《星期一和星期二》第6章

“surely　you　could　teach　her　to　believe　that　a　man’s　intellect　is；　and　always　will　be；　fundamentally　superior　to　a　woman’s？”　i　suggested。　she　brightened　at　this　and　began　to　turn　over　our　old　minutes　again。　“yes；”　she　said；　“think　of　their　discoveries；　their　mathematics；　their　science；　their　philosophy；　their　scholarship—”　and　then　she　began　to　laugh；　“i　shall　never　forget　old　hobkin　and　the　hairpin；”　she　said；　and　went　on　reading　and　laughing　and　i　thought　she　was　quite　happy；　when　suddenly　she　drew　the　book　from　her　and　burst　out；　“oh；　cassandra；　why　do　you　torment　me？　don’t　you　know　that　our　belief　in　man’s　intellect　is　the　greatest　fallacy　of　them　all？”　“what？”　i　exclaimed。　“ask　any　journalist；　schoolmaster；　politician　or　public　house　keeper　in　the　land　and　they　will　all　tell　you　that　men　are　much　cleverer　than　women。”　“as　if　i　doubted　it；”　she　said　scornfully。　“how　could　they　help　it？　haven’t　we　bred　them　and　fed　and　kept　them　in　fort　since　the　beginning　of　time　so　that　they　may　be　clever　even　if　they’re　nothing　else？　it’s　all　our　doing！”　she　cried。　“we　insisted　upon　having　intellect　and　now　we’ve　got　it。　and　it’s　intellect；”　she　continued；　“that’s　at　the　bottom　of　it。　what　could　be　more　charming　than　a　boy　before　he　has　begun　to　cultivate　his　intellect？　he　is　beautiful　to　look　at；　he　gives　himself　no　airs；　he　understands　the　meaning　of　art　and　literature　instinctively；　he　goes　about　enjoying　his　life　and　making　other　people　enjoy　theirs。　then　they　teach　him　to　cultivate　his　intellect。　he　bees　a　barrister；　a　civil　servant；　a　general；　an　author；　a　professor。　every　day　he　goes　to　an　office。　every　year　he　produces　a　book。　he　maintains　a　whole　family　by　the　products　of　his　brain—poor　devil！　soon　he　cannot　e　into　a　room　without　making　us　all　feel　unfortable；　he　condescends　to　every　woman　he　meets；　and　dares　not　tell　the　truth　even　to　his　own　wife；　instead　of　rejoicing　our　eyes　we　have　to　shut　them　if　we　are　to　take　him　in　our　arms。　true；　they　console　themselves　with　stars　of　all　shapes；　ribbons　of　all　shades；　and　ines　of　all　sizes—but　what　is　to　console　us？　that　we　shall　be　able　in　ten　years’　time　to　spend　a　weekend　at　lahore？　or　that　the　least　insect　in　japan　has　a　name　twice　the　length　of　its　body？　oh；　cassandra；　for　heaven’s　sake　let　us　devise　a　method　by　which　men　may　bear　children！　it　is　our　only　chance。　for　unless　we　provide　them　with　some　innocent　occupation　we　shall　get　neither　good　people　nor　good　books；　we　shall　perish　beneath　the　fruits　of　their　unbridled　activity；　and　not　a　human　being　will　survive　to　know　that　there　once　was　shakespeare！”
“it　is　too　late；”　i　replied。　“we　cannot　provide　even　for　the　children　that　we　have。”
“and　then　you　ask　me　to　believe　in　intellect；”　she　said。
while　we　spoke；　man　were　crying　hoarsely　and　wearily　in　the　street；　and；　listening；　we　heard　that　the　treaty　of　peace　had　just　been　signed。　the　voices　died　away。　the　rain　was　falling　and　interfered　no　doubt　with　the　proper　explosion　of　the　fireworks。
“my　cook　will　have　bought　the　evening　news；”　said　castalia；　“and　ann　will　be　spelling　it　out　over　her　tea。　i　must　go　home。”
“it’s　no　good—not　a　bit　of　good；”　i　said。　“once　she　knows　how　to　read　there’s　only　one　thing　you　can　teach　her　to　believe　in—and　that　is　herself。”
“well；　that　would　be　a　change；”　sighed　castalia。
so　we　swept　up　the　papers　of　our　society；　and；　though　ann　was　playing　with　her　doll　very　happily；　we　solemnly　made　her　a　present　of　the　lot　and　told　her　we　had　chosen　her　to　be　president　of　the　society　of　the　future—upon　which　she　burst　into　tears；　poor　little　girl。
．．
3。　Monday　or　Tuesday
小！说
3。　monday　or　tuesday
lazy　and　indifferent；　shaking　space　easily　from　his　wings；　knowing　his　way；　the　heron　passes　over　the　church　beneath　the　sky。　white　and　distant；　absorbed　in　itself；　endlessly　the　sky　covers　and　uncovers；　moves　and　remains。　a　lake？　blot　the　shores　of　it　out！　a　mountain？　oh；　perfect—the　sun　gold　on　its　slopes。　down　that　falls。　ferns　then；　or　white　feathers；　for　ever　and　ever—
desiring　truth；　awaiting　it；　laboriously　distilling　a　few　words；　for　ever　desiring—（a　cry　starts　to　the　left；　another　to　the　right。　wheels　strike　divergently。　omnibuses　conglomerate　in　conflict）—for　ever　desiring—（the　clock　asseverates　with　twelve　distinct　strokes　that　it　is　midday；　light　sheds　gold　scales；　children　swarm）—for　ever　desiring　truth。　red　is　the　dome；　coins　hang　on　the　trees；　smoke　trails　from　the　chimneys；　bark；　shout；　cry　“iron　for　sale”—and　truth？
radiating　to　a　point　men’s　feet　and　women’s　feet；　black　or　gold–encrusted—（this　foggy　weather—sugar？　no；　thank　you—the　monwealth　of　the　future）—the　firelight　darting　and　making　the　room　red；　save　for　the　black　figures　and　their　bright　eyes；　while　outside　a　van　discharges；　miss　thingummy　drinks　tea　at　her　desk；　and　plate–glass　preserves　fur　coats—
flaunted；　leaf—light；　drifting　at　corners；　blown　across　the　wheels；　silver–splashed；　home　or　not　home；　gathered；　scattered；　squandered　in　separate　scales；　swept　up；　down；　torn；　sunk；　assembled—and　truth？
now　to　recollect　by　the　fireside　on　the　white　square　of　marble。　from　ivory　depths　words　rising　shed　their　blackness；　blossom　and　penetrate。　fallen　the　book；　in　the　flame；　in　the　smoke；　in　the　momentary　sparks—or　now　voyaging；　the　marble　square　pendant；　minarets　beneath　and　the　indian　seas；　while　space　rushes　blue　and　stars　glint—truth？　content　with　closeness？
lazy　and　indifferent　the　heron　returns；　the　sky　veils　her　stars；　then　bares　them。
。。
4。　An　Unwritten　Novel
4。　an　unwritten　novel
such　an　expression　of　unhappiness　was　enough　by　itself　to　make　one’s　eyes　slide　above　the　paper’s　edge　to　the　poor　woman’s　face—insignificant　without　that　look；　almost　a　symbol　of　human　destiny　with　it。　life’s　what　you　see　in　people’s　eyes；　life’s　what　they　learn；　and；　having　learnt　it；　never；　though　they　seek　to　hide　it；　cease　to　be　aware　of—what？　that　life’s　like　that；　it　seems。　five　faces　opposite—five　mature　faces—and　the　knowledge　in　each　face。　strange；　though；　how　people　want　to　conceal　it！　marks　of　reticence　are　on　all　those　faces：　lips　shut；　e