登陆注册
37340700000010

第10章

Is it not rather an appeal to the proprietory instinct, the commercial instinct? And isn't this what we mean by nationality?'

`Probably,' said Birkin, who felt that such a discussion was out of place and out of time.

But Gerald was now on the scent of argument.

`A race may have its commercial aspect,' he said.`In fact it must.

It is like a family.You must make provision.And to make provision you have got to strive against other families, other nations.I don't see why you shouldn't.'

Again Hermione made a pause, domineering and cold, before she replied:

`Yes, I think it is always wrong to provoke a spirit of rivalry.It makes bad blood.And bad blood accumulates.'

`But you can't do away with the spirit of emulation altogether?' said Gerald.`It is one of the necessary incentives to production and improvement.'

`Yes,' came Hermione's sauntering response.`I think you can do away with it.'

`I must say,' said Birkin, `I detest the spirit of emulation.' Hermione was biting a piece of bread, pulling it from between her teeth with her fingers, in a slow, slightly derisive movement.She turned to Birkin.

`You do hate it, yes,' she said, intimate and gratified.

`Detest it,' he repeated.

`Yes,' she murmured, assured and satisfied.

`But,' Gerald insisted, `you don't allow one man to take away his neighbour's living, so why should you allow one nation to take away the living from another nation?'

There was a long slow murmur from Hermione before she broke into speech, saying with a laconic indifference:

`It is not always a question of possessions, is it? It is not all a question of goods?'

Gerald was nettled by this implication of vulgar materialism.

`Yes, more or less,' he retorted.`If I go and take a man's hat from off his head, that hat becomes a symbol of that man's liberty.When he fights me for his hat, he is fighting me for his liberty.'

Hermione was nonplussed.

`Yes,' she said, irritated.`But that way of arguing by imaginary instances is not supposed to be genuine, is it? A man does not come and take my hat from off my head, does he?'

`Only because the law prevents him,' said Gerald.

`Not only,' said Birkin.`Ninety-nine men out of a hundred don't want my hat.'

`That's a matter of opinion,' said Gerald.

`Or the hat,' laughed the bridegroom.

`And if he does want my hat, such as it is,' said Birkin, `why, surely it is open to me to decide, which is a greater loss to me, my hat, or my liberty as a free and indifferent man.If I am compelled to offer fight, I lose the latter.It is a question which is worth more to me, my pleasant liberty of conduct, or my hat.'

`Yes,' said Hermione, watching Birkin strangely.`Yes.'

`But would you let somebody come and snatch your hat off your head?'

the bride asked of Hermione.

The face of the tall straight woman turned slowly and as if drugged to this new speaker.

`No,' she replied, in a low inhuman tone, that seemed to contain a chuckle.

`No, I shouldn't let anybody take my hat off my head.'

`How would you prevent it?' asked Gerald.

`I don't know,' replied Hermione slowly.`Probably I should kill him.'

There was a strange chuckle in her tone, a dangerous and convincing humour in her bearing.

`Of course,' said Gerald, `I can see Rupert's point.It is a question to him whether his hat or his peace of mind is more important.'

`Peace of body,' said Birkin.

`Well, as you like there,' replied Gerald.`But how are you going to decide this for a nation?'

`Heaven preserve me,' laughed Birkin.

`Yes, but suppose you have to?' Gerald persisted.

`Then it is the same.If the national crown-piece is an old hat, then the thieving gent may have it.'

`But can the national or racial hat be an old hat?' insisted Gerald.

`Pretty well bound to be, I believe,' said Birkin.

`I'm not so sure,' said Gerald.

`I don't agree, Rupert,' said Hermione.

`All right,' said Birkin.

`I'm all for the old national hat,' laughed Gerald.

`And a fool you look in it,' cried Diana, his pert sister who was just in her teens.

`Oh, we're quite out of our depths with these old hats,' cried Laura Crich.`Dry up now, Gerald.We're going to drink toasts.Let us drink toasts.

Toasts -- glasses, glasses -- now then, toasts! Speech! Speech!'

Birkin, thinking about race or national death, watched his glass being filled with champagne.The bubbles broke at the rim, the man withdrew, and feeling a sudden thirst at the sight of the fresh wine, Birkin drank up his glass.A queer little tension in the room roused him.He felt a sharp constraint.

`Did I do it by accident, or on purpose?' he asked himself.And he decided that, according to the vulgar phrase, he had done it `accidentally on purpose.'

He looked round at the hired footman.And the hired footman came, with a silent step of cold servant-like disapprobation.Birkin decided that he detested toasts, and footmen, and assemblies, and mankind altogether, in most of its aspects.Then he rose to make a speech.But he was somehow disgusted.

At length it was over, the meal.Several men strolled out into the garden.

There was a lawn, and flower-beds, and at the boundary an iron fence shutting off the little field or park.The view was pleasant; a highroad curving round the edge of a low lake, under the trees.In the spring air, the water gleamed and the opposite woods were purplish with new life.Charming Jersey cattle came to the fence, breathing hoarsely from their velvet muzzles at the human beings, expecting perhaps a crust.

Birkin leaned on the fence.A cow was breathing wet hotness on his hand.

`Pretty cattle, very pretty,' said Marshall, one of the brothers-in-law.

`They give the best milk you can have.'

`Yes,' said Birkin.

`Eh, my little beauty, eh, my beauty!' said Marshall, in a queer high falsetto voice, that caused the other man to have convulsions of laughter in his stomach.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 我与青梅竹马的遭遇

    我与青梅竹马的遭遇

    也许你遇到过曾经的那个她,也尽是说不出的痛楚,两两相望,唯余失望。青春只有一次,喜欢就去追啊。
  • 鼠闯封神

    鼠闯封神

    一只猥琐的小白鼠闯荡洪荒骚气四溢的参与到封神大战前后有人说他猥琐,有人说他滥情,更有人说他没下限以上所有评价,张昊当仁不让的全部接下且看张昊是如何走出一条属于自己的旅程本书不会出现和鸿钧平起平坐甚至超过的人物和等级
  • 猎人里的假面

    猎人里的假面

    有的人明明死亡,却永远留在人心。有的人明明活着,却永远不在人眼。死亡者永享安宁,存活者负重前行。你要怎么选择,死亡或者苟活,停留或远行。
  • 奇妙时代

    奇妙时代

    这世上如果没有灵魂,又怎么会有“灵魂工程师”这个称号?这个称号具体代表什么意思?
  • 黄袍我加身

    黄袍我加身

    “天地闭,贤人隐,王者不作而乱贼盈天下,……君不君,臣不臣,父不父,子不子,铤而走险,虽夷虏犹尊亲也;急则生变,虽骨肉犹仇敌也。”魂飞千年,生逢乱世,重生成为后周太祖郭威三子郭信的私生子,誓要扫平乱世,踏灭胡虏,无卖地求荣,无岁币议和,无靖康之耻,无崖山之殇……
  • 感悟卷:你让我成为最好的自己

    感悟卷:你让我成为最好的自己

    慢慢睁开眼睛,我从瓜秧的缝隙看到了瓜棚,我从瓜棚的缝隙,又看到了夜空中的星星月亮。墨蓝墨蓝的夜空中点缀着琉璃色的群星,满天的繁星,像洒满银河的珍珠。星星在天空不停地眨着眼睛,你看它时,它也在看你。它仿佛在说:“嘘,别出声,我帮你站岗。”怀念故乡,怀念故乡瓜棚上面的星星月亮。
  • 爱上极品总裁

    爱上极品总裁

    她,温柔,善良,聪慧,曾经刻骨的伤痛,使她对爱情视如洪水猛兽。他,冷傲,自大,却有一颗孤寂的心,父子间有着怎样不可逾越的鸿沟,使他宁愿抛开难以估算的财富独自奋斗,也不愿接纳自己应有的身份地位。事业一步步走向辉煌,情感却一次次在心头徘徊挣扎。纵然拥有了全世界又如何?他最大的幸福只是希望有她在身边。
  • 你是我的十万分之四

    你是我的十万分之四

    蹦迪影后遇上老干部影帝,互怼成了日常。“人一生会遇到大约约2920万人,两个人相爱的概率是0.000049%…我不会什么甜言蜜语,我只想问,你愿不愿意…成为我的沈太太?”
  • 至尊灾星

    至尊灾星

    霉运缠身的少年,因为骂了几句‘贼老天’,在经历一连串匪夷所思的倒霉事件后,意外而亡,魂魄穿越到异世界,成为了一家学院的小门卫——司空摘星!自此,一颗灾星冉冉升起……
  • 假如月亮欺骗你

    假如月亮欺骗你

    好人没好报,这回安净美总算意识到了,就算是英雄救美,也不至于遇上这么不讲道理的混蛋吧?算了,也只能算她运气不好遇上了沐哲云这样的极品冷血动物吧!加油吧,安净美,你永远是世界上最美丽的女仆。“女仆”系列之——《假如月亮欺骗你》,谢谢支持!