an unsocial socialist-第45章

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〃They　most　certainly　will　not。　If　you　wish　to　please　them；　you
must　sell　yourself　to　some　rich　vampire　of　the　factories　or　great
landlord。　If　you　give　yourself　away　to　a　poor　poet　who　loves　you；
their　disgust　will　be　unbounded。　If　a　woman　wishes　to　honor　her
father　and　mother　to　their　own　satisfaction　nowadays　she　must
dishonor　herself。〃

〃I　do　not　understand　why　you　should　be　so　anxious　for　me　to　marry
someone　else？〃

〃Someone　else？〃　said　Trefusis；　puzzled。

〃I　do　not　mean　someone　else；〃　said　Gertrude　hastily；　reddening。
〃Why　should　I　marry　at　all？〃

〃Why　do　any　of　us　marry？　Why　do　I　marry？　It　is　a　function　craving
fulfilment。　If　you　do　not　marry　betimes　from　choice；　you　will　be
driven　to　do　so　later　on　by　the　importunity　of　your　suitors　and
of　your　family；　and　by　weariness　of　the　suspense　that　precedes　a
definite　settlement　of　oneself。　Marry　generously。　Do　not　throw
yourself　away　or　sell　yourself；　give　yourself　away。　Erskine　has
as　much　at　stake　as　you；　and　yet　he　offers　himself　fearlessly。〃

Gertrude　raised　her　head　proudly。

〃It　is　true；〃　continued　Trefusis；　observing　the　gesture　with　some
anger；　〃　that　he　thinks　more　highly　of　you　than　you　deserve；　but
you；　on　the　other　hand；　think　too　lowly　of　him。　When　you　marry
him　you　must　save　him　from　a　cruel　disenchantment　by　raising
yourself　to　the　level　he　fancies　you　have　attained。　This　will
cost　you　an　effort；　and　the　effort　will　do　you　good；　whether　it
fail　or　succeed。　As　for　him；　he　will　find　his　just　level　in　your
estimation　if　your　thoughts　reach　high　enough　to　comprehend　him
at　that　level。〃

Gertrude　moved　impatiently。

〃What！〃　he　said　quickly。　〃Are　my　long…winded　sacrifices　to　the
god　of　reason　distasteful？　I　believe　I　am　involuntarily　making
them　so　because　I　am　jealous　of　the　fellow　after　all。
Nevertheless　I　am　serious；　I　want　you　to　get　married；　though　I
shall　always　have　a　secret　grudge　against　the　man　who　marries
you。　Agatha　will　suspect　me　of　treason　if　you　don't。　Erskine　will
be　a　disappointed　man　if　you　don't。　You　will　be　moody；　wretched；
andand　unmarried　if　you　don't。〃

Gertrude's　cheeks　flushed　at　the　word　jealous；　and　again　at　his
mention　of　Agatha。　〃And　if　I　do；〃　she　said　bitterly；　〃what　then？〃

〃If　you　do；　Agatha's　mind　will　be　at　ease；　Erskine　will　be　happy；
and　you！　You　will　have　sacrificed　yourself；　and　will　have　the
happiness　which　follows　that　when　it　is　worthily　done。〃

〃It　is　you　who　have　sacrificed　me；〃　she　said；　casting　away　her
reticence；　and　looking　at　him　for　the　first　time　during　the
conversation。

〃I　know　it；〃　he　said；　leaning　towards　her　and　half　whispering　the
words。　〃Is　not　renunciation　the　beginning　and　the　end　of　wisdom？
I　have　sacrificed　you　rather　than　profane　our　friendship　by
asking　you　to　share　my　whole　life　with　me。　You　are　unfit　for
that；　and　I　have　committed　myself　to　another　union；　and　am
begging　you　to　follow　my　example；　lest　we　should　tempt　one
another　to　a　step　which　would　soon　prove　to　you　how　truly　I　tell
you　that　you　are　unfit。　I　have　never　allowed　you　to　roam　through
all　the　chambers　of　my　consciousness；　but　I　keep　a　sanctuary
there　for　you　alone；　and　will　keep　it　inviolate　for　you　always。
Not　even　Agatha　shall　have　the　key；　she　must　be　content　with　the
other　roomsthe　drawing…room；　the　working…room；　the　dining…room；
and　so　forth。　They　would　not　suit　you；　you　would　not　like　the
furniture　or　the　guests；　after　a　time　you　would　not　like　the
master。　Will　you　be　content　with　the　sanctuary？〃　　Gertrude　bit
her　lip；　tears　came　into　her　eyes。　She　looked　imploringly　at　him。
Had　they　been　alone；　she　would　have　thrown　herself　into　his　arms
and　entreated　him　to　disregard　everything　except　their　strong
cleaving　to　one　another。

〃And　will　you　keep　a　corner　of　your　heart　for　me？〃

She　slowly　gave　him　a　painful　look　of　acquiescence。　〃Will　you　be
brave；　and　sacrifice　yourself　to　the　poor　man　who　loves　you？　He
will　save　you　from　useless　solitude；　or　from　a　worldly
marriageI　cannot　bear　to　think　of　either　as　your　fate。〃

〃I　do　not　care　for　Mr。　Erskine；〃　she　said；　hardly　able　to　control
her　voice；　〃but　I　will　marry　him　if　you　wish　it。〃

〃I　do　wish　it　earnestly；　Gertrude。〃

〃Then；　you　have　my　promise；〃　she　said；　again　with　some
bitterness。

〃But　you　will　not　forget　me？　Erskine　will　have　all　but　thata
tender　recollectionnothing。〃

〃Can　I　do　more　than　I　have　just　promised？〃

〃Perhaps　so；　but　I　am　too　selfish　to　be　able　to　conceive　anything
more　generous。　Our　renunciation　will　bind　us　to　one　another　as
our　union　could　never　have　done。〃

They　exchanged　a　long　look。　Then　he　took　out　his　watch；　and　began
to　speak　of　the　length　of　their　journey；　now　nearly　at　an　end。
When　they　arrived　in　London　the　first　person　they　recognized　on
the　platform　was　Mr。　Jansenius。

〃Ah！　you　got　my　telegram；　I　see；〃　said　Trefusis。　〃Many　thanks　for
coming。　Wait　for　me　whilst　I　put　this　lady　into　a　cab。〃

When　the　cab　was　engaged；　and　Gertrude；　with　her　maid；　stowed
within；　he　whispered　to　her　hurriedly：

〃In　spite　of　all；　I　have　a　leaden　pain　here〃　（indicating　his
heart）。　〃You　have　been　brave；　and　I　have　been　wise。　Do　not　speak
to　me；　but　remember　that　we　are　friends　always　and　deeply。〃

He　touched　her　hand；　and　turned　to　the　cabman；　directing　him
whither　to　drive。　Gertrude　shrank　back　into　a　corner　of　the
vehicle　as　it　departed。　Then　Trefusis；　expanding　his　chest　like　a
man　just　released　from　some　cramping　drudgery；　rejoined　Mr。
Jansenius。

〃There　goes　a　true　woman；〃　he　said。　〃I　have　been　persuading　her
to　take　the　very　best　step　open　to　her。　I　began　by　talking　sense；
like　a　man　of　honor；　and　kept　at　it　for　half　an　hour；　but　she
would　not　listen　to　me。　Then　I　talked　romantic　nonsense　of　the
cheapest　sort　for　five　minutes；　and　she　consented　with　tears　in
her　eyes。　Let　us　take　this　hansom。　Hi！　Belsize　Avenue。　Yes；　you
sometimes　have　to　answer　a　woman　according　to　her　womanishness；
just　as　you　have　to　answer　a　fool　according　to　his　folly。　Have
you　ever　made　up　your　mind；　Jansenius；　whether　I　am　an　unusually
honest　man；　or　one　of　the　worst　products　of　the　social
organization　I　spend　all　my　energies　in　assailingan　infernal
scoundrel；　in　short？〃

〃Now　pray　do　not　be　absurd；〃　said　Mr。　Jansenius。　〃I　wonder　at　a
man　of　your　ability　behaving　and　speaking　as　you　sometimes　do。〃

〃I　hope　a　little　insincerity；　when　meant　to　act　as　chloroformto
save　a　woman　from　feeling　a　wound　to　her　vanityis　excusable。
By…the…bye；　I　must　send　a　couple　of　telegrams　from　the　first
post…office　we　pass。　Well；　sir；　I　am　going　to　marry　Agatha；　as　I
sent　you　word。　There　was　only　one　other　single　man　and　one　other
virgin　down　at　Brandon　Beeches；　and　they　are　as　good　as　engaged。
And　so

〃'Jack　shall　have　Jill；　Nought　shall　go　ill；　The　man　shall　have
his　mare　again；　And　all　shall　be　well。'〃



APPENDIX

LETTER　TO　THE　AUTHOR　FROM　MR。　SIDNEY　TREFUSIS。

My　Dear　Sir：　I　find　that　my　friends　are　not　quite　satisfied　with
the　account　you　have　given　of　them　in　your　clever　novel　entitled
〃　An　Unsocial　Socialist。〃　You　already　understand　that　I　consider
it　my　duty　to　communicate　my　whole　history；　without　reserve；　to
whoever　may　desire　to　be　guided　or　warned　by　my　experience；　and
that　I　have　no　sympathy　whatever　with　the　spirit　in　which　one　of
the　ladies　concerned　recently　told　you　that　her　affairs　were　no
business　of　yours　or　of　the　people　who　read　your　books。　When　you
asked　my　permission　some　years　ago　to　make　use　of　my　story；　I　at
once　said　that　you　would　be　perfectly　justified　in　giving　it　the
fullest　publicity　whether　I　consented　or　not；　provided　only　that
you　were　careful　not　to　falsify　it　for　the　sake　of　artistic
effect。　Now；　whilst　cheerfully　admitting　that　you　have　done　your
best　to　fulfil　that　condition；　I　cannot　help　feeling　that；　in
presenting　the　facts　in　the　guise　of　fiction；　you　have；　in　spite
of　yourself；　shown　them　in　a　false　light。　Actions　described　in
novels　are　judged　by　a　romantic　system　of　morals　as　fictitious　as
the　actions　themselves。　The　traditional　parts　of　this　system　are；
as　Cervantes　tried　to　show；　for　the　chief　part；　barbarous　and
obsolete；　the　modern　additions　are　largely　due　to　the　novel
readers　and　writers　of　our　own　centurymost　of　them
half…educated　women；rebelliously　slavish；　superstitious；
sentimental；　full　of　the　intense　egotism　fostered　by　their
struggle　for　personal　liberty；　and；　outside　their　families；　with
absolutely　no　social　sentiment　except　love。　Meanwhile；　man；
having　fought　and　won　his　fight　for　this　personal　liberty；　only
to　find　himself　a　more　abject　slave　than　before；　is　turning　with
loathing　from　his　egotist's　dream　of　independence　to　the
collective　interests　of　society；　with　the　welfare　of　which　he　now
perceives　his　own　happiness　to　be　inextricably　bound　up。　But　man
in　this　phase　（would　that　all　had　reached　it！）　has　not　yet
leisure　to　write　or　read　novels。　In　noveldom　woman　still　sets　the
moral　standard；　and　to　her　the　males；　who　are　in　full　revolt
against　the　acceptance　of　the　infatuation　of　a　pair　of　lovers　as
the　highest　manifestation　of　the　social　instinct；　and　against　the
restriction　of　the　affections　within　the　narrow　circle　of　blood
relationship；　and　of　the　political　sympathies　within　frontiers；
are　to　her　what　she　calls　heartless　brutes。　That　is　exactly　what
I　have　been　called　by　readers　of　your　novel；　and　that；　indeed；　is
exactly　what　I　am；　judged　by　the　fictitious　and　feminine　standard
of　morality。　Hence　some　critics　have　been　able　plausibly　to
pretend　to　take　the　book　as　a　satire　on　Socialism。　It　may；　for
what　I　know；　have　been　so　intended　by　you。　Whether　or　no；　I　am
sorry　you　made　a　novel　of　my　story；　for　the　effect　has　been
almost　as　if　you　had　misrepresented　me　from　beginning　to　end。

At　the　same　time；　I　acknowledge　that　you　have　stated　the　facts；
on　the　whole；　with　scrupulous　fairness。　You　have；　indeed；
flattered　me　very　strongly　by　representing　me　as　constantly
thinking　of　and　for　other　people；　whereas　the　rest　think　of
themselves　alone；　but　on　the　other　hand　you　have　contradictorily
called　me　〃unsocial；〃　which　is　certainly　the　last　adjective　I
should　have　expected　to　find　in　the　neighborhood　of　my　name。　I
deny；　it　is　true；　that　what　is　now　called　　〃society　〃　is　society
in　any　real　sense；　and　my　best　wish　for　it　is　that　it　may
dissolve　too　rapidly　to　make　it　worth　the　while　of　those　who　are
〃　not　in　society　〃to　facilitate　its　dissolution　by　violently
pounding　it　into　small　pieces。　But　no　reader　of　〃An　Unsocial
Socialist　〃　needs　to　be　told　how；　by　the　exercise　of　a　certain
considerate　tact　（which　on　the　outside；　perhaps；　seems　the
opposite　of　tact）；　I　have　contrived　to　maintain　genial　terms　with
men　and　women　of　all　classes；　even　those　whose　opinions　and
political　conduct　seemed　to　me　most　dangerous。

However；　I　do　not　here　propose　to　go　fully　into　my　own　position；
lest　I　should　seem　tedious；　and　be　accused；　not　for　the　first
time；　of　a　propensity　to　lecture　a　reproach　which　comes
naturally　enough　from　persons　whose　conceptions　are　never　too
wide　to　be　expressed　within　the　limits　of　a　sixpenny　telegram。　I
shall　confine　myself　to　correcting　a　few　misapprehensions　which
have；　I　am　told；　arisen　among　readers　who　from　inveterate　habit
cannot　bring　the　persons　an