the wheels of chance-第25部分

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cles。　They　were　sitting　by　the　roadside　botanising　flowers。　I　just　had　time　to　shout；　'Jessie　Milton；　we've　been　looking　for　you；'　and　then　that　confounded　brute　bolted。　I　didn't　dare　turn　round。　I　had　all　my　work　to　do　to　save　myself　being　turned　over；　as　it　wasso　long　as　I　did；　I　mean。　I　just　shouted；　'Return　to　your　friends。　All　will　be　forgiven。'　And　off　I　came；　clatter；　clatter。　Whether　they　heard〃

〃TAKE　ME　TO　HER；〃　said　Mrs。　Milton；　with　intensity；　turning　towards　Widgery。

〃Certainly；〃　said　Widgery；　suddenly　becoming　active。　〃How　far　is　it；　Dangle？〃

〃Mile　and　a　half　or　two　miles。　I　was　determined　to　find　them；　you　know。　I　say　thoughLook　at　my　hands！　But　I　beg　your　pardon；　Mrs。　Milton。〃　He　turned　to　Phipps。　〃Phipps；　I　say；　where　shall　I　wash　the　gravel　out？　And　have　a　look　at　my　knee？〃

〃There's　the　station；〃　said　Phipps；　becoming　helpful。　Dangle　made　a　step；　and　a　damaged　knee　became　evident。　〃Take　my　arm；〃　said　Phipps。

〃Where　can　we　get　a　conveyance？〃　asked　Widgery　of　two　small　boys。

The　two　small　boys　failed　to　understand。　They　looked　at　one　another。

〃There's　not　a　cab；　not　a　go…cart；　in　sight；〃　said　Widgery。　〃It's　a　case　of　a　horse；　a　horse；　my　kingdom　for　a　horse。〃

〃There's　a　harse　all　right；〃　said　one　of　the　small　boys　with　a　movement　of　the　head。

〃Don't　you　know　where　we　can　hire　traps？　asked　Widgery。　〃Or　a　cart　or　anything？〃　asked　Mrs。　Milton。

〃John　Ooker's　gart　a　cart；　but　no　one　can't　'ire'n；〃　said　the　larger　of　the　small　boys；　partially　averting　his　face　and　staring　down　the　road　and　making　a　song　of　it。　〃And　so's　my　feyther；　for's　leg　us　broke。〃

〃Not　a　cart　even！　Evidently。　What　shall　we　do？〃　

It　occurred　to　Mrs。　Milton　that　if　Widgery　was　the　man　for　courtly　devotion；　Dangle　was　infinitely　readier　of　resource。　〃I　suppose〃　she　said；　timidly。　〃Perhaps　if　you　were　to　ask　Mr。　Dangle〃

And　then　all　the　gilt　came　off　Widgery。　He　answered　quite　rudely。　〃Confound　Dangle！　Hasn't　he　messed　us　up　enough？　He　must　needs　drive　after　them　in　a　trap　to　tell　them　we're　coming；　and　now　you　want　me　to　ask　him〃

Her　beautiful　blue　eyes　were　filled　with　tears。　He　stopped　abruptly。　〃I'll　go　and　ask　Dangle；〃　he　said；　shortly。　〃If　you　wish　it。〃　And　went　striding　into　the　station　and　down　the　steps；　leaving　her　in　the　road　under　the　quiet　inspection　of　the　two　little　boys；　and　with　a　kind　of　ballad　refrain　running　through　her　head；　〃Where　are　the　Knights　of　the　Olden　Time？〃　and　feeling　tired　to　death　and　hungry　and　dusty　and　out　of　curl；　and；　in　short；　a　martyr　woman。



XXXI

It　goes　to　my　heart　to　tell　of　the　end　of　that　day；　how　the　fugitives　vanished　into　Immensity；　how　there　were　no　more　trains　how　Botley　stared　unsympathetically　with　a　palpable　disposition　to　derision；　denying　conveyances　how　the　landlord　of　the　Heron　was　suspicious；　how　the　next　day　was　Sunday；　and　the　hot　summer's　day　had　crumpled　the　collar　of　Phipps　and　stained　the　skirts　of　Mrs。　Milton；　and　dimmed　the　radiant　emotions　of　the　whole　party。　Dangle；　with　sticking…plaster　and　a　black　eye；　felt　the　absurdity　of　the　pose　of　the　Wounded　Knight；　and　abandoned　it　after　the　faintest　efforts。　Recriminations　never；　perhaps；　held　the　foreground　of　the　talk；　but　they　played　like　summer　lightning　on　the　edge　of　the　conversation。　And　deep　in　the　hearts　of　all　was　a　galling　sense　of　the　ridiculous。　Jessie；　they　thought；　was　most　to　blame。　Apparently；　too；　the　worst；　which　would　have　made　the　whole　business　tragic；　was　not　happening。　Here　was　a　young　woman　young　woman　do　I　say？　a　mere　girl！had　chosen　to　leave　a　comfortable　home　in　Surbiton；　and　all　the　delights　of　a　refined　and　intellectual　circle；　and　had　rushed　off；　trailing　us　after　her；　posing　hard；　mutually　jealous；　and　now　tired　and　weather…worn；　to　flick　us　off　at　last；　mere　mud　from　her　wheel；　into　this　detestable　village　beer…house　on　a　Saturday　night！　And　she　had　done　it；　not　for　Love　and　Passion；　which　are　serious　excuses　one　may　recognise　even　if　one　must　reprobate；　but　just　for　a　Freak；　just　for　a　fantastic　Idea　；　for　nothing；　in　fact；　but　the　outraging　of　Common　Sense。　Yet　withal；　such　was　our　restraint；　that　we　talked　of　her　still　as　one　much　misguided；　as　one　who　burthened　us　with　anxiety；　as　a　lamb　astray；　and　Mrs。　Milton　having　eaten；　continued　to　show　the　finest　feelings　on　the　matter。

She　sat；　I　may　mention；　in　the　cushioned　basket…chair；　the　only　comfortable　chair　in　the　room；　and　we　sat　on　incredibly　hard；　horsehair　things　having　antimacassars　tied　to　their　backs　by　means　of　lemon…coloured　bows。　It　was　different　from　those　dear　old　talks　at　Surbiton；　somehow。　She　sat　facing　the　window；　which　was　open　（the　night　was　so　tranquil　and　warm）；　and　the　dim　light…　…for　we　did　not　use　the　lampsuited　her　admirably。　She　talked　in　a　voice　that　told　you　she　was　tired；　and　she　seemed　inclined　to　state　a　case　against　herself　in　the　matter　of　〃A　Soul　Untrammelled。〃　It　was　such　an　evening　as　might　live　in　a　sympathetic　memoir；　but　it　was　a　little　dull　while　it　lasted。

〃I　feel；〃　she　said；　〃that　I　am　to　blame。　I　have　Developed。　That　first　book　of　mineI　do　not　go　back　upon　a　word　of　it；　mind；　but　it　has　been　misunderstood；　misapplied。〃

〃It　has；〃　said　Widgery；　trying　to　look　so　deeply　sympathetic　as　to　be　visible　in　the　dark。　〃Deliberately　misunderstood。〃

〃Don't　say　that；〃　said　the　lady。　〃Not　deliberately。　I　try　and　think　that　critics　are　honest。　After　their　lights。　I　was　not　thinking　of　critics。　But　sheI　mean〃　She　paused；　an　interrogation。

〃It　is　possible；〃　said　Dangle；　scrutinising　his　sticking…plaster。

〃I　write　a　book　and　state　a　case。　I　want　people　to　THINK　as　I　recommend；　not　to　DO　as　I　recommend。　It　is　just　Teaching。　Only　I　make　it　into　a　story。　I　want　to　Teach　new　Ideas；　new　Lessons；　to　promulgate　Ideas。　Then　when　the　Ideas　have　been　spread　abroadThings　will　come　about。　Only　now　it　is　madness　to　fly　in　the　face　of　the　established　order。　Bernard　Shaw；　you　know；　has　explained　that　with　regard　to　Socialism。　We　all　know　that　to　earn　all　you　consume　is　right；　and　that　living　on　invested　capital　is　wrong。　Only　we　cannot　begin　while　we　are　so　few。　It　is　Those　Others。〃

〃Precisely；〃　said　Widgery。　〃It　is　Those　Others。　They　must　begin　first。〃

〃And　meanwhile　you　go　on　banking〃

〃If　I　didn't；　some　one　else　would。〃

〃And　I　live　on　Mr。　Milton's　Lotion　while　I　try　to　gain　a　footing　in　Literature。〃

〃TRY！〃　said　Phipps。　〃You　HAVE　done　so。〃　And；　〃That's　different；〃　said　Dangle；　at　the　same　time。

〃You　are　so　kind　to　me。　But　in　this　matter。　Of　course　Georgina　Griffiths　in　my　book　lived　alone　in　a　flat　in　Paris　and　went　to　life　classes　and　had　men　visitors；　but　then　she　was　over　twenty…one。〃

〃Jessica　is　only　seventeen；　and　girlish　for　that；〃　said　Dangle。

〃It　alters　everything。　That　child！　It　is　different　with　a　woman。　And　Georgina　Griffiths　never　flaunted　her　freedom　on　a　bicycle；　in　country　places。　In　this　country。　Where　every　one　is　so　particular。　Fancy；　SLEEPING　away　from　home。　It's　dreadful　If　it　gets　about　it　spells　ruin　for　her。〃

〃Ruin；〃　said　Widgery。

〃No　man　would　marry　a　girl　like　that；〃　said　Phipps。

〃It　must　be　hushed　up；〃　said　Dangle。

〃It　always　seems　to　me　that　life　is　made　up　of　individuals；　of　individual　cases。　We　must　weigh　each　person　against　his　or　her　circumstances。　General　rules　don't　apply〃

〃I　often　feel　the　force　of　that；〃　said　Widgery。　〃Those　are　my　rules。　Of　course　my　books〃

〃It's　different；　altogether　different；〃　said　Dangle。　〃A　novel　deals　with　typical　cases。〃

〃And　life　is　not　typical；〃　said　Widgery；　with　immense　profundity。

Then　suddenly；　unintentionally；　being　himself　most　surprised　and　shocked　of　any　in　the　room；　Phipps　yawned。　The　failing　was　infectious；　and　the　gathering　having；　as　you　can　easily　understand；　talked　itself　weary；　dispersed　on　trivial　pretences。　But　not　to　sleep　immediately。　Directly　Dangle　was　alone　he　began；　with　infinite　disgust；　to　scrutinise　his　darkling　eye；　for　he　was　a　neat…minded　little　man　in　spite　of　his　energy。　The　whole　businessso　near　a　capturewas　horribly　vexatious。　Phipps　sat　on　his　bed　for　some　time　examining；　with　equal　disgust；　a　collar　he　would　have　thought　incredible　for　Sunday　twenty…four　hours　before。　Mrs。　Milton　fell　a…musing　on　the　mortality　of　even　big；　fat　men　with　dog…like　eyes；　and　Widgery　was　unhappy　because　he　had　been　so　cross　to　her　at　the　station；　and　because　so　far　he　did　not　feel　that　he　had　scored　over　Dangle。　Also　he　was　angry　with　Dangle。　And　all　four　of　them；　being　souls　living　very　much　upon　the　appearances　of　things；　had　a　painful；　mental　middle　distance　of　Botley　derisive　and　suspicious；　and　a　remoter　background　of　London　humorous；　and　Surbiton　speculative。　Were　they　really；　after　all；　behaving　absurdly？



MR。　HOOPDRIVER；　KNIGHT　ERRANT

XXXII

As　Mr。　Dangle　bad　witnessed；　the　fugitives　had　been　left　by　him　by　the　side　of　the　road　about　two　miles　from　Botley。　Before　Mr。　Dangle's　appearance；　Mr。　Hoopdriver　had　been　learning　with　great　interest　that　mere　roadside　flowers　had　names；star…flowers；　wind…stars；　St。　John's　wort；　willow　herb；　lords　and　ladies；　bachelor's　buttons；most　curious　names；　some　of　them。　〃The　flowers　are　all　different　in　South　Africa；　y'know；〃　he　was　explaining　with　a　happy　fluke　of　his　imagination　to　account　for　his　ignorance。　Then　su