the island pharisees-第27章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


house。　　The　poor　fellow　had　a　dreadful　struggle；　I　was　told。　　You

can；　unfortunately；　expect　nothing　else　these　days；　when　livings　have

come　down　so　terribly　in　value！　　He　was　a　married　manlarge　family！〃



Crocker；　who　had　drunk　his　steaming　lemonade；　was　smiling　and　already

nodding　in　his　chair；　with　his　black　garment　buttoned　closely　round

his　throat；　his　long　legs　rolled　up　in　a　blanket；　and　stretched

towards　the　feeble　flame　of　the　newly…lighted　fire；　he　had　a　rather

patchy　air。　　Shelton；　on　the　other　hand；　had　lost　his　feeling　of

fatigue；　the　strangeness　of　the　place　was　stimulating　his　brain；　he

kept　stealing　glances　at　the　scantiness　around；　the　room；　the　parson；

the　furniture；　the　very　fire；　all　gave　him　the　feeling　caused　by

seeing　legs　that　have　outgrown　their　trousers。　　But　there　was

something　underlying　that　leanness　of　the　landscape；　something

superior　and　academic；　which　defied　all　sympathy。　　It　was　pure

nervousness　which　made　him　say：



〃Ah！　why　do　they　have　such　families？〃



A　faint　red　mounted　to　the　parson's　cheeks；　its　appearance　there　was

startling；　and　Crocker　chuckled；　as　a　sleepy　man　will　chuckle　who

feels　bound　to　show　that　he　is　not　asleep。



〃It's　very　unfortunate；〃　murmured　the　parson；　〃certainly；　in　many

cases。〃



Shelton　would　now　have　changed　the　subject；　but　at　this　moment　the

unhappy　Crocker　snored。　　Being　a　man　of　action；　he　had　gone　to　sleep。



〃It　seems　to　me；〃　said　Shelton　hurriedly；　as　he　saw　the　parson's

eyebrows　rising　at　the　sound；　〃almost　what　you　might　call　wrong。〃



〃Dear　me；　but　how　can　it　be　wrong？〃



Shelton　now　felt　that　he　must　justify　his　saying　somehow。



〃I　don't　know；〃　he　said；　〃only　one　hears　of　such　a　lot　of　cases

clergymen's　families；　I've　two　uncles　of　my　own；　who…〃



A　new　expression　gathered　on　the　parson's　face；　his　mouth　had

tightened；　and　his　chin　receded　slightly。　　〃　Why；　he　's　like　a　mule！〃

thought　Shelton。　　His　eyes；　too；　had　grown　harder；　greyer；　and　more

parroty。　　Shelton　no　longer　liked　his　face。



〃Perhaps　you　and　I；〃　the　parson　said；　〃would　not　understand　each

other　on　such　matters。〃



And　Shelton　felt　ashamed。



〃I　should　like　to　ask　you　a　question　in　turn；　however；〃　the　parson

said；　as　if　desirous　of　meeting　Shelton　on　his　low　ground：　〃How　do

you　justify　marriage　if　it　is　not　to　follow　the　laws　of　nature？〃



〃I　can　only　tell　you　what　I　personally　feel。〃



〃My　dear　sir；　you　forget　that　a　woman's　chief　delight　is　in　her

motherhood。〃



〃I　should　have　thought　it　a　pleasure　likely　to　pall　with　too　much

repetition。　　Motherhood　is　motherhood；　whether　of　one　or　of　a　dozen。〃



〃I　'm　afraid；〃　replied　the　parson；　with　impatience；　though　still

keeping　on　his　guest's　low　ground；　〃your　theories　are　not　calculated

to　populate　the　world。〃



〃Have　you　ever　lived　in　London？〃　Shelton　asked。　　〃It　always　makes　me

feel　a　doubt　whether　we　have　any　right　to　have　children　at　all。〃



〃Surely；〃　said　the　parson　with　wonderful　restraint；　and　the　joints　of

his　fingers　cracked　with　the　grip　he　had　upon　his　chair；　〃you　are

leaving　out　duty　towards　the　country；　national　growth　is　paramount！〃



〃There　are　two　ways　of　looking　at　that。　　It　depends　on　what　you　want

your　country　to　become。〃



〃I　did　n't　know；〃　said　the　parsonfanaticism　now　had　crept　into　his

smile〃there　could　be　any　doubt　on　such　a　subject。〃



The　more　Shelton　felt　that　commands　were　being　given　him；　the　more

controversial　he　naturally　becameapart　from　the　merits　of　this

subject；　to　which　he　had　hardly　ever　given　thought。



〃I　dare　say　I'm　wrong；〃　he　said；　fastening　his　eyes　on　the　blanket　in

which　his　legs　were　wrapped；　〃but　it　seems　to　me　at　least　an　open

question　whether　it's　better　for　the　country　to　be　so　well　populated

as　to　be　quite　incapable　of　supporting　itself。〃　　…



〃Surely；〃　said　the　parson；　whose　face　regained　its　pallor；　〃you're

not　a　Little　Englander？〃



On　Shelton　this　phrase　had　a　mysterious　effect。　　Resisting　an　impulse

to　discover　what　he　really　was；　he　answered　hastily：



〃　Of　course　I'm　not！〃



The　parson　followed　up　his　triumph；　and；　shifting　the　ground　of　the

discussion　from　Shelton's　to　his　own；　he　gravely　said：



〃Surely　you　must　see　that　your　theory　is　founded　in　immorality。　　It

is；　if　I　may　say　so；　extravagant；　even　wicked。〃



But　Shelton；　suffering　from　irritation　at　his　own　dishonesty；　replied

with　heat：



〃Why　not　say　at　once；　sir；　'hysterical；　unhealthy'？　　Any　opinion

which　goes　contrary　to　that　of　the　majority　is　always　called　so；　I

believe。〃



〃Well；〃　returned　the　parson；　whose　eyes　seemed　trying　to　bind　Shelton

to　his　will；　〃I　must　say　your　ideas　do　seem　to　me　both　extravagant

and　unhealthy。　　The　propagation　of　children　is　enjoined　of　marriage。〃



Shelton　bowed　above　his　blanket；　but　the　parson　did　not　smile。



〃We　live　in　very　dangerous　times；〃　he　said；　〃and　it　grieves　me　when　a

man　of　your　standing　panders　to　these　notions。〃



〃Those；〃　said　Shelton；　〃whom　the　shoe　does　n't　pinch　make　this　rule

of　morality；　and　thrust　it　on　to　such　as　the　shoe　does　pinch。〃



〃The　rule　was　never　made；〃　said　the　parson；　〃it　was　given　us。〃



〃Oh！〃　said　Shelton；　〃I　beg　your　pardon。〃　　He　was　in　danger　of

forgetting　the　delicate　position　he　was　in。　　〃He　wants　to　ram　his

notions　down　my　throat；〃　he　thought；　and　it　seemed　to　him　that　the

parson's　face　had　grown　more　like　a　mule's；　his　accent　more　superior；

his　eyes　more　dictatorial：　To　be　right　in　this　argument　seemed　now　of

great　importance；　whereas；　in　truth；　it　was　of　no　importance

whatsoever。　　That　which；　however；　was　important　was　the　fact　that　in

nothing　could　they　ever　have　agreed。



But　Crocker　had　suddenly　ceased　to　snore；　his　head　had　fallen　so　that

a　peculiar　whistling　arose　instead。　　Both　Shelton　and　the　parson

looked　at　him；　and　the　sight　sobered　them。



〃Your　friend　seems　very　tired；〃　said　the　parson。



Shelton　forgot　all　his　annoyance；　for　his　host　seemed　suddenly

pathetic；　with　those　baggy　garments；　hollow　cheeks；　and　the　slightly

reddened　nose　that　comes　from　not　imbibing　quite　enough。　　A　kind

fellow；　after　all！



The　kind　fellow　rose；　and；　putting　his　hands　behind　his　back；　placed

himself　before　the　blackening　fire。　　Whole　centuries　of　authority

stood　behind　him。　　It　was　an　accident　that　the　mantelpiece　was

chipped　and　rusty；　the　fire…irons　bent　and　worn；　his　linen　frayed

about　the　cuffs。



〃I　don't　wish　to　dictate；〃　said　he；　〃but　where　it　seems　to　me　that

you　are　wholly　wrong　in　that　your　ideas　foster　in　women　those　lax

views　of　the　family　life　that　are　so　prevalent　in　Society　nowadays。〃



Thoughts　of　Antonia　with　her　candid　eyes；　the　touch　of　freckling　on

her　pink…white　skin；　the　fair　hair　gathered　back；　sprang　up　in

Shelton；　and　that　word〃lax〃　seemed　ridiculous。　　And　the　women　he

was　wont　to　see　dragging　about　the　streets　of　London　with　two　or

three　small　children；　Women　bent　beneath　the　weight　of　babies　that

they　could　not　leave；　women　going　to　work　with　babies　still　unborn；

anaemic…looking　women；　impecunious　mothers　in　his　own　class；　with

twelve　or　fourteen　children；　all　the　victims　of　the　sanctity　of

marriage；　and　again　the　word　〃lax〃　seemed　to　be　ridiculous。



〃We　are　not　put　into　the　world　to　exercise　our　wits；〃muttered

Shelton。



〃Our　wanton　wills；〃　the　parson　said　severely。



〃That；　sir；　may　have　been　all　right　for　the　last　generation；　the

country　is　more　crowded　now。　　I　can't　see　why　we　should　n't　decide　it

for　ourselves。〃



〃Such　a　view　of　morality；〃　said　the　parson；　looking　down　at　Crocker

with　a　ghostly　smile；　〃to　me　is　unintelligible。〃



Cracker's　whistling　grew　in　tone　and　in　variety。



〃What　I　hate；〃　said　Shelton；　〃is　the　way　we　men　decide　what　women　are

to　bear；　and　then　call　them　immoral；　decadent；　or　what　you　will；　if

they　don't　fall　in　with　our　views。〃



〃Mr。　Shelton；〃　said　the　parson；　〃I　think　we　may　safely　leave　it　in

the　hands　of　God。〃



Shelton