the island pharisees-第13章

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a　grey；　short…bearded　gentleman；　with　misanthropic　eyes；　called

Stroud；　came　up；　together　with　another　man　of　Shelton's　age；　with　a

moustache　and　a　bald　patch　the　size　of　a　crown…piece；　who　might　be

seen　in　the　club　any　night　of　the　year　when　there　was　no　racing　out

of　reach　of　London。



〃You　know；〃　began　young　Dennant；　〃that　this　bounder〃he　slapped　the

young　man　Benjy　on　the　knee〃is　going　to　be　spliced　to…morrow。　　Miss

Casserolyou　know　the　CasserolsMuncaster　Gate。〃



〃By　Jove！〃　said　Shelton；　delighted　to　be　able　to　say　something　they

would　understand。



〃Young　Champion's　the　best　man；　and　I　'm　the　second　best。　　I　tell　you

what；　old　chap；　you　'd　better　come　with　me　and　get　your　eye　in；　you

won't　get　such　another　chance　of　practice。　　Benjy　'll　give　you　a

card。〃



〃Delighted！〃　　murmured　Benjy。



〃Where　is　it？〃



〃St。　Briabas；　two…thirty。　　Come　and　see　how　they　do　the　trick。　　I'll

call　for　you　at　one；　we'll　have　some　lunch　and　go　together〃；　again　he

patted　Benjy's　knee。



Shelton　nodded　his　assent；　the　piquant　callousness　of　the　affair　had

made　him　shiver；　and　furtively　he　eyed　the　steely　Benjy；　whose

suavity　had　never　wavered；　and　who　appeared　to　take　a　greater

interest　in　some　approaching　race　than　in　his　coming　marriage。　　But

Shelton　knew　from　his　own　sensations　that　this　could　not　really　be

the　case；　it　was　merely　a　question　of　〃good　form；〃　the　conceit　of　a

superior　breeding；　the　duty　not　to　give　oneself　away。　　And　when　in

turn　he　marked　the　eyes　of　Stroud　fixed　on　Benjy；　under　shaggy　brows；

and　the　curious　greedy　glances　of　the　racing　man；　he　felt　somehow

sorry　for　him。



〃Who　's　that　fellow　with　the　game　legI'm　always　seeing　him　about？〃

asked　the　racing　man。



And　Shelton　saw　a　sallow　man；　conspicuous　for　a　want　of　parting　in

his　hair　and　a　certain　restlessness　of　attitude。



〃His　name　is　Bayes；〃　said　Stroud；　〃spends　half　his　time　among　the

Chinesemust　have　a　grudge　against　them！　　And　now　he　's　got　his　leg

he　can't　go　there　any　more。〃



〃Chinese？　　What　does　he　do　to　them？〃



〃Bibles　or　guns。　　Don't　ask　me！　　An　adventurer。〃



〃Looks　a　bit　of　a　bounder；〃　said　the　racing　man。



Shelton　gazed　at　the　twitching　eyebrows　of　old　Stroud；　he　saw　at　once

how　it　must　annoy　a　man　who　had　a　billet　in　the　〃Woods　and　Forests；〃

and　plenty　of　time　for　〃bridge〃　and　gossip　at　his　club；　to　see　these

people　with　untidy　lives。　　A　minute　later　the　man　with　the　〃game　leg〃

passed　close　behind　his　chair；　and　Shelton　perceived　at　once　how

intelligible　the　resentment　of　his　fellow…members　was。　　He　had　eyes

which；　not　uncommon　in　this　country；　looked　like　fires　behind　steel

bars；　he　seemed　the　very　kind　of　man　to　do　all　sorts　of　things　that

were　〃bad　form；〃　a　man　who　might　even　go　as　far　as　chivalry。　　He

looked　straight　at　Shelton；　and　his　uncompromising　glance　gave　an

impression　of　fierce　loneliness；　altogether；　an　improper　person　to

belong　to　such。　　a　club。　　Shelton　remembered　the　words　of　an　old

friend　of　his　father's：　〃Yes；　Dick；　all　sorts　of　fellows　belong　here；

and　they　come　here　for　all　sorts　o'　reasons；　and　a　lot　of　em　come

because　they've　nowhere　else　to　go；　poor　beggars〃；　and；　glancing　from

the　man　with　the　〃game　leg〃　to　Stroud；　it　occurred　to　Shelton　that

even　he；　old　Stroud；　might　be　one　of　these　poor　beggars。　　One　never

knew！　　A　look　at　Benjy；　contained　and　cheery；　restored　him。　　Ah；　the

lucky　devil！　　He　would　not　have　to　come　here　any　more！　and　the

thought　of　the　last　evening　he　himself　would　be　spending　before　long

flooded　his　mind　with　a　sweetness　that　was　almost　pain。



〃Benjy；　I'll　play　you　a　hundred　up！〃　　said　young　Bill　Dennant。



Stroud　and　the　racing　man　went　to　watch　the　game；　Shelton　was　left

once　more　to　reverie。



〃Good　form！〃　thought　he；　〃that　fellow　must　be　made　of　steel。　　They'll

go　on　somewhere；　stick　about　half　the　night　playing　poker；　or　some

such　foolery。〃



He　crossed　over　to　the　window。　　Rain　had　begun　to　fall；　the　streets

looked　wild　and　draughty。　　The　cabmen　were　putting　on　their　coats。

Two　women　scurried　by；　huddled　under　one　umbrella；　and　a　thin…

clothed；　dogged…looking　scarecrow　lounged　past　with　a　surly；

desperate　step。　　Shelton；　returning　to　his　chair；　threaded　his　way

amongst　his　fellow…members。　　A　procession　of　old　school　and　college

friends　came　up　before　his　eyes。　　After　all；　what　had　there　been　in

his　own　education；　or　theirs；　to　give　them　any　other　standard　than

this　〃good　form〃？　　What　had　there　been　to　teach　them　anything　of

life？　　Their　imbecility　was　incredible　when　you　came　to　think　of　it。

They　had　all　the　air　of　knowing　everything；　and　really　they　knew

nothingnothing　of　Nature；　Art；　or　the　Emotions；　nothing　of　the

bonds　that　bind　all　men　together。　　Why；　even　such　words　were　not

〃good　form〃；　nothing　outside　their　little　circle　was　〃good　form。〃

They　had　a　fixed　point　of　view　over　life　because　they　came　of　certain

schools；　and　colleges；　and　regiments！　　And　they　were　those　in　charge

of　the　state；　of　laws；　and　science；　of　the　army；　and　religion。　　Well；

it　was　their　systemthe　system　not　to　start　too　young；　to　form

healthy　fibre；　and　let　the　after…life　develop　it！



〃Successful！〃　he　thought；　nearly　stumbling　over　a　pair　of　patent…

leather　boots　belonging　to　a　moon…faced；　genial…looking　member　with

gold　nose…nippers；　〃oh；　it　's　successful！〃



Somebody　came　and　picked　up　from　the　table　the　very　volume　which　had

originally　inspired　this　train　of　thought；　and　Shelton　could　see　his

solemn　pleasure　as　he　read。　　In　the　white　of　his　eye　there　was　a

torpid　and　composed　abstraction。　　There　was　nothing　in　that　book　to

startle　him　or　make　him　think。



The　moon…faced　member　with　the　patent　boots　came　up　and　began　talking

of　his　recent　visit　to　the　south　of　France。　　He　had　a　scandalous

anecdote　or　two　to　tell；　and　his　broad　face　beamed　behind　his　gold

nose…nippers；　he　was　a　large　man　with　such　a　store　of　easy；　worldly

humour　that　it　was　impossible　not　to　appreciate　his　gossip；　he　gave

so　perfect　an　impression　of　enjoying　life；　and　doing　himself　well。

〃Well；　good…night！〃　　he　murmured〃　An　engagement！〃and　the

certainty　he　left　behind　that　his　engagement　must　be　charming　and

illicit　was　pleasant　to　the　soul。



And；　slowly　taking　up　his　glass；　Shelton　drank；　the　sense　of　well…

being　was　upon　him。　　His　superiority　to　these　his　fellow…members

soothed　him。　　He　saw　through　all　the　sham　of　this　club　life；　the

meanness　of　this　worship　of　success；　the　sham　of　kid…gloved

novelists；　〃good　form；〃　and　the　terrific　decency　of　our　education。

It　was　soothing　thus　to　see　through　things；　soothing　thus　to　be

superior；　and　from　the　soft　recesses　of　his　chair　he　puffed　out　smoke

and　stretched　his　limbs　toward　the　fire；　and　the　fire　burned　back　at

him　with　a　discreet　and　venerable　glow。









CHAPTER　VIII



THE　WEDDING



Puncutal　to　his　word；　Bill　Dennant　called　for　Shelton　at　one　o'clock。



〃I　bet　old　Benjy's　feeling　a　bit　cheap；〃　said　he；　as　they　got　out　of

their　cab　at　the　church　door　and　passed　between　the　crowded　files　of

unelect；　whose　eyes；　so　curious　and　pitiful；　devoured　them　from　the

pavement。



The　ashen　face　of　a　woman；　with　a　baby　in　her　arms　and　two　more　by

her　side；　looked　as　eager　as　if　she　had　never　experienced　the　pangs

of　ragged　matrimony。　　Shelton　went　in　inexplicably　uneasy；　the　price

of　his　tie　was　their　board　and　lodging　for　a　week。　　He　followed　his

future　brother…in…law　to　a　pew　on　the　bridegroom's　side；　for；　with

intuitive　perception　of　the　sexes'　endless　warfare；　each　of　the

opposing　parties　to　this　contract　had　its　serried　battalion；　the

arrows　of　whose　suspicion　kept　glancing　across　and　across　the　central

aisle。



Bill　Dennant's　eyes　began　to　twinkle。



〃There's　old　Benjy！〃　　he　whispered；　and　Shelton　looked　at　the　hero　of

the　day。　　A　subdued　pallor　was　traceable　under　the　weathered

uniformity　of　his　shaven　face；　but　the　well…bred；　artificial　smile　he

bent　upon　the　guests　had