the pupil-第3章

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could　ever　propose　in　that　tone　and　so　publicly：　　he　took　for

granted　cynically　that　this　was　what　was　desired　of　them。　　Then　he

recognised　that　even　for　the　chance　of　such　an　advantage　Mrs。

Moreen　would　never　allow　Paula　and　Amy　to　receive　alone。　　These

young　ladies　were　not　at　all　timid；　but　it　was　just　the　safeguards

that　made　them　so　candidly　free。　　It　was　a　houseful　of　Bohemians

who　wanted　tremendously　to　be　Philistines。



In　one　respect；　however；　certainly　they　achieved　no　rigour　…　they

were　wonderfully　amiable　and　ecstatic　about　Morgan。　　It　was　a

genuine　tenderness；　an　artless　admiration；　equally　strong　in　each。

They　even　praised　his　beauty；　which　was　small；　and　were　as　afraid

of　him　as　if　they　felt　him　of　finer　clay。　　They　spoke　of　him　as　a

little　angel　and　a　prodigy　…　they　touched　on　his　want　of　health

with　long　vague　faces。　　Pemberton　feared　at　first　an　extravagance

that　might　make　him　hate　the　boy；　but　before　this　happened　he　had

become　extravagant　himself。　　Later；　when　he　had　grown　rather　to

hate　the　others；　it　was　a　bribe　to　patience　for　him　that　they　were

at　any　rate　nice　about　Morgan；　going　on　tiptoe　if　they　fancied　he

was　showing　symptoms；　and　even　giving　up　somebody's　〃day〃　to

procure　him　a　pleasure。　　Mixed　with　this　too　was　the　oddest　wish　to

make　him　independent；　as　if　they　had　felt　themselves　not　good

enough　for　him。　　They　passed　him　over　to　the　new　members　of　their

circle　very　much　as　if　wishing　to　force　some　charity　of　adoption　on

so　free　an　agent　and　get　rid　of　their　own　charge。　　They　were

delighted　when　they　saw　Morgan　take　so　to　his　kind　playfellow；　and

could　think　of　no　higher　praise　for　the　young　man。　　It　was　strange

how　they　contrived　to　reconcile　the　appearance；　and　indeed　the

essential　fact；　of　adoring　the　child　with　their　eagerness　to　wash

their　hands　of　him。　　Did　they　want　to　get　rid　of　him　before　he

should　find　them　out？　　Pemberton　was　finding　them　out　month　by

month。　　The　boy's　fond　family；　however　this　might　be；　turned　their

backs　with　exaggerated　delicacy；　as　if　to　avoid　the　reproach　of

interfering。　　Seeing　in　time　how　little　he　had　in　common　with　them

…　it　was　by　THEM　he　first　observed　it；　they　proclaimed　it　with

complete　humility　…　his　companion　was　moved　to　speculate　on　the

mysteries　of　transmission；　the　far　jumps　of　heredity。　　Where　his

detachment　from　most　of　the　things　they　represented　had　come　from

was　more　than　an　observer　could　say　…　it　certainly　had　burrowed

under　two　or　three　generations。



As　for　Pemberton's　own　estimate　of　his　pupil；　it　was　a　good　while

before　he　got　the　point　of　view；　so　little　had　he　been　prepared　for

it　by　the　smug　young　barbarians　to　whom　the　tradition　of　tutorship；

as　hitherto　revealed　to　him；　had　been　adjusted。　　Morgan　was　scrappy

and　surprising；　deficient　in　many　properties　supposed　common　to　the

genus　and　abounding　in　others　that　were　the　portion　only　of　the

supernaturally　clever。　　One　day　his　friend　made　a　great　stride：　　it

cleared　up　the　question　to　perceive　that　Morgan　WAS　supernaturally

clever　and　that；　though　the　formula　was　temporarily　meagre；　this

would　be　the　only　assumption　on　which　one　could　successfully　deal

with　him。　　He　had　the　general　quality　of　a　child　for　whom　life　had

not　been　simplified　by　school；　a　kind　of　homebred　sensibility　which

might　have　been　as　bad　for　himself　but　was　charming　for　others；　and

a　whole　range　of　refinement　and　perception　…　little　musical

vibrations　as　taking　as　picked…up　airs　…　begotten　by　wandering

about　Europe　at　the　tail　of　his　migratory　tribe。　　This　might　not

have　been　an　education　to　recommend　in　advance；　but　its　results

with　so　special　a　subject　were　as　appreciable　as　the　marks　on　a

piece　of　fine　porcelain。　　There　was　at　the　same　time　in　him　a　small

strain　of　stoicism；　doubtless　the　fruit　of　having　had　to　begin

early　to　bear　pain；　which　counted　for　pluck　and　made　it　of　less

consequence　that　he　might　have　been　thought　at　school　rather　a

polyglot　little　beast。　　Pemberton　indeed　quickly　found　himself

rejoicing　that　school　was　out　of　the　question：　　in　any　million　of

boys　it　was　probably　good　for　all　but　one；　and　Morgan　was　that

millionth。　　It　would　have　made　him　comparative　and　superior　…　it

might　have　made　him　really　require　kicking。　　Pemberton　would　try　to

be　school　himself　…　a　bigger　seminary　than　five　hundred　grazing

donkeys；　so　that；　winning　no　prizes；　the　boy　would　remain

unconscious　and　irresponsible　and　amusing　…　amusing；　because；

though　life　was　already　intense　in　his　childish　nature；　freshness

still　made　there　a　strong　draught　for　jokes。　　It　turned　out　that

even　in　the　still　air　of　Morgan's　various　disabilities　jokes

flourished　greatly。　　He　was　a　pale　lean　acute　undeveloped　little

cosmopolite；　who　liked　intellectual　gymnastics　and　who　also；　as

regards　the　behaviour　of　mankind；　had　noticed　more　things　than　you

might　suppose；　but　who　nevertheless　had　his　proper　playroom　of

superstitions；　where　he　smashed　a　dozen　toys　a　day。







CHAPTER　III







At　Nice　once；　toward　evening；　as　the　pair　rested　in　the　open　air

after　a　walk；　and　looked　over　the　sea　at　the　pink　western　lights；

he　said　suddenly　to　his　comrade：　　〃Do　you　like　it；　you　know　…　being

with　us　all　in　this　intimate　way？〃



〃My　dear　fellow；　why　should　I　stay　if　I　didn't？〃



〃How　do　I　know　you'll　stay？　　I'm　almost　sure　you　won't；　very　long。〃



〃I　hope　you　don't　mean　to　dismiss　me；〃　said　Pemberton。



Morgan　debated；　looking　at　the　sunset。　　〃I　think　if　I　did　right　I

ought　to。〃



〃Well；　I　know　I'm　supposed　to　instruct　you　in　virtue；　but　in　that

case　don't　do　right。〃



〃'You're　very　young　…　fortunately；〃　Morgan　went　on；　turning　to　him

again。



〃Oh　yes；　compared　with　you！〃



〃Therefore　it　won't　matter　so　much　if　you　do　lose　a　lot　of　time。〃



〃That's　the　way　to　look　at　it；〃　said　Pemberton　accommodatingly。



They　were　silent　a　minute；　after　which　the　boy　asked：　　〃Do　you　like

my　father　and　my　mother　very　much？〃



〃Dear　me；　yes。　　They're　charming　people。〃



Morgan　received　this　with　another　silence；　then　unexpectedly；

familiarly；　but　at　the　same　time　affectionately；　he　remarked：

〃You're　a　jolly　old　humbug！〃



For　a　particular　reason　the　words　made　our　young　man　change　colour。

The　boy　noticed　in　an　instant　that　he　had　turned　red；　whereupon　he

turned　red　himself　and　pupil　and　master　exchanged　a　longish　glance

in　which　there　was　a　consciousness　of　many　more　things　than　are

usually　touched　upon；　even　tacitly；　in　such　a　relation。　　It

produced　for　Pemberton　an　embarrassment；　it　raised　in　a　shadowy

form　a　question　…　this　was　the　first　glimpse　of　it　…　destined　to

play　a　singular　and；　as　he　imagined；　owing　to　the　altogether

peculiar　conditions；　an　unprecedented　part　in　his　intercourse　with

his　little　companion。　　Later；　when　he　found　himself　talking　with

the　youngster　in　a　way　in　which　few　youngsters　could　ever　have　been

talked　with；　he　thought　of　that　clumsy　moment　on　the　bench　at　Nice

as　the　dawn　of　an　understanding　that　had　broadened。　　What　had　added

to　the　clumsiness　then　was　that　he　thought　it　his　duty　to　declare

to　Morgan　that　he　might　abuse　him；　Pemberton；　as　much　as　he　liked；

but　must　never　abuse　his　parents。　　To　this　Morgan　had　the　easy

retort　that　he　hadn't　dreamed　of　abusing　them；　which　appeared　to　be

true：　　it　put　Pemberton　in　the　wrong。



〃Then　why　am　I　a　humbug　for　saying　I　think　them　charming？〃　the

young　man　asked；　conscious　of　a　certain　rashness。



〃Well　…　they're　not　your　parents。〃



〃They　love　you　better　than　anything　in　the　world　…　never　forget

that；〃　said　Pemberton。



〃Is　that　why　you　like　them　so　much？〃



〃They're　very　kind　to　me；〃　Pemberton　replied　evasively。



〃You　ARE　a　humbug！〃　laughed　Morgan；　passing　an　arm　into　his

tutor's。　　He　leaned　against　him　looking　oft　at　the　sea　again　and

swinging　his　long　thin　legs。



〃Don't　kick　my　shins；〃　said　Pemberton　while　he　reflected　〃Hang　it；

I　can't　complain　of　them　to　the　child！〃