the secret places of the heart-第20章

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word；affection？　Perhaps　it　was。　They　had　come　out　on　the　towing　path　close　by　the　lock　and　they　found　themselves　threading　their　way　through　a　little　crowd　of　boating　people　and　lookers…on。　For　a　time　their　conversation　was　broken。　Sir　Richmond　resumed　it。　〃But　this　is　where　we　cease　to　be　Man　on　his　Planet　and　all　the　rest　of　it。　This　is　where　the　idea　of　a　definite　task；　fanatically　followed　to　the　exclusion　of　all　minor　considerations；　breaks　down。　When　the　work　is　good；　when　we　are　sure　we　are　all　right；　then　we　may　carry　off　things　with　a　high　hand。　But　the　work　isn't　always　good；　we　aren't　always　sure。　We　blunder；　we　make　a　muddle；　we　are　fatigued。　Then　the　sacrificed　affections　come　in　as　accusers。　Then　it　is　that　we　want　to　be　reassured。〃　〃And　then　it　is　that　Miss　Martin　Leeds？〃　〃Doesn't；〃　Sir　Richmond　snapped。　Came　a　long　pause。　〃And　yet　〃It　is　extraordinarily　difficult　to　think　of　parting　from　Martin。〃　Section　3　In　the　evening　after　dinner　Dr。　Martineau　sought；　rather　unsuccessfully；　to　go　on　with　the　analysis　of　Sir　Richmond。　But　Sir　Richmond　was　evidently　a　creature　of　moods。　Either　he　regretted　the　extent　of　his　confidences　or　the　slight　irrational　irritation　that　he　felt　at　waiting　for　his　car　affected　his　attitude　towards　his　companion；　or　Dr。　Martineau's　tentatives　were　ill…chosen。　At　any　rate　he　would　not　rise　to　any　conversational　bait　that　the　doctor　could　devise。　The　doctor　found　this　the　more　regrettable　because　it　seemed　to　him　that　there　was　much　to　be　worked　upon　in　this　Martin　Leeds　affair。　He　was　inclined　to　think　that　she　and　Sir　Richmond　were　unduly　obsessed　by　the　idea　that　they　had　to　stick　together　because　of　the　child；　because　of　the　look　of　the　thing　and　so　forth；　and　that　really　each　might　be　struggling　against　a　very　strong　impulse　indeed　to　break　off　the　affair。　It　seemed　evident　to　the　doctor　that　they　jarred　upon　and　annoyed　each　other　extremely。　On　the　whole　separating　people　appealed　to　a　doctor's　mind　more　strongly　than　bringing　them　together。　Accordingly　he　framed　his　enquiries　so　as　to　make　the　revelation　of　a　latent　antipathy　as　easy　as　possible。　He　made　several　not　very　well…devised　beginnings。　At　the　fifth　Sir　Richmond　was　suddenly　conclusive。　〃It's　no　use；〃　he　said；　〃I　can't　fiddle　about　any　more　with　my　motives　to…day。〃　An　awkward　silence　followed。　On　reflection　Sir　Richmond　seemed　to　realize　that　this　sentence　needed　some　apology。　〃I　admit；〃　he　said；　〃that　this　expedition　has　already　been　a　wonderfully　good　thing　for　me。　These　confessions　have　made　me　look　into　all　sorts　of　things…squarely。　But　〃I'm　not　used　to　talking　about　myself　or　even　thinking　directly　about　myself。　What　I　say；　I　afterwards　find　disconcerting　to　recall。　I　want　to　alter　it。　I　can　feel　myself　wallowing　into　a　mess　of　modifications　and　qualifications。〃　〃Yes；　but〃　〃I　want　a　rest　anyhow。　。　。　。〃　There　was　nothing　for　Dr。　Martineau　to　say　to　that。　The　two　gentlemen　smoked　for　some　time　in　a　slightly　uncomfortable　silence。　Dr。　Martineau　cleared　his　throat　twice　and　lit　a　second　cigar。　They　then　agreed　to　admire　the　bridge　and　think　well　of　Maidenhead。　Sir　Richmond　communicated　hopeful　news　about　his　car；　which　was　to　arrive　the　next　morning　before　tenhe'd　just　ring　the　fellow　up　presently　to　make　sureand　Dr。　Martineau　retired　early　and　went　rather　thoughtfully　to　bed。　The　spate　of　Sir　Richmond's　confidences；　it　was　evident；　was　over。　Section　4　Sir　Richmond's　car　arrived　long　before　ten；　brought　down　by　a　young　man　in　a　state　of　scared　alacritySir　Richmond　had　done　some　vigorous　telephoning　before　turning　in；the　Charmeuse　set　off　in　a　repaired　and　chastened　condition　to　town；　and　after　a　leisurely　breakfast　our　two　investigators　into　the　springs　of　human　conduct　were　able　to　resume　their　westward　journey。　They　ran　through　scattered　Twyford　with　its　pleasant　looking　inns　and　through　the　commonplace　urbanities　of　Reading；　by　Newbury　and　Hungerford's　pretty　bridge　and　up　long　wooded　slopes　to　Savernake　forest；　where　they　found　the　road　heavy　and　dusty；　still　in　its　war…time　state；　and　so　down　a　steep　hill　to　the　wide　market　street　which　is　Marlborough。　They　lunched　in　Marlborough　and　went　on　in　the　afternoon　to　Silbury　Hill；　that　British　pyramid；　the　largest　artificial　mound　in　Europe。　They　left　the　car　by　the　roadside　and　clambered　to　the　top　and　were　very　learned　and　inconclusive　about　the　exact　purpose　of　this　vast　heap　of　chalk　and　earth；　this　heap　that　men　had　made　before　the　temples　at　Karnak　were　built　or　Babylon　had　a　name。　Then　they　returned　to　the　car　and　ran　round　by　a　winding　road　into　the　wonder　of　Avebury。　They　found　a　clean　little　inn　there　kept　by　pleasant　people；　and　they　garaged　the　car　in　the　cowshed　and　took　two　rooms　for　the　night　that　they　might　the　better　get　the　atmosphere　of　the　ancient　place。　Wonderful　indeed　it　is；　a　vast　circumvallation　that　was　already　two　thousand　years　old　before　the　dawn　of　British　history；　a　great　wall　of　earth　with　its　ditch　most　strangely　on　its　inner　and　not　on　its　outer　side；　and　within　this　enclosure　gigantic　survivors　of　the　great　circles　of　unhewn　stone　that；　even　as　late　as　Tudor　days；　were　almost　complete。　A　whole　village；　a　church；　a　pretty　manor　house　have　been　built；　for　the　most　part；　out　of　the　ancient　megaliths；　the　great　wall　is　sufficient　to　embrace　them　all　with　their　gardens　and　paddocks；　four　cross…roads　meet　at　the　village　centre。　There　are　drawings　of　Avebury　before　these　things　arose　there；　when　it　was　a　lonely　wonder　on　the　plain；　but　for　the　most　part　the　destruction　was　already　done　before　the　MAYFLOWER　sailed。　To　the　southward　stands　the　cone　of　Silbury　Hill；　its　shadow　creeps　up　and　down　the　intervening　meadows　as　the　seasons　change。　Around　this　lonely　place　rise　the　Downs；　now　bare　sheep　pastures；　in　broad　undulations；　with　a　wart…like　barrow　here　and　there；　and　from　it　radiate；　creeping　up　to　gain　and　hold　the　crests　of　the　hills；　the　abandoned　trackways　of　that　forgotten　world。　These　trackways；　these　green　roads　of　England；　these　roads　already　disused　when　the　Romans　made　their　highway　past　Silbury　Hill　to　Bath；　can　still　be　traced　for　scores　of　miles　through　the　land；　running　to　Salisbury　and　the　English　Channel；　eastward　to　the　crossing　at　the　Straits　and　westward　to　Wales；　to　ferries　over　the　Severn；　and　southwestward　into　Devon　and　Cornwall。　The　doctor　and　Sir　Richmond　walked　round　the　walls；　surveyed　the　shadow　cast　by　Silbury　upon　the　river　flats；　strolled　up　the　down　to　the　northward　to　get　a　general　view　of　the　village；　had　tea　and　smoked　round　the　walls　again　in　the　warm　April　sunset。　The　matter　of　their　conversation　remained　prehistoric。　Both　were　inclined　to　find　fault　with　the　archaeological　work　that　had　been　done　on　the　place。　〃Clumsy　treasure　hunting；〃　Sir　Richmond　said。　〃They　bore　into　Silbury　Hill　and　expect　to　find　a　mummified　chief　or　something　sensational　of　that　sort；　and　they　don't；　and　they　report　nothing。　They　haven't　sifted　finely　enough；　they　haven't　thought　subtly　enough。　These　walls　of　earth　ought　to　tell　what　these　people　ate；　what　clothes　they　wore；　what　woods　they　used。　Was　this　a　sheep　land　then　as　it　is　now；　or　a　cattle　land？　Were　these　hills　covered　by　forests？　I　don't　know。　These　archaeologists　don't　know。　Or