the secret places of the heart-第30章

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　incidents；　it　is　the　study　of　a　tragic　struggle　that　still　goes　on。　She　sees　history　as　you　see　it　and　I　see　it。　She　is　a　very　grown…up　young　woman。　〃It's　just　that；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃It's　just　that。　If　you　see　as　much　in　Miss　Grammont　as　all　that；　why　don't　you　want　to　come　on　with　us？　You　see　the　interest　of　her。〃　〃I　see　a　lot　more　than　that。　You　don't　know　what　an　advantage　it　is　to　be　as　I　am；　rather　cold　and　unresponsive　to　women　and　unattractive　and　negligiblenegligible；　that　is　the　exact　wordto　them。　YOU　can't　look　at　a　woman　for　five　minutes　without　losing　sight　of　her　in　a　mist　of　imaginative　excitement。　Because　she　looks　back　at　you。　I　have　the　privilege　of　the　negligiblewhich　is　a　cool　head。　Miss　Grammont　has　a　startled　and　matured　mind；　an　original　mind。　Yes。　And　there　is　something　more　to　be　said。　Her　intelligence　is　better　than　her　character。〃　〃I　don't　quite　see　what　you　are　driving　at。〃　〃The　intelligence　of　all　intelligent　women　is　better　than　their　characters。　Goodness　in　a　woman；　as　we　understand　it；　seems　to　imply　necessarily　a　certain　imaginative　fixity。　Miss　Grammont　has　an　impulsive　and　adventurous　character。　And　as　I　have　been　saying　she　was　a　spoilt　child；　with　no　discipline。　。　。　。　You　also　are　a　person　of　high　intelligence　and　defective　controls。　She　is　very　much　at　loose　ends。　You　on　account　of　the　illness　of　that　rather　forgotten　lady；　Miss　Martin　Leeds〃　〃Aren't　you　rather　abusing　the　secrets　of　the　confessional？〃　〃This　IS　the　confessional。　It　closes　to…morrow　morning　but　it　is　the　confessional　still。　Look　at　the　thing　frankly。　You；　I　say；　are　also　at　loose　ends。　Can　you　deny　it？　My　dear　sir；　don't　we　both　know　that　ever　since　we　left　London　you　have　been　ready　to　fall　in　love　with　any　pretty　thing　in　petticoats　that　seemed　to　promise　you　three　ha'porth　of　kindness。　A　lost　dog　looking　for　a　master！　You're　a　stray　man　looking　for　a　mistress。　Miss　Grammont　being　a　woman　is　a　little　more　selective　than　that。　But　if　she's　at　a　loose　end　as　I　suppose；　she　isn't　protected　by　the　sense　of　having　made　her　selection。　And　she　has　no　preconceptions　of　what　she　wants。　You　are　a　very　interesting　man　in　many　ways。　You　carry　marriage　and　entanglements　lightly。　With　an　air　of　being　neither　married　nor　entangled。　She　is　quite　prepared　to　fall　in　love　with　you。〃　〃But　you　don't　really　think　that？〃　said　Sir　Richmond；　with　an　ill…concealed　eagerness。　Dr。　Martineau　rolled　his　face　towards　Sir　Richmond。　〃These　miraclesgrotesquelyhappen；〃　he　said。　〃She　knows　nothing　of　Martin　Leeds。　。　。　。　You　must　remember　that。　。　。　。　〃And　then；〃　he　added；　〃if　she　and　you　fall　in　love；　as　the　phrase　goes；　what　is　to　follow？〃　There　was　a　pause。　Sir　Richmond　looked　at　his　toes　for　a　moment　or　so　as　if　he　took　counsel　with　them　and　then　decided　to　take　offence。　〃Really！〃　he　said；　〃this　is　preposterous。　You　talk　of　falling　in　love　as　though　it　was　impossible　for　a　man　and　woman　to　be　deeply　interested　in　each　other　without　that。　And　the　gulf　in　our　agesin　our　quality！　From　the　Psychologist　of　a　New　Age　I　find　this　amazing。　Are　men　and　women　to　go　on　for　ever　separated　by　this　possibility　into　two　hardly　communicating　and　yet　interpenetrating　worlds？　Is　there　never　to　be　friendship　and　companionship　between　men　and　women　without　passion？〃　〃You　ought　to　know　even　better　than　I　do　that　there　is　not。　For　such　people　as　you　two　anyhow。　And　at　present　the　world　is　not　prepared　to　tolerate　friendship　and　companionship　WITH　that　accompaniment。　That　is　the　core　of　this　situation。〃　A　pause　fell　between　the　two　gentlemen。　They　had　smoothed　over　the　extreme　harshness　of　their　separation　and　there　was　very　little　more　to　be　said。　〃Well；〃　said　Sir　Richmond　in　conclusion；　〃I　am　very　sorry　indeed；　Martineau；　that　we　have　to　part　like　this。〃

CHAPTER　THE　SEVENTH　COMPANIONSHIP　Section　1　〃Well；〃　said　Dr。　Martineau；　extending　his　hand　to　Sir　Richmond　on　the　Salisbury　station　platform；　〃I　leave　you　to　it。〃　His　round　face　betrayed　little　or　no　vestiges　of　his　overnight　irritation。　〃Ought　you　to　leave　me　to　it？〃　smiled　Sir　Richmond。　〃I　shall　be　interested　to　learn　what　happens。〃　〃But　if　you　won't　stay　to　see！〃　〃Now　Sir；　please；〃　said　the　guard　respectfully　but　firmly；　and　Dr。　Martineau　got　in。　Sir　Richmond　walked　thoughtfully　down　the　platform　towards　the　exit。　〃What　else　could　I　do？〃　he　asked　aloud　to　nobody　in　particular。　For　a　little　while　he　thought　confusedly　of　the　collapse　of　his　expedition　into　the　secret　places　of　his　own　heart　with　Dr。　Martineau；　and　then　his　prepossession　with　Miss　Grammont　resumed　possession　of　his　mind。　Dr。　Martineau　was　forgotten。　Section　2　For　the　better　part　of　forty　hours；　Sir　Richmond　had　either　been　talking　to　Miss　Grammont；　or　carrying　on　imaginary　conversations　with　her　in　her　absence；　or　sleeping　and　dreaming　dreams　in　which　she　never　failed　to　play　a　part；　even　if　at　times　it　was　an　altogether　amazing　and　incongruous　part。　And　as　they　were　both　very　frank　and　expressive　people；　they　already　knew　a　very　great　deal　about　each　other。　For　an　American　Miss　Grammont　was　by　no　means　autobiographical。　She　gave　no　sketches　of　her　idiosyncrasies；　and　she　repeated　no　remembered　comments　and　prophets　of　her　contemporaries　about　herself。　She　either　concealed　or　she　had　lost　any　great　interest　in　her　own　personality。　But　she　was　interested　in　and　curious　about　the　people　she　had　met　in　life；　and　her　talk　of　them　reflected　a　considerable　amount　of　light　upon　her　own　upbringing　and　experiences。　And　her　liking　for　Sir　Richmond　was　pleasingly　manifest。　She　liked　his　turn　of　thought；　she　watched　him　with　a　faint　smile　on　her　lips　as　he　spoke；　and　she　spread　her　opinions　before　him　carefully　in　that　soft　voice　of　hers　like　a　shy　child　showing　its　treasures　to　some　suddenly　trusted　and　favoured　visitor。　Their　ways　of　thought　harmonized。　They　talked　at　first　chiefly　about　the　history　of　the　world　and　the　extraordinary　situation　of　aimlessness　in　a　phase　of　ruin　to　which　the　Great　War　had　brought　all　Europe；　if　not　all　mankind。　The　world　excited　them　both　in　the　same　way；　as　a　crisis　in　which　they　were　called　upon　to　do　somethingthey　did　not　yet　clearly　know　what。　Into　this　topic　they　peered　as　into　some　deep　pool；　side　by　side；　and　in　it　they　saw　each　other　reflected。　The　visit　to　Avebury　had　been　a　great　success。　It　had　been　a　perfect　springtime　day；　and　the　little　inn　had　been　delighted　at　the　reappearance　of　Sir　Richmond's　car　so　soon　after　its　departure。　Its　delight　was　particularly　manifest　in　the　cream　and　salad　it　produced　for　lunch。　Both　Miss　Grammont　and　Miss　Seyffert　displayed　an　intelligent　interest　in　their　food。　After　lunch　they　had　all　gone　out　to　the　stones　and　the　wall。　Half　a　dozen　sunburnt　children　were　putting　one　of　the　partially　overturned　megaliths　to　a　happy　use　by　clambering　to　the　top　of　it　and　sliding　on　their　little　behinds　down　its　smooth　and　sloping　side　amidst　much　mirthful　squealing。　Sir　Richmond　and　Miss　Grammont　had　walked　round　the　old　circumvallation　together；　but　Belinda　Seyffert　had　strayed　away　from　them；　professing　an　interest　in　flowers。　It　was　not　so　much　that　she　felt　they　had　to　be　left　together　that　made　her　do　this　as　her　own　consciousness　of　being　possessed　by　a　devil　who　interrupted　conversations。　When