novel notes-第26部分
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〃The smoking…room door opened and closed； and he still sat gazing dreamily at the ash of his cigar； and smiling。
〃One moment； perhaps two passed； but the time seemed much longer。 The man blew the gray cloud from before his eyes and waited。 Then he heard what he had been expecting to heara piercing shriek。 Then another； which； expecting to hear the clanging of the distant door and the scurrying back of her footsteps along the passage； puzzled him； so that the smile died away from his lips。
〃Then another； and another； and another； shriek after shriek。
〃The native servant； gliding noiselessly about the room； laid down the thing that was in his hand and moved instinctively towards the door。 The man started up and held him back。
〃'Keep where you are；' he said hoarsely。 'It is nothing。 Your mistress is frightened； that is all。 She must learn to get over this folly。' Then he listened again； and the shrieks ended with what sounded curiously like a smothered laugh； and there came a sudden silence。
〃And out of that bottomless silence； Fear for the first time in his life came to the man； and he and the dusky servant looked at each other with eyes in which there was a strange likeness； and by a common instinct moved together towards the place where the silence came from。
〃When the man opened the door he saw three things： one was the dead python； lying where he had left it； the second was a live python； its comrade apparently； slowly crawling round it； the third a crushed； bloody heap in the middle of the floor。
〃He himself remembered nothing more until； weeks afterwards； he opened his eyes in a darkened； unfamiliar place； but the native servant； before he fled screaming from the house； saw his master fling himself upon the living serpent and grasp it with his hands； and when； later on； others burst into the room and caught him staggering in their arms； they found the second python with its head torn off。
〃That is the incident that changed the character of my manif it be changed；〃 concluded Jephson。 〃He told it me one night as we sat on the deck of the steamer； returning from Bombay。 He did not spare himself。 He told me the story； much as I have told it to you； but in an even； monotonous tone； free from emotion of any kind。 I asked him； when he had finished； how he could bear to recall it。
〃'Recall it！' he replied； with a slight accent of surprise； 'it is always with me。'〃
CHAPTER VIII
One day we spoke of crime and criminals。 We had discussed the possibility of a novel without a villain； but had decided that it would be uninteresting。
〃It is a terribly sad reflection；〃 remarked MacShaughnassy； musingly； 〃but what a desperately dull place this earth would be if it were not for our friends the bad people。 Do you know；〃 he continued； 〃when I hear of folks going about the world trying to reform everybody and make them good； I get positively nervous。 Once do away with sin； and literature will become a thing of the past。 Without the criminal classes we authors would starve。〃
〃I shouldn't worry；〃 replied Jephson； drily； 〃one half mankind has been 'reforming' the other half pretty steadily ever since the Creation； yet there appears to be a fairly appreciable amount of human nature left in it； notwithstanding。 Suppressing sin is much the same sort of task that suppressing a volcano would beplugging one vent merely opens another。 Evil will last our time。〃
〃I cannot take your optimistic view of the case；〃 answered MacShaughnassy。 〃It seems to me that crimeat all events； interesting crimeis being slowly driven out of our existence。 Pirates and highwaymen have been practically abolished。 Dear old 'Smuggler Bill' has melted down his cutlass into a pint…can with a false bottom。 The pressgang that was always so ready to rescue our hero from his approaching marriage has been disbanded。 There's not a lugger fit for the purposes of abduction left upon the coast。 Men settle their 'affairs of honour' in the law courts； and return home wounded only in the pocket。 Assaults on unprotected females are confined to the slums； where heroes do not dwell； and are avenged by the nearest magistrate。 Your modern burglar is generally an out…of… work green…grocer。 His 'swag' usually consists of an overcoat and a pair of boots； in attempting to make off with which he is captured by the servant…girl。 Suicides and murders are getting scarcer every season。 At the present rate of decrease； deaths by violence will be unheard of in another decade； and a murder story will be laughed at as too improbable to be interesting。 A certain section of busybodies are even crying out for the enforcement of the seventh commandment。 If they succeed authors will have to follow the advice generally given to them by the critics； and retire from business altogether。 I tell you our means of livelihood are being filched from us one by one。 Authors ought to form themselves into a society for the support and encouragement of crime。〃
MacShaughnassy's leading intention in making these remarks was to shock and grieve Brown； and in this object he succeeded。 Brown is or was； in those daysan earnest young man with an exaltedsome were inclined to say an exaggeratedview of the importance and dignity of the literary profession。 Brown's notion of the scheme of Creation was that God made the universe so as to give the literary man something to write about。 I used at one time to credit Brown with originality for this idea； but as I have grown older I have learned that the theory is a very common and popular one in cultured circles。
Brown expostulated with MacShaughnassy。 〃You speak；〃 he said； 〃as though literature were the parasite of evil。〃
〃And what else is she？〃 replied the MacShaughnassy； with enthusiasm。 〃What would become of literature without folly and sin？ What is the work of the literary man but raking a living for himself out of the dust…heap of human woe？ Imagine； if you can； a perfect worlda world where men and women never said foolish things and never did unwise ones； where small boys were never mischievous and children never made awkward remarks； where dogs never fought and cats never screeched； where wives never henpecked their husbands and mothers… in…law never nagged； where men never went to bed in their boots and sea…captains never swore； where plumbers understood their work and old maids never dressed as girls； where niggers never stole chickens and proud men were never sea…sick！ where would be your humour and your wit？ Imagine a world where hearts were never bruised； where lips were never pressed with pain； where eyes were never dim； where feet were never weary； where stomachs were never empty！ where would be your pathos？ Imagine a world where husbands never loved more wives than one； and that the right one； where wives were never kissed but by their husbands； where men's hearts were never black and women's thoughts never impure； where there was no hating and no envying； no desiring； no despairing！ where would be your scenes of passion； your interesting complications； your subtle psychological analyses？ My dear Brown； we writersnovelists； dramatists； poets we fatten on the misery of our fellow…creatures。 God created man and woman； and the woman created the literary man when she put her teeth into the apple。 We came into the world under the shadow of the serpent。 We are special correspondents with the Devil's army。 We report his victories in our three…volume novels； his occasional defeats in our five…act melodramas。〃
〃All of which is very true；〃 remarked Jephson； 〃but you must remember it is not only the literary man who traffics in misfortune。 The doctor； the lawyer； the preacher； the newspaper proprietor； the weather prophet； will hardly； I should say； welcome the millennium。 I shall never forget an anecdote my uncle used to relate； dealing with the period when he was chaplain of the Lincolnshire county jail。 One morning there was to be a hanging； and the usual little crowd of witnesses； consisting of the sheriff； the governor； three or four reporters； a magistrate； and a couple of warders； was assembled in the prison。 The condemned man； a brutal ruffian who had been found guilty of murdering a young girl under exceptionally revolting circumstances； was being pinioned by the hangman and his assistant； and my uncle was employing the last few moments at his disposal in trying to break down the sullen indifference the fellow had throughout manifested towards both his crime and his fate。
My uncle failing to make any impression upon him； the governor ventured to add a few words of exhortation； upon which the man turned fiercely on the whole of them。
〃'Go to hell；' he cried； 'with your snivelling jaw。 Who are you； to preach at me？ YOU'RE glad enough I'm hereall of you。 Why； I'm the only one of you as ain't going to make a bit over this job。 Where would you all be； I should like to know； you canting swine； if it wasn't for me and my sort？ Why； it's the likes of me as KEEPS the likes of you；' with which he walked straight to the gallows and told the hangman to 'hurry up' and not keep the gentlemen waiting。〃
〃There was some 'grit' in that man；〃 said MacShaughnassy。
〃Yes；〃 added Jephson； 〃and
