the pupil-第5章
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Mr。 Moreen。 He was not even confused or embarrassed; whereas the
young man in his service was more so than there was any reason for。
Neither was he surprised … at least any more than a gentleman had
to be who freely confessed himself a little shocked … though not
perhaps strictly at Pemberton。
〃We must go into this; mustn't we; dear?〃 he said to his wife。 He
assured his young friend that the matter should have his very best
attention; and he melted into space as elusively as if; at the
door; he were taking an inevitable but deprecatory precedence。
When; the next moment; Pemberton found himself alone with Mrs。
Moreen it was to hear her say 〃I see; I see〃 … stroking the
roundness of her chin and looking as if she were only hesitating
between a dozen easy remedies。 If they didn't make their push Mr。
Moreen could at least disappear for several days。 During his
absence his wife took up the subject again spontaneously; but her
contribution to it was merely that she had thought all the while
they were getting on so beautifully。 Pemberton's reply to this
revelation was that unless they immediately put down something on
account he would leave them on the spot and for ever。 He knew she
would wonder how he would get away; and for a moment expected her
to enquire。 She didn't; for which he was almost grateful to her;
so little was he in a position to tell。
〃You won't; you KNOW you won't … you're too interested;〃 she said。
〃You are interested; you know you are; you dear kind man!〃 She
laughed with almost condemnatory archness; as if it were a reproach
… though she wouldn't insist; and flirted a soiled pocket…
handkerchief at him。
Pemberton's mind was fully made up to take his step the following
week。 This would give him time to get an answer to a letter he had
despatched to England。 If he did in the event nothing of the sort
… that is if he stayed another year and then went away only for
three months … it was not merely because before the answer to his
letter came (most unsatisfactory when it did arrive) Mr。 Moreen
generously counted out to him; and again with the sacrifice to
〃form〃 of a marked man of the world; three hundred francs in
elegant ringing gold。 He was irritated to find that Mrs。 Moreen
was right; that he couldn't at the pinch bear to leave the child。
This stood out clearer for the very reason that; the night of his
desperate appeal to his patrons; he had seen fully for the first
time where he was。 Wasn't it another proof of the success with
which those patrons practised their arts that they had managed to
avert for so long the illuminating flash? It descended on our
friend with a breadth of effect which perhaps would have struck a
spectator as comical; after he had returned to his little servile
room; which looked into a close court where a bare dirty opposite
wall took; with the sound of shrill clatter; the reflexion of
lighted back windows。 He had simply given himself away to a band
of adventurers。 The idea; the word itself; wore a romantic horror
for him … he had always lived on such safe lines。 Later it assumed
a more interesting; almost a soothing; sense: it pointed a moral;
and Pemberton could enjoy a moral。 The Moreens were adventurers
not merely because they didn't pay their debts; because they lived
on society; but because their whole view of life; dim and confused
and instinctive; like that of clever colour…blind animals; was
speculative and rapacious and mean。 Oh they were 〃respectable;〃
and that only made them more immondes。 The young man's analysis;
while he brooded; put it at last very simply … they were
adventurers because they were toadies and snobs。 That was the
completest account of them … it was the law of their being。 Even
when this truth became vivid to their ingenious inmate he remained
unconscious of how much his mind had been prepared for it by the
extraordinary little boy who had now become such a complication in
his life。 Much less could he then calculate on the information he
was still to owe the extraordinary little boy。
CHAPTER V
But it was during the ensuing time that the real problem came up …
the problem of how far it was excusable to discuss the turpitude of
parents with a child of twelve; of thirteen; of fourteen。
Absolutely inexcusable and quite impossible it of course at first
appeared; and indeed the question didn't press for some time after
Pemberton had received his three hundred francs。 They produced a
temporary lull; a relief from the sharpest pressure。 The young man
frugally amended his wardrobe and even had a few francs in his
pocket。 He thought the Moreens looked at him as if he were almost
too smart; as if they ought to take care not to spoil him。 If Mr。
Moreen hadn't been such a man of the world he would perhaps have
spoken of the freedom of such neckties on the part of a
subordinate。 But Mr。 Moreen was always enough a man of the world
to let things pass … he had certainly shown that。 It was singular
how Pemberton guessed that Morgan; though saying nothing about it;
knew something had happened。 But three hundred francs; especially
when one owed money; couldn't last for ever; and when the treasure
was gone … the boy knew when it had failed … Morgan did break
ground。 The party had returned to Nice at the beginning of the
winter; but not to the charming villa。 They went to an hotel;
where they stayed three months; and then moved to another
establishment; explaining that they had left the first because;
after waiting and waiting; they couldn't get the rooms they wanted。
These apartments; the rooms they wanted; were generally very
splendid; but fortunately they never COULD get them … fortunately;
I mean; for Pemberton; who reflected always that if they had got
them there would have been a still scantier educational fund。 What
Morgan said at last was said suddenly; irrelevantly; when the
moment came; in the middle of a lesson; and consisted of the
apparently unfeeling words: 〃You ought to filer; you know … you
really ought。〃
Pemberton stared。 He had learnt enough French slang from Morgan to
know that to filer meant to cut sticks。 〃Ah my dear fellow; don't
turn me off!〃
Morgan pulled a Greek lexicon toward him … he used a Greek…German …
to look out a word; instead of asking it of Pemberton。 〃You can't
go on like this; you know。〃
〃Like what; my boy?〃
〃You know they don't pay you up;〃 said Morgan; blushing and turning
his leaves。
〃Don't pay me?〃 Pemberton stared again and feigned amazement。
〃What on earth put that into your head?〃
〃It has been there a long time;〃 the boy replied rummaging his
book。
Pemberton was silent; then he went on: 〃I say; what are you
hunting for? They pay me beautifully。〃
〃I'm hunting for the Greek for awful whopper;〃 Morgan dropped。
〃Find that rather for gross impertinence and disabuse your mind。
What do I want of money?〃
〃Oh that's another question!〃
Pemberton wavered … he was drawn in different ways。 The severely
correct thing would have been to tell the boy that such a matter
was none of his business and bid him go on with his lines。 But
they were really too intimate for that; it was not the way he was
in the habit of treating him; there had been no reason it should
be。 On the other hand Morgan had quite lighted on the truth … he
really shouldn't be able to keep it up much longer; therefore why
not let him know one's real motive for forsaking him? At the same
time it wasn't decent to abuse to one's pupil the family of one's
pupil; it was better to misrepresent than to do that。 So in reply
to his comrade's last exclamation he just declared; to dismiss the
subject; that he had received several payments。
〃I say … I say!〃 the boy ejaculated; laughing。
〃That's all right;〃 Pemberton insisted。 〃Give me your written
rendering。〃
Morgan pushed a copybook across