the island pharisees-第23章

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enough　recommendations。〃



Shelton　could　not　help　a　dubious　glance　at　the　papers　in　his　hand。　　A

hurt　look　passed　on　to　Ferrand's　curly　lips　beneath　his　nascent　red

moustache。



〃You　mean　that　to　have　false　papers　is　as　bad　as　theft。　　No；　no；　I

shall　never　be　a　thiefI　've　had　too　many　opportunities；〃　said　he；

with　pride　and　bitterness。　　〃That's　not　in　my　character。　I　never　do

harm　to　anyone。　　This〃he　touched　the　papers〃is　not　delicate；　but

it　does　harm　to　no　one。　　If　you　have　no　money　you　must　have　papers；

they　stand　between　you　and　starvation。　　Society；　has　an　excellent　eye

for　the　helplessit　never　treads　on　people　unless　they　're　really

down。〃　　He　looked　at　Shelton。



〃You　've　made　me　what　I　am；　amongst　you；〃　he　seemed　to　say；；　〃now　put

up　with　me！〃



〃But　there　are　always　the　workhouses；〃　Shelton　remarked　at　last。



〃Workhouses！〃　returned　Ferrand；　〃certainly　there　areregular

palaces：　I　will　tell　you　one　thing：　I've　never　been　in　places　so

discouraging　as　your　workhouses；　they　take　one's　very　heart　out。〃



〃I　always　understood；〃　said　Shelton　coldly；　〃that　our　system　was

better　than　that　of　other　countries。〃



Ferrand　leaned　over　in　his　chair；　an　elbow　on　his　knee；　his　favourite

attitude　when　particularly　certain　of　his　point。



〃Well　he　replied；　〃it　's　always　permissible　to　think　well　of　your　own

country。　　But；　frankly；　I've　come　out　of　those　places　here　with

little　strength　and　no　heart　at　all；　and　I　can　tell　you　why。〃　　His

lips　lost　their　bitterness；　and　he　became　an　artist　expressing　the

result　of　his　experience。　　〃You　spend　your　money　freely；　you　have

fine　buildings；　self…respecting　officers；　but　you　lack　the　spirit　of

hospitality。　　The　reason　is　plain；　you　have　a　horror　of　the　needy。

You　invite　usand　when　we　come　you　treat　us　justly　enough；　but　as　if

we　were　numbers；　criminals；　beneath　contemptas　if　we　had　inflicted

a　personal　injury　on　you；　and　when　we　get　out　again；　we　are　naturally

degraded。〃



Shelton　bit　his　lips。



〃How　much　money　will　you　want　for　your　ticket；　and　to　make　a　start？〃

he　asked。



The　nervous　gesture　escaping　Ferrand　at　this　juncture　betrayed　how

far　the　most　independent　thinkers　are　dependent　when　they　have　no

money　in　their　pockets。　　He　took　the　note　that　Shelton　proffered　him。



〃A　thousand　thanks；〃　said　he；　〃　I　shall　never　forget　what　you　have

done　for　me〃；　and　Shelton　could　not　help　feeling　that　there　was　true

emotion　behind　his　titter　of　farewell。



He　stood　at　the　window　watching　Ferrand　start　into　the　world　again；

then　looked　back　at　his　own　comfortable　room；　with　the　number　of

things　that　had　accumulated　somehowthe　photographs　of　countless

friends；　the　old　arm…chairs；　the　stock　of　coloured　pipes。　　Into　him

restlessness　had　passed　with　the　farewell　clasp　of　the　foreigner's

damp　hand。　　To　wait　about　in　London　was　unbearable。



He　took　his　hat；　and；　heedless　of　direction；　walked　towards　the

river。　　It　was　a　clear；　bright　day；　with　a　bleak　wind　driving　showers

before　it。　　During　one　of　such　Shelton　found　himself　in　Little　Blank

Street。　　〃I　wonder　how　that　little　Frenchman　that　I　saw　is　getting

on！〃　　he　thought。　　On　a　fine　day　he　would　probably　have　passed　by　on

the　other　side；　he　now　entered　and　tapped　upon　the　wicket。



No。　3　Little　Blank　Street　had　abated　nothing　of　its　stone…flagged

dreariness；　the　same　blowsy　woman　answered　his　inquiry。　　Yes；　Carolan

was　always　in；　you　could　never　catch　him　outseemed　afraid　to　go

into　the　street！　　To　her　call　the　little　Frenchman　made　his

appearance　as　punctually　as　if　he　had　been　the　rabbit　of　a　conjurer。

His　face　was　as　yellow　as　a　guinea。



〃Ah！　　it's　you；　monsieur！〃　　he　said。



〃Yes；〃　said　Shelton；　〃and　how　are　you？〃



〃It　's　five　days　since　I　came　out　of　hospital；〃　muttered　the　little

Frenchman；　tapping　on　his　chest；　〃a　crisis　of　this　bad　atmosphere。

I　live　here；　shut　up　in　a　box；　it　does　me　harm；　being　from　the　South。

If　there's　anything　I　can　do　for　you；　monsieur；　it　will　give　me

pleasure。〃



〃Nothing；〃　replied　Shelton；　〃I　was　just　passing；　and　thought　I　should

like　to　hear　how　you　were　getting　on。〃



〃Come　into　the　kitchen；monsieur；　there　is　nobody　in　there。　　'Brr！

Il　fait　un　froid　etonnant'！〃



〃What　sort　of　customers　have　you　just　now？〃　　asked　Shelton；　as　they

passed　into　the　kitchen。



〃Always　the　same　clientele；〃　replied　the　little　man；　〃not　so

numerous；　of　course；　it　being　summer。〃



〃Could　n't　you　find　anything　better　than　this　to　do？〃



The　barber's　crow's…feet　radiated　irony。



〃When　I　first　came　to　London；〃　said　he；　〃I　secured　an　engagement　at

one　of　your　public　institutions。　　I　thought　my　fortune　made。　　_

Imagine；　monsieur；　in　that　sacred　place　I　was　obliged　to　shave　at　the

rate　of　ten　a　penny！　　Here；　it's　true；　they　don't　pay　me　half　the

time；　but　when　I'm　　paid；　I　'm　paid。　　In　this；　climate；　and　being

'poitrinaire'；　one　doesn't　make　experiments。　　I　shall　finish　my　days

here。　　Have　you　seen　that　young　man　who　interested　you？　　There　's

another！　　He　has　spirit；　as　I　had　once'il　fait　de　la　philosophie'；

as　I　doand　you　will　see；　monsieur；　it　will　finish　him。　　In　this

world　what　you　want　is　to　have　no　spirit。　　Spirit　ruins　you。〃



Shelton　looked　sideways　at　the　little　man　with　his　sardonic；　yellow；

half…dead　face；　and　the　incongruity　of　the　word　〃spirit〃　in　his　mouth

struck　him　so　sharply　that　he　smiled　a　smile　with　more　pity　in　it

than　any　burst　of　tears。



〃Shall　we　'sit　down？〃　he　said；　offering　a　cigarette。



〃Merci；　monsieur；　it　is　always　a　pleasure　to　smoke　a　good　cigarette。

You　remember；　that　old　actor　who　gave　you　a　Jeremiad？　　Well；　he's

dead。　　I　was　the　only　one　at　his　bedside；　'un　vrai　drole'。　　He　was

another　who　had　spirit。　　And　you　wi11　see；　monsieur；　that　young　man

in　whom　you　take　an　interest；　he'll　die　in　a　hospital；　or　in　some。

hole　or　other；　or　even　on　the　highroad；　having　closed　his　eyes　once

too　often　some　cold　night；　and　all　because　he　has　something　in　him

which　will　not　accept　things　as　they　are；　believing　always　that　they

should　be　better。　　'Il　n'y　a　riens　de　plus　tragique'！〃



〃According　to　you；　then；〃　said　Sheltonand　the　conversation　seemed

to　him　of　a　sudden　to　have　taken　too　personal　a　turn〃rebellion　of

any　sort　is　fatal。〃



〃Ah！〃　　replied　the　little　man；　with　the　eagerness　of　one　whose　ideal

it　is　to　sit　under　the　awning　of　a　caf？　and　talk　life　upside　down；

〃you　pose　me　a　great　problem　there！　　If　one　makes　rebellion；　it　is

always　probable　that　one　will　do　no　good　to　any　one　and　harm　one's

self。　　The　law　of　the　majority　arranges　that。　　But　I　would　draw　your

attention　to　this〃and　he　paused；　as　if　it　were　a　real　discovery　to

blow　smoke　through　his　nose〃if　you　rebel　it　is　in　all　likelihood

because　you　are　forced　by　your　nature　to　rebel；　this　is　one　of　the

most　certain　things　in　life。　　In　any　case；　it　is　necessary　to　avoid

falling　between　two　stoolswhich　is　unpardonable；〃　he　ended　with

complacence。



Shelton　thought　he　had　never　seen　a　man　who　looked　more　completely　as

if　he　had　fallen　between　two　stools；　and　he　had　inspiration　enough　to

feel　that　the　little　barber's　intellectual　rebellion　and　the　action

logically　required　by　it　had　no　more　than　a　bowing　acquaintanceship。



〃By　nature；〃　went　on　the　little　man；　〃I　am　an　optimist；　it　is　in

consequence　of　this　that　I　now　make　pessimism。　　I　have　always　had

ideals；　seeing　myself　cut　off　from　them　for　ever；　I　must　complain；　to

complain；　monsieur；　is　very　sweet！〃



Shelton　wondered　what　these　ideals　had　been；　but　had　no　answer　ready；

so　he　nodded；　and　again　held　out　his　cigarettes；　for；　like　a　true

Southerner；　the　little　man　had　thrown　the　first　away；　half　smoked。



〃The　greatest　pleasure　in　life；〃　continued　the　Frenchman；　with　a　bow；

〃is　to　talk　a　little　to　a　being　who　is　capable　of　understanding　you。

At　present　we　have　no　one　here；　now　that　that　old　actor's　dead。　　Ah！

there　was　a　man　who　was　rebellion　incarnate！　　He　made　rebellion　as

o