manalive-第39章

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〃Oh；　crikey！〃　said　Moses　Gould；　stifled　with　amusement。

〃There　could　hardly；〃　interposed　Pym　with　a　quiet　smile；
〃be　a　better　instance　of　the　neglect　of　true　scientific　process。
The　scientist；　when　once　convinced　of　the　fact　of　vitality
and　consciousness；　would　infer　from　these　the　previous
process　of　generation。〃

〃If　these　gals；〃　said　Gould　impatiently〃if　these　gals　were　all　alive
（all　alive　O！）　I'd　chance　a　fiver　they　were　all　born。〃

〃You'd　lose　your　fiver；〃　said　Michael；　speaking　gravely　out　of　the　gloom。
〃All　those　admirable　ladies　were　alive。　　They　were　more　alive　for　having
come　into　contact　with　Smith。　　They　were　all　quite　definitely　alive；
but　only　one　of　them　was　ever　born。〃

〃Are　you　asking　us　to　believe〃　began　Dr。　Pym。

〃I　am　asking　you　a　second　question；〃　said　Moon　sternly。　　〃Can　the　court
now　sitting　throw　any　light　on　a　truly　singular　circumstance？
Dr。　Pym；　in　his　interesting　lecture　on　what　are　called；　I　believe；
the　relations　of　the　sexes；　said　that　Smith　was　the　slave
of　a　lust　for　variety　which　would　lead　a　man　first　to　a　negress
and　then　to　an　albino；　first　to　a　Patagonian　giantess　and　then
to　a　tiny　Eskimo。　　But　is　there　any　evidence　of　such　variety　here？
Is　there　any　trace　of　a　gigantic　Patagonian　in　the　story？
Was　the　typewriter　an　Eskimo？　　So　picturesque　a　circumstance　would　not
surely　have　escaped　remark。　　Was　Lady　Bullingdon's　dressmaker　a　negress？
A　voice　in　my　bosom　answers；　‘No！'　Lady　Bullingdon；　I　am　sure；
would　think　a　negress　so　conspicuous　as　to　be　almost　Socialistic；
and　would　feel　something　a　little　rakish　even　about　an　albino。

〃But　was　there　in　Smith's　taste　any　such　variety　as　the　learned
doctor　describes？　　So　far　as　our　slight　materials　go；
the　very　opposite　seems　to　be　the　case。　　We　have　only
one　actual　description　of　any　of　the　prisoner's　wives
the　short　but　highly　poetic　account　by　the　aesthetic　curate。
‘Her　dress　was　the　colour　of　spring；　and　her　hair　of　autumn　leaves。'
Autumn　leaves；　of　course；　are　of　various　colours；　some　of
which　would　be　rather　startling　in　hair　（green；　for　instance）；
but　I　think　such　an　expression　would　be　most　naturally　used　of
the　shades　from　red…brown　to　red；　especially　as　ladies　with　their
coppery…coloured　hair　do　frequently　wear　light　artistic　greens。
Now　when　we　come　to　the　next　wife；　we　find　the　eccentric　lover；
when　told　he　is　a　donkey；　answering　that　donkeys　always　go
after　carrots；　a　remark　which　Lady　Bullingdon　evidently
regarded　as　pointless　and　part　of　the　natural　table…talk　of　a
village　idiot；　but　which　has　an　obvious　meaning　if　we　suppose
that　Polly's　hair　was　red。　　Passing　to　the　next　wife；　the　one
he　took　from　the　girls'　school；　we　find　Miss　Gridley　noticing
that　the　schoolgirl　in　question　wore　‘a　reddish…brown　dress；
that　went　quietly　enough　with　the　warmer　colour　of　her　hair。'
In　other　words；　the　colour　of　the　girl's　hair　was　something　redder
than　red…brown。　Lastly；　the　romantic　organ…grinder　declaimed
in　the　office　some　poetry　that　only　got　as　far　as　the　words；

　　　　　　　　‘O　vivid；　inviolate　head；
　　　　　　　　　Ringed　'

But　I　think　that　a　wide　study　of　the　worst　modern　poets
will　enable　us　to　guess　that　‘ringed　with　a　glory　of　red；'
or　‘ringed　with　its　passionate　red；'　was　the　line　that　rhymed
to　‘head。'　In　this　case　once　more；　therefore；　there　is　good
reason　to　suppose　that　Smith　fell　in　love　with　a　girl　with
some　sort　of　auburn　or　darkish…red　hairrather；〃　he　said；
looking　down　at　the　table；　〃rather　like　Miss　Gray's　hair。〃

Cyrus　Pym　was　leaning　forward　with　lowered　eyelids；
ready　with　one　of　his　more　pedantic　interpellations；
but　Moses　Gould　suddenly　struck　his　forefinger　on　his　nose；
with　an　expression　of　extreme　astonishment　and　intelligence
in　his　brilliant　eyes。

〃Mr。　Moon's　contention　at　present；〃　interposed　Pym；　〃is　not；
even　if　veracious；　inconsistent　with　the　lunatico…criminal　view
of　I。　Smith；　which　we　have　nailed　to　the　mast。　　Science　has
long　anticipated　such　a　complication。　　An　incurable　attraction
to　a　particular　type　of　physical　woman　is　one　of　the　commonest
of　criminal　per…versities；　and　when　not　considered　narrowly；
but　in　the　light　of　induction　and　evolution〃

〃At　this　late　stage；〃　said　Michael　Moon　very　quietly；　〃I　may　perhaps
relieve　myself　of　a　simple　emotion　that　has　been　pressing　me
throughout　the　proceedings；　by　saying　that　induction　and　evolution
may　go　and　boil　themselves。　　The　Missing　Link　and　all　that　is
well　enough　for　kids；　but　I'm　talking　about　things　we　know　here。
All　we　know　of　the　Missing　Link　is　that　he　is　missingand　he　won't
be　missed　either。　　I　know　all　about　his　human　head　and　his　horrid　tail；
they　belong　to　a　very　old　game　called　‘Heads　I　win；　tails　you　lose。'
If　you　do　find　a　fellow's　bones；　it　proves　he　lived　a　long　while　ago；
if　you　don't　find　his　bones；　it　proves　how　long　ago　he　lived。
That　is　the　game　you've　been　playing　with　this　Smith　affair。
Because　Smith's　head　is　small　for　his　shoulders　you　call
him　microcephalous；　if　it　had　been　large；　you'd　have　called　it
water…on…the…brain。　As　long　as　poor　old　Smith's　seraglio　seemed
pretty　various；　variety　was　the　sign　of　madness：　　now；　because　it's
turning　out　to　be　a　bit　monochromenow　monotony　is　the　sign　of　madness。
I　suffer　from　all　the　disadvantages　of　being　a　grown…up　person；
and　I'm　jolly　well　going　to　get　some　of　the　advantages　too；
and　with　all　politeness　I　propose　not　to　be　bullied　with　long　words
instead　of　short　reasons；　or　consider　your　business　a　triumphant
progress　merely　because　you're　always　finding　out　that　you　were　wrong。
Having　relieved　myself　of　these　feelings；　I　have　merely　to　add
that　I　regard　Dr。　Pym　as　an　ornament　to　the　world　far　more　beautiful
than　the　Parthenon；　or　the　monument　on　Bunker's　Hill；　and　that　I
propose　to　resume　and　conclude　my　remarks　on　the　many　marriages
of　Mr。　Innocent　Smith。

〃Besides　this　red　hair；　thee　is　another　unifying　thread　that
runs　through　these　scattered　incidents。　　There　is　something
very　peculiar　and　suggestive　about　the　names　of　these　women。
Mr。　Trip；　you　will　remember；　said　he　thought　the　typewriter's
name　was　Blake；　but　could　not　remember　exactly。
I　suggest　that　it　might　have　been　Black；　and　in　that　case　we
have　a　curious　series：　　Miss　Green　in　Lady　Bullingdon's　village；
Miss　Brown　at　the　Hendon　School；　Miss　Black　at　the　publishers。
A　chord　of　colours；　as　it　were；　which　ends　up　with　Miss　Gray
at　Beacon　House；　West　Hampstead。〃

Amid　a　dead　silence　Moon　continued　his　exposition。
〃What　is　the　meaning　of　this　queer　coincidence　about　colours？
Personally　I　cannot　doubt　for　a　moment　that　these　names　are　purely
arbitrary　names；　assumed　as　part　of　some　general　scheme　or　joke。
I　think　it　very　probably　that　they　were　taken　from　a　series　of　costumes
that　Polly　Green　only　meant　Polly　（or　Mary）　when　in　green；
and　that　Mary　Gray　only　means　Mary　（or　Polly）　when　in　gray。
This　would　explain〃

Cyrus　Pym　was　standing　up　rigid　and　almost　pallid。
〃Do　you　actually　mean　to　suggest〃　he　cried。

〃Yes；〃　said　Michael；　〃I　do　mean　to　suggest　that。　　Innocent　Smith　has　had
many　wooings；　and　many　weddings　for　all　I　know；　but　he　has　had　only　one　wife。
She　was　sitting　on　that　chair　an　hour　ago；　and　is　now　talking　to　Miss　Duke
in　the　garden。

〃Yes；　Innocent　Smith　has　behaved　here；　as　he　has　on　hundreds　of
other　occasions；　upon　a　plain　and　perfectly　blameless　principle。
It　is　odd　and　extravagant　in　the　modern　world；　but　not　more　than　any　other
principle　plainly　applied　in　the　modern　world　would　be。　　His　principle
can　be　quite　simply　stated：　　he　refuses　to　die　while　he　is　still　alive。
He　seeks　to　remind　himself；　by　every　electric　shock　to　the　intellect；
that　he　is　still　a　man　alive；　walking　on　two　legs　about　the　world。
For　this　reason　he　fires　bullets　at　his　best　friends；　for　this　reason
he　arranges　ladders　and　collapsible　chimneys　to　steal　his　own　property；
for　this　reason　he　goes　plodding　around　a　whole　planet　to　get　back　to　his
own　home；　and　for　this　reason　he　has　been　in　the　habit　of　taking　the　woman
whom　he　loved　with　a　permanent　loyalty；　and　leaving　her　about　（so　to　speak）
at　schools；　boarding…houses；　and　places　of　business；　so　that　he　might
recover　her　again　and　again　with　a　raid　and　a　romanti