下载辰思小说免费APP
"Incurablyromantic,"shehadcalledme,incalmermoments,whenIwasabletodiscussouraffairobjectively.AndonceshedeclaredthatIhadnosenseoftragedy.Weread"Macbeth"together,Iremember,onerainySunday.Themodernworld,whichwasourgeneration,wouldseemtobecutofffromallthatprecededitaswithadescendingknife.Itwaspreciselyfrom"thesenseoftragedy"thatwehadbeenemancipated:fromthe"agonizedconscience,"Ishouldundoubtedlyhavesaid,hadIbeenacquaintedthenwithMr.Santayana\'slaterphrase.Conscience,——theoldkindofconscience,——andnothinginherentinthedeedsthemselves,madethetragedy;consciencewassuperstition,thefearofthewrathofthegods:consciencewasthewrathofthegods.Eliminateit,andbehold!
therewerenoconsequences.Thegodsthemselves,thatkindofgods,becameasextinctasthedeitiesoftheDruids,theGreekfates,theterriblefiguresofGermanmythology.Yes,andastheGodofChristianorthodoxy.
HadanydirecalamitiesovertakenthemodernMacbeths,ofwhosepersonalliveswehappenedtoknowsomething?Hadnotthesegreatonesbrokenwithimpunityallthelawsoftraditionalmorality?Theygroundthefacesofthepoor,playedgolfandwenttochurchwithsereneminds,untroubledbycriticism;theyappropriated,quitefreely,othermen\'smoney,andsomeofthemothermen\'swives,andyettheywerenothaggardwithremorse.Thegodsremainedsilent.Christianministersregardedthesemoderntransgressorsofancientlawsbenignlyandacceptedtheircontributions.Here,indeed,werethesupermenofthemadGermanprophetandphilosophercometolife,refutingallclassictragedy.Itistruethatsomeofthesesupermenwereoccasionallysweptawaybydisease,whichinancientdayswouldhavebeenregardedasaretributivescourge,butwasinfactnothingbutthelogicalworkingofthelawsofhygiene,theresultofoverwork.Such,thoughstatedmorecrudely,weremycontentionswhendesiredidnotcloudmybrainandmakemeincoherent.
AndIdidnotfailtoremindNancy,constantly,thatthiswasthepathonwhichherfeethadbeenset;thattowavernowwastoperish.Shesmiled,yetsheshowedconcern.
"Butsupposeyoudon\'tgetwhatyouwant?"sheobjected."Whatthen?
Supposeonedoesn\'tbecomeasuperman?orasuperwoman?What\'stohappentoone?Istherenogodbutthesuperman\'sgod,whichishimself?Aretherenogodsforthosewhocan\'tbesupermen?orforthosewhomayrefusetobesupermen?"
Torefuse,Imaintained,wereaweaknessofthewill.
"Butthereareotherwills,"shepersisted,"willsoverwhichthesupermanmayconceivablyhavenocontrol.Suppose,forexample,thatyoudon\'tgetme,thatmywillintervenes,grantingittobeconceivablethatyourfuturehappinessandwelfare,asyouinsist,dependuponyourgettingme——whichIdoubt."
"You\'venoreasontodoubtit."
"Well,grantingit,then.Supposetheorthodoxiesandsuperstitionssucceedininhibitingme.Imaynotbeasuperwoman,butmywill,ormyconscience,ifyouchoose,maybestrongerthanyours.Ifyoudon\'tgetwhatyouwant,youaren\'thappy.Inotherwords,youfail.Whereareyourgodsthen?Thetroublewithyou,mydearHugh,isthatyouhaveneverfailed,"shewenton,"you\'veneverhadagood,hardfall,you\'vealwaysbeenonthewinningside,andyou\'veneverhadtheworldagainstyou.Nowonderyoudon\'tunderstandthemeaningandvalueoftragedy."
"Andyou?"Iasked.
"No,"sheagreed,"norI.YetIhavecometofeel,instinctively,thatsomehowconcealedintragedyisthecentralfactoflife,thetruereality,thatnothingistobegotbydodgingit,aswehavedodgedit.
Yoursuperman,atleastthekindofsupermanyouportray,ispetrified.
Somethingvitalinhim,thatshouldbeplasticandsensitive,hasturnedtostone."
"Sincewhendidyoubegintofeelthis?"Iinquireduneasily.
"Since——well,sincewehavebeentogetheragain,inthelastmonthortwo.Somethingseemstowarnmethatifwetake——whatwewant,weshan\'tgetit.That\'sanIrishsaying,Iknow,butitexpressesmymeaning.I
maybelittle,Imaybesuperstitious,unlikethegreatwomenofhistorywhohavedared.Butit\'smorethanmereplayingsafe——myinstinct,I
mean.Yousee,youareinvolved.IbelieveIshouldn\'thesitateifonlymyselfwereconcerned,butyouaretheuncertainquantity——moreuncertainthanyouhaveanyidea;youthinkyouknowyourself,youthinkyouhaveanalyzedyourself,butthetruthis,Hugh,youdon\'tknowthemeaningofstruggleagainstrealresistance."
Iwasabouttoprotest.
"Iknowthatyouhaveconqueredintheworldofmenandaffairs,"shehurriedon,"againstresistance,butitisn\'tthekindofresistanceI
mean.Itdoesn\'tdifferessentiallyfromthestruggleintheanimalkingdom."
Ibowed."Thankyou,"Isaid.
Shelaughedalittle.
"Oh,Ihaveworshippedsu
