the secret places of the heart-第29章

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hed；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃that　these　ladies　had　happened　a　little　later。　。　。　。〃　The　matter　was　settled。　Nothing　more　of　a　practical　nature　remained　to　be　said。　But　neither　gentleman　wished　to　break　off　with　a　harsh　and　bare　decision。　〃When　the　New　Age　is　here；〃　said　Sir　Richmond；　〃then；　surely；　a　friendship　between　a　man　and　a　woman　will　not　be　subjected　to　thethe　inconveniences　your　present　code　would　set　about　it？　They　would　travel　about　together　as　they　chose？〃　〃The　fundamental　principle　of　the　new　age；〃　said　the　doctor；　will　be　Honi　soit　qui　mal　y　pense。　In　these　matters。　With　perhaps　Fay　ce　que　vouldras　as　its　next　injunction。　So　long　as　other　lives　are　not　affected。　In　matters　of　personal　behaviour　the　world　will　probably　be　much　more　free　and　individuals　much　more　open　in　their　conscience　and　honour　than　they　have　ever　been　before。　In　matters　of　property；　economics　and　public　conduct　it　will　probably　be　just　the　reverse。　Then；　there　will　be　much　more　collective　control　and　much　more　insistence；　legal　insistence；　upon　individual　responsibility。　But　we　are　not　living　in　a　new　age　yet；　we　are　living　in　the　patched…up　ruins　of　a　very　old　one。　And　you　if　you　will　forgive　meare　living　in　the　patched　up　remains　of　a　life　that　had　already　had　its　complications。　This　young　lady；　whose　charm　and　cleverness　I　admit；　behaves　as　if　the　new　age　were　already　here。　Well；　that　may　be　a　very　dangerous　mistake　both　for　her　and　for　you。　。　。　。　This　affair；　if　it　goes　on　for　a　few　days　more；　may　involve　very　serious　consequences　indeed；　with　which　I；　for　one；　do　not　wish　to　be　involved。〃　Sir　Richmond；　upon　the　hearthrug；　had　a　curious　feeling　that　he　was　back　in　the　head　master's　study　at　Caxton。　Dr。　Martineau　went　on　with　a　lucidity　that　Sir　Richmond　found　rather　trying；　to　give　his　impression　of　Miss　Grammont　and　her　position　in　life。　〃She　is；〃　he　said；　〃manifestly　a　very　expensively　educated　girl。　And　in　many　ways　interesting。　I　have　been　watching　her。　I　have　not　been　favoured　with　very　much　of　her　attention；　but　that　fact　has　enabled　me　to　see　her　in　profile。　Miss　Seyffert　is　a　fairly　crude　mixture　of　frankness；　insincerity　and　self…　explanatory　egotism；　and　I　have　been　able　to　disregard　a　considerable　amount　of　the　conversation　she　has　addressed　to　me。　Now　I　guess　this　Miss　Grammont　has　had　no　mother　since　she　was　quite　little。〃　〃Your　guesses；　doctor；　are　apt　to　be　pretty　good；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃You　know　that？〃　〃She　has　told　me　as　much。〃　〃H'm。　WellShe　impressed　me　as　having　the　air　of　a　girl　who　has　had　to　solve　many　problems　for　which　the　normal　mother　provides　ready　made　solutions。　That　is　how　I　inferred　that　there　was　no　mother。　I　don't　think　there　has　been　any　stepmother；　either　friendly　or　hostile？　There　hasn't　been。　I　thought　not。　She　has　had　various　governesses　and　companions；　ladies　of　birth　and　education；　engaged　to　look　after　her　and　she　has　done　exactly　what　she　liked　with　them。　Her　manner　with　Miss　Seyffert；　an　excellent　manner　for　Miss　Seyffert；　by　the　bye；　isn't　the　sort　of　manner　anyone　acquires　in　a　day。　Or　for　one　person　only。　She　is　a　very　sure　and　commanding　young　woman。〃　Sir　Richmond　nodded。　〃I　suppose　her　father　adores　and　neglects　her；　and　whenever　she　has　wanted　a　companion　or　governess　butchered；　the　thing　has　been　done。　。　。　。　These　business　Americans；　I　am　told；　neglect　their　womenkind；　give　them　money　and　power；　let　them　loose　on　the　world。　。　。　。　It　is　a　sort　of　moral　laziness　masquerading　as　affection。　。　。　。　Still　I　suppose　custom　and　tradition　kept　this　girl　in　her　place　and　she　was　petted；　honoured；　amused；　talked　about　but　not　in　a　harmful　way；　and　rather　bored　right　up　to　the　time　when　America　came　into　the　war。　Theoretically　she　had　a　tremendously　good　time。〃　〃I　think　this　must　be　near　the　truth　of　her　biography；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃I　suppose　she　has　lovers。〃　〃You　don't　mean？〃　〃No；　I　don't。　Though　that　is　a　matter　that　ought　to　have　no　special　interest　for　you。　I　mean　that　she　was　surrounded　by　a　retinue　of　men　who　wanted　to　marry　her　or　who　behaved　as　though　they　wanted　to　marry　her　or　who　made　her　happiness　and　her　gratifications　and　her　condescensions　seem　a　matter　of　very　great　importance　to　them。　She　had　the　flattery　of　an　extremely　uncritical　and　unexacting　admiration。　That　is　the　sort　of　thing　that　gratifies　a　silly　woman　extremely。　Miss　Grammont　is　not　silly　and　all　this　homage　and　facile　approval　probably　bored　her　more　than　she　realized。　To　anyone　too　intelligent　to　be　steadily　excited　by　buying　things　and　wearing　things　and　dancing　and　playing　games　and　going　to　places　of　entertainment；　and　being　given　flowers；　sweets；　jewellery；　pet　animals；　and　books　bound　in　a　special　sort　of　leather；　the　prospect　of　being　a　rich　man's　only　daughter　until　such　time　as　it　becomes　advisable　to　change　into　a　rich　man's　wealthy　wife；　is　probably　not　nearly　so　amusing　as　envious　people　might　suppose。　I　take　it　Miss　Grammont　had　got　all　she　could　out　of　that　sort　of　thing　some　time　before　the　war；　and　that　she　had　already　read　and　thought　rather　more　than　most　young　women　in　her　position。　Before　she　was　twenty　I　guess　she　was　already　looking　for　something　more　interesting　in　the　way　of　men　than　a　rich　admirer　with　an　automobile　full　of　presents。　Those　who　seek　find。〃　〃What　do　you　think　she　found？〃　〃What　would　a　rich　girl　find　out　there　in　America？　I　don't　know。　I　haven't　the　material　to　guess　with。　In　London　a　girl　might　find　a　considerable　variety　of　active；　interesting　men；　rising　politicians；　university　men　of　distinction；　artists　and　writers　even；　men　of　science；　menthere　are　still　such　menactive　in　the　creative　work　of　the　empire。　〃In　America　I　suppose　there　is　at　least　an　equal　variety；　made　up　of　rather　different　types。　She　would　find　that　life　was　worth　while　to　such　people　in　a　way　that　made　the　ordinary　entertainments　and　amusements　of　her　life　a　monstrous　silly　waste　of　time。　With　the　facility　of　her　sex　she　would　pick　up　from　one　of　them　the　idea　that　made　life　worth　while　for　him。　I　am　inclined　to　think　there　was　someone　in　her　case　who　did　seem　to　promise　a　sort　of　life　that　was　worth　while。　And　that　somehow　the　war　came　to　alter　the　look　of　that　promise。　〃How？〃　〃I　don't　know。　Perhaps　I　am　only　romancing。　But　for　this　young　woman　I　am　convinced　this　expedition　to　Europe　has　meant　experience；　harsh　educational　experience　and　very　profound　mental　disturbance。　There　have　been　love　experiences；　experiences　that　were　something　more　than　the　treats　and　attentions　and　proposals　that　made　up　her　life　when　she　was　sheltered　over　there。　And　something　more　than　that。　What　it　is　I　don't　know。　The　war　has　turned　an　ugly　face　to　her。　She　has　seen　death　and　suffering　and　ruin。　Perhaps　she　has　seen　people　she　knew　killed。　Perhaps　the　man　has　been　killed。　Or　she　has　met　with　cowardice　or　cruelty　or　treachery　where　she　didn't　expect　it。　She　has　been　shocked　out　of　the　first　confidence　of　youth。　She　has　ceased　to　take　the　world　for　granted。　It　hasn't　broken　her　but　it　has　matured　her。　That　I　think　is　why　history　has　become　real　to　her。　Which　so　attracts　you　in　her。　History；　for　her；　has　ceased　to　be　a　fabric　of　picturesque　incidents；　it　is　the　study　of　a　tragic　struggle　that　still　goes　on。　She　sees　history　as　you　see　it