philosophy 4-第4章

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blossoms　all　over　the　meadow。　　They　fell　from　the　tree　where　Bertie　and

Billy　lay；　and　the　boys　brushed　them　from　their　faces。　　Not　very　far

away　was　Blue　Hill；　softly　shining；　and　crows　high　up　in　the　air　came

from　it　occasionally　across　here。



By　one　o'clock　a　change　had　come　in　Billy's　room。　　Oscar　during　that

hour　had　opened　his　satchel　of　philosophy　upon　his　lap　and　read　his

notes　attentively。　　Being　almost　word　perfect　in　many　parts　of　them；　he

now　spent　his　unexpected　leisure　in　acquiring　accurately　the　language　of

still　further　paragraphs。〃　　The　sharp　line　of　demarcation　which

Descartes　drew　between　consciousness　and　the　material　world；〃　whispered

Oscar　with　satisfaction；　and　knew　that　if　Descartes　were　on　the

examination　paper　he　could　start　with　this　and　go　on　for　nearly　twenty

lines　before　he　would　have　to　use　any　words　of　his　own。　　As　he

memorized；　the　chambermaid；　who　had　come　to　do　the　bedrooms　three　times

already　and　had　gone　away　again；　now　returned　and　no　longer　restrained

her　indignation。　　〃Get　up　Mr。　Blake！　〃　she　vociferated　to　the　sleeping

John；　〃you　ought　to　be　ashamed！〃　　And　she　shook　the　bedstead。　　Thus　John

had　come　to　rise　and　discover　Oscar。　　The　patient　tutor　explained

himself　as　John　listened　in　his　pyjamas。



〃Why；　I'm　sorry；〃　said　he；　〃but　I　don't　believe　they'll　get　back　very

soon。〃



〃They　have　gone　away？〃　asked　Oscar；　sharply。



〃Ahyes；〃　returned　the　reticent　John。　　〃An　unexpected　matter　of

importance。〃



〃But；　my　dear　sir；　those　gentlemen　know　nothing！　　Philosophy　4　is

tomorrow；　and　they　know　nothing。〃



〃They'll　have　to　stand　it；　then；〃　said　John；　with　a　grin。



〃And　my　time。　　I　am　waiting　here。　　I　am　engaged　to　teach　them。　　I　have

been　waiting　here　since　ten。　　They　engaged　me　all　day　and　this　evening。



〃I　don't　believe　there's　the　slightest　use　in　your　waiting　now；　you

know。　　They'll　probably　let　you　know　when　they　come　back。〃



〃Probably！　　But　they　have　engaged　my　time。　　The　girl　knows　I　was　here

ready　at　ten。　　I　call　you　to　witness　that　you　found　me　waiting；　ready　at

any　time。〃



John　in　his　pyjamas　stared　at　Oscar。　　〃Why；　of　course　they'll　pay　you

the　whole　thing；〃　said　he；　coldly；　〃stay　here　if　you　prefer。〃　　And　he

went　into　the　bathroom　and　closed　the　door。



The　tutor　stood　awhile；　holding　his　notes　and　turning　his　little　eyes

this　way　and　that。　　His　young　days　had　been　dedicated　to　getting　the

better　of　his　neighbor；　because　otherwise　his　neighbor　would　get　the

better　of　him。　　Oscar　had　never　suspected　the　existence　of　boys　like

John　and　Bertie　and　Billy。　　He　stood　holding　his　notes；　and　then；

buckling　them　up　once　more；　he　left　the　room　with　evidently　reluctant

steps。　　It　was　at　this　time　that　the　clocks　struck　one。





In　their　field　among　the　soft　new　grass　sat　Bertie　and　Billy　some　ten

yards　apart；　each　with　his　back　against　an　apple　tree。　　Each　had　his

notes　and　took　his　turn　at　questioning　the　other。　　Thus　the　names　of　the

Greek　philosophers　with　their　dates　and　doctrines　were　shouted　gayly　in

the　meadow。　　The　foreheads　of　the　boys　were　damp　to…day；　as　they　had

been　last　night；　and　their　shirts　were　opened　to　the　air；　but　it　was　the

sun　that　made　them　hot　now；　and　no　lamp　or　gas；　and　already　they　looked

twice　as　alive　as　they　had　looked　at　breakfast。　　There　they　sat；　while

their　memories　gripped　the　summarized　list　of　facts　essential；　facts　to

be　known　accurately；　the　simple；　solid；　raw　facts；　which；　should　they

happen　to　come　on　the　examination　paper；　no　skill　could　evade　nor　any

imagination　supply。　　But　this　study　was　no　longer　dry　and　dreadful　to

them：　they　had　turned　it　to　a　sporting　event。　　〃What　about　Heracleitos？〃

Billy　as　catechist　would　put　at　Bertie。　　〃Eternal　flux；〃　Bertie　would

correctly　snap　back　at　Billy。　　Or；　if　he　got　it　mixed　up；　and　replied；

〃Everything　is　water；〃　which　was　the　doctrine　of　another　Greek；　then

Billy　would　credit　himself　with　twenty…five　cents　on　a　piece　of　paper。

Each　ran　a　memorandum　of　this　kind；　and　you　can　readily　see　how　spirited

a　character　metaphysics　would　assume　under　such　conditions。



〃I'm　going　in；〃　said　Bertie；　suddenly；　as　Billy　was　crediting　himself

with　a　fifty…cent　gain。　　〃What's　your　score？〃



〃Two　seventy…five；　counting　your　break　on　Parmenides。　　It'II　be　cold。〃



〃No；　it　won't。　　Well；　I'm　only　a　quarter　behind　you。〃　　And　Bertie　puffed

off　his　shoes。　　Soon　he　splashed　into　the　stream　where　the　bend　made　a

hole　of　some　depth。



〃Cold？〃　inquired　Billy　on　the　bank。　　Bertie　closed　his　eyes　dreamily。

〃Delicious；〃　said　he；　and　sank　luxuriously　beneath　the　surface　with　slow

strokes。



Billy　had　his　clothes　off　in　a　moment；　and；　taking　the　plunge；　screamed

loudly　〃You　liar！〃　he　yelled；　as　he　came　up。　　And　he　made　for　Bertie。



Delight　rendered　Bertie　weak　and　helpless；　he　was　caught　and　ducked；　and

after　some　vigorous　wrestling　both　came　out　of　the　icy　water。



〃Now　we've　got　no　towels；　you　fool；〃　said　Billy。



〃Use　your　notes；〃　said　Bertie；　and　he　rolled　in　the　grass。　　Then　they

chased　each　other　round　the　apple　trees；　and　the　black　gelding　watched

them　by　the　wall；　its　ears　well　forward。



While　they　were　dressing　they　discovered　it　was　half…past　one；　and

became　instantly　famished。　　〃We　should　have　brought　lunch　along；〃　they

told　each　other。　　But　they　forgot　that　no　such　thing　as　lunch　could　have

induced　them　to　delay　their　escape　from　Cambridge　for　a　moment　this

morning。　　〃What　do　you　suppose　Oscar　is　doing　now？〃　　Billy　inquired　of

Bertie；　as　they　led　the　black　gelding　back　to　the　road；　and　Bertie

laughed　like　an　infant。　　〃Gentlemen；〃　said　he；　in　Oscar's　manner；　〃we

now　approach　the　multiplicity　of　the　ego。〃　　The　black　gelding　must　have

thought　it　had　humorists　to　deal　with　this　day。





Oscar；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　was　eating　his　cheap　lunch　away　over　in

Cambridge。　　There　was　cold　mutton；　and　boiled　potatoes　with　hard　brown

spots　in　them；　and　large　picked　cucumbers；　and　the　salt　was　damp　and

would　not　shake　out　through　the　holes　in　the　top　of　the　bottle。　　But

Oscar　ate　two　helps　of　everything　with　a　good　appetite；　and　between

whiles　looked　at　his　notes；　which　lay　open　beside　him　on　the　table。　　At

the　stroke　of　two　he　was　again　knocking　at　his　pupils'　door。　　But　no

answer　came。　　John　had　gone　away　somewhere　for　indefinite　hours　and　the

door　was　locked。　　So　Oscar　wrote：　〃Called；　two　p。m。；〃　on　a　scrap　of

envelope；　signed　his　name；　and　put　it　through　the　letter…slit。　　It

crossed　his　mind　to　hunt　other　pupils　for　his　vacant　time；　but　he

decided　against　this　at　once；　and　returned　to　his　own　room。　　Three

o'clock　found　him　back　at　the　door；　knocking　scrupulously；　The　idea　of

performing　his　side　of　the　contract；　of　tendering　his　goods　and　standing

ready　at　all　times　to　deliver　them；　was　in　his　commercially　mature　mind。

This　time　he　had　brought　a　neat　piece　of　paper　with　him；　and　wrote　upon

it；　〃Called；　three　P。M。；〃　and　signed　it　as　before；　and　departed　to　his

room　with　a　sense　of　fulfilled　obligations。





Bertie　and　Billy　had　lunched　at　Mattapan　quite　happily　on　cold　ham；　cold

pie；　and　doughnuts。　　Mattapan；　not　being　accustomed　to　such　lilies　of

the　field；　stared　at　their　clothes　and　general　glory；　but　observed　that

they　could　eat　the　native　bill…of…fare　as　well　as　anybody。　　They　found

some　good；　cool　beer；　moreover；　and　spoke　to　several　people　of　the

Bird…in…Hand；　and　got　several　answers：　for　instance；　that　the

Bird…in…Hand　was　at　Hingham；　that　it　was　at　Nantasket；　that　they　had

better　inquire　for　it　at　South　Braintree；　that　they　had　passed　it　a　mile

back；　and　that　there　was　no　such　place。　　If　you　would　gauge　the

intelligence　of　our　population；　inquire　your　way　in　a　rural

neighborhood。　　With　these　directions　they　took　up　their　journey　after　an

hour　and　a　half；a　halt　made　chiefly　for　the　benefit　of　the　black

gelding；　whom　they　looked　after　as　much　as　they　did　themselves。　　For　a

while　they　discussed　club　matters　seriously；　as　both　of　them　were

officers　of　certain　organizations；　chosen　so　on　account　of　their

recognized　executive　gifts。　　These　questions　settled；　they　resumed　the

lighter　theme　of　philosophy；　and　made　it　（as　Billy　observed）　a　　near

thing　for　the　Causal　law。　　But　as　they　drove　along；　their　minds　left

this　topic　on　the　abrupt　discovery　that　the　sun　was　getting　down　out　of

the　sky；　and　they　asked　each　other　where　they　were　and　what　they　should

do。　They　pulled　up　at　some　cross…roads　and　debated　this　with　growing

uneasiness。　　Behind　them　lay　the　way　to　Cambridge；　…　not　very　clear；　to

be　sure；　but　you　could　always　go　where　you　had　come　from；　Billy　seemed


to　think。　　He　asked；　〃How　about　Cambridge　and　a　little　Oscar　to　finish

off　with？〃　　Bertie　frowned。　　This　would　be　failure。　　Was　Billy　willing

to　go　back　and　face　John　the　successful？



〃It　would　only　cost　me　five　dollars；〃　said　Billy。



〃Ten；〃　Bertie　corrected。　　He　recalled　to　Billy　the　matter　about　the

landlady's　hair。



〃By　Jove；　that's　so！〃　cried　Billy；　brightening。　　It　seemed　conclusive。

But　he　grew　cloudy　again　the　next　moment。　　He　was　of　opinion　that　one

could　go　too　far　in　a　thing。



〃Where's　your　sand？〃　said　Bertie。



Billy　made　an　unseemly　rejoinder；　but　even　in　the　making　was　visited　by

inspiration。　　He　saw　the　whole　thing　as　it　really　was。　　〃By　Jove！〃　said

he；　〃we　couldn't　get　back　in　time　for　dinner。〃



〃There's　my　bonny　boy！〃　said　Bertie；　with　pride；　and　he　touched　up　the

black　gelding。　　Uneasiness　had　left　both　of　them。　　Cambridge　was

manifestly　impossible；　an　error　in　judgment；　food　compelled　them　to　seek

the　Bird…in…Hand。　　〃We'll　try　Quincy；　anyhow；〃　Bertie　said。　　Billy

suggested　that　they　inquire　of　people　on　the　road。　　This　provided　a　new

sporting　event：　they　could　bet　upon　the　answers。　　Now；　the　roads；　not

populous　at　noon；　had　grown　solitary　in　the　sweetness　of　the　long

twilight。　　Voices　of　birds　there　were；　and　little；　black；　quick　brooks；

full　to　the　margin　grass；　shot　under　the　roadway　through　low　bridges。

Through　the　web　of　young　foliage　the　sky　shone　saffron；　and　frogs　piped

in　the　meadow　swamps。　　No　cart　or　carriage　appeared；　however；　and　the

bets　languished。　　Bertie；　driving　with　one　hand；　was　buttoning　his　coat

with　the　other；　when　the　black　gelding　leaped　from　the　middle　of　the

road　to　the　turf　and　took　to　backing。　　The　buggy　reeled；　but　the　driver

was　skilful；　and　fifteen　seconds　of　whip　and　presence　of　mind　brought　it

out　smoothly。　　Then　the　cause　of　all　this　spoke　to　them　from　a　gate。



〃Come　as　near　spillin'　as　you　boys　wanted；　I　guess；〃　remarked　the　cause。



They　looked；　and　saw　him　in　huge　white　shirt…sleeves；　shaking　with

joviality。　　〃If　you　kep'　at　it　long　enough　you　might　a…most　learn　to

drive　a　horse；〃　he　continued；　eying　Bertie。　　This　came　as　near　direct

praise　as　the　true　son　of　our　soilNorthern　or　Southernoften　thinks

well　of。　　Bertie　was　pleased；　but　made　a　modest　observation；　and　〃Are　we

near　the　taver