CHAPTER NINE
關燈
小
中
大
verquitesay,thoughitwasnotforlackoftrying.Andshecouldnotaskyoubacktoherroom,foritwas"notveryclean,I'mafraid,"soshemustcatchyouinthepassage,ortakeachairinHydeParktoexplainherphilosophy.Therhythmofthesouldependsonit—("howrudethelittleboysare!"shewouldsay),andMr.Asquith'sIrishpolicy,andShakespearecomesin,"andQueenAlexandramostgraciouslyonceacknowledgedacopyofmypamphlet,"shewouldsay,wavingthelittleboysmagnificentlyaway.Butsheneedsfundstopublishherbook,for"publishersarecapitalists—publishersarecowards."Andso,diggingherelbowintoherpileofbooksitfellover.
Jacobremainedquiteunmoved.
ButFraser,theatheist,ontheotherside,detestingplush,morethanonceaccostedwithleaflets,shiftedirritably.Heabhorredvagueness—theChristianreligion,forexample,andoldDeanParker'spronouncements.DeanParkerwrotebooksandFraserutterlydestroyedthembyforceoflogicandlefthischildrenunbaptized—hiswifediditsecretlyinthewashingbasin—butFraserignoredher,andwentonsupportingblasphemers,distributingleaflets,gettinguphisfactsintheBritishMuseum,alwaysinthesamechecksuitandfierytie,butpale,spotted,irritable.Indeed,whatawork—todestroyreligion!
JacobtranscribedawholepassagefromMarlowe.
MissJuliaHedge,thefeminist,waitedforherbooks.Theydidnotcome.Shewettedherpen.Shelookedabouther.HereyewascaughtbythefinallettersinLordMacaulay'sname.Andshereadthemallroundthedome—thenamesofgreatmenwhichremindus—"Ohdamn,"saidJuliaHedge,"whydidn'ttheyleaveroomforanEliotoraBronte?"
UnfortunateJulia!wettingherpeninbitterness,andleavinghershoelacesuntied.Whenherbookscamesheappliedherselftohergiganticlabours,butperceivedthroughoneofthenervesofherexasperatedsensibilityhowcomposedly,unconcernedly,andwitheveryconsiderationthemalereadersappliedthemselvestotheirs.Thatyoungmanforexample.Whathadhegottodoexceptcopyoutpoetry?Andshemuststudystatistics.Therearemorewomenthanmen.Yesbutifyouletwomenworkasmenwork,they'lldieoffmuchquicker.They'llbecomeextinct.Thatwasherargument.Deathandgallandbitterdustwereonherpen-tipandastheafternoonworeon,redhadworkedintohercheek-bonesandalightwasinhereyes.
ButwhatbroughtJacobFlanderstoreadMarloweintheBritishMuseum?Youth,youth—somethingsavage—somethingpedantic.Forexample,thereisMr.Masefield,thereisMr.Bennett.StuffthemintotheflameofMarloweandburnthemtocinders.Letnotashredremain.Don'tpalterwiththesecondrate.Detestyourownage.Buildabetterone.AndtosetthatonfootreadincrediblydullessaysuponMarlowetoyourfriends.ForwhichpurposeonemostcollateeditionsintheBritishMuseum.Onemustdothethingoneself.UselesstotrusttotheVictorians,whodisembowel,ortotheliving,whoaremerepublicists.Thefleshandbloodofthefuturedependsentirelyuponsixyoungmen.AndasJacobwasoneofthem,nodoubthelookedalittleregalandpompousasheturnedhispage,andJuliaHedgedislikedhimnaturallyenough.
Butthenapudding-facedmanpushedanotetowardsJacob,andJacob,leaningbackinhischair,begananuneasymurmuredconversation,andtheywentofftogether(JuliaHedgewatchedthem),andlaughedaloud(shethought)directlytheywereinthehall.
Nobodylaughedinthereading-room.Therewereshirtings,murmurings,apologeticsneezes,andsuddenunashameddevastatingcoughs.Thelessonhourwasalmostover.Usherswerecollectingexercises.Lazychildrenwantedtostretch.Goodonesscribbledassiduously—ah,anotherdayoverandsolittledone!Andnowandthenwastobeheardfromthewholecollectionofhumanbeingsaheavysigh,afterwhichthehumiliatingoldmanwouldcoughshamelessly,andMissMarchmonthinniedlikeahorse.
Jacobcamebackonlyintimetoreturnhisbooks.
Thebookswerenowreplaced.Afewlettersofthealphabetweresprinkledroundthedome.CloselystoodtogetherinaringroundthedomewerePlato,Aristotle,Sophocles,andShakespearetheliteratureofRome,Greece,China,India,Persia.Oneleafofpoetrywaspressedflatagainstanotherleaf,oneburnishedletterlaidsmoothagainstanotherinadensityofmeaning,aconglomerationofloveliness.
"Onedoeswantone'stea,"saidMissMarchmont,reclaiminghershabbyumbrella.
MissMarchmontwantedhertea,butcouldneverresistalastlookattheElginMarbles.Shelookedatthemsideways,wavingherhandandmutteringawordortwoofsalutationwhichmadeJacobandtheothermanturnround.Shesmiledatthemamiably.Itallcameintoherphilosophy—thatcolourissound,orperhapsithassomethingtodowithmusic.Andhavingdoneherservice,shehobbledofftotea.Itwasclosingtime.Thepubliccollectedinthehalltoreceivetheirumbrellas.
Forthemostpartthestudentswaittheirturnverypatiently.Tostandandwaitwhilesomeoneexamineswhitediscsissoothing.Theumbrellawillcertainlybefound.ButthefactleadsyouonalldaythroughMacaulay,Hobbes,Gibbonthroughoctavos,quartos,foliossinksdeeperanddeeperthroughivorypagesandmoroccobindingsintothisdensityofthought,thisconglomerationofknowledge.
Jacob'swalking-stickwaslikealltheoth
