the island pharisees-第3章

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skin；　the　passive　righteousness　about　its　curve；　the　prim　separation

from　the　others　of　the　fat　little　finger；　had　acquired　a　wholly

unaccountable　importance。　　It　embodied　the　verdict　of　his　fellow…

passengers；　the　verdict　of　Society；　for　he　knew　that；　whether　or　no

repugnant　to　the　well…bred　mind；　each　assemblage　of　eight　persons；

even　in　a　third…class　carriage；　contains　the　kernel　of　Society。



But　being　in　love；　and　recently　engaged；　Shelton　had　a　right　to　be

immune　from　discontent　of　any　kind；　and　he　reverted　to　his　mental

image　of　the　cool；　fair　face；　quick　movements；　and　the　brilliant

smile　that　now　in　his　probationary　exile　haunted　his　imagination；　he

took　out　his　fiancee's　last　letter；　but　the　voice　of　the　young

foreigner　addressing　him　in　rapid　French　caused　him　to　put　it　back

abruptly。



〃From　what　she　tells　me；　sir；〃　he　said；　bending　forward　to　be　out　of

hearing　of　the　girl；　〃hers　is　an　unhappy　case。　　I　should　have　been

only　too　glad　to　help　her；　but；　as　you　see〃and　he　made　a　gesture　by

which　Shelton　observed　that　he　had　parted　from　his　waistcoat〃I　am

not　Rothschild。　　She　has　been　abandoned　by　the　man　who　brought　her

over　to　Dover　under　promise　of　marriage。　　Look〃and　by　a　subtle

flicker　of　his　eyes　he　marked　how　the　two　ladies　had　edged　away　from

the　French　girl　〃they　take　good　care　not　to　let　their　garments　touch

her。　　They　are　virtuous　women。　　How　fine　a　thing　is　virtue；　sir！　and

finer　to　know　you　have　it；　especially　when　you　are　never　likely　to　be

tempted。〃



Shelton　was　unable　to　repress　a　smile；　and　when　he　smiled　his　face

grew　soft。



〃Haven't　you　observed；〃　went　on　the　youthful　foreigner；　〃that　those

who　by　temperament　and　circumstance　are　worst　fitted　to　pronounce

judgment　are　usually　the　first　to　judge？　　The　judgments　of　Society

are　always　childish；　seeing　that　it's　composed　for　the　most　part　of

individuals　who　have　never　smelt　the　fire。　　And　look　at　this：　they

who　have　money　run　too　great　a　risk　of　parting　with　it　if　they　don't

accuse　the　penniless　of　being　rogues　and　imbeciles。〃



Shelton　was　startled；　and　not　only　by　an　outburst　of　philosophy　from

an　utter　stranger　in　poor　clothes；　but　at　this　singular　wording　of

his　own　private　thoughts。　　Stifling　his　sense　of　the　unusual　for　the

queer　attraction　this　young　man　inspired；　he　said：



〃I　suppose　you're　a　stranger　over　here？〃



〃I've　been　in　England　seven　months；　but　not　yet　in　London；〃　replied

the　other。　　〃I　count　on　doing　some　good　thereit　is　time！〃　　A　bitter

and　pathetic　smile　showed　for　a　second　on　his　lips。　　〃It　won't　be　my

fault　if　I　fail。　　You　are　English；　Sir？〃



Shelton　nodded。



〃Forgive　my　asking；　your　voice　lacks　something　I've　nearly　always

noticed　in　the　English　a　kind　of'comment　cela　s'appelle'

cocksureness；　coming　from　your　nation's　greatest　quality。〃



〃And　what　is　that？〃　asked　Shelton　with　a　smile。



〃Complacency；〃　replied　the　youthful　foreigner。



〃Complacency！〃　repeated　Shelton；　〃do　you　call　that　a　great　quality？〃



〃I　should　rather　say；　monsieur；　a　great　defect　in　what　is　always　a

great　people。　　You　are　certainly　the　most　highly…civilised　nation　on

the　earth；　you　suffer　a　little　from　the　fact。　　If　I　were　an　English

preacher　my　desire　would　be　to　prick　the　heart　of　your　complacency。〃



Shelton；　leaning　back；　considered　this　impertinent　suggestion。



〃Hum！〃　he　said　at　last；　〃you'd　be　unpopular；　I　don't　know　that　we're

any　cockier　than　other　nations。〃



The　young　foreigner　made　a　sign　as　though　confirming　this　opinion。



〃In　effect；〃　said　he；　〃it　is　a　sufficiently　widespread　disease。　　Look

at　these　people　here〃and　with　a　rapid　glance　he　pointed　to　the

inmates　of　the　carnage；〃very　average　persons！　　What　have　they　done

to　warrant　their　making　a　virtuous　nose　at　those　who　do　not　walk　as

they　do？　　That　old　rustic；　perhaps；　is　differenthe　never　thinks　at

allbut　look　at　those　two　occupied　with　their　stupidities　about　the

price　of　hops；　the　prospects　of　potatoes；　what　George　is　doing；　a

thousand　things　all　of　that　sortlook　at　their　faces；　I　come　of　the

bourgeoisie　myselfhave　they　ever　shown　proof　of　any　quality　that

gives　them　the　right　to　pat　themselves　upon　the　back？　　No　fear！

Outside　potatoes　they　know　nothing；　and　what　they　do　not　understand

they　dread　and　they　despisethere　are　millions　of　that　breed。

'Voila　la　Societe'！　　The　sole　quality　these　people　have　shown　they

have　is　cowardice。　　I　was　educated　by　the　Jesuits；〃　he　concluded；　〃it

has　given　me　a　way　of　thinking。〃



Under　ordinary　circumstances　Shelton　would　have　murmured　in　a　well…

bred　voice；　〃Ah！　quite　so；〃　and　taken　refuge　in　the　columns　of　the

Daily　Telegraph。　　In　place　of　this；　for　some　reason　that　he　did　not

understand；　he　looked　at　the　young　foreigner；　and　asked；



〃Why　do　you　say　all　this　to　me？〃



The　trampfor　by　his　boots　he　could　hardly　have　been　better

hesitated。



〃When　you've　travelled　like　me；〃　he　said；　as　if　resolved　to　speak　the

truth；　〃you　acquire　an　instinct　in　choosing　to　whom　and　how　you

speak。　　It　is　necessity　that　makes　the　law；　if　you　want　to　live　you

must　learn　all　that　sort　of　thing　to　make　face　against　life。〃



Shelton；　who　himself　possessed　a　certain　subtlety；　could　not　but

observe　the　complimentary　nature　of　these　words。　　It　was　like　saying

〃I'm　not　afraid　of　you　misunderstanding　me；　and　thinking　me　a　rascal

just　because　I　study　human　nature。〃



〃But　is　there　nothing　to　be　done　for　that　poor　girl？〃



His　new　acquaintance　shrugged　his　shoulders。



〃A　broken　jug；〃　said　he；　〃you'll　never　mend　her。　　She's　going　to　a

cousin　in　London　to　see　if　she　can　get　help；　you've　given　her　the

means　of　getting　thereit's　all　that　you　can　do。　　One　knows　too　well

what'll　become　of　her。〃



Shelton　said　gravely；



〃Oh！　　that's　horrible！　　Could　n't　she　be　induced　to　go　back　home？　　I

should　be　glad〃



The　foreign　vagrant　shook　his　head。



〃Mon　cher　monsieur；〃　he　said；　〃you　evidently　have　not　yet　had

occasion　to　know　what　the　'family'　is　like。　　'The　family'　does　not

like　damaged　goods；　it　will　have　nothing　to　say　to　sons　whose　hands

have　dipped　into　the　till　or　daughters　no　longer　to　be　married。　　What

the　devil　would　they　do　with　her？　　Better　put　a　stone　about　her　neck

and　let　her　drown　at　once。　　All　the　world　is　Christian；　but　Christian

and　good　Samaritan　are　not　quite　the　same。〃



Shelton　looked　at　the　girl；　who　was　sitting　motionless；　with　her

hands　crossed　on　her　bag；　and　a　revolt　against　the　unfair　ways　of

life　arose　within　him。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　young　foreigner；　as　if　reading　all　his　thoughts；

〃what's　called　virtue　is　nearly　always　only　luck。〃　　He　rolled　his

eyes　as　though　to　say：　〃Ah！　La；　Conventions？　　Have　them　by　all　means

but　don't　look　like　peacocks　because　you　are　preserving　them；　it　is

but　cowardice　and　luck；　my　friendsbut　cowardice　and　luck！〃



〃Look　here；〃　said　Shelton；　〃I'll　give　her　my　address；　and　if　she

wants　to　go　back　to　her　family　she　can　write　to　me。〃



〃She'll　never　go　back；　she　won't　have　the　courage。〃



Shelton　caught　the　cringing　glance　of　the　girl's　eyes；　in　the　droop

of　her　lip　there　was　something　sensuous；　and　the　conviction　that　the

young　man's　words　were　true　came　over　him。



〃I　had　better　not　give　them　my　private　address；〃　he　thought；　glancing

at　the　faces　opposite；　and　he　wrote　down　the　following：　〃Richard

Paramor　Shelton；　c/o　Paramor　and　Herring；　Lincoln's　Inn　Fields。〃



〃You're　very　good；　sir。　　My　name　is　Louis　Ferrand；　no　address　at

present。　　I'll　make　her　understand；　she's　half　stupefied　just　now。〃



Shelton　returned　to　the　perusal　of　his　paper；　too　disturbed　to　read；

the　young　vagrant's　words　kept　sounding　in　his　ears。　　He　raised　his

eyes。　　The　plump　hand　of　the　lady　with　the　Roman　nose　still　rested　on

her　lap；　it　had　been　recased　in　its　black　glove　with　large　white

stitching。　　Her　frowning　gaze　was　fixed　on　him　suspiciously；　as　if　he

had　outraged　her　sense　of　decency。



〃He　did　n't　get　anything　f