the secret places of the heart-第46章

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e　a　suspicion　of　any　of　this。　。　。　。　The　image　of　Martin　became　very　vivid　in　his　mind。　He　thought　of　her　as　he　had　seen　her　many　times；　with　the　tears　close；　fighting　with　her　back　to　the　wall；　with　all　her　wit　and　vigour　gone；　because　she　loved　him　more　steadfastly　than　he　did　her。　Whatever　happened　he　must　not　take　it　out　of　Martin。　It　was　astonishing　how　real　she　had　become　nowas　V。V。　became　a　dream。　Yes；　Martin　was　astonishingly　real。　And　if　only　he　could　go　now　and　talk　to　Martinand　face　all　the　facts　of　life　with　her；　even　as　he　had　done　with　that　phantom　Martin　in　his　dream。　。　。　。　But　things　were　not　like　that。　He　looked　to　see　if　his　car　was　short　of　water　or　petrol；　both　needed　replenishing；　and　so　he　would　have　to　go　up　the　hill　into　Exeter　town　again。　He　got　into　his　car　and　sat　with　his　fingers　on　the　electric　starter。　Martin！　Old　Friend！　Eight　days　were　still　left　before　the　Committee　met　again；　eight　days　for　golden　kindness。　He　would　distress　Martin　by　no　clumsy　confession。　He　would　just　make　her　happy　as　she　loved　to　be　made　happy。　。　。　。　Nevertheless。　Nevertheless。　。　。　。　Was　it　Martin　who　failed　him　or　he　who　failed　Martin？　Incessant　and　insoluble　dispute。　Well；　the　thing　now　was　to　go　to　Martin。　。　。　。　And　then　the　work！　He　laughed　suddenly。　〃I'll　take　it　out　of　the　damned　Commission。　I'll　make　old　Rumford　Brown　sit　up。〃　He　was　astonished　to　find　himself　thinking　of　the　affairs　of　the　Commission　with　a　lively　interest　and　no　trace　of　fatigue。　He　had　had　his　change；　he　had　taken　his　rest；　he　was　equal　to　his　task　again　already。　He　started　his　engine　and　steered　his　way　past　a　van　and　a　waiting　cab。　〃Fuel；〃　he　said。　CHAPTER　THE　NINTH　THE　LAST　DAYS　OF　SIR　RICHMOND　HARDY　Section　1　The　Majority　and　Minority　Reports　of　the　Fuel　Commission　were　received　on　their　first　publication　with　much　heat　and　disputation；　but　there　is　already　a　fairly　general　agreement　that　they　are　great　and　significant　documents；　broadly　conceived　and　historically　important。　They　do　lift　the　questions　of　fuel　supply　and　distribution　high　above　the　level　of　parochial　jealousies　and　above　the　petty　and　destructive　profiteering　of　private　owners　and　traders；　to　a　view　of　a　general　human　welfare。　They　form　an　important　link　in　a　series　of　private　and　public　documents　that　are　slowly　opening　out　a　prospect　of　new　economic　methods；　methods　conceived　in　the　generous　spirit　of　scientific　work；　that　may　yet　arrest　the　drift　of　our　western　civilization　towards　financial　and　commercial　squalor　and　the　social　collapse　that　must　ensue　inevitably　on　that。　In　view　of　the　composition　of　the　Committee；　the　Majority　Report　is　in　itself　an　amazing　triumph　of　Sir　Richmond's　views；　it　is　astonishing　that　he　was　able　to　drive　his　opponents　so　far　　and　then　leave　them　there　securely　advanced　while　he　carried　on　the　adherents　he　had　altogether　won；　including；　of　course；　the　labour　representatives；　to　the　further　altitudes　of　the　Minority　Report。　After　the　Summer　recess　the　Majority　Report　was　discussed　and　adopted。　Sir　Richmond　had　shown　signs　of　flagging　energy　in　June；　but　he　had　come　back　in　September　in　a　state　of　exceptional　vigour；　for　a　time　he　completely　dominated　the　Committee　by　the　passionate　force　of　his　convictions　and　the　illuminating　scorn　he　brought　to　bear　on　the　various　subterfuges　and　weakening　amendments　by　which　the　meaner　interests　sought　to　save　themselves　in　whole　or　in　part　from　the　common　duty　of　sacrifice。　But　toward　the　end　he　fell　ill。　He　had　worked　to　the　pitch　of　exhaustion。　He　neglected　a　cold　that　settled　on　his　chest。　He　began　to　cough　persistently　and　betray　an　increasingly　irritable　temper。　In　the　last　fights　in　the　Committee　his　face　was　bright　with　fever　and　he　spoke　in　a　voiceless　whisper；　often　a　vast　angry　whisper。　His　place　at　table　was　marked　with　scattered　lozenges　and　scraps　of　paper　torn　to　the　minutest　shreds。　Such　good　manners　as　had　hitherto　mitigated　his　behaviour　on　the　Committee　departed　from　him；　He　carried　his　last　points；　gesticulating　and　coughing　and　wheezing　rather　than　speaking。　But　he　had　so　hammered　his　ideas　into　the　Committee　that　they　took　the　effect　of　what　he　was　trying　to　say。　He　died　of　pneumonia　at　his　own　house　three　days　after　the　passing　of　the　Majority　Report。　The　Minority　Report；　his　own　especial　creation；　he　never　signed。　It　was　completed　by　Wast　and　Carmichael。　。　。　。　After　their　parting　at　Salisbury　station　Dr。　Martineau　heard　very　little　of　Sir　Richmond　for　a　time　except　through　the　newspapers；　which　contained　frequent　allusions　to　the　Committee。　Someone　told　him　that　Sir　Richmond　had　been　staying　at　Ruan　in　Cornwall　where　Martin　Leeds　had　a　cottage；　and　someone　else　had　met　him　at　Bath　on　his　way；　he　said；　in　his　car　from　Cornwall　to　a　conference　with　Sir　Peter　Davies　in　Glamorganshire。　But　in　the　interim　Dr。　Martineau　had　the　pleasure　of　meeting　Lady　Hardy　at　a　luncheon　party。　He　was　seated　next　to　her　and　he　found　her　a　very　pleasing　and　sympathetic　person　indeed。　She　talked　to　him　freely　and　simply　of　her　husband　and　of　the　journey　the　two　men　had　taken　together。　Either　she　knew　nothing　of　the　circumstances　of　their　parting　or　if　she　did　she　did　not　betray　her　knowledge。　〃That　holiday　did　him　a　world　of　good；〃　she　said。　〃He　came　back　to　his　work　like　a　giant。　I　feel　very　grateful　to　you。〃　Dr。　Martineau　said　it　was　a　pleasure　to　have　helped　Sir　Richmond's　work　in　any　way。　He　believed　in　him　thoroughly。　Sir　Richmond　was　inspired　by　great　modern　creative　ideas。　〃Forgive　me　if　I　keep　you　talking　about　him；〃　said　Lady　Hardy。　〃I　wish　I　could　feel　as　sure　that　I　had　been　of　use　to　him。〃　Dr。　Martineau　insisted。　〃I　know　very　well　that　you　are。〃　〃I　do　what　I　can　to　help　him　carry　his　enormous　burthen　of　toil〃　she　said。　〃I　try　to　smooth　his　path。　But　he　is　a　strange　silent　creature　at　times。　〃　Her　eyes　scrutinized　the　doctor's　face。　It　was　not　the　doctor's　business　to　supplement　Sir　Richmond's　silences。　Yet　he　wished　to　meet　the　requirements　of　this　lady　if　he　could。　〃He　is　one　of　those　men；〃　he　said；　〃who　are　driven　by　forces　they　do　not　fully　understand。　A　man　of　genius。〃　〃Yes；〃　she　said　in　an　undertone　of　intimacy。　Genius。　。　。　。　A　great　irresponsible　genius。　。　。　。　Difficult　to　help。　。　。　。　I　wish　I　could　do　more　for　him。〃　A　very　sweet　and　charming　lady。　It　was　with　great　regret　that　the　doctor　found　the　time　had　come　to　turn　to　his　left…hand　neighbour。　Section　2　It　was　with　some　surprise　that　Dr。　Martineau　received　a　fresh　appeal　for　aid　from　Sir　Richmond。　It　was　late　in　October　and　Sir　Richmond　was　already　seriously　ill。　But　he　was　still　going　about　his　business　as　though　he　was　perfectly　well。　He　had　not　mistaken　his　man。　Dr。　Martineau　received　him　as　though　there　had　never　been　a　shadow　of　offence　between　them。　He　came　straight　to　the　point。　〃Martineau；〃　he　said；　〃I　must　have　those　drugs　I　asked　you　for　when　first　I　came　to　you　now。　I　must　be　bolstered　up。　I　can't　last　out　unless　I　am。　I'm　at　the　end　of　my　energy。　I　come　to　you　because　you　will　understand。　The　Commission　can't　go　on　now　for　more　than　another　three　weeks。　Whatever　happens　afterwards　I　must　keep　going　until　then。〃　The　doctor　did　understand。　He　made　no　vain　objections。　He　did　what　he　could　to　patch　up　his　friend　for　his　last　struggle