第85部分(第2/7 頁)

s。　But　all　in　a　mood

of　superficial；　mocking　facility。　She　understood　well　enough

their　two…and…two…make…four　tricks。　She　was　as　clever　as　they

were。　But　care！……did　she　care　about　their　monkey　tricks　of

knowledge　or　learning　or　civic　deportment？　She　did　not　care　in

the　least。

There　was　Skrebensky；　there　was　her　dark；　vital　self。　Outside

the　college；　the　outer　darkness；　Skrebensky　was　waiting。　On　the

edge　of　the　night；　he　was　attentive。　Did　he　care？

She　was　free　as　a　leopard　that　sends　up　its　raucous　cry　in

the　night。　She　had　the　potent；　dark　stream　of　her　own　blood；　she

had　the　glimmering　core　of　fecundity；　she　had　her　mate；　her

plement；　her　sharer　in　fruition。　So；　she　had　all；

everything。

Skrebensky　was　staying　in　Nottingham　all　the　time。　He　too　was

free。　He　knew　no　one　in　this　town；　he　had　no　civic　self　to

maintain。　He　was　free。　Their　trams　and　markets　and　theatres　and

public　meetings　were　a　shaken　kaleidoscope　to　him；　he　watched　as

a　lion　or　a　tiger　may　lie　with　narrowed　eyes　watching　the　people

pass　before　its　cage；　the　kaleidoscopic　unreality　of　people；　or

a　leopard　lie　blinking；　watching　the　inprehensible　feats　of

the　keepers。　He　despised　it　all……it　was　all　non…existent。

Their　good　professors；　their　good　clergymen；　their　good

political　speakers；　their　good；　earnest　women……all　the　time

he　felt　his　soul　was　grinning；　grinning　at　the　sight　of　them。　So

many　performing　puppets；　all　wood　and　rag　for　the

performance！

He　watched　the　citizen；　a　pillar　of　society；　a　model；　saw　the

stiff　goat's　legs；　which　have　bee　almost　stiffened　to　wood　in

the　desire　to　make　them　puppet　in