"But the rooms are so close," he said.
"That has nothing to do with it," said the president. The blood rushed to his head, and then left him pale.
"But why?" asked Andrew.
"For God's sake, do as I bid you," said his companion, pulling himself by a great effort to the other side of the room.
"You have done it?" he asked, carefully avoiding Andrew's face.
"Yes, but—"
"Then we can go in to the others. Remember what I told you about omitting the first seven pages. The society won't stand introductory remarks in a thesis."
The committee were assembled in the next room.
When the young Scotchman entered with the president, they looked him full in the neck.
"He is suffering from cold," the president said.
No one replied, but angry eyes were turned on the speaker. He somewhat nervously3 placed his young friend in a bad light, with a table between him and his hearers.
Then Andrew began.
"The Society for Doing Without," he read, "has been tried and found wanting. It has now been in existence for some years, and its members have worked zealously4, though unostentatiously.
"I am far from saying a word against them. They are patriots5 as true as ever petitioned against the Channel Tunnel."
"No compliments," whispered the president, warningly. Andrew hastily turned a page, and continued:
"But what have they done? Removed an individual here and there. That is the extent of it.
"You have been pursuing a half-hearted policy. You might go on for centuries at this rate before you made any perceptible difference in the streets.
"Have you ever seen a farmer thinning turnips6? Gentlemen, there is an example for you. My proposal is that everybody should have to die on reaching the age of forty-five years.
"It has been the wish of this society to avoid the prejudices engendered7 of party strife8. But though you are a social rather than a political organisation9, you cannot escape politics. You do not call yourselves Radicals10, but you work for Radicalism11. What is Radicalism? It is a desire to get a chance. This is an aspiration12 inherent in the human breast. It is felt most keenly by the poor.
"Make the poor rich, and the hovels, the misery13, the immorality14, and the crime of the East End disappear. It is infamous15, say the Socialists16, that this is not done at once. Yes, but how is it to be done? Not, as they hold, by making the classes and the masses change places. Not on the lines on which the society has hitherto worked. There is only one way, and I make it my text to-night. Fortunately, it presents no considerable difficulties.
"It is well known in medicine that the simplest—in other words, the most natural—remedies may be the most efficacious.
"So it is in the social life. What shall we do, Society asks, with our boys? I reply. Kill off the parents.
"There can be little doubt that forty-five years is long enough for a man to live. Parents must see that. Youth is the time to have your fling.
"Let us see how this plan would revolutionise the world. It would make statesmen hurry up. At present, they are nearly fifty before you hear of them. How can we expect the country to be properly governed by men in their dotage17?
"Again, take the world of letters. Why does the literary aspirant18 have such a struggle? Simply because the profession is over-stocked with seniors. I would like to know what Tennyson's age is, and Ruskin's, and Browning's. Every one of them is over seventy, and all writing away yet as lively as you like. It is a crying scandal.
"Things are the same in medicine, art, divinity, law—in short, in every profession and in every trade.
"Young ladies cry out that this is not a marrying age. How can it be a marrying age, with grey-headed parents everywhere? Give young men their chance, and they will marry younger than ever, if only to see their children grown up before they die.
"A word in conclusion. Looking around me, I cannot but see that most, if not all, of my hearers have passed what should plainly be the allotted19 span of life to man. You would have to go.
"But, gentlemen, you would do so feeling that you were setting a noble example. Younger, and—may I say?—more energetic men would fill your places and carry on your work. You would hardly be missed."
Andrew rolled up his thesis blandly20, and strode into the next room to await the committee's decision. It cannot be said that he felt the slightest uneasiness.
The president followed, shutting the door behind him.
"You have just two minutes," he said.
Andrew could not understand it.
His hat was crushed on to his head, his coat flung at him; he was pushed out at a window, squeezed through a grating and tumbled into a passage.
"What is the matter?" he asked, as the president dragged him down a back street.
Half a dozen infuriated men were climbing from it in pursuit. Their faces, drunk with rage, awoke Andrew to a sense of his danger.
"They were drawing lots for you when I left the room," said the president.
"They didn't like your thesis. At least, they make that their excuse."
"Excuse?"
"Yes; it was really your neck that did it."
"They are a poor lot," said Andrew fiercely, "if they couldn't keep their heads over my neck."
"They are only human," retorted the president. "For Heaven's sake, pull up the collar of your coat."
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"To King's Cross. The midnight express leaves in twenty minutes. It is your last chance."
They sauntered along the platform beyond the lights.
Andrew, who was very hot, unloosened his greatcoat.
In a moment a great change came over his companion. All the humanity went from his face, his whole figure shook, and it was only by a tremendous effort that he chained his hands to his side.
"Your neck," he cried; "cover it up."
Andrew did not understand. He looked about him for the committee.
"There are none of them here," he said feebly.
The president had tried to warn him.
Now he gave way.
The devil that was in him leapt at Andrew's throat.
"Your blood be on your own head," cried the president, yielding completely to temptation.
His fingers met round the young man's neck.
Just then his foot slipped.
He fell. Andrew jumped up and kicked him as hard as he could three times.
Then he leapt to the platform, and, flinging himself into the moving train, fell exhausted30 on the seat.
Andrew never thought so much of the president again. You cannot respect a man and kick him.
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收听单词发音
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1
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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2
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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3
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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4
zealously
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| adv.热心地；热情地；积极地；狂热地 | |
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5
patriots
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| 爱国者，爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 ) | |
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6
turnips
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| 芜青( turnip的名词复数 )； 芜菁块根； 芜菁甘蓝块根； 怀表 | |
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7
engendered
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| v.产生（某形势或状况），造成，引起( engender的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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9
organisation
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| n.组织，安排，团体，有机休 | |
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10
radicals
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| n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数 | |
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11
radicalism
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| n. 急进主义, 根本的改革主义 | |
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12
aspiration
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| n.志向，志趣抱负；渴望；(语)送气音；吸出 | |
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13
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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14
immorality
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| n. 不道德, 无道义 | |
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15
infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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16
socialists
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| 社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 ) | |
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17
dotage
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| n.年老体衰；年老昏聩 | |
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18
aspirant
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| n.热望者；adj.渴望的 | |
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19
allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
blandly
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| adv.温和地，殷勤地 | |
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21
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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22
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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23
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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24
itching
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| adj.贪得的，痒的，渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 ) | |
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25
daze
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| v.(使)茫然，(使)发昏 | |
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26
honeymoon
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| n.蜜月（假期）；vi.度蜜月 | |
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27
waggon
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| n.运货马车，运货车；敞篷车箱 | |
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28
delirious
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| adj.不省人事的，神智昏迷的 | |
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29
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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30
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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