to　see　what　sort　of　day　it　was。

The　window　looked　out　at　the　back　over　some　dreary　streets；　where　the　wind　was　flinging　light　drifts　of　smoke　athwart　the　sunlight。　　They　had　chosen　this　room；　not　indeed　for　its　view　over　the　condition　of　the　people；　but　because　of　the　sky　effects　at　sunset；　which　were　extremely　fine。　　For　the　first　time；　perhaps；　Cecilia　was　conscious　that　a　sample　of　the　class　she　was　so　interested　in　was　exposed　to　view　beneath　her　nose。　　'The　Hughs　live　somewhere　there；'　she　thought。　　'After　all　I　think　B。　ought　to　know　about　that　man。　　She　might　speak　to　father；　and　get　him　to　give　up　having　the　girl　to　copy　for　himthe　whole　thing's　so　worrying。'

In　pursuance　of　this　thought；　she　lunched　hastily；　and　went　out；　making　her　way　to　Hilary's。　　With　every　step　she　became　more　uncertain。　　The　fear　of　meddling　too　much；　of　not　meddling　enough；　of　seeming　meddlesome；　timidity　at　touching　anything　so　awkward；　distrust；　even　ignorance；　of　her　sister's　character；　which　was　like；　yet　so　very　unlike；　her　own；　a　real　itch　to　get　the　matter　settled；　so　that　nothing　whatever　should　come　of　itall　this　she　felt。　　She　hurried；　dawdled；　finished　the　adventure　almost　at　a　run；　then　told　the　servant　not　to　announce　her。　　The　vision　of　Bianca's　eyes；　while　she　listened　to　this　tale；　was　suddenly　too　much　for　Cecilia。　　She　decided　to　pay　a　visit　to　her　father　first。

Mr。　Stone　was　writing；　attired　in　his　working　dressa　thick　brown　woollen　gown；　revealing　his　thin　neck　above　the　line　of　a　blue　shirt；　and　tightly　gathered　round　the　waist　with　tasselled　cord；　the　lower　portions　of　grey　trousers　were　visible　above　woollen…slippered　feet。　His　hair　straggled　over　his　thin　long　ears。　　The　window；　wide　open；　admitted　an　east　wind；　there　was　no　fire。　　Cecilia　shivered。

〃Come　in　quickly；〃　said　Mr。　Stone。　　Turning　to　a　big　high　desk　of　stained　deal　which　occupied　the　middle　of　one　wall；　he　began　methodically　to　place　the　inkstand；　a　heavy　paper…knife；　a　book；　and　stones　of　several　sizes；　on　his　guttering　sheets　of　manuscript。

Cecilia　looked　about　her；　she　had　not　been　inside　her　father's　room　for　several　months。　　There　was　nothing　in　it　but　that　desk；　a　camp　bed　in　the　far　corner　（with　blankets；　but　no　sheets）；　a　folding　washstand；　and　a　narrow　bookcase；　the　books　in　which　Cecilia　unconsciously　told　off　on　the　fingers　of　her　memory。　　They　never　varied。　　On　the　top　shelf　the　Bible　and　the　works　of　Plautus　and　Diderot；　on　the　second　from　the　top　the　plays　of　Shakespeare　in　a　blue　edition；　on　the　third　from　the　bottom　Don　Quixote；　in　four　volumes；　covered　with　brown　paper；　a　green　Milton；　the　〃Comedies　of　Aristophanes〃；　a　leather　book；　partially　burned；　comparing　the　philosophy　of　Epicurus　with　the　philosophy　of　Spinoza；　and　in　a　yellow　binding　Mark　Twain's　〃Huckleberry　Finn。〃　　On　the　second　from　the　bottom　was　lighter　literature：　〃The　Iliad〃；　a　〃Life　of　Francis　of　Assisi〃；　Speke's　〃Discovery　of　the　Sources　of　the　Nile〃；　the　〃Pickwick　Papers〃；　〃Mr。　Midshipman　Easy〃；　The　Verses　of　Theocritus；　in　a　very　old　translation；　Renan's　〃Life　of　Christ〃；　and　the　〃Autobiography　of　Benvenuto　Cellini。〃　　The　bottom　shelf　of　all　was　full　of　books　on　natural　science。

The　walls　were　whitewashed；　and；　as　Cecilia　knew；　came　off　on　anybody　who　leaned　against　them。　　The　floor　was　stained；　and　had　no　carpet。　There　was　a　little　gas　cooking…stove；　with　cooking　things　ranged　on　it；　a　small　bare　table；　and　one　large　cupboard。　　No　draperies；　no　pictures；　no　ornaments　of　any　kind；　but　by　the　window　an　ancient　golden　leather　chair。　　Cecilia　could　never　bear　to　sit　in　that　oasis；　its　colour　in　this　wilderness　was　too　precious　to　her　spirit。

〃It's　an　east　wind；　father；　aren't　you　terribly　cold　without　a　fire？〃

Mr。　Stone　came　from　his　writing…desk；　and　stood　so　that　light　might　fall　on　a　sheet　of　paper　in　his　hand。　　Cecilia　noted　the　scent　that　went　about　with　him　of　peat　and　baked　potatoes。　　He　spoke：

〃Listen　to　this：　'In　the　condition　of　society；　dignified　in　those　days　with　the　name　of　civilisation；　the　only　source　of　hope　was　the　persistence　of　the　quality　called　courage。　　Amongst　a　thousand　nerve…　destroying　habits；　amongst　the　dramshops；　patent　medicines；　the　undigested　chaos　of　inventions　and　discoveries；　while　hundreds　were　prating　in　their　pulpits　of　things　believed　in　by　a　negligible　fraction　of　the　population；　and　thousands　writing　down　today　what　nobody　would　want　to　read　in　two　days'　time；　while　men　shut　animals　in　cages；　and　made　bears　jig　to　please　their　children；　and　all　were　striving　one　against　the　other；　while；　in　a　word；　like　gnats　above　a　stagnant　pool　on　a　summer's　evening；　man　danced　up　and　down　without　the　faintest　notion　whyin　this　condition　of　affairs　the　quality　of　courage　was　alive。　　It　was　the　only　fire　within　that　gloomy　valley。'〃　He　stopped；　though　evidently　anxious　to　go　on；　because　he　had　read　the　last　word　on　that　sheet　of　paper。　　He　moved　towards　the　writing…　desk。　　Cecilia　said　hastily：

〃Do　you　mind　if　I　shut　the　window；　father？〃

Mr。　Stone　made　a　movement　of　his　head；　and　Cecilia　saw　that　he　held　a　second　sheet　of　paper　in　his　hand。　　She　rose；　and；　going　towards　him；　said：

〃I　want　to　talk　to　you；　Dad！〃　　Taking　up　the　cord　of　his　dressing…　gown；　she　pulled　it　by　its　tassel。

〃Don't！〃　said　Mr。　Stone；　〃it　secures　my　trousers。〃

Cecilia　dropped　the　cord。　　'Father　is　really　terrible！'　she　thought。

Mr。　Stone；　lifting　the　second　sheet　of　paper；　began　again：

〃'The　reason；　however；　was　not　far　to　seek…〃

Cecilia　said　desperately：

〃It's　about　that　girl　who　comes　to　copy　for　you。〃

Mr。　Stone　lowered　the　sheet　of　paper；　and　stood；　slightly　curved　from　head　to　foot；　his　ears　moved　as　though　he　were　about　to　lay　them　back；　his　blue　eyes；　with　little　white　spots　of　light　alongside　the　tiny　black　pupils；　stared　at　his　daughter。

Cecilia　thought：　'He's　listening　now。'

She　made　haste。　　〃Must　you　have　her　here？　　Can't　you　do　without　her？〃

〃Without　whom？〃　　said　Mr。　Stone。

〃Without　the　girl　who　comes　to　copy　for　you。〃

〃Why？〃

〃For　this　very　good　reason…〃

Mr。　Stone　dropped　his　eyes；　and　Cecilia　saw　that　he　had　moved　the　sheet　of　paper　up　as　far　as　his　waist。

〃Does　she　copy　better　than　any　other　girl　could？〃　　she　asked　hastily。

〃No；〃　said　Mr。　Stone。

〃Then；　Father；　I　do　wish；　to　please　me；　you'd　get　someone　else。　　I　know　what　I'm　talking　about；　and　I…〃　Cecilia　stopped；　her　father's　lips　and　eyes　were　moving；　he　was　obviously　reading　to　himself。

'I've　no　patience　with　him；'　she　thought；　'he　thinks　of　nothing　but　his　wretched　book。'

Aware　of　his　daughter's　silence；　Mr。　Stone　let　the　sheet　of　paper　sink；　and　waited　patiently　again。

〃What　do　you　want；　my　dear？〃　　he　said。

〃Oh；　Father；　do　listen　just　a　minute！〃

〃Yes；　Yes。〃

〃It's　about　that　girl　who　comes　to　copy　for　you。　　Is　there　any　reason　why　she　should　come　instead　of　any　other　girl？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Mr。　Stone。

〃What　reason？〃

〃Because　she　has　no　friends。〃

So　awkward　a　reply　was　not　expected　by　Cecilia；　she　looked　at　the　floor；　forced　to　search　within　her　soul。　　Silence　lasted　several　seconds；　then　Mr。　Stone's　voice　rose　above　a　whisper：

〃'The　reason　was　not　far　to　seek。　　Man；　differentiated　from　the　other　apes　by　his　desire　to　know；　was　from　the　first　obliged　to　steel　himself　against　the　penalties　of　knowledge。　　Like　animals　subjected　to　the　rigours　of　an　Arctic　climate；　and　putting　forth　more　fur　with　each　reduction　in　the　temperature；　man's　hide　of　courage　thickened　automatically　to　resist　the　spear…thrusts　dealt　him　by　his　own　insatiate　curiosity。　　In　those　days　of　which　we　speak；　when　undigested　knowledge；　in　a　great　invading　horde；　had　swarmed　all　his　defences；　man；　suffering　from　a　foul　dyspepsia；　with　a　nervous　system　in　the　latest　stages　of　exhaustion；　and　a　reeling　brain；　survived　by　reason　of　his　power　to　go　on　making　courage。　　Little　heroic　as　（in　the　then　general　state　of　petty　competition）　his　deeds　appeared　to　be；　there　never　had　yet　been　a　time　when　man　in　bulk　was　more　courageous；　for　there　never　had　yet　been　a　time　when　he　had　more　need　to　be。　　Signs　were　not　wanting　that　this　desperate　state　of　things　had　caught　the　eyes　of　the　community。　　A　little　sect…'〃　　Mr。　Stone　stopped；　his　eyes　had　again　tumbled　over　the　bottom　edge；　he　moved　hurriedly　towards　the　desk。　　Just　as　his　hand　removed　a　stone　and　took　up　a　third　sheet；　Cecilia　cried　out：

〃Father！〃

Mr。　Stone　stopped；　and　turned　towards　her。　　His　daughter　saw　that　he　had　gone　quite　pink；　her　annoyance　vanished。

〃Father！　　About　that　girl…〃

Mr。　Stone　seemed　to　reflect。　　〃Yes；　yes；〃　he　said。

〃I　don't　think　Bianca　likes　her　coming　here。〃

Mr。　Stone　passed　his　hand　across　his　brow。

〃Forgive　me　for　reading　to　you；　my　dear；〃　he　said；　〃it's　a　great　relief　to　me　at　times。〃

Cecilia　went　close　to　him；　and　refrained　with　difficulty　from　taking　up　the　tasselled　cord。

〃Of　course；　dear；〃　she　said：　〃I　quite　understand　that。〃

Mr。　Stone　looked　full　in　her　face；　and　before　a　gaze　which　seemed　to　go　through　her　and　see　things　the　other　side；　Cecilia　dropped　her　eyes。

〃It　is　strange；〃　he　said；　〃how　you　came　to　be　my　daughter！〃

To　Cecilia；　too；　this　had　often　seemed　a　problem。

〃There　is　a　great　deal　in　atavism；〃　said　Mr。