the island pharisees-第24章

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

other　men　make　money；　'c'etait　son　metier'；　when　he　was　no　longer

capable　of　active　revolution；　he　made　it　getting　drunk。　　At　the　last

this　was　his　only　way　of　protesting　against　Society。　　An　interesting

personality；　'je　le　regrette　beaucoup'。　　But；　as　you　see；　he　died　in

great　distress；　without　a　soul　to　wave　him　farewell；　because　as　you

can　well　understand；　monsieur；　I　don't　count　myself。　　He　died　drunk。

'C'etait　un　homme'！〃



Shelton　had　continued　staring　kindly　at　the　little　man；　the　barber

added　hastily：



〃It's　difficult　to　make　an　end　like　that　one　has　moments　of

weakness。〃



〃Yes；〃　assented　Shelton；　〃one　has　indeed。〃



The　little　barber　looked　at　him　with　cynical　discretion。



〃Oh！〃　he　said；　〃it　's　to　the　destitute　that　such　things　are

important。　　When　one　has　money；　all　these　matters…〃



He　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　A　smile　had　lodged　amongst　his　crow's…

feet；　he　waved　his　hand　as　though　to　end　the　subject。



A　sense　of　having　been　exposed　came　over　Shelton。



〃You　think；　then；〃　said　he；　〃that　discontent　is　peculiar　to　the

destitute？〃



〃Monsieur；〃　replied　the　little　barber；　〃a　plutocrat　knows　too　well

that　if　he　mixes　in　that　'galere'　there　's　not　a　dog　in　the　streets

more　lost　than　he。〃



Shelton　rose。



〃The　rain　is　over。　　I　hope　you　'll　soon　be　better；　perhaps　you　'll

accept　this　in　memory　of　that　old　actor；〃　and　he　slipped　a　sovereign

into　the　little　Frenchman's　hand。



The　latter　bowed。



〃Whenever　you　are　passing；　monsieur；〃　he　said　eagerly；　〃I　shall　be

charmed　to　see　you。〃



And　Shelton　walked　away。　　〃'Not　a　dog　in　the　streets　more　lost；'〃

thought　he；　〃now　what　did　he　mean　by　that？〃



Something　of　that　〃lost　dog〃　feeling　had　gripped　his　spirit。　　Another

month　of　waiting　would　kill　all　the　savour　of　anticipation；　might

even　kill　his　love。　　In　the　excitement　of　his　senses　and　his　nerves；

caused　by　this　strain　of　waiting；　everything　seemed　too　vivid；　all

was　beyond　life　size；　like　Artwhose　truths；　too　strong　for　daily

use；　are　thus；　unpopular　with　healthy　people。　　As　will　the；　bones　；in

a　worn　face；　the　spirit　underlying　things　had　reached　the　surface；

the　meanness　and　intolerable　measure　of　hard　facts；　were　too

apparent。　　Some　craving　for　help；　some　instinct；　drove　him　into

Kensington；　for　he　found　himself　before　his；　mother's　house。

Providence　seemed　bent　on　flinging　him　from　pole　to　pole。



Mrs。　Shelton　was　in　town；　and；　though　it　was　the　first　of　June；　sat

warming　her　feet　before　a　fire；　her　face；　with　its　pleasant　colour；

was　crow's…footed　like　the　little　barber's；　but　from　optimism；　not

rebellion。　　She；　smiled　when　she　saw　her　son；　and　the　wrinkles　round

her　eyes　twinkled；　with　vitality。



〃Well；　my　dear　boy；〃　she　said；　〃it's　lovely　to　see　you。　　And　how　is

that　sweet　girl？〃



〃Very　well；　thank　you；〃　replied　Shelton。



〃She　must　be　such　a　dear！〃



〃Mother；〃　stammered　Shelton；　〃I　must　give　it　up。〃



〃Give　it　up？　　My　dear　Dick；　give　what　up？　　You　look　quite　worried。

Come　and　sit　down；　and　have　a　cosy　chat。　　Cheer　up！〃　　And　Mrs。

Shelton；　with　her　head　askew；　gazed　at　her　son　quite　irrepressibly。



Mother；〃　said　Shelton；　who；　confronted　by　her　optimism；　had　never；

since　his　time　of　trial　began；　felt　so　wretchedly　dejected；　〃I　can't

go　on　waiting　about　like　this。〃



〃My　dear　boy；　what　is　the　matter？〃；



〃Everything　is　wrong！



〃Wrong？〃　cried　Mrs。　Shelton。　　〃Come；　tell　me　all；　about　it！〃



But　Shelton；　shook　his　head。



〃You　surely　have　not　had　a　quarrel〃



Mrs。　Shelton　stopped；　the　question　seemed　so　vulgarone　might　have

asked　it　of　a　groom。



〃No；〃　said　Shelton；　and　his　answer　sounded　like　a　groan。



〃You　know；　my　dear　old　Dick；〃　murmured　his　mother；　〃it　seems　a　little

mad。〃



〃I　know　it　seems　mad。〃



〃Come！〃　said　Mrs。　Shelton；　taking　his　hand　between　her　own；　〃you

never　used　to　be　like　this。〃



〃No；〃　said　Shelton；　with　a　laugh；　〃I　never　used　to　be　like　this。〃



Mrs。　Shelton　snuggled　in　her　Chuda　shawl。



〃Oh；〃　she　said；　with　cheery　sympathy；　〃I　know　exactly　how　you　feel！〃



Shelton；　holding　his　head；　stared　at　the　fire；　which　played　and

bubbled　like　his　mother's　face。



〃But　you're　so　fond　of　each　other；〃　she　began　again。　　〃Such　a　sweet

girl！〃



〃You　don't　understand；〃　muttered　Shelton　gloomily；　〃it　's　not　her

it's　nothingit'smyself！〃



Mrs。　Shelton　again　seized　his　hand；　and　this　time　pressed　it　to　her

soft；　warm　cheek；　that　had　lost　the　elasticity　of　youth。



〃Oh！〃　she　cried　again；　〃I　understand。　　I　know　exactly　what　you　're

feeling。〃　　But　Shelton　saw　from　the　fixed　beam　in　her　eyes　that　she

had　not　an　inkling。　　To　do　him　justice；　he　was　not　so　foolish　as　to

try　to　give　her　one。　　Mrs。　Shelton　sighed。　　〃It　would　be　so　lovely　if

you　could　wake　up

to…morrow　and　think　differently。　　If　I　were　you；　my　dear；　I　would

have　a　good　long　walk；　and　then　a　Turkish　bath；　and　then　I　would　just

write　to　her；　and　tell　her　all　about　it；　and　you'll　see　how

beautifully　it'll　all　come　straight〃；　and　in　the　enthusiasm　of　advice

Mrs。　Shelton　rose；　and；　with　a　faint　stretch　of　her　tiny　figure；

still　so　young；　clasped　her　hands　together。　　〃Now　do；　that　's　a　dear

old　Dick！　　You　'll　just　see　how　lovely　it'll　be！〃　　Shelton　smiled；　he

had　not　the　heart　to　chase　away　this　vision。　　〃And　give　her　my

warmest　love；　and　tell　her　I　'm　longing　for　the　wedding。　　Come；　now；

my　dear　boy；　promise　me　that's　what　you　'll　do。〃



And　Shelton　said：　〃　I'll　think　about　it。〃



Mrs。　Shelton　had　taken　up　her　stand　with　one　foot　on　the　fender；　in

spite　of　her　sciatica；。



〃Cheer　up！〃　　she　cried；　her　eyes　beamed　as　if　intoxicated　by　her

sympathy。



Wonderful　woman！　　The　uncomplicated　optimism　that　carried　her　through

good　and　ill　had　not　descended　to　her　son。



》From　pole　to　pole　he　had　been　thrown　that　day；　from　the　French

barber；　whose　intellect　accepted　nothing　without　carping；　and　whose

little　fingers　worked　all　day；　to　save　himself　from　dying　out；　to　his

own　mother；　whose　intellect　accepted　anything　presented　with

sufficient　glow；　but　who；　until　she　died；　would　never　stir　a　finger。

When　Shelton　reached　his　rooms；　he　wrote　to　Antonia：



I　can't　wait　about　in　London　any　longer；　I　am　going　down　to　Bideford

to　start　a　walking　tour。　　I　shall　work　my　way　to　Oxford；　and　stay

there　till　I　may　come　to　Holm　Oaks。　　I　shall　send　you　my　address；　do

write　as　usual。



He　collected　all　the　photographs　he　had　of　heramateur　groups；　taken

by　Mrs。　Dennantand　packed　them　in　the　pocket　of　his　shooting…

jacket。　　There　was　one　where　she　was　standing　just　below　her　little

brother；　who　was　perched　upon　a　wall。　　In　her　half…closed　eyes；　round

throat；　and　softly　tilted　chin；　there　was　something　cool　and

watchful；　protecting　the　ragamuffin　up　above　her　head。　　This　he　kept

apart　to　be　looked　at　daily；　as　a　man　says　his　prayers。













PART　II



THE　COUNTRY









CHAPTER　XVI



THE　INDIAN　CIVILIAN



One　morning　then；　a　week　later；　Shelton　found　himself　at　the　walls　of

Princetown　Prison。



He　had　seen　this　lugubrious　stone　cage　before。　　But　the　magic　of　his

morning　walk　across　the　moor；　the　sight　of　the　pagan　tors；　the　songs

of　the　last　cuckoo；　had　unprepared　him　for　that　dreary　building。　　He

left　the　street；　and；　entering　the　fosse；　began　a　circuit；　scanning

the　walls　with　morbid　fascination。



This；　then；　was　the　system　by　which　men　enforced　the　will　of　the

majority；　and　it　was　suddenly　borne　in　on　him　that　all　the　ideas　and

maxims　which　his　Christian　countrymen　believed　themselves　to　be

fulfilling　daily　were　stultified　in　every　cellule　of　the　social

honeycomb。　　Such　teachings　as　〃He　that　is　without　sin　amongst　you〃

had　been　pronounced　unpractical　by　peers　and　judges；　bishops；

statesmen；　merchants；　husbandsin　fact；　by　every　truly　Christian

person　in　the　country。



〃Yes；〃　thought　S