the research magnificent-第12部分

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　had　talked　a　lot　about　Prothero's　ideas　and　the　discussions　of　social　reform　and　social　service　that　went　on　in　his　rooms；　for　Billy　read　at　unknown　times；　and　was　open　at　all　hours　to　any　argumentative　caller。　　To　Lady　Marayne　all　ideas　were　obnoxious；　a　form　of　fogging；　all　ideas；　she　held；　were　queer　ideas。　　〃And　does　he　call　himself　a　Socialist？〃　she　asked。　　〃I　THOUGHT　he　would。〃　〃Poff；〃　she　cried　suddenly；　〃you're　not　a　SOCIALIST？〃　〃Such　a　vague　term。〃　〃But　these　friends　of　yoursthey　seem　to　be　ALL　Socialists。　　Red　ties　and　everything　complete。〃　〃They　have　ideas；〃　he　evaded。　　He　tried　to　express　it　better。　　〃They　give　one　something　to　take　hold　of。〃　She　sat　up　stiffly　on　the　garden…seat。　　She　lifted　her　finger　at　him；　very　seriously。　　〃I　hope；〃　she　said　with　all　her　heart；　〃that　you　will　have　nothing　to　do　with　such　ideas。　　Nothing。　　SOCIALISM！〃　〃They　make　a　case。〃　〃Pooh！　　Any　one　can　make　a　case。〃　〃But〃　〃There's　no　sense　in　them。　　What　is　the　good　of　talking　about　upsetting　everything？　　Just　disorder。　　How　can　one　do　anything　then？　You　mustn't。　　You　mustn't。　　No。　　It's　nonsense；　little　Poff。　　It's　absurd。　　And　you　may　spoil　so　much。　。　。　。　　I　HATE　the　way　you　talk　of　it。　。　。　。　　As　if　　it　wasn't　allabsolutelyRUBBISH。　。　。　。〃　She　was　earnest　almost　to　the　intonation　of　tears。　Why　couldn't　her　son　go　straight　for　his　ends；　clear　tangible　ends；　as　she　had　always　done？　　This　thinking　about　everything！　　She　had　never　thought　about　anything　in　all　her　life　for　more　than　half　an　hourand　it　had　always　turned　out　remarkably　well。　Benham　felt　baffled。　　There　was　a　pause。　　How　on　earth　could　he　go　on　telling　her　his　ideas　if　this　was　how　they　were　to　be　taken？　〃I　wish　sometimes；〃　his　mother　said　abruptly；　with　an　unusually　sharp　note　in　her　voice；　〃that　you　wouldn't　look　quite　so　like　your　father。〃　〃But　I'm　NOT　like　my　father！〃　said　Benham　puzzled。　〃No；〃　she　insisted；　and　with　an　air　of　appealing　to　his　soberer　reason；　〃so　why　should　you　go　LOOKING　like　him？　　That　CONCERNED　expression。　。　。　。　She　jumped　to　her　feet。　　〃Poff；〃　she　said；　〃I　want　to　go　and　see　the　evening　primroses　pop。　　You　and　I　are　talking　nonsense。　　THEY　don't　have　ideas　anyhow。　　They　just　popas　God　meant　them　to　do。　　What　stupid　things　we　human　beings　are！〃　Her　philosophical　moments　were　perhaps　the　most　baffling　of　all。

6

Billy　Prothero　became　the　symbol　in　the　mind　of　Lady　Marayne　for　all　that　disappointed　her　in　Benham。　　He　had　to　become　the　symbol；　because　she　could　not　think　of　complicated　or　abstract　things；　she　had　to　make　things　personal；　and　he　was　the　only　personality　available。　　She　fretted　over　his　existence　for　some　days　therefore　（once　she　awakened　and　thought　about　him　in　the　night）；　and　then　suddenly　she　determined　to　grasp　her　nettle。　　She　decided　to　seize　and　obliterate　this　Prothero。　　He　must　come　to　Chexington　and　be　thoroughly　and　conclusively　led　on；　examined；　ransacked；　shown　up；　and　disposed　of　for　ever。　　At　once。　　She　was　not　quite　clear　how　she　meant　to　do　this；　but　she　was　quite　resolved　that　it　had　to　be　done。　Anything　is　better　than　inaction。　There　was　a　little　difficulty　about　dates　and　engagements；　but　he　came；　and　through　the　season　of　expectation　Benham；　who　was　now　for　the　first　time　in　contact　with　the　feminine　nature；　was　delighted　at　the　apparent　change　to　cordiality。　　So　that　he　talked　of　Billy　to　his　mother　much　more　than　he　had　ever　done　before。　Billy　had　been　his　particular　friend　at　Minchinghampton；　at　least　during　the　closing　two　years　of　his　school　life。　　Billy　had　fallen　into　friendship　with　Benham；　as　some　of　us　fall　in　love；　quite　suddenly；　when　he　saw　Benham　get　down　from　the　fence　and　be　sick　after　his　encounter　with　the　bull。　　Already　Billy　was　excited　by　admiration；　but　it　was　the　incongruity　of　the　sickness　conquered　him。　　He　went　back　to　the　school　with　his　hands　more　than　usually　in　his　pockets；　and　no　eyes　for　anything　but　this　remarkable　strung…up　fellow…creature。　　He　felt　he　had　never　observed　Benham　before；　and　he　was　astonished　that　he　had　not　done　so。　Billy　Prothero　was　a　sturdy　sort　of　boy；　generously　wanting　in　good　looks。　　His　hair　was　rough；　and　his　complexion　muddy；　and　he　walked　about　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　long　flexible　lips　protruded　in　a　whistle；　and　a　rather　shapeless　nose　well　up　to　show　he　didn't　care。　　Providence　had　sought　to　console　him　by　giving　him　a　keen　eye　for　the　absurdity　of　other　people。　　He　had　a　suggestive　tongue；　and　he　professed　and　practised　cowardice　to　the　scandal　of　all　his　acquaintances。　　He　was　said　never　to　wash　behind　his　ears；　but　this　report　wronged　him。　　There　had　been　a　time　when　he　did　not　do　so；　but　his　mother　had　won　him　to　a　promise；　and　now　that　operation　was　often　the　sum　of　his　simple　hasty　toilet。　　His　desire　to　associate　himself　with　Benham　was　so　strong　that　it　triumphed　over　a　defensive　reserve。　　It　enabled　him　to　detect　accessible　moments；　do　inobtrusive　friendly　services；　and　above　all　amuse　his　quarry。　　He　not　only　amused　Benham；　he　stimulated　him。　　They　came　to　do　quite　a　number　of　things　together。　　In　the　language　of　schoolboy　stories　they　became　〃inseparables。〃　Prothero's　first　desire；　so　soon　as　they　were　on　a　footing　that　enabled　him　to　formulate　desires；　was　to　know　exactly　what　Benham　thought　he　was　up　to　in　crossing　a　field　with　a　bull　in　it　instead　of　going　round；　and　by　the　time　he　began　to　understand　that；　he　had　conceived　an　affection　for　him　that　was　to　last　a　lifetime。　〃I　wasn't　going　to　be　bullied　by　a　beast；〃　said　Benham。　〃Suppose　it　had　been　an　elephant？〃　Prothero　cried。　。　。　。　　〃A　mad　elephant？　。　。　。　　A　pack　of　wolves？〃　Benham　was　too　honest　not　to　see　that　he　was　entangled。　　〃Well；　suppose　in　YOUR　case　it　had　been　a　wild　cat？　。　。　。　　A　fierce　mastiff？　。　。　。　　A　mastiff？　。　。　。　　A　terrier？　。　。　。　　A　lap　dog？〃　〃Yes；　but　my　case　is　that　there　are　limits。〃　Benham　was　impatient　at　the　idea　of　limits。　　With　a　faintly　malicious　pleasure　Prothero　lugged　him　back　to　that　idea。　〃We　both　admit　there　are　limits；〃　Prothero　concluded。　　〃But　between　the　absolutely　impossible　and　the　altogether　possible　there's　the　region　of　risk。　　You　think　a　man　ought　to　take　that　risk〃　　He　reflected。　　〃I　thinknoI　think　NOT。〃　〃If　he　feels　afraid；〃　cried　Benham；　seeing　his　one　point。　　〃If　he　feels　afraid。　　Then　he　ought　to　take　it。　。　。　。〃　After　a　digestive　interval；　Prothero　asked；　〃WHY？　　Why　should　he？〃　The　discussion　of　that　momentous　question；　that　Why？　which　Benham　perhaps　might　never　have　dared　ask　himself；　and　which　Prothero　perhaps　might　never　have　attempted　to　anit　one　afternoon　in　a　way　that　permitted　no　high　dismissal　of　their　doubts。　　〃You　can't　build　your　honour　on　fudge；　Benham。　　Like　committing　sacrilegein　order　to　buy　a　cloth　for　the　altar。〃　By　that　Benham　was　slipped　from　the　recognized　code　and　launched　upon　speculations　which　became　the　magnificent　research。　It　was　not　only　in　complexion　and　stature　and　ways　of　thinking　that　Billy　and　Benham　contrasted。　　Benham　inclined　a　little　to　eloquence；　he　liked　very　clean　hands；　he　had　a　dread　of　ridiculous　outlines。　Prothero　lapsed　readily　into　ostentatious　slovenliness；　when　his　hands　were　dirty　he　pitied　them　sooner　than　scrubbed　them；　he　would　have　worn　an　overcoat　with　one　tail　torn　off　rather　than　have　gone　cold。　　Moreover；　Prothero　had　an　earthy　liking　for　animals；　he　could　stroke　and　tickle　strange　cats　until　they　wanted　to　leave　father　and　mother　and　all　earthly　possessions　and　follow　after　him；　and　he　mortgaged　a　term's　pocket　money　and　bought　and　kept　a　small　terrier　in　the　school　house　against　all　law　and　tradition；　under　the　baseless　pretence　that　it　was　a　stray　animal　of　unknown　origin。　Benham；　on　the　other　hand；　was　shy　with　small　animals　and　faintly　hostile　to　big　ones。　　Beasts　he　thought　were　just　beasts。　　And　Prothero　had　a　gift　for　caricature；　while　Benham's　aptitude　was　for　music。　It　was　Prothero's　eyes　and　pencil　that　first　directed　Benham　to　the　poor　indolences　and　evasions　and　insincerities　of　the　masters。　　It　was　Prothero's　wicked　pictures　that　made　him　see　the　shrivelled　absurdity　of　the　vulgar　theology。　　But　it　was　Benham　who　stood　between　Prothero　and　that　rather　coarsely　conceived　epicureanism　that　seemed　his　logical　destiny。　　When　quite　early　in　their　Cambridge　days　Prothero's　revolt　against　foppery　reached　a　nadir　of　personal　neglect；　and　two　philanthropists　from　the　rooms　below　him；　goaded　beyond　the　normal　tolerance　of　Trinity；　and　assisted　by　two　sportsmen　from　Trinity　Hall；　burnt　his　misshapen　straw　hat　（after　partly　filling　it　with　gunpowder　and　iron　filings）　and　sought　to　duck　him　in　the　fountain　in　the　court；　it　was　Benham；　in　a　state　between　distress　and　madness；　and　armed　with　a　horn…handled　cane　of　exceptional　size；　who　intervened；　turned　the　business　into　a　blend　of　wrangle　and　scuffle；　introduced　the　degrading　topic　of　duelling　into　a　simple　wholesome　rag　of　four　against　one；　carried　him　off　under　the　cloud　of　horror　created　by　this　impropriety　and　so　saved　him；　still　only　slightly　wetted；　not　only　from　this　indignity　but　from　the　experiment　in　rationalism　that　had　provoked　it。　Because　Benham　made　it　perfectly　clear　what　he　had　thought　and　felt　about　this　hat。　Such　was　the　illuminating　young　man　whom　Lady　Marayne　decided　to　invite　to　Chexington；　into　the　neighbourhood　of　h