a psychological counter-current in recent fiction-第6部分

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furthest；　passes　in　Boston　and　England；　among　people　of　such

great　fortune　and　high　rank　and　transcendent　fashion　that　the

proudest　reader　cannot　complain　of　their　social　quality。　　As　to

their　moral　quality；　one　might　have　thought　the　less　said　the

better；　if　the　author　had　not　said　so　much　that　is　pertinent　and

impressive。　　It　is　from　first　to　last　a　book　with　a　conscience　in

it；　and　its　highest　appeal　is　to　the　conscience。　　It　is　so　very

nearly　a　great　book；　so　very　nearly　a　true　book；　that　it　is　with

a　kind　of　grief　one　recognizes　its　limitations；　a　kind　of

surprise　at　its　shortcomings；　which；　nevertheless；　are　not

shortcomings　that　impair　its　supreme　effect。　　This；　I　take　it；　is

the　intimation　of　a　mystical　authority　in　marriage　against　which

divorce　sins　in　vain；　which　no　recreancy　can　subvert；　and　by

virtue　of　which　it　claims　eternally　its　own　the　lovers　united　in

it；　though　they　seem　to　become　haters；　it　cannot　release　them　to

happiness　in　a　new　union　through　any　human　law。



If　the　author　had　done　dramatically　（and　his　doing　is　mainly

dramatic）　no　more　than　this；　he　would　have　established　his　right

to　be　taken　seriously；　but　he　has　done　very　much　more；　and　has

made　us　acquainted　with　types　and　characters　which　we　do　not

readily　forget；　and　with　characters　much　more　real　than　their

ambient。　　For　instance；　the　Old　Cambridge　in　which　the　Vassalls

live　is　not　the　Old　Cambridge　of　fact；　but　the　Vassalls　are　the

Vassalls　of　fact；　though　the　ancestral　halls　in　which　they　dwell

are　of　a　baroniality　difficult　of　verification。　　Their　honor；

their　righteousness；　their　purity　are　veracious；　though　their

social　state　is　magnified　beyond　any　post…revolutionary

experience。　　The　social　Boston　of　the　novel　is　more　like；　its

difference　from　an　older　Boston　is　sensitively　felt；　and　finely

suggested；　especially　on　the　side　of　that　greater　lawlessness　in

which　it　is　not　the　greater　Boston。　　Petrina　Faneuil；　the

heroine；　is　derivatively　of　the　older　Boston　which　has　passed

away；　and　actually　of　the　newer　Boston　which　will　not　be　so　much

regretted　when　it　passes；　the　fast　Boston；　the　almost　rowdy

Boston；　the　decadent　Boston。　　It　is；　of　course；　a　Boston　much

worse　in　the　report　than　in　the　fact；　but　it　is　not　unimaginably

bad　to　the　student　who　notes　that　the　lapse　from　any　high　ideals

is　to　a　level　lower　than　that　of　people　who　have　never　had　them。　

As　for　Petrina　herself；　who　was　in　Boston　more　than　of　it；　she　is

so　admirably　analyzed　in　the　chapter　devoted　to　the　task　that　I

am　tempted　to　instance　it　as　the　best　piece　of　work　in　the　book；

though　it　does　not　make　one　hold　one's　breath　like　some　of　the

dramatic　episodes：　　〃Whatever　religious　instinct　had　been　in　the

family　had　spent　itself　at　least　two　generations　before　her　time。　

She　was　a　pagana　tolerant；　indifferent；　slightly　scornful

pagan。。。。　But　she　was　none　the　less　a　Puritan。　　Certain　of　her

ways　of　thought　and　habits　of　life；　had　survived　the　beliefs

which　had　given　them　birth；　as　an　effect　will　often　outlive　its

cause。　If　she　was　a　pagan；　she　was　a　serious　one；　a　pagan　with　a

New　England　conscience。〃



This　is　mighty　well　said；　and　the　like　things　that　are　said　of

Petrina's　sister…in…law；　who　has　married　an　English　title；　are

mighty　well；　too。　　〃She　had　inherited　a　countenance　whose

expression　was　like　the　light　which　lingers　in　the　sky　long　after

sunsetthe　light　of　some　ancestral　fire　gone　out。　　If　in　her

face　there　were　prayers；　they　had　been　said　by　Pepperells　and

Vassalls　now　sleeping　in　Massachusetts　churchyards。　　If　in　her

voice　there　were　tears；　they　had　been　shed　by　those　who　would

weep　no　more。　　She　mirrored　the　emotions　she　had　never　felt；　and

all　that　was　left　of　joys　and　sorrows　and　spiritual　aspirations

which　had　once　thrilled　human　hearts　was　in　that　plaintive　echo

they　had　given　to　this　woman's　tone；　and　the　light　of　petition

they　had　left　burning　in　her　eyes。〃



No　one　who　reads　such　passages　can　deny　that　the　author　of　〃Let

Not　Man　Put　Asunder〃　can　think　subtly　as　well　as　say　clearly；　and

the　book　abounds　in　proofs　of　his　ability　to　portray　human　nature

in　its　lighter　aspects。　　Lady　de　Bohun；　with　her　pathetic　face；

is　a　most　amusing　creature；　with　all　her　tragedy；　and　she　is　on

the　whole　the　most　perfectly　characterized　personality　in　the

story。　　The　author　gives　you　a　real　sense　of　her　beauty；　her

grace；　her　being　always　charmingly　in　a　hurry　and　always　late。

The　greatest　scene　is　hers：　the　scene　in　which　she　meets　her

divorced　husband　with　his　second　wife。　　One　may　suspect　some　of

the　other　scenes；　but　one　must　accept　that　scene　as　one　of

genuine　dramatic　worth。　　Too　much　of　the　drama　in　the　book　is

theatre　rather　than　drama；　and　yet　the　author's　gift　is

essentially　dramatic。　　He　knows　how　to　tell　a　story　on　his　stage

that　holds　you　to　the　fall　of　the　curtain；　and　makes　you　almost

patient　of　the　muted　violins　and　the　limelight　of　the　closing

scene。　　Such　things；　you　say；　do　not　happen　in　Brookline；　Mass。；

whatever　happens　in　London　or　in　English　country　houses；　and　yet

the　people　have　at　one　time　or　other　convinced　you　of　their

verity。　　Of　the　things　that　are　not　natural；　you　feel　like　saying

that　they　are　supernatural　rather　than　unnatural；　and　you　own

that　at　its　worst　the　book　is　worth　while　in　a　time　when　most

novels　are　not　worth　while。









Footnotes



〃The　Right　of　Way。〃　A　Novel。　　By　Gilbert　Parker。　Harper　&　Brothers。



〃The　Ruling　Passion。　Tales　of　nature　and　human　nature。〃　　By　Henry

Van　Dyke。　Charles　Scribner's　Sons。



〃Spoils　and　Stratagems　Stories　of　love　and　politics。〃　　By　Wm。

Allen　White。　Charles　Scribner's　Sons。



〃Foma　Gordyeeff。〃　　By　Maxim　Gorky。　Translated　from　the　Russian　by

Isabel　F。　Hapgood。　Charles　Scribner's　Sons。



〃Circumstances。〃　　By　S。　Weir　Mitchell；　M。D。　The　Century　Company。



〃A　Japanese　Nightingale。〃　　By　Onoto　Watana。　Harper　&　Brothers。



〃The　Marrow　of　Tradition。〃　　By　Charles　W。　Chesnutt。　Houghton；

Mifflin　&　Co。



〃Lay　Down　Your　Arms。　The　autobiography　of　Martha　von　Tilling。〃　　

By　Bertha　von　Suttner。　Authorized　Translation。　By　T。　Holmes。

Longmans；　Green　&　Co。



〃Let　Not　Man　Put　Asunder。〃　　By　Basil　King。　Harper　&　Brothers。










End