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第19章

the island pharisees-第19章

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Straight and thin; one shoulder humped a little; as if its owner were

reflecting; clothed in a frock…coat and a brown felt hat pinched up

in lawless fashion; this figure was so detached from its surroundings

that it would have been noticeable anywhere。  It belonged to Ferrand;

obviously waiting till it was time to breakfast with his patron。

Shelton found pleasure in thus observing him unseen; and sat quietly

on his horse; hidden behind a tree。



It was just at that spot where riders; unable to get further; are for

ever wheeling their horses for another turn; and there Ferrand; the

bird of passage; with his head a little to one side; watched them

cantering; trotting; wheeling up and down。



Three men walking along the rails were snatching off their hats

before a horsewoman at exactly the same angle and with precisely the

same air; as though in the modish performance of this ancient rite

they were satisfying some instinct very dear to them。



Shelton noted the curl of Ferrand's lip as he watched this sight。

〃Many thanks; gentlemen;〃 it seemed to say; 〃in that charming little

action you have shown me all your souls。〃



What a singular gift the fellow had of divesting things and people of

their garments; of tearing away their veil of shams; and their

phylacteries!  Shelton turned and cantered on; his thoughts were with

Antonia; and he did not want the glamour stripped away。



He was glancing at the sky; that every moment threatened to discharge

a violent shower of rain; when suddenly he heard his name called from

behind; and who should ride up to him on either side but Bill Dennant

andAntonia herself!



They had been galloping; and she was flushedflushed as when she

stood on the old tower at Hyeres; but with a joyful radiance

different from the calm and conquering radiance of that other moment。

To Shelton's delight they fell into line with him; and all three went

galloping along the strip between the trees and rails。  The look she

gave him seemed to say; 〃I don't care if it is forbidden!〃  but she

did not speak。  He could not take his eyes off her。  How lovely she

looked; with the resolute curve of her figure; the glimpse of gold

under her hat; the glorious colour in her cheeks; as if she had been

kissed。



〃It 's so splendid to be at home!  Let 's go faster; faster!〃  she

cried out。



〃Take a pull。  We shall get run in;〃 grumbled her brother; with a

chuckle。



They reined in round the bend and jogged more soberly down on the far

side; still not a word from her to Shelton; and Shelton in his turn

spoke only to Bill Dennant。  He was afraid to speak to her; for he

knew that her mind was dwelling on this chance forbidden meeting in a

way quite different from his own。



Approaching Hyde Park Corner; where Ferrand was still standing

against the rails; Shelton; who had forgotten his existence; suffered

a shock when his eyes fell suddenly on that impassive figure。  He was

about to raise his hand; when he saw that the young foreigner; noting

his instinctive feeling; had at once adapted himself to it。  They

passed again without a greeting; unless that swift inquisition;

followed by unconsciousness in Ferrand's eyes; could so be called。

But the feeling of idiotic happiness left Shelton; he grew irritated

at this silence。  It tantalised him more and more; for Bill Dennant

had lagged behind to chatter to a friend; Shelton and Antonia were

alone; walking their horses; without a word; not even looking at each

other。  At one moment he thought of galloping ahead and leaving her;

then of breaking the vow of muteness she seemed to be imposing on

him; and he kept thinking: 〃It ought to be either one thing or the

other。  I can't stand this。〃  Her calmness was getting on his nerves;

she seemed to have determined just how far she meant to go; to have

fixed cold…bloodedly a limit。  In her happy young beauty and radiant

coolness she summed up that sane consistent something existing in

nine out of ten of the people Shelton knew。  〃I can't stand it long;〃

he thought; and all of a sudden spoke; but as he did so she frowned

and cantered on。  When he caught her she was smiling; lifting her

face to catch the raindrops which were falling fast。  She gave him

just a nod; and waved her hand as a sign for him to go; and when he

would not; she frowned。  He saw Bill Dennant; posting after them;

and; seized by a sense of the ridiculous; lifted his hat; and

galloped off。



The rain was coming down in torrents now; and every one was scurrying

for shelter。  He looked back from the bend; and could still make out

Antonia riding leisurely; her face upturned; and revelling in the

shower。  Why had n't she either cut him altogether or taken the

sweets the gods had sent?  It seemed wicked to have wasted such a

chance; and; ploughing back to Hyde Park Corner; he turned his head

to see if by any chance she had relented。



His irritation was soon gone; but his longing stayed。  Was ever

anything so beautiful as she had looked with her face turned to the

rain?  She seemed to love the rain。  It suited hersuited her ever

so much better than the sunshine of the South。  Yes; she was very

English!  Puzzling and fretting; he reached his rooms。  Ferrand had

not arrived; in fact did not turn up that day。  His non…appearance

afforded Shelton another proof of the delicacy that went hand in hand

with the young vagrant's cynicism。  In the afternoon he received a

note。



。  。  。  You see; Dick 'he read'; I ought to have cut you; but I felt

too crazyeverything seems so jolly at home; even this stuffy old

London。  Of course; I wanted to talk to you badlythere are heaps of

things one can't say by letterbut I should have been sorry

afterwards。  I told mother。  She said I was quite right; but I don't

think she took it in。  Don't you feel that the only thing that really

matters is to have an ideal; and to keep it so safe that you can

always look forward and feel that you have beenI can't exactly

express my meaning。



Shelton lit a cigarette and frowned。  It seemed to him queer that she

should set more store by an 〃ideal〃 than by the fact that they had

met for the first and only time in many weeks。



〃I suppose she 's right;〃 he thoughts〃I suppose she 's right。  I

ought not to have tried to speak to her!〃  As a matter of fact; he

did not at all feel that she was right。









CHAPTER XIII



AN 〃AT HOME〃



On Tuesday morning he wandered off to Paddington; hoping for a chance

view of her on her way down to Holm Oaks; but the sense of the

ridiculous; on which he had been nurtured; was strong enough to keep

him from actually entering the station and lurking about until she

came。  With a pang of disappointment he retraced his steps from Praed

Street to the Park; and once there tried no further to waylay her。

He paid a round of calls in the afternoon; mostly on her relations;

and; seeking out Aunt Charlotte; he dolorously related his encounter

in the Row。  But she found it 〃rather nice;〃 and on his pressing her

with his views; she murmured that it was 〃quite romantic; don't you

know。〃



〃Still; it's very hard;〃 said Shelton; and he went away disconsolate。



As he was dressing for dinner his eye fell on a card announcing the

〃at home〃 of one of his own cousins。  Her husband was a composer; and

he had a vague idea that he would find at the house of a composer

some quite unusually free kind of atmosphere。  After dining at the

club; therefore; he set out for Chelsea。  The party was held in a

large room on the ground…floor; which was already crowded with people

when Shelton entered。  They stood or sat about in groups with smiles

fixed on their lips; and the light from balloon…like lamps fell in

patches on their heads and hands and shoulders。  Someone had just

finished rendering on the piano a composition of his own。  An expert

could at once have picked out from amongst the applauding company

those w

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