the secret places of the heart-第7章

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ssion　of　the　choleric　temperament。　He　began　as　they　stood　waiting　for　the　relief　car　from　the　Maidenhead　garage。　〃You　were　talking　of　the　ghosts　of　apes　and　monkeys　that　suddenly　come　out　from　the　darkness　of　the　subconscious　。　。　。　。〃　〃You　meanwhen　we　first　met　at　Harley　Street？〃　〃That　last　apparition　of　mine　seems　to　have　been　a　gorilla　at　least。〃　The　doctor　became　precise。　Gorillaesque。　We　are　not　descended　from　gorillas。〃　〃Queer　thing　a　fit　of　rage　is！〃　〃It's　one　of　nature's　cruder　expedients。　Crude；　but　I　doubt　if　it　is　fundamental。　There　doesn't　seem　to　be　rage　in　the　vegetable　world；　and　even　among　the　animals？　No；　it　is　not　universal。〃　He　ran　his　mind　over　classes　and　orders。　〃Wasps　and　bees　certainly　seem　to　rage；　but　if　one　comes　to　think；　most　of　the　invertebrata　show　very　few　signs　of　it。〃　〃I'm　not　so　sure；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃I've　never　seen　a　snail　in　a　towering　passion　or　an　oyster　slamming　its　shell　behind　it。　But　these　are　sluggish　things。　Oysters　sulk；　which　is　after　all　a　smouldering　sort　of　rage。　And　take　any　more　active　invertebrate。　Take　a　spider。　Not　a　smashing　and　swearing　sort　of　rage　perhaps；　but　a　disciplined；　cold…　blooded　malignity。　Crabs　fight。　A　conger　eel　in　a　boat　will　rage　dangerously。〃　〃A　vertebrate。　Yes。　But　even　among　the　vertebrata；　who　has　ever　seen　a　furious　rabbit？〃　〃Don't　the　bucks　fight？〃　questioned　Sir　Richmond。　Dr。　Martineau　admitted　the　point。　〃I've　always　had　these　fits　of　passion。　As　far　back　as　I　can　remember。　I　was　a　kicking；　screaming　child。　I　threw　things。　I　once　threw　a　fork　at　my　elder　brother　and　it　stuck　in　his　forehead；　doing　no　serious　damagehappily。　There　were　whole　days　of　wrathdays；　as　I　remember　them。　Perhaps　they　were　only　hours。　。　。　。　I've　never　thought　before　what　a　peculiar　thing　all　this　raging　is　in　the　world。　WHY　do　we　rage？　They　used　to　say　it　was　the　devil。　If　it　isn't　the　devil；　then　what　the　devil　is　it？　〃After　all；〃　he　went　on　as　the　doctor　was　about　to　answer　his　question；　〃as　you　pointed　out；　it　isn't　the　lowlier　things　that　rage。　It's　the　HIGHER　things　and　US。〃　〃The　devil　nowadays；〃　the　doctor　reflected　after　a　pause；　〃so　far　as　man　is　concerned；　is　understood　to　be　the　ancestral　ape。　And　more　particularly　the　old　male　ape。〃　But　Sir　Richmond　was　away　on　another　line　of　thought。　〃Life　itself；　flaring　out。　Brooking　no　contradiction。〃　He　came　round　suddenly　to　the　doctor's　qualification。　〃Why　male？　Don't　little　girls　smash　things　just　as　much？〃　〃They　don't；〃　said　Dr。　Martineau。　〃Not　nearly　as　much。〃　Sir　Richmond　went　off　at　a　tangent　again。　〃I　suppose　you　have　watched　any　number　of　babies？〃'　〃Not　nearly　as　many　as　a　general　practitioner　would　do。　There's　a　lot　of　rage　about　most　of　them　at　first；　male　or　female。　〃　〃Queer　little　eddies　of　fury。　。　。　。　Recentlyit　happens　I've　been　seeing　one。　A　spit　of　red　wrath；　clenching　its　fists　and　squalling　threats　at　a　damned　disobedient　universe。〃　The　doctor　was　struck　by　an　idea　and　glanced　quickly　and　questioningly　at　his　companion's　profile。　〃Blind　driving　force；〃　said　Sir　Richmond；　musing。　〃Isn't　that　after　all　what　we　really　are？〃　he　asked　the　doctor。　〃EssentiallyRage。　A　rage　in　dead　matter；　making　it　alive。〃　〃Schopenhauer；〃　footnoted　the　doctor。　〃Boehme。〃　〃Plain　fact；　〃said　Sir　Richmond。　〃No　Rageno　Go。〃　〃But　rage　without　discipline？〃　〃Discipline　afterwards。　The　rage　first。〃　〃But　rage　against　what？　And　FOR　what？〃　〃Against　the　Universe。　And　for？　That's　more　difficult。　What　IS　the　little　beast　squalling　itself　crimson　for？　Ultimately？　。　。　。　What　is　it　clutching　after？　In　the　long　run；　what　will　it　get？〃　（〃Yours　the　car　in　distress　what　sent　this？〃　asked　an　unheeded　voice。）　〃Of　course；　if　you　were　to　say　'desire'；〃　said　Dr。　Martineau；　〃then　you　would　be　in　line　with　the　psychoanalysts。　They　talk　of　LIBIDO；　meaning　a　sort　of　fundamental　desire。　Jung　speaks　of　it　at　times　almost　as　if　it　were　the　universal　driving　force。〃　〃No；〃　said　Sir　Richmond；　in　love　with　his　new　idea。　〃Not　desire。　Desire　would　have　a　definite　direction；　and　that　is　just　what　this　driving　force　hasn't。　It's　rage。〃　〃Yours　the　car　in　distress　what　sent　this？〃　the　voice　repeated。　It　was　the　voice　of　a　mechanic　in　an　Overland　car。　He　was　holding　up　the　blue　request　for　assistance　that　Sir　Richmond　had　recently　filled　in。　The　two　philosophers　returned　to　practical　matters。　Section　3　For　half　an　hour　after　the　departure　of　the　little　Charmeuse　car　with　Sir　Richmond　and　Dr。　Martineau；　the　brass　Mercury　lay　unheeded　in　the　dusty　roadside　grass。　Then　it　caught　the　eye　of　a　passing　child。　He　was　a　bright　little　boy　of　five。　From　the　moment　when　he　caught　the　gleam　of　brass　he　knew　that　he　had　made　the　find　of　his　life。　But　his　nurse　was　a　timorous；　foolish　thing。　〃You　did　ought　to　of　left　it　there；　Masterrarry；〃　she　said。　〃Findings　ain't　keepings　nowadays；　not　by　no　manner　of　means；　Masterrarry。　〃Yew'd　look　silly　if　a　policeman　came　along　arsting　people　if　they　seen　a　goldennimage。　〃Arst　yer　'ow　you　come　by　it　and　look　pretty　straight　at　you。〃　All　of　which　grumblings　Master　Harry　treated　with　an　experienced　disregard。　He　knew　definitely　that　he　would　never　relinquish　this　bright　and　lovely　possession　again。　It　was　the　first　beautiful　thing　he　had　ever　possessed。　He　was　the　darling　of　fond　and　indulgent　parents　and　his　nursery　was　crowded　with　hideous　rag　and　sawdust　dolls；　golliwogs；　comic　penguins；　comic　lions；　comic　elephants　and　comic　policemen　and　every　variety　of　suchlike　humorous　idiocy　and　visual　beastliness。　This　figure；　solid；　delicate　and　gracious；　was　a　thing　of　a　different　order。　There　was　to　be　much　conflict　and　distress；　tears　and　wrath；　before　the　affinity　of　that　cleanlimbed；　shining　figure　and　his　small　soul　was　recognized。　But　he　carried　his　point　at　last。　The　Mercury　became　his　inseparable　darling；　his　symbol；　his　private　god；　the　one　dignified　and　serious　thing　in　a　little　life　much　congested　by　the　quaint；　the　burlesque；　and　all　the　smiling；　dull　condescensions　of　adult　love。

CHAPTER　THE　FOURTH　AT　MAIDENHEAD　Section　1　The　little　Charmeuse　was　towed　to　hospital　and　the　two　psychiatrists　took　up　their　quarters　at　the　Radiant　Hotel　with　its　pleasant　lawns　and　graceful　landing　stage　at　the　bend　towards　the　bridge。　Sir　Richmond；　after　some　trying　work　at　the　telephone；　got　into　touch　with　his　own　proper　car。　A　man　would　bring　the　car　down　in　two　days'　time　at　latest；　and　afterwards　the　detested　coupe　could　go　back　to　London。　The　day　was　still　young；　and　after　lunch　and　coffee　upon　a　sunny　lawn　a　boat　seemed　indicated。　Sir　Richmond　astonished　the　doctor　by　going　to　his　room；　reappearing　dressed　in　tennis　flannels　and　looking　very　well　in　them。　It　occurred　to　the　doctor　as　a　thing　hitherto　unnoted　that　Sir　Richmond　was　not　indifferent　to　his　personal　appearance。　The　doctor　had　no　flannels；　but　he　had　brought　a　brown　holland　umbrella　lined　with　green　that　he　had　acquired　long　ago　in　Algiers；　and　this　served　to　give　him　something　of　the　riverside　quality。　The　day　was　full　of　sunshine　and　the　river　had　a　Maytime　animation。　Pink　geraniums；　vivid　green　lawns；　gay　awnings；　bright　glass；　white　paint　and　shining　metal　set　the　tone　of　Maidenhead　life。　At　lunch　there　had　been　five　or　six　small　tables　with　quietly　affectionate　couples　who　talked　in　unde