the island pharisees-第25章

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statesmen；　merchants；　husbandsin　fact；　by　every　truly　Christian

person　in　the　country。



〃Yes；〃　thought　Shelton；　as　if　he　had　found　out　something　new；　〃the

more　Christian　the　nation；　the　less　it　has　to　do　with　the　Christian

spirit。〃



Society　was　a　charitable　organisation；　giving　nothing　for　nothing；

little　for　sixpence；　and　it　was　only　fear　that　forced　it　to　give　at

all！



He　took　a　seat　on　a　wall；　and　began　to　watch　a　warder　who　was　slowly

paring　a　last　year's　apple。　　The　expression　of　his　face；　the　way　he

stood　with　his　solid　legs　apart；　his　head　poked　forward　and　his　lower

jaw　thrust　out；　all　made　him　a　perfect　pillar　of　Society。　　He　was

undisturbed　by　Shelton's　scrutiny；　watching　the　rind　coil　down　below

the　apple；　until　in　a　springing　spiral　it　fell　on　the　path　and

collapsed　like　a　toy　snake。　　He　took　a　bite；　his　teeth　were　jagged；

and　his　mouth　immense。　　It　was　obvious　that　he　considered　himself　a

most　superior　man。　　Shelton　frowned；　got　down　slowly；　from　the　wall；

and　proceeded　on　his　way。



A　little　further　down　the　hill　he　stopped　again　to　watch　a　group　of

convicts　in　a　field。　　They　seemed　to　be　dancing　in　a　slow　and　sad

cotillon；　while　behind　the　hedge　on　every　side　were　warders　armed

with　guns。　　Just　such　a　sight；　substituting　spears　could　have　been

seen　in　Roman　times。



While　he　thus　stood　looking；　a　man；　walking；　rapidly；　stopped　beside

him；　and　asked　how　many　miles　it　was　to　Exeter。　　His　round　visage；

and　long；　brown　eyes；　sliding　about　beneath　their；　brows；　his　cropped

hair　and　short　neck；　seemed　familiar。



〃Your　name　is　Crocker；　i5　n't　it？〃　。



〃Why！　　it's　the　Bird！〃　　exclaimed　the　traveller；　putting　out　his

hand。　　〃Have　n't　seen　you　since　we　both　went　down。〃



Shelton　returned　his　handgrip。　　Crocker　had　lived　above　his　head　at

college；　and　often　kept　him；　sleepless　half　the　night　by　playing　on

the　hautboy。



〃Where　have　you　sprung　from？〃



〃India。　　Got　my　long　leave。　　I　say；　are　you　going　this　way？　　Let's　go

together。〃



They　went；　and　very　fast；　faster　and　faster　every　minute。



〃Where　are　you　going　at　this　pace？〃　asked　Shelton。



〃London。〃



〃Oh！　　only　as　far　as　London？〃



〃I　've　set　myself　to　do　it　in　a　week。〃



〃Are　you　in　training？〃



〃No。〃



〃You　'll　kill　yourself。〃



Crocker　answered　with　a　chuckle。



Shelton　noted　with　alarm　the　expression　of　his　eye；　there　was　a　sort

of　stubborn　aspiration　in　it。　　〃Still　an　idealist！〃　　he　thought；

〃poor　fellow！〃　　〃Well；〃　he　inquired；　〃what　sort　of　a　time　have　you

had　in　India？〃



〃Oh；〃　said　the　Indian　civilian　absently；　〃I've；　had　the　plague。〃



〃Good　God！〃



Crocker　smiled；　and　added：



〃Caught　it　on　famine　duty。〃



〃I　see；〃　said　Shelton；　〃plague　and　famine！　　I　suppose　you　fellows

really　think　you　're　doing　good　out　there？〃



His　companion　looked　at　him　surprised；　then　answered　modestly：



〃We　get　very　good　screws。〃



〃That　's　the　great　thing；〃　responded　Shelton。



After　a　moment's　silence；　Crocker；　looking　straight　before　him；

asked：



〃Don't　you　think　we　are　doing　good？〃



〃I　'm　not　an　authority；　but；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　I　don't。〃



Crocker　seemed　disconcerted。



〃Why？〃　he　bluntly　asked。



Shelton　was　not　anxious　to　explain　his　views；　and　he　did　not　reply。



His　friend　repeated：



〃Why　don't　you　think　we're　doing　good　in　India？〃



〃Well；〃　said　Shelton　gruffly；　〃　how　can　progress　be　imposed　on

nations　from　outside？〃



The　Indian　civilian；　glancing　at　Shelton　in　an　affectionate　and

doubtful　way；　replied：



〃You　have　n't　changed　a　bit；　old　chap。〃



〃No；　no；〃　said　Shelton；　〃you　're　not　going　to　get　out　of　it　that　way。

Give　me　a　single　example　of　a　nation；　or　an　individual；　for　that

matter；　who　's　ever　done　any　good　without　having　worked　up　to　it　from

within。〃



Crocker；　grunting；　muttered；　〃Evils。〃



〃That　's　it；〃　said　Shelton；　〃we　take　peoples　entirely　different　from

our　own；　and　stop　their　natural　development　by　substituting　a

civilisation　grown　for　our　own　use。　　Suppose；　looking　at　a　tropical

fern　in　a　hothouse；　you　were　to　say：　'This　heat　's　unhealthy　for　me；

therefore　it　must　be　bad　for　the　fern；　I　'll　take　it　up　and　plant　it

outside　in　the　fresh　air。'〃



〃Do　you　know　that　means　giving　up　India？〃　said　the　Indian　civilian

shrewdly。



〃I　don't　say　that；　but　to　talk　about　doing　good　to　India　ish'm！〃



Crocker　knitted　his　brows；　trying　to　see　the　point　of　view　his　friend

was　showing　him。



〃Come；　now！　　Should　we　go　on　administering　India　if　it　were　dead

loss？　　No。　　Well；　to　talk　about　administering　the　country　for　the

purpose　of　pocketing　money　is　cynical；　and　there　's　generally　some

truth　in　cynicism；　but　to　talk　about　the　administration　of　a　country

by　which　we　profit；　as　if　it　were　a　great　and　good　thing；　is　cant。

I　hit　you　in　the　wind　for　the　benefit　of　myselfall　right：　law　of

nature；　but　to　say　it　does　you　good　at　the　same　time　is　beyond　me。〃



〃No；　no；〃　returned　Crocker；　grave　and　anxious；　〃you　can't　persuade　me

that　we　're　not　doing　good。〃



〃Wait　a　bit。　　It's　all　a　question　of　horizons；　you　look　at　it　from

too　close。　　Put　the　horizon　further　back。　　You　hit　India　in　the　wind；

and　say　it's　virtuous。　　Well；　now　let's　see　what　happens。　　Either　the

wind　never　comes　back；　and　India　gasps　to　an　untimely　death；　or　the

wind　does　come　back；　and　in　the　pant　of　reaction　your　blowthat's　to

say　your　labouris　lost；　morally　lost　labour　that　you　might　have

spent　where　it　would　n't　have　been　lost。〃



〃Are　n't　you　an　Imperialist？〃　asked　Crocker；　genuinely　concerned。



〃I　may　be；　but　I　keep　my　mouth　shut　about　the　benefits　we　're

conferring　upon　other　people。〃



〃Then　you　can't　believe　in　abstract　right；　or　justice？〃



〃What　on　earth　have　our　ideas　of　justice　or　right　got　to　do　with

India？〃



〃If　I　thought　as　you　do；〃　sighed　the　unhappy　Crocker；　〃I　should　be

all　adrift。〃



〃Quite　so。　　We　always　think　our　standards　best　for　the　whole　world。

It's　a　capital　belief　for　us。　　Read　the　speeches　of　our　public　men。

Does　n't　it　strike　you　as　amazing　how　sure　they　are　of　being　in　the

right？　　It's　so　charming　to　benefit　yourself　and　others　at　the　same

time；　though；　when　you　come　to　think　of　it；　one　man's　meat　is　usually

another's　poison。　　Look　at　nature。　　But　in　England　we　never　look　at

naturethere's　no　necessity。　　Our　national　point　of　view　has　filled

our　pockets；　that's　all　that　matters。〃



〃I　say；　old　chap；　that's　awfully　bitter；〃　said　Crocker；　with　a　sort

of　wondering　sadness。



〃It　's　enough　to　make　any　one　bitter　the　way　we　Pharisees　wax　fat；

and　at　the　same　time　give　ourselves　the　moral　airs　of　a　balloon。

I　must　stick　a　pin　in　sometimes；　just　to　hear　the　gas　escape。〃

Shelton　was　surprised　at　his　own　heat；　and　for　some　strange　reason

thought　of　Antoniasurely；　she　was　not　a　Pharisee。



His　companion　strode　along；　and　Shelton　felt　sorry　for　the　signs　of

trouble　on　his　face。



〃To　fill　your　pockets；〃　said　Crocker；　〃is　n't　the　main　thing。　　One

has　just　got　to　do　things　without　thinking　of　why　we　do　them。〃



〃Do　you　ever　see　the　other　side　to　any　question？〃　asked　Shelton。

〃I　suppose　not。　　You　always　begin　to　act　before　you　stop　thinking；

don't　you？〃



Crocker　grinned。



〃He's　a　Pharisee；　too；〃　thought　Shelton；　〃without　a　Pharisee's　pride。

Queer　thing　that！〃



After　walking　some　distance；　as　if　thinking　deeply；　Crocker　chuckled

out：



〃You　're　not　consistent；　you　ought　to　be　in　favour　of　giving　up

India。〃



Shelton　smiled　uneasily。



〃Why　should　n't　we　fill　our　pockets？　　I　only　object　to　the　humbug

that　we　talk。〃



The　Indian　civilian　put　his　hand　shyly　through　his　arm。



〃If　I　thought　like　you；〃　he　said；　〃I　could　n't　stay　another　day　in

India。〃



And　to　this　Shelton　made　no　reply。



The　wind　had　now　begun　to　drop；　and　something　of　the　morning's　magic

was　stealing　again　upon　the　moor。　　They　were　nearing　the　outskirt