the pupil-第8章
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and his companion; looking down at him … the boy turned away his
eyes; which had filled … saw what he couldn't have trusted himself
to utter。 〃You're right。 Don't worry them;〃 Pemberton pursued。
〃Except for that; they ARE charming people。〃
〃Except for THEIR lying and THEIR cheating?〃
〃I say … I say!〃 cried Pemberton; imitating a little tone of the
lad's which was itself an imitation。
〃We must be frank; at the last; we MUST come to an understanding;〃
said Morgan with the importance of the small boy who lets himself
think he is arranging great affairs … almost playing at shipwreck
or at Indians。 〃I know all about everything。〃
〃I dare say your father has his reasons;'' Pemberton replied; but
too vaguely; as he was aware。
〃For lying and cheating?〃
〃For saving and managing and turning his means to the best account。
He has plenty to do with his money。 You're an expensive family。〃
〃Yes; I'm very expensive;〃 Morgan concurred in a manner that made
his preceptor burst out laughing。
〃He's saving for YOU;〃 said Pemberton。 〃They think of you in
everything they do。〃
〃He might; while he's about it; save a little … 〃 The boy paused;
and his friend waited to hear what。 Then Morgan brought out oddly:
〃A little reputation。〃
〃Oh there's plenty of that。 That's all right!〃
〃Enough of it for the people they know; no doubt。 The people they
know are awful。〃
〃Do you mean the princes? We mustn't abuse the princes。〃
〃Why not? They haven't married Paula … they haven't married Amy。
They only clean out Ulick。〃
〃You DO know everything!〃 Pemberton declared。
〃No; I don't; after all。 I don't know what they live on; or how
they live; or WHY they live! What have they got and how did they
get it? Are they rich; are they poor; or have they a modeste
aisance? Why are they always chiveying me about … living one year
like ambassadors and the next like paupers? Who are they; any way;
and what are they? I've thought of all that … I've thought of a
lot of things。 They're so beastly worldly。 That's what I hate
most … oh; I've SEEN it! All they care about is to make an
appearance and to pass for something or other。 What the dickens do
they want to pass for? What DO they; Mr。 Pemberton?〃
〃You pause for a reply;〃 said Pemberton; treating the question as a
joke; yet wondering too and greatly struck with his mate's intense
if imperfect vision。 〃I haven't the least idea。〃
〃And what good does it do? Haven't I seen the way people treat
them … the 'nice' people; the ones they want to know? They'll take
anything from them … they'll lie down and be trampled on。 The nice
ones hate that … they just sicken them。 You're the only really
nice person we know。〃
〃Are you sure? They don't lie down for me!〃
〃Well; you shan't lie down for them。 You've got to go … that's
what you've got to do;〃 said Morgan。
〃And what will become of you?〃
〃Oh I'm growing up。 I shall get off before long。 I'll see you
later。〃
〃You had better let me finish you;〃 Pemberton urged; lending
himself to the child's strange superiority。
Morgan stopped in their walk; looking up at him。 He had to look up
much less than a couple of years before … he had grown; in his
loose leanness; so long and high。 〃Finish me?〃 he echoed。
〃There are such a lot of jolly things we can do together yet。 I
want to turn you out … I want you to do me credit。〃
Morgan continued to look at him。 〃To give you credit … do you
mean?〃
〃My dear fellow; you're too clever to live。〃
〃That's just what I'm afraid you think。 No; no; it isn't fair … I
can't endure it。 We'll separate next week。 The sooner it's over
the sooner to sleep。〃
〃If I hear of anything … any other chance … I promise to go;〃
Pemberton said。
Morgan consented to consider this。 〃But you'll be honest;〃 he
demanded; 〃you won't pretend you haven't heard?〃
〃I'm much more likely to pretend I have。〃
〃But what can you hear of; this way; stuck in a hole with us? You
ought to be on the spot; to go to England … you ought to go to
America。〃
〃One would think you were MY tutor!〃 said Pemberton。
Morgan walked on and after a little had begun again: 〃Well; now
that you know I know and that we look at the facts and keep nothing
back … it's much more comfortable; isn't it?〃
〃My dear boy; it's so amusing; so interesting; that it will surely
be quite impossible for me to forego such hours as these。〃
This made Morgan stop once more。 〃You DO keep something back。 Oh
you're not straight … I am!〃
〃How am I not straight?〃
〃Oh you've got your idea!〃
〃My idea?〃
〃Why that I probably shan't make old … make older … bones; and that
you can stick it out till I'm removed。〃
〃You ARE too clever to live!〃 Pemberton repeated。
〃I call it a mean idea;〃 Morgan pursued。 〃But I shall punish you
by the way I hang on。〃
〃Look out or I'll poison you!〃 Pemberton laughed。
〃I'm stronger and better every year。 Haven't you noticed that
there hasn't been a doctor near me since you came?〃
〃I'M your doctor;〃 said the young man; taking his arm and drawing
him tenderly on again。
Morgan proceeded and after a few steps gave a sigh of mingled
weariness and relief。 〃Ah now that we look at the facts it's all
right!〃
CHAPTER VII
They looked at the facts a good deal after this and one of the
first consequences of their doing so was that Pemberton stuck it
out; in his friend's parlance; for the purpose。 Morgan made the
facts so vivid and so droll; and at the same time so bald and so
ugly; that there was fascination in talking them over with him;
just as there would have been heartlessness in leaving him alone
with them。 Now that the pair had such perceptions in common it was
useless for them to pretend they didn't judge such people; but the
very judgement and the exchange of perceptions created another tie。
Morgan had never been so interesting as now that he himself was
made plainer by the sidelight of these confidences。 What came out
in it most was the small fine passion of his pride。 He had plenty
of that; Pemberton felt … so much that one might perhaps wisely
wish for it some early bruises。 He would have liked his people to
have a spirit and had waked up to the sense of their perpetually
eating humble…pie。 His mother would consume any amount; and his
father would consume even more than his mother。 He had a theory
that Ulick had wriggled out of an 〃affair〃 at Nice: there had once
been a flurry at home; a regular panic; after which they all went
to bed and took medicine; not to be accounted for on any other
supposition。 Morgan had a romantic imagination; led by poetry and
history; and he would have liked those who 〃bore his name〃 … as he
used to say to Pemberton with the humour that made his queer
delicacies manly … to carry themselves with an air。 But their one
idea was to get in with people who didn't want them and to take
snubs as it they were honourable scars。 Why people didn't want
them more he didn't know … that was people's own affair; after all
they weren't superficially repulsive; they were a hundred times
cleverer than most of the dreary grandees; the 〃poor swells〃 they
rushed about Europe to catch up with。 〃After all they ARE amusing
… they are!〃 he used to pronounce with the wisdom of the ages。 To
which Pemberton always replied: 〃Amusing … the great Moreen
troupe? Why they're altogether delightful; and if it weren't for
the hitch that you and I (feeble performers!) make in the ensemble
they'd carry everything before them。〃
What the boy couldn't get over was the fact that this particular
blight seemed; in a tradition of self…respect; so undeserved and so
arbitrary。 No doubt people had a right to take the line they
liked; but why should his people have liked the line of pushing and