man and superman-第18部分

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you。　Do　you　want　to　have　poor　Rhoda　misunderstood　and　vilified　to
the　same　way？　Would　it　be　right　for　mother　to　let　her　expose
herself　to　such　treatment　before　she　is　old　enough　to　judge　for
herself？

TANNER。　In　short；　the　way　to　avoid　misunderstanding　is　for
everybody　to　lie　and　slander　and　insinuate　and　pretend　as　hard　as
they　can。　That　is　what　obeying　your　mother　comes　to。

ANN。　I　love　my　mother；　Jack。

TANNER。　＇working　himself　up　into　a　sociological　rage＇　Is　that　any
reason　why　you　are　not　to　call　your　soul　your　own？　Oh；　I　protest
against　this　vile　abjection　of　youth　to　age！　look　at　fashionable
society　as　you　know　it。　What　does　it　pretend　to　be？　An　exquisite
dance　of　nymphs。　What　is　it？　A　horrible　procession　of　wretched
girls；　each　in　the　claws　of　a　cynical；　cunning；　avaricious；
disillusioned；　ignorantly　experienced；　foul…minded　old　woman　whom
she　calls　mother；　and　whose　duty　it　is　to　corrupt　her　mind　and
sell　her　to　the　highest　bidder。　Why　do　these　unhappy　slaves　marry
anybody；　however　old　and　vile；　sooner　than　not　marry　at　all？
Because　marriage　is　their　only　means　of　escape　from　these
decrepit　fiends　who　hide　their　selfish　ambitions；　their　jealous
hatreds　of　the　young　rivals　who　have　supplanted　them；　under　the
mask　of　maternal　duty　and　family　affection。　Such　things　are
abominable：　the　voice　of　nature　proclaims　for　the　daughter　a
father's　care　and　for　the　son　a　mother's。　The　law　for　father　and
son　and　mother　and　daughter　is　not　the　law　of　love：　it　is　the
law　of　revolution；　of　emancipation；　of　final　supersession　of　the
old　and　worn…out　by　the　young　and　capable。　I　tell　you；　the　first
duty　of　manhood　and　womanhood　is　a　Declaration　of　Independence：
the　man　who　pleads　his　father's　authority　is　no　man：　the　woman
who　pleads　her　mother's　authority　is　unfit　to　bear　citizens　to　a
free　people。

ANN。　＇watching　him　with　quiet　curiosity＇　I　suppose　you　will　go　in
seriously　for　politics　some　day；　Jack。

TANNER。　＇heavily　let　down＇　Eh？　What？　Wh？　＇Collecting　his
scattered　wits＇　What　has　that　got　to　do　with　what　I　have　been
saying？

ANN。　You　talk　so　well。

TANNER。　Talk！　Talk！　It　means　nothing　to　you　but　talk。　Well；　go
back　to　your　mother；　and　help　her　to　poison　Rhoda's　imagination
as　she　has　poisoned　yours。　It　is　the　tame　elephants　who　enjoy
capturing　the　wild　ones。

ANN。　I　am　getting　on。　Yesterday　I　was　a　boa　constrictor：　to…day　I
am　an　elephant。

TANNER。　Yes。　So　pack　your　trunk　and　begone；　I　have　no　more　to　say
to　you。

ANN。　You　are　so　utterly　unreasonable　and　impracticable。　What　can
I　do？

TANNER。　Do！　Break　your　chains。　Go　your　way　according　to　your　own
conscience　and　not　according　to　your　mother's。　Get　your　mind
clean　and　vigorous；　and　learn　to　enjoy　a　fast　ride　in　a　motor　car
instead　of　seeing　nothing　in　it　but　an　excuse　for　a　detestable
intrigue。　Come　with　me　to　Marseilles　and　across　to　Algiers　and　to
Biskra；　at　sixty　miles　an　hour。　Come　right　down　to　the　Cape　if
you　like。　That　will　be　a　Declaration　of　Independence　with　a
vengeance。　You　can　write　a　book　about　it　afterwards。　That　will
finish　your　mother　and　make　a　woman　of　you。

ANN。　＇thoughtfully＇　I　don't　think　there　would　be　any　harm　in
that；　Jack。　You　are　my　guardian：　you　stand　in　my　father's　place；
by　his　own　wish。　Nobody　could　say　a　word　against　our　travelling
together。　It　would　be　delightful：　thank　you　a　thousand　times；
Jack。　I'll　come。

TANNER。　＇aghast＇　You'll　come！！！

ANN。　Of　course。

TANNER。　But　＇he　stops；　utterly　appalled；　then　resumes　feebly＇
No：　look　here；　Ann：　if　there's　no　harm　in　it　there's　no　point　in
doing　it。

ANN。　How　absurd　you　are！　You　don't　want　to　compromise　me；　do　you？

TANNER。　Yes：　that's　the　whole　sense　of　my　proposal。

ANN。　You　are　talking　the　greatest　nonsense；　and　you　know　it。　You
would　never　do　anything　to　hurt　me。

TANNER。　Well；　if　you　don't　want　to　be　compromised；　don't　come。

ANN。　＇with　simple　earnestness＇　Yes；　I　will　come；　Jack；　since　you
wish　it。　You　are　my　guardian；　and　think　we　ought　to　see　more　of
one　another　and　come　to　know　one　another　better。　＇Gratefully＇
It's　very　thoughtful　and　very　kind　of　you；　Jack；　to　offer　me　this
lovely　holiday；　especially　after　what　I　said　about　Rhoda。　You
really　are　goodmuch　better　than　you　think。　When　do　we　start？

TANNER。　But

The　conversation　is　interrupted　by　the　arrival　of　Mrs　Whitefield
from　the　house。　She　is　accompanied　by　the　American　gentleman；　and
followed　by　Ramsden　and　Octavius。

Hector　Malone　is　an　Eastern　American；　but　he　is　not　at　all
ashamed　of　his　nationality。　This　makes　English　people　of　fashion
think　well　of　him；　as　of　a　young　fellow　who　is　manly　enough　to
confess　to　an　obvious　disadvantage　without　any　attempt　to　conceal
or　extenuate　it。　They　feel　that　he　ought　not　to　be　made　to　suffer
for　what　is　clearly　not　his　fault；　and　make　a　point　of　being
specially　kind　to　him。　His　chivalrous　manners　to　women；　and　his
elevated　moral　sentiments；　being　both　gratuitous　and　unusual；
strike　them　as　being　a　little　unfortunate；　and　though　they　find
his　vein　of　easy　humor　rather　amusing　when　it　has　ceased　to
puzzle　them　（as　it　does　at　first）；　they　have　had　to　make　him
understand　that　he　really　must　not　tell　anecdotes　unless　they
are　strictly　personal　and　scandalous；　and　also　that　oratory　is　an
accomplishment　which　belongs　to　a　cruder　stage　of　civilization
than　that　in　which　his　migration　has　landed　him。　On　these　points
Hector　is　not　quite　convinced：　he　still　thinks　that　the　British
are　apt　to　make　merits　of　their　stupidities；　and　to　represent
their　various　incapacities　as　points　of　good　breeding。　English
life　seems　to　him　to　suffer　from　a　lack　of　edifying　rhetoric
（which　he　calls　moral　tone）；　English　behavior　to　show　a　want　of
respect　for　womanhood；　English　pronunciation　to　fail　very
vulgarly　in　tackling　such　words　as　world；　girl；　bird；　etc。；
English　society　to　be　plain　spoken　to　an　extent　which　stretches
occasionally　to　intolerable　coarseness；　and　English　intercourse
to　need　enlivening　by　games　and　stories　and　other　pastimes；　so　he
does　not　feel　called　upon　to　acquire　these　defects　after　taking
great　paths　to　cultivate　himself　in　a　first　rate　manner　before
venturing　across　the　Atlantic。　To　this　culture　he　finds　English
people　either　totally　indifferent　as　they　very　commonly　are　to
all　culture；　or　else　politely　evasive；　the　truth　being　that
Hector's　culture　is　nothing　but　a　state　of　saturation　with　our
literary　exports　of　thirty　years　ago；　reimported　by　him　to　be
unpacked　at　a　moment's　notice　and　hurled　at　the　head　of　English
literature；　science　and　art；　at　every　conversational　opportunity。
The　dismay　set　up　by　these　sallies　encourages　him　in　his　belief
that　he　is　helping　to　educate　England。　When　he　finds　people
chattering　harmlessly　about　Anatole　France　and　Nietzsche；　he
devastates　them　with　Matthew　Arnold；　the　Autocrat　of　the
Breakfast　Table；　and　even　Macaulay；　and　as　he　is　devoutly
religious　at　bottom；　he　first　leads　the　unwary；　by　humorous
irreverences；　to　wave　popular　theology　out　of　account　in
discussing　moral　questions　with　him；　and　then　scatters　them　in
confusion　by　demanding　whether　the　carrying　out　of　his　ideals　of
conduct　was　not　the　manifest　object　of　God　Almighty　in　creating
honest　men　and　pure　women。　The　engaging　freshness　of　his
personality　and　the　dumbfoundering　staleness　of　his　culture　make
it　extremely　difficult　to　decide　whether　he　is　worth　knowing；　for
whilst　his　company　is　undeniably　pleasant　and　enlivening；　there
is　intellectually　nothing　new　to　be　got　out　of　him；　especially　as
he　despises　politics；　and　is　careful　not　to　talk　commercial　shop；
in　which　department　he　is　probably　much　in　advance　of　his　English
capitalist　friends。　He　gets　on　best　with　romantic　Christians　of
the　amoristic　sect：　hence　the　friendship　which　has　sprung　up
between　him　and　Octavius。

In　appearance　Hector　is　a　neatly　built　young　man　of　twenty…four；
with　a　short；　smartly　trimmed　black　beard；　clear；　well　shaped
eyes；　and　an　ingratiating　vivacity　of　expression。　He　is；　from　the
fashionable　point　of　view；　faultlessly　dressed。　As　he　comes　along
the　drive　from　the　house　with　Mrs　Whitefield　he　is　sedulously
making　himself　agreeable　and　entertaining；　and　thereby　placing　on
her　slender　wit　a　burden　it　is　unable　to　bear。　An　Englishman
would　let　her　alone；　accepting　boredom　and　indifference　of　their
common　lot；　and　the　poor　lady　wants　to　be　either　let　alone　or　let
prattle　about　the　things　that　interest　her。

Ramsden　strolls　over　to　inspect　the　motor　car。　Octavius　joins
Hector。

ANN。　＇pouncing　on　her　mother　joyously＇　Oh；　mamma；　what　do　you
think！　Jack　is　going　to　take　me　to　Nice　in　his　motor　car。　Isn't
it　lovely？　I　am　the　happiest　person　in　London。

TANNER。　＇desperately＇　Mrs　Whitefield　objects。　I　am　sure　she
objects。　Doesn't　she；　Ramsden？

RAMSDEN。　I　should　think　it　very　likely　indeed。

ANN。　You　don't　object；　do　you；　mother？

MRS　WHITEFIELD。　I　object！　Why　should　I？　I　think　it　will　do　you
good；　Ann。　＇Trotting　over　to　Tanner＇　I　meant　to　ask　you　to　take
Rhoda　out　for　a　run　occasionally：　she　is　too　much　in　the　house；
but　it　will　do　when　you　come　back。

TANNER。　Abyss　beneath　abyss　of　perfidy！

ANN。　＇hastily；　to　distract　attention　from　this　outburst＇　Oh；　I
forgot：　you　have　not　met　Mr　Malone。　Mr　Tanner；　my　guardian：　Mr
Hector　Malone。

HECTOR。　Pleased　to　meet　you；　Mr　Tanner。　I　should　like　to　suggest
an　extension　of　the　travelling　party　to　Nice；　if　I　may。

ANN。　Oh；　we're　all　coming。　That's　understood；　isn't　it？

HECTOR。　I　also　am　the　modest　possessor　of　a　motor　car。　If　Miss
Robinson　will　allow　me　the　privilege　of　taking　her；　my　car　is　at
her　service。

OCTAVIUS。　Violet！

General　constraint。

ANN。　＇subduedly＇　Come；　mother：　we　must　leave　them　to　talk　over
the　arrangements。　I　must　see　to　my　travelling　kit。

Mrs　Whitefield　looks　bewildered；　but　Ann　draws　her　discreetly
away；　and　they　disappear　round　the　corner　towards　the　house。

HECTOR。　I　think　I　may　go　so　far　as　to　say　that　I　can　depend　on
Miss　Robinson's　consent。

Continued　embarrassment。

OCTAVIUS。　I'm　afraid　we　must　leave　Violet　behind；　There　are
circumstances　which　make　it　impossible　for　her　to　come　on　such　an
expedition。

HECTOR。　＇amused　and　not　at　all　convinced＇　Too　American；　eh？　Must
the　yo