the island pharisees-第31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！



heap　of　worries　and　next　to　no　profit；　I　have　no　chance　to　look　after

my　things。　　Thieves　have　entered　my　room；　stolen　everything；　and　left

me　an　empty　box。　　I　am　once　again　almost　without　clothes；　and　know

not　where　to　turn　to　make　that　figure　necessary　for　the　fulfilment　of

my　duties。　　You　see；　I　am　not　lucky。　　Since　coming　to　your　country；

the　sole　piece　of　fortune　I　have　had　was　to　tumble　on　a　man　like　you。

Excuse　me　for　not　writing　more　at　this　moment。　　Hoping　that　you　are

in　good　health；　and　in　affectionately　pressing　your　hand；

　　　　　　　　　　I　am；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Always　your　devoted

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　LOUIS　FERRAND。





Upon　reading　this　letter　Shelton　had　once　more　a　sense　of　being

exploited；　of　which　he　was　ashamed；　he　sat　down　immediately　and　wrote

the　following　reply：



BISHOPS　HEAD　HOTEL；

OXFORD；



June　25。



MY　DEAR　FERRAND；



I　am　grieved　to　hear　of　your　misfortunes。　　I　was　much　hoping　that　you

had　made　a　better　start。　　I　enclose　you　Post　Office　Orders　for　four

pounds。　　Always　glad　to　hear　from　you。



Yours　sincerely；



RICHARD　SHELTON。





He　posted　it　with　the　satisfaction　that　a　man　feels　who　nobly　shakes

off　his　responsibilities。



Three　days　before　July　he　met　with　one　of　those　disturbing　incidents

which　befall　no　persons　who　attend　quietly　to　their；　property　and

reputation。



The　night　was　unbearably　hot；　and　he　had　wandered　out　with　his　cigar；

a　woman　came　sidling　up　and　spoke　to　him。　　He　perceived　her　to　be　one

of　those　made　by　men　into　mediums　for　their　pleasure；　to　feel

sympathy　with　whom　was　sentimental。　　Her　face　was　flushed；　her

whisper　hoarse；　she　had　no　attractions　but　the　curves　of　a　tawdry

figure。　　Shelton　was　repelled　by　her　proprietary　tone；　by　her　blowzy

face；　and　by　the　scent　of　patchouli。　　Her　touch　on　his　arm　startled

him；　sending　a　shiver　through　his　marrow；　he　almost　leaped　aside；　and

walked　the　faster。　　But　her　breathing　as　she　followed　sounded

laboured；　it　suddenly　seemed　pitiful　that　a　woman　should　be　panting

after　him　like　that。



〃The　least　I　can　do；〃　he　thought；　〃is　to　speak　to　her。〃　　He　stopped；

and；　with　a　mixture　of　hardness　and　compassion；　said；　〃It　's

impossible。〃



In　spite　of　her　smile；　he　saw　by　her　disappointed　eyes　that　she

accepted　the　impossibility。



〃I　'm　sorry；〃　he　said。



She　muttered　something。　　Shelton　shook　his　head。



〃I　'm　sorry；〃　he　said　once　more。　　〃Good。…night。〃



The　woman　bit　her　lower　lip。



〃Good…night；〃　she　answered　dully。



At　the　corner　of　the　street　he　turned　his　head。　　The　woman　was

hurrying　uneasily；　a　policeman　coming　from　behind　had　caught　her　by

the　arm。



His　heart　began　to　beat。　　〃Heavens！〃　　he　thought；　〃what　shall　I　do

now？〃　His　first　impulse　was　to　walk　away；　and　think　no　more　about　it

to　act；　indeed；　like　any　averagely　decent　man　who　did　not　care　to

be　concerned　in　such　affairs。



He　retraced　his　steps；　however；　and　halted　half　a　dozen　paces　from

their　figures。



〃Ask　the　gentleman！　　He　spoke　to　me；〃she　was　saying　in　her　brassy

voice；　through　the　emphasis　of　which　Shelton　could　detect　her　fear。



〃That's　all　right；〃　returned　the　policeman；　〃we　know　all　about　that。〃



〃Youpolice！〃　　cried　the　woman　tearfully；　〃I　've　got　to　get　my

living；　have　n't　I；　the　same　as　you？〃



Shelton　hesitated；　then；　catching　the　expression　in　her　frightened

face；　stepped　forward。　　The　policeman　turned；　and　at　the　sight　of　his

pale；　heavy　jowl；　cut　by　the　cheek…strap；　and　the　bullying　eyes；　he

felt　both　hate　and　fear；　as　if　brought　face　to　face　with　all　that　he

despised　and　loathed；　yet　strangely　dreaded。　　The　cold　certainty　of

law　and　order　upholding　the　strong；　treading　underfoot　the　weak；　the

smug　front　of　meanness　that　only　the　purest　spirits　may　attack；

seemed　to　be　facing　him。　　And　the　odd　thing　was；　this　man　was　only

carrying　out　his　duty。　　Shelton　moistened　his　lips。



〃You're　not　going　to　charge　her？〃



〃Aren't　I？〃　returned　the　policeman。



〃Look　here；　constable；　you　're　making　a　mistake。〃



The　policeman　took　out　his　note…book。



〃Oh；　I　'm　making　a　mistake？　　I　'll　take　your　name　and　address；

please；　we　have　to　report　these　things。〃



〃By　all　means；〃　said　Shelton；　angrily　giving　it。　　〃I　spoke　to　her

first。〃



〃Perhaps　you'll　come　up　to　the　court　tomorrow　morning；　and　repeat

that；〃　replied　the　policeman；　with　incivility。



Shelton　looked　at　him　with　all　the　force　at　his　command。



〃You　had　better　be　careful；　constable；〃　he　said；　but　in　the　act　of

uttering　these　words　he　thought　how　pitiable　they　sounded。



〃We　're　not　to　be　trifled　with；〃　returned　the　policeman　in　a

threatening　voice。



Shelton　could　think　of　nothing　but　to　repeat：



〃You　had　better　be　careful；　constable。〃



〃You're　a　gentleman；〃　replied　the　policeman。　　〃I'm　only　a　policeman。

You've　got　the　riches；　I've　got　the　power。〃



Grasping　the　woman's　arm；　he　began　to　move　along　with　her。



Shelton　turned；　and　walked　away。



He　went　to　Grinnings'　Club；　and　flung　himself　down　upon　a　sofa。　　His

feeling　was　not　one　of　pity　for　the　woman；　nor　of　peculiar　anger　with

the　policeman；　but　rather　of　dissatisfaction　with　himself。



〃What　ought　I　to　have　done？〃　he　thought；　〃the　beggar　was　within　his

rights。〃



He　stared　at　the　pictures　on　the　wall；　and　a　tide　of　disgust　surged

up　in　him。



〃One　or　other　of　us；〃　he　reflected；　〃we　make　these　women　what　they

are。　　And　when　we've　made　them；　we　can't　do　without　them；　we　don't

want　to；　but　we　give　them　no　proper　homes；　so　that　they're　reduced　to

prowl　about　the　streets；　and　then　we　run　them　in。　　Ha！　that's　good

that's　excellent！　　We　run　them　in！　　And　here　we　sit　and　carp。　　But

what　do　we　do？　　Nothing！　　Our　system　is　the　most　highly　moral　known。

We　get　the　benefit　without　soiling　even　the　hem　of　our　phylacteries

the　women　are　the　only　ones　that　suffer。　　And　why　should　n't　they

inferior　things？〃



He　lit　a　cigarette；　and　ordered　the　waiter　to　bring　a　drink。



〃I'll　go　to　the　Court；〃　he　thought；　but　suddenly　it　occurred　to　him

that　the　case　would　get　into　the　local　papers。　　　The　press　would

never　miss　so　nice　a　little　bit　of　scandal〃Gentleman　v。　Policeman！〃

And　he　had　a　vision　of　Antonia's　father；　a　neighbouring　and

conscientious　magistrate；　solemnly　reading　this。　　Someone；　at　all

events；　was　bound　to　see　his　name　and　make　a　point　of　mentioning　it

too　good　to　be　missed！　　And　suddenly　he　saw　with　horror　that　to　help

the　woman　he　would　have　to　assert　again　that　he　had　spoken　to　her

first。　　〃I　must　go　to　the　Court！〃　he　kept　thinking；　as　if　to　assure

himself　that　he　was　not　a　coward。



He　lay　awake　half　the　night　worrying　over　this　dilemma。



〃But　I　did　n't　speak　to　her　first；〃　he　told　himself；　〃I　shall　only　be

telling　a　lie；　and　they　'll　make　me　swear　it；　too！〃



He　tried　to　persuade　himself　that　this　was　against　his　principles；

but　at　the　bottom　of　his　heart　he　knew　that　he　would　not　object　to

telling　such　a　lie　if　only　guaranteed　immune　from　consequences；　it

appeared　to　him；　indeed；　but　obvious　humanity。



〃But　why　should　I　suffer？〃　he　thought；　〃I've　done　nothing。　　It's

neither　reasonable　nor　just。〃



He　hated　the　unhappy　woman　who　was　causing　him　these　horrors　of

uncertainty。　　Whenever　he　decided　one　way　or　other；　the　policeman's

face；　with　its　tyrannical　and　muddy　eyes；　rose　before　him　like　a

nightmare；　and　forced　him　to　an　opposite　conviction。　　He　fell　asleep

at　last　with　the　full　determination　to　go　and　see　what　happened。



He　woke　with　a　sense　of　odd　disturbance。　　〃I　can　do　no　good　by

going；〃　he　thought；　remembering；　aid　lying　very　still；　〃they　're

certain　to　believe　the　policeman；　I　shall　only　blacken　myself　for

nothing；〃　and　the　combat　began　again　within　him；　but　with　far　less

fury。　　It　was　not　what　other　people　thought；　not　even　the　risk　of

perjury　that　mattered　（all　this　he　made　quite　clear）it　was　Antonia。

It　was　not　fair　to　her　to　put　himself　in　such　a