CHAPTER XIII
關燈
小
中
大
“Ihavenoexperienceofthisprofounddesiretowhichyouallude,”enunciatedTibby.
“Thenwe’llleavethesubjecttillyoudo.I’mnotgoingtorattleyouround.Takeyourtime.Onlydothinkoverthelivesofthemenyoulikemost,andseehowthey’vearrangedthem.”
“IlikeGuyandMr.Vysemost,”saidTibbyfaintly,andleantsofarbackinhischairthatheextendedinahorizontallinefromkneestothroat.
“Anddon’tthinkI’mnotseriousbecauseIdon’tusethetraditionalarguments—makingmoney,asphereawaitingyou,andsoon—allofwhichare,forvariousreasons,cant.”Shesewedon.“I’monlyyoursister.Ihaven’tanyauthorityoveryou,andIdon’twanttohaveany.JusttoputbeforeyouwhatIthinktheTruth.Yousee”—sheshookoffthepince-neztowhichshehadrecentlytaken—“inafewyearsweshallbethesameagepractically,andIshallwantyoutohelpme.Menaresomuchnicerthanwomen.”
“Labouringundersuchadelusion,whydoyounotmarry?”
“IsometimesjollywellthinkIwouldifIgotthechance.”
“Hasnobodyarstyou?”
“Onlyninnies.”
“DopeopleaskHelen?”
“Plentifully.”
“Tellmeaboutthem.”
“No.”
“Tellmeaboutyourninnies,then.”
“Theyweremenwhohadnothingbettertodo,”saidhissister,feelingthatshewasentitledtoscorethispoint.“Sotakewarningyoumustwork,orelseyoumustpretendtowork,whichiswhatIdo.Work,work,workifyou’dsaveyoursoulandyourbody.Itishonestlyanecessity,dearboy.LookattheWilcoxes,lookatMr.Pembroke.Withalltheirdefectsoftemperandunderstanding,suchmengivememorepleasurethanmanywhoarebetterequipped,andIthinkitisbecausetheyhaveworkedregularlyandhonestly.”
“SparemetheWilcoxes,”hemoaned.
“Ishallnot.Theyaretherightsort.”
“Oh,goodnessme,Meg—!”heprotested,suddenlysittingup,alertandangry.Tibby,forallhisdefects,hadagenuinepersonality.
“Well,they’reasneartherightsortasyoucanimagine.”
“No,no—oh,no!”
“Iwasthinkingoftheyoungerson,whomIonceclassedasaninny,butwhocamebacksoillfromNigeria.He’sgoneoutthereagain,EvieWilcoxtellsme—outtohisduty.”
“Duty”alwayselicitedagroan.
“Hedoesn’twantthemoney,itisworkhewants,thoughitisbeastlywork—dullcountry,dishonestnatives,aneternalfidgetoverfreshwaterandfood...Anationthatcanproducemenofthatsortmaywellbeproud.NowonderEnglandhasbecomeanEmpire.”
“EMPIRE!”
“Ican’tbotheroverresults,”saidMargaret,alittlesadly.“Theyaretoodifficultforme.Icanonlylo
