the secret places of the heart-第20章

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nd　all　sorts　of　interesting　things　happen　there　nowadays。　And　we　are　waking　up　to　history。　Quite　fast。　We　shan't　always　be　the　most　ignorant　people　in　the　world。　We　are　beginning　to　realize　that　quite　a　lot　of　things　happened　between　Adam　and　the　Mayflower　that　we　ought　to　be　told　about。　I　allow　it's　a　recent　revival。　The　United　States　has　been　like　one　of　those　men　you　read　about　in　the　papers　who　go　away　from　home　and　turn　up　in　some　distant　place　with　their　memories　gone。　They've　forgotten　what　their　names　were　or　where　they　lived　or　what　they　did　for　a　living；　they've　forgotten　everything　that　matters。　Often　they　have　to　begin　again　and　settle　down　for　a　long　time　before　their　memories　come　back。　That's　how　it　has　been　with　us。　Our　memory　is　just　coming　back　to　us。〃　〃And　what　do　you　find　you　are？〃　〃Europeans。　Who　came　away　from　kings　and　churches…@…and　Corinthian　capitals。〃　〃You　feel　all　this　country　belongs　to　you？〃　〃As　much　as　it　does　to　you。〃　Sir　Richmond　smiled　radiantly　at　her。　〃But　if　I　say　that　America　belongs　to　me　as　much　as　it　does　to　you？〃　〃We　are　one　people；〃　she　said。　〃We〃　〃Europe。　These　parts　of　Europe　anyhow。　And　ourselves。〃　〃You　are　the　most　civilized　person　I've　met　for　weeks　and　weeks。〃　〃Well；　you　are　the　first　civilized　person　I've　met　in　Europe　for　a　long　time。　If　I　understand　you。〃　〃There　are　multitudes　of　reasonable；　civilized　people　in　Europe。〃　〃I've　heard　or　seen　very　little　of　them。　〃They're　scattered；　I　admit。〃　〃And　hard　to　find。〃　〃So　ours　is　a　lucky　meeting。　I've　wanted　a　serious　talk　to　an　American　for　some　time。　I　want　to　know　very　badly　what　you　think　you　are　up　to　with　the　world；our　world。　〃　〃I'm　equally　anxious　to　know　what　England　thinks　she　is　doing。　Her　ways　recently　have　been　a　little　difficult　to　understand。　On　any　hypothesis…that　is　honourable　to　her。〃　〃H'm；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃I　assure　you　we　don't　like　it。　This　Irish　business。　We　feel　a　sort　of　ownership　in　England。　It's　like　finding　your　dearest　aunt　torturing　the　cat。〃　〃We　must　talk　of　that；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃I　wish　you　would。〃　〃It　is　a　cat　and　a　dogand　they　have　been　very　naughty　animals。　And　poor　Aunt　Britannia　almost　deliberately　lost　her　temper。　But　I　admit　she　hits　about　in　a　very　nasty　fashion。〃　〃And　favours　the　dog。〃　〃She　does。〃　〃I　want　to　know　all　you　admit。〃　〃You　shall。　And　incidentally　my　friend　and　I　may　have　the　pleasure　of　showing　you　Salisbury　and　Avebury。　If　you　are　free？〃　〃We're　travelling　together；　just　we　two。　We　are　wandering　about　the　south　of　England　on　our　way　to　Falmouth。　Where　I　join　a　father　in　a　few　days'　time；　and　I　go　on　with　him　to　Paris。　And　if　you　and　your　friend　are　coming　to　the　Old　George〃　〃We　are；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃I　see　no　great　scandal　in　talking　right　on　to　bedtime。　And　seeing　Avebury　to…morrow。　Why　not？　Perhaps　if　we　did　as　the　Germans　do　and　gave　our　names　now；　it　might　mitigate　something　of　the　extreme　informality　of　our　behaviour。〃　〃My　name　is　Hardy。　I've　been　a　munition　manufacturer。　I　was　slightly　wounded　by　a　stray　shell　near　Arras　while　I　was　inspecting　some　plant　I　had　set　up；　and　also　I　was　hit　by　a　stray　knighthood。　So　my　name　is　now　Sir　Richmond　Hardy。　My　friend　is　a　very　distinguished　Harley　Street　physician。　Chiefly　nervous　and　mental　cases。　His　name　is　Dr。　Martineau。　He　is　quite　as　civilized　as　I　am。　He　is　also　a　philosophical　writer。　He　is　really　a　very　wise　and　learned　man　indeed。　He　is　full　of　ideas。　He's　stimulated　me　tremendously。　You　must　talk　to　him。〃　Sir　Richmond　glanced　over　his　shoulder　at　the　subject　of　these　commendations。　Through　the　oval　window　glared　an　expression　of　malignity　that　made　no　impression　whatever　on　his　preoccupied　mind。　〃My　name；〃　said　the　young　lady；　〃is　Grammont。　The　war　whirled　me　over　to　Europe　on　Red　Cross　work　and　since　the　peace　I've　been　settling　up　things　and　travelling　about　Europe。　My　father　is　rather　a　big　business　man　in　New　York。〃　〃The　oil　Grammont？〃　〃He　is　rather　deep　in　oil；　I　believe。　He　is　coming　over　to　Europe　because　he　does　not　like　the　way　your　people　are　behaving　in　Mesopotamia。　He　is　on　his　way　to　Paris　now。　Paris　it　seems　is　where　everything　is　to　be　settled　against　you。　Belinda　is　a　sort　of　companion　I　have　acquired　for　the　purposes　of　independent　travel。　She　was　Red　Cross　too。　I　must　have　somebody　and　I　cannot　bear　a　maid。　Her　name　is　Belinda　Seyffert。　From　Philadelphia　originally。　You　have　that？　Seyffert；　Grammont？〃　〃And　Hardy？〃　〃Sir　Richmond　and　Dr。　Martineau。〃　〃And…Ah！That　great　green　bank　there　just　coming　into　sight　must　be　Old　Sarum。　The　little　ancient　city　that　faded　away　when　Salisbury　lifted　its　spire　into　the　world。　We　will　stop　here　for　a　little　while。　。　。　。　〃　Then　it　was　that　Dr。　Martineau　was　grim　about　the　stretching　of　his　legs。　Section　4　The　sudden　prospect　which　now　opened　out　before　Sir　Richmond　of　talking　about　history　and　suchlike　topics　with　a　charming　companion　for　perhaps　two　whole　days　instead　of　going　on　with　this　tiresome；　shamefaced；　egotistical　business　of　self…　examination　was　so　attractive　to　him　that　it　took　immediate　possession　of　his　mind；　to　the　entire　exclusion　and　disregard　of　Dr。　Martineau's　possible　objections　to　any　such　modification　of　their　original　programme。　When　they　arrived　in　Salisbury；　the　doctor　did　make　some　slight　effort　to　suggest　a　different　hotel　from　that　in　which　the　two　ladies　had　engaged　their　rooms；　but　on　the　spur　of　the　moment　and　in　their　presence　he　could　produce　no　sufficient　reason　for　refusing　the　accommodation　the　Old　George　had　ready　for　him。　He　was　reduced　to　a　vague：　〃We　don't　want　to　inflict　ourselves〃　He　could　not　get　Sir　Richmond　aside　for　any　adequate　expression　of　his　feelings　about　Miss　Seyffert；　before　the　four　of　them　were　seated　together　at　tea　amidst　the　mediaeval　modernity　of　the　Old　George　smoking…room。　And　only　then　did　he　begin　to　realize　the　depth　and　extent　of　the　engagements　to　which　Sir　Richmond　had　committed　himself。　〃I　was　suggesting　that　we　run　back　to　Avebury　to…morrow；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃These　ladies　were　nearly　missing　it。〃　The　thing　took　the　doctor's　breath　away。　For　the　moment　he　could　say　nothing。　He　stared　over　his　tea…cup　dour…faced。　An　objection　formulated　itself　very　slowly。　〃But　that　dicky；〃　he　whispered。　His　whisper　went　unnoted。　Sir　Richmond　was　talking　of　the　completeness　of　Salisbury。　From　the　very　beginning　it　had　been　a　cathedral　city；　it　was　essentially　and　purely　that。　The　church　at　its　best；　in　the　full　tide　of　its　mediaeval　ascendancy；　had　called　it　into　being。　He　was　making　some　extremely　loose　and　inaccurate　generalizations　about　the　buildings　and　ruins　each　age　had　left　for　posterity；　and　Miss　Grammont　was　countering　with　equally　unsatisfactory　qualifications。　〃Our　age　will　leave　the　ruins　of　hotels；〃　said　Sir　Richmond。　〃Railway　arches　and　hotels。〃　〃Baths　and　aqueducts；〃　Miss　Grammont　compared。　〃Rome　of　the　Empire　comes　nearest　to　it　。　。　。　。　〃　As　soon　as　tea　was　over；　Dr。　Martineau　realized；　they　meant　to　walk　round　and　about　Salisbury。　He　foresaw　that　walk　with　the　utmost　clearness。　In　front　and　keeping　just　a　little　beyond　the　range　of　his　intervention；　Sir　Richmond　would　go　with　Miss　Grammont；　he　himself　and　Miss　Seyffert　would　bring　up　the　rear。　〃If　I　do；〃　he　muttered；　〃I'll　be　damned！〃　an　unusually　strong　expression　for　him。　〃You　said？〃　asked　Miss　Seyffert。　〃That　I　have　some　writing　to　dobefore　the　post　goes；〃　said　the　doctor　brightly。　〃Oh！　come　and　see　the　cathedral！〃　cried　Sir　Richmond　with　ill…concealed　dismay。　He　was；　if　one　may　put　it　in　such　a　fashion；　not　looking　at　Miss　Seyffert　in　the　directest　fashion　when　he　said　this。　〃I'm　afraid；〃　said　the　doctor　mulishly。　〃Impossible。〃　（With　the　unspoken　addition　of；　〃You　try　her　for　a　bit。〃）　Miss　Grammont　stood　up。　Everybody　stood　up。　〃We　can　go　first　to　look　for　shops；〃　she　said。　〃There's　those　things　you　want　to　buy；　Belinda；　a　fountain　pen　and　the　little　books。　We　can　all　go　together　as　far　as　that。　And　while　you　are　shopping；　if　you　wouldn't　mind　getting　one　or　two　things　for　me。　。　。　。〃　It　became　clear　to　Dr。　Martineau　that　Sir　Richmond　was　to　be　let　off　Belinda。　It　seemed　abominably　unjust。　And　it　was　also　clear　to　him　that　he　must　keep　closely　to　his　own　room　or　he　might　find　Miss　Seyffert　drifting　back　alone　to　the　hotel　and　eager　to　resume　with　him。　。　。　。　Well；　a　quiet　time　in　his　room　would　not　be　disagreeable。　He　could　think　over　his　notes。　。　。　。　But　in　reality　he　thought　over　nothing　but　the　little　speeches　he　would　presently　make　to　Sir　Richmond　about　the　unwarrantable；　the　absolutely　unwarrantable；　alterations　that　were　being　made　without　his　consent　in　their　common　programme。　。　。　。　For　a　long　time　Sir　Richmond　had　met　no　one　so　interesting　and　amusing　as　this　frank…minded　young　woman　from　America。　〃Young　woman〃　was　how　he　thought　of　her；　she　didn't　correspond　to　anything　so　prim　and　restrained　and　extensively　reserved　and　withheld　as　a　〃young　lady　〃；　and　though　he　judged　her　no　older　than　five　and　twenty；　the　word　〃girl〃　with　its　associations　of　virginal　ignorances；　invisible　purdah；　and　trite　ideas　newly　discovered；　seemed　even　less　appropriate　for　her　than　the　word　〃boy。〃　She　had　an　air　of　having　in　some　obscure　way　graduated　in　life；　as　if　so　far　she　had　lived　each　several　year　of　her　existence　in　a　distinctive　and　conclusive　manner　with　the　utmo