philosophy 4-第3部分

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The　parents　of　Oscar　had　come　over　in　the　steerage。　　Money　filled　the

pockets　of　Bertie　and　Billy；　therefore　were　their　heads　empty　of　money

and　full　of　less　cramping　thoughts。　　Oscar　had　fallen　upon　the　reverse

of　this　fate。　　Calculation　was　his　second　nature。　　He　had　given　his

education　to　himself；　he　had　for　its　sake　toiled；　traded；　outwitted；　and

saved。　　He　had　sent　himself　to　college；　where　most　of　the　hours　not

given　to　education　and　more　education；　went　to　toiling　and　more　toiling；

that　he　might　pay　his　meagre　way　through　the　college　world。　　He　had　a

cheaper　room　and　ate　cheaper　meals　than　was　necessary。　　He　tutored；　and

he　wrote　college　specials　for　several　newspapers。　　His　chief　relaxation

was　the　praise　of　the　ladies　in　Newbury　Street。　　These　told　him　of　the

future　which　awaited　him；　and　when　they　gazed　upon　his　features　were　put

in　mind　of　the　dying　Keats。　　Not　that　Oscar　was　going　to　die　in　the

least。　　Life　burned　strong　in　him。　　There　were　sly　times　when　he　took

what　he　had　saved　by　his　cheap　meals　and　room　and　went　to　Boston　with

it；　and　for　a　few　hours　thoroughly　ceased　being　ascetic。　　Yet　Oscar　felt

meritorious　when　he　considered　Bertie　and　Billy；　for；　like　the

socialists；　merit　with　him　meant　not　being　able　to　live　as　well　as　your

neighbor。　　You　will　think　that　I　have　given　to　Oscar　what　is　familiarly

termed　a　black　eye。　　But　I　was　once　inclined　to　applaud　his　struggle　for

knowledge；　until　I　studied　him　close　and　perceived　that　his　love　was　not

for　the　education　he　was　getting。　　Bertie　and　Billy　loved　play　for

play's　own　sake；　and　in　play　forgot　themselves；　like　the　wholesome　young

creatures　that　they　were。　　Oscar　had　one　love　only：　through　all　his　days

whatever　he　might　forget；　he　would　remember　himself；　through　all　his

days　he　would　make　knowledge　show　that　self　off。　　Thank　heaven；　all　the

poor　students　in　Harvard　College　were　not　Oscars！　　I　loved　some　of　them

as　much　as　I　loved　Bertie　and　Billy。　　So　there　is　no　black　eye　about　it。

Pity　Oscar；　if　you　like；　but　don't　be　so　mushy　as　to　admire　him　as　he

stepped　along　in　the　night；　holding　his　notes；　full　of　his　knowledge；

thinking　of　Bertie　and　Billy；　conscious　of　virtue；　and　smiling　his

smile。　　They　were　not　conscious　of　any　virtue；　were　Bertie　and　Billy；

nor　were　they　smiling。　　They　were　solemnly　eating　up　together　a　box　of

handsome　strawberries　and　sucking　the　juice　from　their　reddened　thumbs。



〃Rather　mean　not　to　make　him　wait　and　have　some　of　these　after　his　hard

work　on　us；〃　said　Bertie。　　〃I'd　forgotten　about　them〃



〃He　ran　out　before　you　could　remember；　anyway；〃　said　Billy。



〃Wasn't　he　absurd　about　his　old　notes？　　〃Bertie　went　on；　a　new

strawberry　in　his　mouth。　　〃We　don't　need　them；　though。　　With　to…morrow

we'll　get　this　course　down　cold。〃



〃Yes；　to…morrow；〃　sighed　Billy。　　〃It's　awful　to　think　of　another　day　of

this　kind。〃



〃Horrible；〃　assented　Bertie。



〃He　knows　a　lot。　　He's　extraordinary；〃　said　Billy。



〃Yes；　he　is。　　He　can　talk　the　actual　words　of　the　notes。　　Probably　he

could　teach　the　course　himself。　　I　don't　suppose　he　buys　any

strawberries；　even　when　they　get　ripe　and　cheap　here。　　What's　the　matter

with　you？〃



Billy　had　broken　suddenly　into　merriment。　　〃I　don't　believe　Oscar　owns　a

bath；〃　he　explained。



〃By　Jove！　so　his　notes　will　burn　in　spite　of　everything！〃　　And　both　of

the　tennis　boys　shrieked　foolishly。



Then　Billy　began　taking　his　clothes　off；　strewing　them　in　the

window…seat；　or　anywhere　that　they　happened　to　drop；　and　Bertie；　after

hitting　another　cork　or　two　out　of　the　window　with　the　tennis　racket；

departed　to　his　own　room　on　another　floor　and　left　Billy　to　immediate

and　deep　slumber。　　This　was　broken　for　a　few　moments　when　Billy's

room…mate　returned　happy　from　an　excursion　which　had　begun　in　the

morning。



The　room…mate　sat　on　Billy's　feet　until　that　gentleman　showed

consciousness。



〃I've　done　it；　said　the　room…mate；　then。



〃The　hell　you　have！〃



〃You　couldn't　do　it。〃



〃The　hell　I　couldn't！〃



〃Great　dinner。〃



〃The　hell　it　was！〃



〃Soft…shell　crabs；　broiled　live　lobster；　salmon；　grass…plover；

dough…birds；　rum　omelette。　　Bet　you　five　dollars　you　can't　find　it。〃



〃Take　you。　　Got　to　bed。〃　　And　Billy　fell　again　into　deep；　immediate

slumber。



The　room…mate　went　out　into　the　sitting　room；　and　noting　the　signs　there

of　the　hard　work　which　had　gone　on　during　his　absence；　was　glad　that　he

did　not　take　Philosophy　4。　　He　was　soon　asleep　also。











IV







Billy　got　up　early。　　As　he　plunged　into　his　cold　bath　he　envied　his

room…mate；　who　could　remain　at　rest　indefinitely；　while　his　own　hard　lot

was　hurrying　him　to　prayers　and　breakfast　and　Oscar's　inexorable　notes。

He　sighed　once　more　as　he　looked　at　the　beauty　of　the　new　morning　and

felt　its　air　upon　his　cheeks。　　He　and　Bertie　belonged　to　the　same

club…table；　and　they　met　there　mournfully　over　the　oatmeal。　　This　very

hour　to…morrow　would　see　them　eating　their　last　before　the　examination

in　Philosophy　4。　　And　nothing　pleasant　was　going　to　happen

between；nothing　that　they　could　dwell　upon　with　the　slightest

satisfaction。　　Nor　had　their　sleep　entirely　refreshed　them。　　Their　eyes

were　not　quite　right；　and　their　hair；　though　it　was　brushed；　showed

fatigue　of　the　nerves　in　a　certain　inclination　to　limpness　and　disorder。





　　　　〃Epicharmos　of　Kos

　　　　Was　covered　with　moss；〃



remarked　Billy。





　　　　〃Thales　and　Zeno

　　　　Were　duffers　at　keno；〃



added　Bertie。



In　the　hours　of　trial　they　would　often　express　their　education　thus。



〃Philosophers　I　have　met；〃　murmured　Billy；　with　scorn　And　they　ate

silently　for　some　time。



〃There's　one　thing　that's　valuable；〃　said　Bertie　next。　　〃When　they

spring　those　tricks　on　you　about　the　flying　arrow　not　moving；　and　all

the　rest；　and　prove　it　all　right　by　logic；　you　learn　what　pure　logic

amounts　to　when　it　cuts　loose　from　common　sense。　　And　Oscar　thinks　it's

immense。　We　shocked　him。〃



〃He's　found　the　Bird…in…Hand！〃　cried　Billy；　quite　suddenly。



〃Oscar？〃　said　Bertie；　with　an　equal　shout。



〃No；　John。　　John　has。　　Came　home　last　night　and　waked　me　up　and　told

me。〃



〃Good　for　John；〃　remarked　Bertie；　pensively。



Now；　to　the　undergraduate　mind　of　that　day　the　Bird…in…Hand　tavern　was

what　the　golden　fleece　used　to　be　to　the　Greeks；　a　sort　of　shining；

remote；　miraculous　thing；　difficult　though　not　impossible　to　find；　for

which　expeditions　were　fitted　out。　　It　was　reported　to　be　somewhere　in

the　direction　of　Quincy；　and　in　one　respect　it　resembled　a　ghost：　you

never　saw　a　man　who　had　seen　it　himself；　it　was　always　his　cousin；　or

his　elder　brother　in　'79。　　But　for　the　successful　explorer　a　dinner　and

wines　were　waiting　at　the　Bird…in…Hand　more　delicious　than　anything

outside　of　Paradise。　　You　will　realize；　therefore；　what　a　thing　it　was

to　have　a　room…mate　who　had　attained。　　If　Billy　had　not　been　so

dog…tired　last　night；　he　would　have　sat　up　and　made　John　tell　him

everything　from　beginning　to　end。



〃Soft…shell　crabs；　broiled　live　lobster；　salmon；　grass…plover；

dough…birds；　and　rum　omelette；〃　he　was　now　reciting　to　Bertie。



〃They　say　the　rum　there　is　old　Jamaica　brought　in　slave…ships；〃　said

Bertie；　reverently。



〃I've　heard　he　has　white　port　of　1820；〃　said　Billy；　〃and　claret　and

champagne。〃



Bertie　looked　out　of　the　window。　　〃This　is　the　finest　day　there's　been；〃

said　he。　　Then　he　looked　at　his　watch。　　It　was　twenty…five　minutes

before　Oscar。　　Then　he　looked　Billy　hard　in　the　eye。　　〃Have　you　any

sand？〃　he　inquired。



It　was　a　challenge　to　Billy's　manhood。　　〃Sand！〃　he　yelled；　sitting　up。



Both　of　them　in　an　instant　had　left　the　table　and　bounded　out　of　the

house。　　〃I'll　meet　you　at　Pike's；〃　said　Billy　to　Bertie。　　〃Make　him　give

us　the　black　gelding。〃



〃Might　as　well　bring　our　notes　along；〃　Bertie　called　after　his　rushing

friend；　〃and　get　John　to　tell　you　the　road。〃



To　see　their　haste；　as　the　two　fled　in　opposite　directions　upon　their

errands；　you　would　have　supposed　them　under　some　crying　call　of

obligation；　or　else　to　be　escaping　from　justice。



Twenty　minutes　later　they　were　seated　behind　the　black　gelding　and　bound

on　their　journey　in　search　of　the　bird…in…Hand。　　Their　notes　in

Philosophy　4　were　stowed　under　the　buggy…seat。



〃Did　Oscar　see　you？〃　　Bertie　inquired。



〃Not　he；〃　cried　Billy；　joyously。



〃Oscar　will　wonder；〃　said　Bertie；　and　he　gave　the　black　gelding　a

triumphant　touch　with　the　whip。



You　see；　it　was　Oscar　that　had　made　them　run　go；　or；　rather；　it　was　Duty

and　Fate　walking　in　Oscar's　displeasing　likeness。　　Nothing　easier；

nothing　more　reasonable；　than　to　see　the　tutor　and　tell　him　they　should

not　need　him　to…day。　　But　that　would　have　spoiled　everything。　　They　did

not　know　it；　but　deep　in　their　childlike　hearts　was　a　delicious　sense

that　in　thus　unaccountably　disappearing　they　had　won　a　great　game；　had

got　away　ahead　of　Duty　and　Fate。　　After　all　it　did　bear　some　resemblance

to　an　escape　from　justice。　　　　　　　　　　　　。



Could　he　have　known　this；　Oscar　would　have　felt　more　superior　than　ever。

Punctually　at　the　hour　agreed；　ten　o'clock　he　rapped　at　Billy's　door　and

stood　waiting；　his　leather　wallet　of　notes　nipped　safe　between　elbow　and

ribs。　　Then　he　knocked　again。　　Then　he　tried　the　door；　and　as　it　was

open；　he　walked　deferentially　into　the　sitting　room。　　Sonorous　snores

came　from　one　of　the　bedrooms。　　Oscar　peered　in　and　saw　John；　but　he　saw

no　Billy　in　the　other　bed。　　Then；　always　deferential；　he　sat　down　in　the

sitting　room　and　watched　a　couple　of　prettily　striped　coats　hanging　in　a

half…open　closet。



At　that　moment　the　black　gelding　was　flirtatiously　crossing　the

drawbridge　over　the　Charles　on　the　Allston　Road。　　The　gelding　knew　the

clank　of　those　suspending　chains　and　the　slight　unsteadiness　of　the

meeting　halves　of　the　bridge　as　well　as　it　knew　oats