the research magnificent-第34章

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　shadow；　broke　only　into　a　little　cold　green　and　white　edge　of　olive　terraces　and　vegetation　and　houses　before　they　touched　the　clear　blue　water。　　An　occasional　church　or　a　house　perched　high　upon　some　seemingly　inaccessible　ledge　did　but　accentuate　the　vast　barrenness　of　the　land。　　It　was　a　land　desolated　and　destroyed。　　At　Ragusa；　at　Salona；　at　Spalato　and　Zara　and　Pola　Benham　had　seen　only　variations　upon　one　persistent　theme；　a　dwindled　and　uncreative　human　life　living　amidst　the　giant　ruins　of　preceding　times；　as　worms　live　in　the　sockets　of　a　skull。　　Forward　an　unsavoury　group　of　passengers　still　slumbered　amidst　fruit…peel　and　expectorations；　a　few　soldiers；　some　squalid　brigands　armed　with　preposterous　red　umbrellas；　a　group　of　curled…up　human　lumps　brooded　over　by　an　aquiline　individual　caparisoned　with　brass　like　a　horse；　his　head　wrapped　picturesquely　in　a　shawl。　　Benham　surveyed　these　last　products　of　the　〃life　force〃　and　resumed　his　pensive　survey　of　the　coast。　　The　sea　was　deserted　save　for　a　couple　of　little　lateen　craft　with　suns　painted　on　their　gaudy　sails；　sea　butterflies　that　hung　motionless　as　if　unawakened　close　inshore。　。　。　。　The　travel　of　the　last　few　weeks　had　impressed　Benham's　imagination　profoundly。　　For　the　first　time　in　his　life　he　had　come　face　to　face　with　civilization　in　defeat。　　From　Venice　hitherward　he　had　marked　with　cumulative　effect　the　clustering　evidences　of　effort　spent　and　power　crumbled　to　nothingness。　　He　had　landed　upon　the　marble　quay　of　Pola　and　visited　its　deserted　amphitheatre；　he　had　seen　a　weak　provincial　life　going　about　ignoble　ends　under　the　walls　of　the　great　Venetian　fortress　and　the　still　more　magnificent　cathedral　of　Zara；　he　had　visited　Spalato；　clustered　in　sweltering　grime　within　the　ample　compass　of　the　walls　of　Diocletian‘s　villa；　and　a　few　troublesome　sellers　of　coins　and　iridescent　glass　and　fragments　of　tessellated　pavement　and　such…like　loot　was　all　the　population　he　had　found　amidst　the　fallen　walls　and　broken　friezes　and　columns　of　Salona。　　Down　this　coast　there　ebbed　and　flowed　a　mean　residual　life；　a　life　of　violence　and　dishonesty；　peddling　trades；　vendettas　and　war。　　For　a　while　the　unstable　Austrian　ruled　this　land　and　made　a　sort　of　order　that　the　incalculable　chances　of　international　politics　might　at　any　time　shatter。　　Benham　was　drawing　near　now　to　the　utmost　limit　of　that　extended　peace。　　Ahead　beyond　the　mountain　capes　was　Montenegro　and；　further；　Albania　and　Macedonia；　lands　of　lawlessness　and　confusion。　　Amanda　and　he　had　been　warned　of　the　impossibility　of　decent　travel　beyond　Cattaro　and　Cettinje　but　this　had　but　whetted　her　adventurousness　and　challenged　his　spirit。　　They　were　going　to　see　Albania　for　themselves。　The　three　months　of　honeymoon　they　had　been　spending　together　had　developed　many　remarkable　divergences　of　their　minds　that　had　not　been　in　the　least　apparent　to　Benham　before　their　marriage。　　Then　their　common　resolve　to　be　as　spirited　as　possible　had　obliterated　all　minor　considerations。　　But　that　was　the　limit　of　their　unanimity。　　Amanda　loved　wild　and　picturesque　things；　and　Benham　strong　and　clear　things；　the　vines　and　brushwood　amidst　the　ruins　of　Salona　that　had　delighted　her　had　filled　him　with　a　sense　of　tragic　retrogression。　　Salona　had　revived　again　in　the　acutest　form　a　dispute　that　had　been　smouldering　between　them　throughout　a　fitful　and　lengthy　exploration　of　north　and　central　Italy。　　She　could　not　understand　his　disgust　with　the　mediaeval　colour　and　confusion　that　had　swamped　the　pride　and　state　of　the　Roman　empire；　and　he　could　not　make　her　feel　the　ambition　of　the　ruler；　the　essential　discipline　and　responsibilities　of　his　aristocratic　idea。　　While　his　adventurousness　was　conquest；　hers；　it　was　only　too　manifest；　was　brigandage。　　His　thoughts　ran　now　into　the　form　of　an　imaginary　discourse；　that　he　would　never　deliver　to　her；　on　the　decay　of　states；　on　the　triumphs　of　barbarians　over　rulers　who　will　not　rule；　on　the　relaxation　of　patrician　orders　and　the　return　of　the　robber　and　assassin　as　lordship　decays。　　This　coast　was　no　theatrical　scenery　for　him；　it　was　a　shattered　empire。　　And　it　was　shattered　because　no　men　had　been　found；　united　enough；　magnificent　and　steadfast　enough；　to　hold　the　cities；　and　maintain　the　roads；　keep　the　peace　and　subdue　the　brutish　hates　and　suspicions　and　cruelties　that　devastated　the　world。　And　as　these　thoughts　came　back　into　his　mind；　Amanda　flickered　up　from　below；　light　and　noiseless　as　a　sunbeam；　and　stood　behind　his　chair。　Freedom　and　the　sight　of　the　world　had　if　possible　brightened　and　invigorated　her。　　Her　costume　and　bearing　were　subtly　touched　by　the　romance　of　the　Adriatic。　　There　was　a　flavour　of　the　pirate　in　the　cloak　about　her　shoulders　and　the　light　knitted　cap　of　scarlet　she　had　stuck　upon　her　head。　　She　surveyed　his　preoccupation　for　a　moment；　glanced　forward；　and　then　covered　his　eyes　with　her　hands。　In　almost　the　same　movement　she　had　bent　down　and　nipped　the　tip　of　his　ear　between　her　teeth。　〃Confound　you；　Amanda！〃　〃You'd　forgotten　my　existence；　you　star…gazing　Cheetah。　　And　then；　you　see；　these　things　happen　to　you！〃　〃I　was　thinking。〃　〃WellDON'T。　。　。　。　　I　distrust　your　thinking。　　This　coast　is　wilder　and　grimmer　than　yesterday。　　It's　glorious。　。　。　。〃　She　sat　down　on　the　chair　he　unfolded　for　her。　〃Is　there　nothing　to　eat？〃　she　asked　abruptly。　〃It　is　too　early。〃

2

〃This　coast　is　magnificent；〃　she　said　presently。　〃It's　hideous；〃　he　answered。　　〃It's　as　ugly　as　a　heap　of　slag。〃　〃It's　nature　at　its　wildest。〃　〃That's　Amanda　at　her　wildest。〃　〃Well；　isn't　it？〃　〃No！　　This　land　isn't　nature。　　It's　waste。　　Not　wilderness。　　It's　the　other　end。　　Those　hills　were　covered　with　forests；　this　was　a　busy　civilized　coast　just　a　little　thousand　years　ago。　　The　Venetians　wasted　it。　　They　cut　down　the　forests；　they　filled　the　cities　with　a　mixed　mud　of　population；　THAT　stuff。　　Look　at　it〃！he　indicated　the　sleepers　forward　by　a　movement　of　his　head。　〃I　suppose　they　WERE　rather　feeble　people；〃　said　Amanda。　〃Who？〃　〃The　Venetians。〃　〃They　were　tradersand　nothing　more。　　Just　as　we　are。　　And　when　they　were　rich　they　got　splendid　clothes　and　feasted　and　rested。　Much　as　we　do。〃　Amanda　surveyed　him。　　〃We　don't　rest。〃　〃We　idle。〃　〃We　are　seeing　things。〃　〃Don't　be　a　humbug；　Amanda。　　We　are　making　love。　　Just　as　they　did。　And　it　has　beenripping。　　In　Salona　they　made　love　tremendously。　They　did　nothing　else　until　the　barbarians　came　over　the　mountains。　。　。　。〃　〃Well；〃　said　Amanda　virtuously；　〃we　will　do　something　else。〃　He　made　no　answer　and　her　expression　became　profoundly　thoughtful。　Of　course　this　wandering　must　end。　　He　had　been　growing　impatient　for　some　time。　　But　it　was　difficult；　she　perceived；　to　decide　just　what　to　do　with　him。　。　。　。　Benham　picked　up　the　thread　of　his　musing。　He　was　seeing　more　and　more　clearly　that　all　civilization　was　an　effort；　and　so　far　always　an　inadequate　and　very　partially　successful　effort。　　Always　it　had　been　aristocratic；　aristocratic　in　the　sense　that　it　was　the　work　of　minorities；　who　took　power；　who　had　a　common　resolution　against　the　inertia；　the　indifference；　the　insubordination　and　instinctive　hostility　of　the　mass　of　mankind。　And　always　the　set…backs；　the　disasters　of　civilization；　had　been　failures　of　the　aristocratic　spirit。　　Why　had　the　Roman　purpose　faltered　and　shrivelled？　　Every　order；　every　brotherhood；　every　organization　carried　with　it　the　seeds　of　its　own　destruction。　　Must　the　idea　of　statecraft　and　rule　perpetually　reappear；　reclothe　itself　in　new　forms；　age；　die；　even　as　life　doesmaking　each　time　its　almost　infinitesimal　addition　to　human　achievement？　　Now　the　world　is　crying　aloud　for　a　renascence　of　the　spirit　that　orders　and　controls。　　Human　affairs　sway　at　a　dizzy　height　of　opportunity。　Will　they　keep　their　footing　there；　or　stagger？　　We　have　got　back　at　last　to　a　time　as　big　with　opportunity　as　the　early　empire。　　Given　only　the　will　in　men　and　it　would　be　possible　now　to　turn　the　dazzling　accidents　of　science；　the　chancy　attainments　of　the　nineteenth　century；　into　a　sane　and　permanent　possession；　a　new　starting　point。　。　。　。　　What　a　magnificence　might　be　made　of　life！　He　was　aroused　by　Amanda‘s　voice。　〃When　we　go　back　to　London；　old　Cheetah；〃　she　said；　〃we　must　take　a　house。〃　For　some　moments　he　stared　at　her；　trying　to　get　back　to　their　point　of　divergence。　〃Why？〃　he　asked　at　length。　〃We　must　have　a　house；〃　she　said。　He　looked　at　her　face。　　Her　expression　was　profoundly　thoughtful；　her　eyes　were　fixed　on　the　slumbering　ships　poised　upon　the　transparent　water　under　the　mountain　shadows。　〃You　see；〃　she　thought　it　out；　〃you've　got　to　TELL　in　London。　　You　can't　just　sneak　back　there。　　You've　got　to　strike　a　note　of　your　own。　　With　all　these　things　of　yours。〃　〃But　how？〃　〃There's　a　sort　of　little　house；　I　used　to　see　them　when　I　was　a　girl　and　my　father　lived　in　London；　about　Brook　Street　and　that　part。　　Not　too　far　north。　。　。　。　　You　see　going　back　to　London　for　us　is　just　another　adventure。　　We've　got　to　capture　London。　　We've　got　to　scale　it。　　We've　got　advantages　of　all　sorts。　　But　at　present　we're　outside。　　We've　got　to　march　in。〃　Her　clear　hazel　eyes　contemplated　conflicts　and　triumphs。　She　was　roused　by　Benham　s　voice。　〃What　the　deuce　are　you