the unbearable bassington-第2章

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sober　down　in　after…life　and　become　uninteresting；　forgetting　that　

they　were　ever　lords　of　anything；　sometimes　Fate　plays　royally　into　

their　hands；　and　they　do　great　things　in　a　spacious　manner；　and　are　

thanked　by　Parliaments　and　the　Press　and　acclaimed　by　gala…day　

crowds。　　But　in　most　cases　their　tragedy　begins　when　they　leave　

school　and　turn　themselves　loose　in　a　world　that　has　grown　too　

civilised　and　too　crowded　and　too　empty　to　have　any　place　for　them。　　

And　they　are　very　many。



Henry　Greech　had　made　an　end　of　biting　small　sandwiches；　and　

settled　down　like　a　dust…storm　refreshed；　to　discuss　one　of　the　

fashionably　prevalent　topics　of　the　moment；　the　prevention　of　

destitution。



〃It　is　a　question　that　is　only　being　nibbled　at；　smelt　at；　one　

might　say；　at　the　present　moment；〃　he　observed；　〃but　it　is　one　that　

will　have　to　engage　our　serious　attention　and　consideration　before　

long。　　The　first　thing　that　we　shall　have　to　do　is　to　get　out　of　

the　dilettante　and　academic　way　of　approaching　it。　　We　must　collect　

and　assimilate　hard　facts。　　It　is　a　subject　that　ought　to　appeal　to　

all　thinking　minds；　and　yet；　you　know；　I　find　it　surprisingly　

difficult　to　interest　people　in　it。〃



Francesca　made　some　monosyllabic　response；　a　sort　of　sympathetic　

grunt　which　was　meant　to　indicate　that　she　was；　to　a　certain　

extent；　listening　and　appreciating。　　In　reality　she　was　reflecting　

that　Henry　possibly　found　it　difficult　to　interest　people　in　any　

topic　that　he　enlarged　on。　　His　talents　lay　so　thoroughly　in　the　

direction　of　being　uninteresting；　that　even　as　an　eye…witness　of　

the　massacre　of　St。　Bartholomew　he　would　probably　have　infused　a　

flavour　of　boredom　into　his　descriptions　of　the　event。



〃I　was　speaking　down　in　Leicestershire　the　other　day　on　this　

subject；〃　continued　Henry；　〃and　I　pointed　out　at　some　length　a　

thing　that　few　people　ever　stop　to　consider　…　〃



Francesca　went　over　immediately　but　decorously　to　the　majority　that　

will　not　stop　to　consider。



〃Did　you　come　across　any　of　the　Barnets　when　you　were　down　there？〃　

she　interrupted；　〃Eliza　Barnet　is　rather　taken　up　with　all　those　

subjects。〃



In　the　propagandist　movements　of　Sociology；　as　in　other　arenas　of　

life　and　struggle；　the　fiercest　competition　and　rivalry　is　

frequently　to　be　found　between　closely　allied　types　and　species。　　

Eliza　Barnet　shared　many　of　Henry　Greech's　political　and　social　

views；　but　she　also　shared　his　fondness　for　pointing　things　out　at　

some　length；　there　had　been　occasions　when　she　had　extensively　

occupied　the　strictly　limited　span　allotted　to　the　platform　oratory　

of　a　group　of　speakers　of　whom　Henry　Greech　had　been　an　impatient　

unit。　　He　might　see　eye　to　eye　with　her　on　the　leading　questions　of　

the　day；　but　he　persistently　wore　mental　blinkers　as　far　as　her　

estimable　qualities　were　concerned；　and　the　mention　of　her　name　was　

a　skilful　lure　drawn　across　the　trail　of　his　discourse；　if　

Francesca　had　to　listen　to　his　eloquence　on　any　subject　she　much　

preferred　that　it　should　be　a　disparagement　of　Eliza　Barnet　rather　

than　the　prevention　of　destitution。



〃I've　no　doubt　she　means　well；〃　said　Henry；　〃but　it　would　be　a　good　

thing　if　she　could　be　induced　to　keep　her　own　personality　a　little　

more　in　the　background；　and　not　to　imagine　that　she　is　the　

necessary　mouthpiece　of　all　the　progressive　thought　in　the　

countryside。　　I　fancy　Canon　Besomley　must　have　had　her　in　his　mind　

when　he　said　that　some　people　came　into　the　world　to　shake　empires　

and　others　to　move　amendments。〃



Francesca　laughed　with　genuine　amusement。



〃I　suppose　she　is　really　wonderfully　well　up　in　all　the　subjects　

she　talks　about；〃　was　her　provocative　comment。



Henry　grew　possibly　conscious　of　the　fact　that　he　was　being　drawn　

out　on　the　subject　of　Eliza　Barnet；　and　he　presently　turned　on　to　a　

more　personal　topic。



〃From　the　general　air　of　tranquillity　about　the　house　I　presume　

Comus　has　gone　back　to　Thaleby；〃　he　observed。



〃Yes；〃　said　Francesca；　〃he　went　back　yesterday。　　Of　course；　I'm　

very　fond　of　him；　but　I　bear　the　separation　well。　　When　he's　here　

it's　rather　like　having　a　live　volcano　in　the　house；　a　volcano　that　

in　its　quietest　moments　asks　incessant　questions　and　uses　strong　

scent。〃



〃It　is　only　a　temporary　respite；〃　said　Henry；　〃in　a　year　or　two　he　

will　be　leaving　school；　and　then　what？〃



Francesca　closed　her　eyes　with　the　air　of　one　who　seeks　to　shut　out　

a　distressing　vision。　　She　was　not　fond　of　looking　intimately　at　

the　future　in　the　presence　of　another　person；　especially　when　the　

future　was　draped　in　doubtfully　auspicious　colours。



〃And　then　what？〃　persisted　Henry。



〃Then　I　suppose　he　will　be　upon　my　hands。〃



〃Exactly。〃



〃Don't　sit　there　looking　judicial。　　I'm　quite　ready　to　listen　to　

suggestions　if　you've　any　to　make。〃



〃In　the　case　of　any　ordinary　boy；〃　said　Henry；　〃I　might　make　lots　

of　suggestions　as　to　the　finding　of　suitable　employment。　　From　what　

we　know　of　Comus　it　would　be　rather　a　waste　of　time　for　either　of　

us　to　look　for　jobs　which　he　wouldn't　look　at　when　we'd　got　them　

for　him。〃



〃He　must　do　something；〃　said　Francesca。



〃I　know　he　must；　but　he　never　will。　　At　least；　he'll　never　stick　to　

anything。　　The　most　hopeful　thing　to　do　with　him　will　be　to　marry　

him　to　an　heiress。　　That　would　solve　the　financial　side　of　his　

problem。　　If　he　had　unlimited　money　at　his　disposal；　he　might　go　

into　the　wilds　somewhere　and　shoot　big　game。　　I　never　know　what　the　

big　game　have　done　to　deserve　it；　but　they　do　help　to　deflect　the　

destructive　energies　of　some　of　our　social　misfits。〃



Henry；　who　never　killed　anything　larger　or　fiercer　than　a　trout；　

was　scornfully　superior　on　the　subject　of　big　game　shooting。



Francesca　brightened　at　the　matrimonial　suggestion。　　〃I　don't　know　

about　an　heiress；〃　she　said　reflectively。　　〃There's　Emmeline　

Chetrof　of　course。　　One　could　hardly　call　her　an　heiress；　but　she's　

got　a　comfortable　little　income　of　her　own　and　I　suppose　something　

more　will　come　to　her　from　her　grandmother。　　Then；　of　course；　you　

know　this　house　goes　to　her　when　she　marries。〃



〃That　would　be　very　convenient；〃　said　Henry；　probably　following　a　

line　of　thought　that　his　sister　had　trodden　many　hundreds　of　times　

before　him。　　〃Do　she　and　Comus　hit　it　off　at　all　well　together？〃



〃Oh；　well　enough　in　boy　and　girl　fashion；〃　said　Francesca。　　〃I　must　

arrange　for　them　to　see　more　of　each　other　in　future。　　By　the　way；　

that　little　brother　of　hers　that　she　dotes　on；　Lancelot；　goes　to　

Thaleby　this　term。　　I'll　write　and　tell　Comus　to　be　specially　kind　

to　him；　that　will　be　a　sure　way　to　Emmeline's　heart。　　Comus　has　

been　made　a　prefect；　you　know。　　Heaven　knows　why。〃



〃It　can　only　be　for　prominence　in　games；〃　sniffed　Henry；　〃I　think　

we　may　safely　leave　work　and　conduct　out　of　the　question。〃



Comus　was　not　a　favourite　with　his　uncle。



Francesca　had　turned　to　her　writing　cabinet　and　was　hastily　

scribbling　a　letter　to　her　son　in　which　the　delicate　health；　timid　

disposition　and　other　inevitable　attributes　of　the　new　boy　were　

brought　to　his　notice；　and　commanded　to　his　care。　　When　she　had　

sealed　and　stamped　the　envelope　Henry　uttered　a　belated　caution。



〃Perhaps　on　the　whole　it　would　be　wiser　to　say　nothing　about　the　

boy　to　Comus。　　He　doesn't　always　respond　to　directions　you　know。〃



Francesca　did　know；　and　already　was　more　than　half　of　her　brother's　

opinion；　but　the　woman　who　can　sacrifice　a　clean　unspoiled　penny　

stamp　is　probably　yet　unborn。







CHAPTER　II







LANCELOT　CHETROF　stood　at　the　end　of　a　long　bare　passage；　

restlessly　consulting　his　watch　and　fervently　wishing　himself　half　

an　hour　older　with　a　certain　painful　experience　already　registered　

in　the　past；　unfortunately　it　still　belonged　to　the　future；　and　

what　was　still　more　horrible；　to　the　immediate　future。　　Like　many　

boys　new　to　a　school　he　had　cultivated　an　unhealthy　passion　for　

obeying　rules　and　requirements；　and　his　zeal　in　this　direction　had　

proved　his　undoing。　　In　his　hurry　to　be　doing　two　or　three　

estimable　things　at　once　he　had　omitted　to　study　the　notice…board　

in　more　than　a　perfunctory　fashion　and　had　thereby　missed　a　

football　practice　specially　ordained　for　newly…joined　boys。　　His　

fellow　juniors　of　a　term's　longer　standing　had　graphically　

enlightened　him　as　to　the　inevitable　consequences　of　his　lapse；　the　

dread　which　attaches　to　the　unknown　was；　at　any　rate；　deleted　from　

his　approaching　doom；　though　at　the　moment　he　felt　scarcely　

grateful　for　the　knowledge　placed　at　his　disposal　with　such　lavish　

solicitude。



〃You'll　get　six　of　the　very　best；　over　the　back　of　a　chair；〃　said　

one。



〃They'll　draw　a　chalk　line　across　you；　of　course　you　know；〃　said　

another。



〃A　chalk　line？〃



〃Rather。　　So　that　every　cut　can　be　aimed　exactly　at　the　same　spot。　　

It　hurts　much　more　that　way。〃



Lancelot　tried　to　nourish　a　wan　hope　that　there　might　be　an　element　

of　exaggeration　in　this　uncomfortably　realistic　description。



Meanwhile　in　the　prefects'　room　at　the　other　end　of　the　passage；　

Comus　Bassington　and　a　fellow　prefect　sat　also　waiting　on　time；　but　

in　a　mood　of　far　more　pleasurable　expectancy。　　Comus　was　one　of　the　

most　junior　of　the　prefect　caste；　but　by　no　means　the　least　well…

known；　and　outside　the　masters'　common…room　he　enjoyed　a　certain　

fitful　popularity；　or　at　any　rate　admiration。　　At　football　he　was　

too　erratic　to　be　a　really　brilliant　player；　but　he　tackled　as　if　

the　act　of　bringing　his　man　headlong　to　the　ground　was　in　itself　a　

sensuous　pleasure；　and　his　weird　swear…words　whenever　he　got　hurt　

were　eagerly　treasured　by　those　who　were　fortunate　enough　to　hear　

them。　　At　athletics　in　general　he　was　a　showy　performer；　and　

although　new　to　the　functions　of　a　prefect　he　had　already　

established　a　reputation　as　an　effective　and　artistic　caner。　　In　

appearance　he　exactly　fitted　his　fanciful　Pagan　name。　　His　large　

green…grey　eyes　seemed　for　ever　asparkle　with　goblin　mischief　and　

the　joy　of　revelry；　and　the　curved　lips　might　have　been　those　of　

some　wickedly…laughing　faun；　one　almost　expected　to　see　embryo　

horns　fretting　the　smoothness　of　his　sleek　dark　hair。　　The　chin　was　

firm；　but　one　looked　in　vain　for　a　redeeming　touch　of　ill…temper　in　

the　handsome；　half…mocking；　half…petulant　face。　　With　a　strain　of　

sourness　in　him　Comus　might　have　been　leavened　into　something　

creative　and　masterful；　fate　had　fashioned　him　with　a　certain　

whimsical　charm；　and　left　him　all　unequipped　for　the　greater　

purposes　of　life。　　Perhaps　no　one　would　have　called　him　a　lovable　

character；　but　in　many　respects　he　was　adorable；　in　all　respects　he　

was　certainly　damned。



Rutley；　his　companion　of　the　moment；　sat　watching　him　and　

wondering；　from　the　depths　of　a　very　o