the pupil-第6章

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〃That's　all　right；〃　Pemberton　insisted。　　〃Give　me　your　written

rendering。〃



Morgan　pushed　a　copybook　across　the　table；　and　he　began　to　read　the

page；　but　with　something　running　in　his　head　that　made　it　no　sense。

Looking　up　after　a　minute　or　two　he　found　the　child's　eyes　fixed　on

him　and　felt　in　them　something　strange。　　Then　Morgan　said：　　〃I'm

not　afraid　of　the　stern　reality。〃



〃I　haven't　yet　seen　the　thing　you　ARE　afraid　of　…　I'll　do　you　that

justice！〃



This　came　out　with　a　jump　…　it　was　perfectly　true　…　and　evidently

gave　Morgan　pleasure。　　〃I've　thought　of　it　a　long　time；〃　he

presently　resumed。



〃Well；　don't　think　of　it　any　more。〃



The　boy　appeared　to　comply；　and　they　had　a　comfortable　and　even　an

amusing　hour。　　They　had　a　theory　that　they　were　very　thorough；　and

yet　they　seemed　always　to　be　in　the　amusing　part　of　lessons；　the

intervals　between　the　dull　dark　tunnels；　where　there　were　waysides

and　jolly　views。　　Yet　the　morning　was　brought　to　a　violent　as　end

by　Morgan's　suddenly　leaning　his　arms　on　the　table；　burying　his

head　in　them　and　bursting　into　tears：　　at　which　Pemberton　was　the

more　startled　that；　as　it　then　came　over　him；　it　was　the　first　time

he　had　ever　seen　the　boy　cry　and　that　the　impression　was

consequently　quite　awful。



The　next　day；　after　much　thought；　he　took　a　decision　and；　believing

it　to　be　just；　immediately　acted　on　it。　　He　cornered　Mr。　and　Mrs。

Moreen　again　and　let　them　know　that　if　on　the　spot　they　didn't　pay

him　all　they　owed　him　he　wouldn't　only　leave　their　house　but　would

tell　Morgan　exactly　what　had　brought　him　to　it。



〃Oh　you　HAVEN'T　told　him？〃　cried　Mrs。　Moreen　with　a　pacifying　hand

on　her　well…dressed　bosom。



〃Without　warning　you？　　For　what　do　you　take　me？〃　the　young　man

returned。



Mr。　and　Mrs。　Moreen　looked　at　each　other；　he　could　see　that　they

appreciated；　as　tending　to　their　security；　his　superstition　of

delicacy；　and　yet　that　there　was　a　certain　alarm　in　their　relief。

〃My　dear　fellow；〃　Mr。　Moreen　demanded；　〃what　use　can　you　have；

leading　the　quiet　life　we　all　do；　for　such　a　lot　of　money？〃　…　a

question　to　which　Pemberton　made　no　answer；　occupied　as　he　was　in

noting　that　what　passed　in　the　mind　of　his　patrons　was　something

like：　　〃Oh　then；　if　we've　felt　that　the　child；　dear　little　angel；

has　judged　us　and　how　he　regards　us；　and　we　haven't　been　betrayed；

he　must　have　guessed　…　and　in　short　it's　GENERAL！〃　an　inference

that　rather　stirred　up　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Moreen；　as　Pemberton　had

desired　it　should。　　At　the　same　time；　if　he　had　supposed　his　threat

would　do　something　towards　bringing　them　round；　he　was　disappointed

to　find　them　taking　for　granted　…　how　vulgar　their　perception　HAD

been！　…　that　he　had　already　given　them　away。　　There　was　a　mystic

uneasiness　in　their　parental　breasts；　and　that　had　been　the

inferior　sense　of　it。　　None　the　less　however；　his　threat　did　touch

them；　for　if　they　had　escaped　it　was　only　to　meet　a　new　danger。

Mr。　Moreen　appealed　to　him；　on　every　precedent；　as　a　man　of　the

world；　but　his　wife　had　recourse；　for　the　first　time　since　his

domestication　with　them；　to　a　fine　hauteur；　reminding　him　that　a

devoted　mother；　with　her　child；　had　arts　that　protected　her　against

gross　misrepresentation。



〃I　should　misrepresent　you　grossly　if　I　accused　you　of　common

honesty！〃　our　friend　replied；　but　as　he　closed　the　door　behind　him

sharply；　thinking　he　had　not　done　himself　much　good；　while　Mr。

Moreen　lighted　another　cigarette；　he　heard　his　hostess　shout　after

him　more　touchingly



〃Oh　you　do；　you　DO；　put　the　knife　to　one's　throat！〃



The　next　morning；　very　early；　she　came　to　his　　room。　　He　recognised

her　knock；　but　had　no　hope　she　brought　him　money；　as　to　which　he

was　wrong；　for　she　had　fifty　francs　in　her　hand。　　She　squeezed

forward　in　her　dressing…gown；　and　he　received　her　in　his　own；

between　his　bath…tub　and　his　bed。　　He　had　been　tolerably　schooled

by　this　time　to　the　〃foreign　ways〃　of　his　hosts。　　Mrs。　Moreen　was

ardent；　and　when　she　was　ardent　she　didn't　care　what　she　did；　so

she　now　sat　down　on　his　bed；　his　clothes　being　on　the　chairs；　and；

in　her　preoccupation；　forgot；　as　she　glanced　round；　to　be　ashamed

of　giving　him　such　a　horrid　room。　　What　Mrs。　Moreen's　ardour　now

bore　upon　was　the　design　of　persuading　him　that　in　the　first　place

she　was　very　good…natured　to　bring　him　fifty　francs；　and　that　in

the　second；　if　he　would　only　see　it；　he　was　really　too　absurd　to

expect　to　be　paid。　　Wasn't　he　paid　enough　without　perpetual　money　…

wasn't　he　paid　by　the　comfortable　luxurious　home　he　enjoyed　with

them　all；　without　a　care；　an　anxiety；　a　solitary　want？　　Wasn't　he

sure　of　his　position；　and　wasn't　that　everything　to　a　young　man

like　him；　quite　unknown；　with　singularly　little　to　show；　the　ground

of　whose　exorbitant　pretensions　it　had　never　been　easy　to　discover？

Wasn't　he　paid　above　all　by　the　sweet　relation　he　had　established

with　Morgan　…　quite　ideal　as　from　master　to　pupil　…　and　by　the

simple　privilege　of　knowing　and　living　with　so　amazingly　gifted　a

child；　than　whom　really　（and　she　meant　literally　what　she　said）

there　was　no　better　company　in　Europe？　　Mrs。　Moreen　herself　took　to

appealing　to　him　as　a　man　of　the　world；　she　said　〃Voyons；　mon

cher；〃　and　〃My　dear　man；　look　here　now〃；　and　urged　him　to　be

reasonable；　putting　it　before　him　that　it　was　truly　a　chance　for

him。　　She　spoke　as　if；　according　as　he　SHOULD　be　reasonable；　he

would　prove　himself　worthy　to　be　her　son's　tutor　and　of　the

extraordinary　confidence　they　had　placed　in　him。



After　all；　Pemberton　reflected；　it　was　only　a　difference　of　theory

and　the　theory　didn't　matter　much。　　They　had　hitherto　gone　on　that

of　remunerated；　as　now　they　would　go　on　that　of　gratuitous；

service；　but　why　should　they　have　so　many　words　about　it？　　Mrs。

Moreen　at　all　events　continued　to　be　convincing；　sitting　there　with

her　fifty　francs　she　talked　and　reiterated；　as　women　reiterate；　and

bored　and　irritated　him；　while　he　leaned　against　the　wall　with　his

hands　in　the　pockets　of　his　wrapper；　drawing　it　together　round　his

legs　and　looking　over　the　head　of　his　visitor　at　the　grey　negations

of　his　window。　　She　wound　up　with　saying：　　〃You　see　I　bring　you　a

definite　proposal。〃



〃A　definite　proposal？〃



〃To　make　our　relations　regular；　as　it　were　…　to　put　them　on　a

comfortable　footing。〃



〃I　see　…　it's　a　system；〃　said　Pemberton。　　〃A　kind　of　organised

blackmail。〃



Mrs。　Moreen　bounded　up；　which　was　exactly　what　he　wanted。　　〃What　do

you　mean　by　that？〃



〃You　practise　on　one's　fears　…　one's　fears　about　the　child　if　one

should　go　away。〃



〃And　pray　what　would　happen　to　him　in　that　event？〃　she　demanded；

with　majesty。



〃Why　he'd　be　alone　with　YOU。〃



〃And　pray　with　whom　SHOULD　a　child　be　but　with　those　whom　he　loves

most？〃



〃If　you　think　that；　why　don't　you　dismiss　me？〃



〃Do　you　pretend　he　loves　you　more　than　he　loves　US？〃　cried　Mrs。

Moreen。



〃I　think　he　ought　to。　　I　make　sacrifices　for　him。　　Though　I've

heard　of　those　YOU　make　I　don't　see　them。〃



Mrs。　Moreen　stared　a　moment；　then　with　emotion　she　grasped　her

inmate's　hand。　　〃WILL　you　make　it　…　the　sacrifice？〃



He　burst　out　laughing。　　〃I'll　see。　　I'll　do　what　I　can。　　I'll　stay

a　little　longer。　　Your　calculation's　just　…　I　DO　hate　intensely　to

give　him　up；　I'm　fond　of　him　and　he　thoroughly　interests　me；　in

spite　of　the　inconvenience　I　suffer。　　You　know　my　situation

perfectly。　　I　haven't　a　penny　in　the　world　and；　occupied　as　you　see

me　with　Morgan；　am　unable　to　earn　money。〃



Mrs。　Moreen　tapped　her　undressed　arm　with　her　folded　bank…note。

〃Can't　you　write　articles？　　Can't　you　translate　as　I　do？〃



〃I　don't　know　about　translating；　it's　wretchedly　paid。〃



〃I'm　glad　to　earn　what　I　can；〃　said　Mrs。　Moreen　with　prodigious

virtue。



〃You　ought　to　tell　me　who　you　do　it　for。〃　　Pemberton　paused　a

moment；　and　she　said　nothing；　so　he　added：　　〃I've　tried　to　turn　off