登陆注册
15465600000015

第15章 CHAPTER V THE GOOD CITIZEN(2)

"Besides, there are many people with religious views about it.""It's always seemed to me," said Shelton, "to be quaint that people should assert that marriage gives them the right to 'an eye for an eye,' and call themselves Christians. Did you ever know anybody stand on their rights except out of wounded pride or for the sake of their own comfort? Let them call their reasons what they like, you know as well as I do that it's cant.""I don't know about that," said Halidome, more and more superior as Shelton grew more warm; "when you stand on your rights, you do it for the sake of Society as well as for your own. If you want to do away with marriage, why don't you say so?""But I don't," said Shelton:" is it likely? Why, I'm going---" He stopped without adding the words "to be married myself," for it suddenly occurred to him that the reason was not the most lofty and philosophic in the world. "All I can say is," he went on soberly, "that you can't make a horse drink by driving him. Generosity is the surest way of tightening the knot with people who've any sense of decency; as to the rest, the chief thing is to prevent their breeding."Halidome smiled.

"You're a rum chap," he said.

Shelton jerked his cigarette into the fire.

"I tell you what"--for late at night a certain power of vision came to him--"it's humbug to talk of doing things for the sake of Society;it's nothing but the instinct to keep our own heads above the water."But Halidome remained unruffled.

"All right," he said, "call it that. I don't see why I should go to the wall; it wouldn't do any good.""You admit, then," said Shelton, "that our morality is the sum total of everybody's private instinct of self-preservation?"Halidome stretched his splendid frame and yawned.

"I don't know," he began, "that I should quite call it that--"But the compelling complacency of his fine eyes, the dignified posture of his healthy body, the lofty slope of his narrow forehead, the perfectly humane look of his cultivated brutality, struck Shelton as ridiculous.

"Hang it, Hall" he cried, jumping from his chair, "what an old fraud you are! I'll be off.""No, look here!" said Halidome; the faintest shade of doubt had appeared upon his face; he took Shelton by a lapel: "You're quite wrong---""Very likely; good-night, old chap!"

Shelton walked home, letting the spring wind into him. It was Saturday, and he passed many silent couples. In every little patch of shadow he could see two forms standing or sitting close together, and in their presence Words the Impostors seemed to hold their tongues. The wind rustled the buds; the stars, one moment bright as diamonds, vanished the next. In the lower streets a large part of the world was under the influence of drink, but by this Shelton was far from being troubled. It seemed better than Drama, than dressing-bagged men, unruffled women, and padded points of view, better than the immaculate solidity of his friend's possessions.

"So," he reflected, "it's right for every reason, social, religious, and convenient, to inflict one's society where it's not desired.

There are obviously advantages about the married state; charming to feel respectable while you're acting in a way that in any other walk of life would bring on you contempt. If old Halidome showed that he was tired of me, and I continued to visit him, he'd think me a bit of a cad; but if his wife were to tell him she couldn't stand him, he'd still consider himself a perfect gentleman if he persisted in giving her the burden of his society; and he has the cheek to bring religion into it--a religion that says, 'Do unto others!'"But in this he was unjust to Halidome, forgetting how impossible it was for him to believe that a woman could not stand him. He reached his rooms, and, the more freely to enjoy the clear lamplight, the soft, gusty breeze, and waning turmoil of the streets, waited a moment before entering.

"I wonder," thought he, "if I shall turn out a cad when I marry, like that chap in the play. It's natural. We all want our money's worth, our pound of -flesh! Pity we use such fine words--'Society, Religion, Morality.' Humbug!"He went in, and, throwing his window open, remained there a long time, his figure outlined against the lighted room for the benefit of the dark square below, his hands in his pockets, his head down, a reflective frown about his eyes. A half-intoxicated old ruffian, a policeman, and a man in a straw hat had stopped below, and were holding a palaver.

"Yus," the old ruffian said, "I'm a rackety old blank; but what I say is, if we wus all alike, this would n't be a world!"They went their way, and before the listener's eyes there rose Antonia's face, with its unruffled brow; Halidome's, all health and dignity; the forehead of the goggle-eyed man, with its line of hair parted in the centre, and brushed across. A light seemed to illumine the plane of their existence, as the electric lamp with the green shade had illumined the pages of the Matthew Arnold; serene before Shelton's vision lay that Elysium, untouched by passion or extremes of any kind, autocratic; complacent, possessive, and well-kept as any Midland landscape. Healthy, wealthy, wise! No room but for perfection, self-preservation, the survival of the fittest! "The part of the good citizen," he thought: "no, if we were all alike, this would n't be a world!"

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 鼓枻稿

    鼓枻稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 无奈异世界生活

    无奈异世界生活

    异世界,卧槽,为什么我没有金手指,也没有系统,为什么我去了那边有那么恐怖的……
  • 明净台

    明净台

    片段一:蒂连“你为什么这么宠着我啊?”卿成:因为把你宠怀了,就没人跟我抢你了”片段二:蒂连喜欢我这是一条不归路啊”卿成“我本来就没打算回头”片段三:暖阳“慢工出细活”净思“别叫我老大,叫我女王”《礼记?礼运》:“麟、凤、龟、龙,谓之四灵。麟为百兽之长,凤为百禽之长,龟为百介之长,龙为百鳞之长。但真相是......凤凰霸气很女王,神龙傲娇爱高冷、神龟呆萌也暖男、麒麟萝莉又有爱。注;本书非独立长篇小说,而是一个个相对独立的故事串联起来的小长篇。
  • 晨风的记忆

    晨风的记忆

    两个不同人生的人,活在相同的现实中,用十年的相守,却始终得不到答案:如果我做回一个好人,你还会喜欢我吗?如果是你,结局会是怎样。
  • 为爱成殇之凤凰绝恋

    为爱成殇之凤凰绝恋

    她,21世纪一个没落修仙家族的少女,肩负着拯救整个家族命运的重任,可笑的是,她的重任便是用自己的一切去成就那个诅咒了家族千年的男人。为了结束千年的诅咒,她压抑着本性,压抑着恨意,做着最圣洁的道魂,为的便是用自己的一切成就一个杀她主人的男人。他,凤凰族的少主,冷漠无情却又对她强势霸道,为了能才甘愿为另一个男人付出一切的心上人那里得到一丝温柔而甘愿付出一切。当命运将两个本不是一个世界的人纠缠在一起,且看两个人如何在爱和命运里幸福碰撞。
  • 邪魅魔君诱医仙

    邪魅魔君诱医仙

    当天才美医仙穿越到青龙国的三公主身上,霸气回归青龙国,进入圣学院,威名远扬……只是这个一直跟在自己身后诱惑自己的那个魔君到底是怎么回事?
  • 上古世纪之天极

    上古世纪之天极

    这是一个被称为“光与玫瑰”的时代,为了探索世界的起始——神之庭院,十二位英雄开始了史诗之旅。屠杀四大神赐,开启神之图书馆,解开大辉煌的序章。
  • 红风传

    红风传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 昨夜星辰恰似您

    昨夜星辰恰似您

    “诡医回眸美如画,一笑倾城断人魂。”vs“公子淡然处之,抬笔断人生魂。”一代绝世诡医,与陌上公子如玉。世说墨家“少年”丞相,面如冠玉,一笑一回眸间,引无数女子魂牵梦绕。世说当朝皇上,公子如玉,让无数女子,挤破头的想一睹“芳容”。“皇上,现在重新认识一下,在下墨阡痕,性别女,爱好您。”
  • 西行传奇

    西行传奇

    神秘小镇,未知危险!悟空八戒,双双出动,等待还是离开?这一切都是未知。镇妖小镇,奇妙之旅