the island pharisees-第34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！



of　gold　and　another　dining　in　the　gutter；　or　in　two　married　people

living　on　together　in　perfect　discord　'pour　encourages　les　autres'；

or　in　worshipping　Jesus　Christ　and　claiming　all　her　rights　at　the

same　time；　or　in　despising　foreigners　because　they　are　foreigners；　or

in　war；　or　in　anything　that　is　funny？〃　But　he　did　her　a　certain

amount　of　justice　by　recognising　that　this　was　natural；　since　her

whole　life　had　been　passed　in　trying　not　to　see　the　fun　in　all　these

things。



But　Antonia　stood　smiling　in　the　doorway。　　Brilliant　and　gay　she

looked；　yet　resentful；　as　if　she　knew　they　had　been　talking　of　her。

She　sat　down　by　Shelton's　side；　and　began　asking　him　about　the

youthful　foreigner　whom　he　had　spoken　of；　and　her　eyes　made　him　doubt

whether　she；　too；　saw　the　fun　that　lay　in　one　human　being　patronising

others。



〃But　I　suppose　he's　really　good；〃　she　said；　〃I　mean；　all　those　things

he　told　you　about　were　only…〃



〃Good！〃　　he　answered；　fidgeting；　〃I　don't　really　know　what　the　word

means。〃



Her　eyes　clouded。　　〃Dick；　how　can　you？〃　they　seemed　to　say。



Shelton　stroked　her　sleeve。



〃Tell　us　about　Mr。　Crocker；〃　she　said；　taking　no　heed　of　his　caress。



〃The　lunatic！〃　　he　said。



〃Lunatic！　　Why；　in　your　letters　he　was　splendid。〃



〃So　he　is；〃　said　Shelton；　half　ashamed；　〃　he's　not　a　bit　mad；　really

that　is；　I　only　wish　I　were　half　as　mad。〃



〃Who's　that　mad？〃　queried　Mrs。　Dennant　from　behind　the　urn〃Tom

Crocker？　　Ah；　yes！　　I　knew　his　mother；　she　was　a　Springer。〃



〃Did　he　do　it　in　the　week？〃　said　Thea；　appearing　in　the　window　with　a

kitten。



〃I　don't　know；〃　Shelton　was　obliged　to　answer。



Thea　shook　back　her　hair。



〃I　call　it　awfully　slack　of　you　not　to　have　found　out；〃　she　said。



Antonia　frowned。



〃You　were　very　sweet　to　that　young　foreigner；　Dick；〃　she　murmured

with　a　smile　at　Shelton。　　〃I　wish　that　we　could　see　him。〃



But　Shelton　shook　his　head。



〃It　seems　to　me；〃　he　muttered；　〃that　I　did　about　as　little　for　him　as

I　could。〃



Again　her　face　grew　thoughtful；　as　though　his　words　had　chilled　her。



〃I　don't　see　what　more　you　could　have　done；〃　she　answered。



A　desire　to　get　close　to　her；　half　fear；　half　ache；　a　sense　of

futility　and　bafflement；　an　inner　burning；　made　him　feel　as　though　a

flame　were　licking　at　his　heart。









CHAPTER　XXI



ENGLISH



Just　as　Shelton　was　starting　to　walk　back　to　Oxford　he　met　Mr。

Dennant　coming　from　a　ride。　　Antonia's　father　was　a　spare　man　of

medium　height；　with　yellowish　face；　grey　moustache；　ironical

eyebrows；　and　some　tiny　crow's…feet。　　In　his　old；　short　grey　coat；

with　a　little　slit　up　the　middle　of　the　back；　his　drab　cord　breeches；

ancient　mahogany　leggings；　and　carefully　blacked　boats；　he　had　a　dry；

threadbare　quality　not　without　distinction。



〃Ah；　Shelton！〃　　he　said；　in　his　quietly　festive　voice；　〃glad　to　see

the　pilgrim　here；　at　last。　　You're　not　off　already？〃　and；　laying　his

hand　on　Shelton's　arm；　he　proposed　to　walk　a　little　way　with　him

across　the　fields。



This　was　the　first　time　they　had　met　since　the　engagement；　and

Shelton　began　to　nerve　himself　to　express　some　sentiment；　however

bald；　about　it。　　He　squared　his　shoulders；　cleared　his　throat；　and

looked　askance　at　Mr。　Dennant。　　That　gentleman　was　walking　stiffly；

his　cord　breeches　faintly　squeaking。　　He　switched　a　yellow；　jointed

cane　against　his　leggings；　and　after　each　blow　looked　at　his　legs

satirically。　　He　himself　was　rather　like　that　yellow　cane…pale；　and

slim；　and　jointed；　with　features　arching　just　a　little；　like　the

arching　of　its　handle。



〃They　say　it'll　be　a　bad　year　for　fruit；〃　Shelton　said　at　last。



〃My　dear　fellow；　you　don't　know　your　farmer；　I　'm　afraid。　　We　ought

to　hang　some　farmersdo　a　world　of　good。　　Dear　souls！　　I've　got　some

perfect　strawberries。〃



〃I　suppose；〃　said　Shelton；　glad　to　postpone　the　evil　moment；　〃in　a

climate　like　this　a　man　must　grumble。〃



〃Quite　so；　quite　so！　　Look　at　us　poor　slaves　of　land…owners；　if　I

couldn't　abuse　the　farmers　I　should　be　wretched。　　Did　you　ever　see

anything　finer　than　this　pasture？　　And　they　want　me　to　lower　their

rents！〃



And　Mr。　Dennant's　glance　satirically　wavered；　rested　on　Shelton；　and

whisked　back　to　the　ground　as　though　he　had　seen　something　that

alarmed　him。　　There　was　a　pause。



〃Now　for　it！〃　　thought　the　younger　man。



Mr。　Dennant　kept　his　eyes　fixed　on　his　boots。



〃If　they'd　said；　now；〃　he　remarked　jocosely；　〃that　the　frost　had

nipped　the　partridges；　there　'd　have　been　some　sense　in　it；　but　what

can　you　expect？　　They've　no　consideration；　dear　souls！〃



Shelton　took　a　breath；　and；　with　averted　eyes；　he　hurriedly　began：



〃It's　awfully　hard；　sir；　to…〃



Mr。　Dennant　switched　his　cane　against　his　shin。



〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃it　's　awfully　hard　to　put　up　with；　but　what　can　a

fellow　do？　　One　must　have　farmers。　　Why；　if　it　was　n't　for　the

farmers；　there　'd　be　still　a　hare　or　two　about　the　place！〃



Shelton　laughed　spasmodically；　again　he　glanced　askance　at　his　future

father…in…law。　　What　did　the　waggling　of　his　head　mean；　the　deepening

of　his　crow's…feet；　the　odd　contraction　of　the　mouth？　　And　his　eye

caught　Mr。　Dennant's　eye；　its　expression　was　queer　above　the　fine；

dry　nose　（one　of　the　sort　that　reddens　in　a　wind）。



〃I've　never　had　much　to　do　with　farmers；〃　he　said　at　last。



〃Have　n't　you？　　Lucky　fellow！　　The　mostyes；　quite　the　most　trying

portion　of　the　human　speciesnext　to　daughters。〃



〃Well；　sir；　you　can　hardly　expect　me〃　began　Shelton。



〃I　don'toh；　I　don't！　　D　'you　know；　I　really　believe　we're　in　for　a

ducking。〃



A　large　black　cloud　had　covered　up　the　sun；　and　some　drops　were

spattering　on　Mr。　Dennant's　hard　felt　hat。



Shelton　welcomed　the　shower；　it　appeared　to　him　an　intervention　on

the　part　of　Providence。　　He　would　have　to　say　something；　but　not　now；

later。



〃I　'll　go　on；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　mind　the　rain。　　But　you'd　better　get

back；　sir。〃



〃Dear　me！　　I've　'a　tenant　in　this　cottage；'　said　Mr。　Dennant　in　his；

leisurely；　dry　manner　〃and　a　beggar　he　is　to　poach；　too。　　Least　we

can　do　's　to　ask　for　a　little　shelter；　what　do　you　think？　　〃and

smiling　sarcastically；　as　though　deprecating　his　intention　to　keep

dry；　he　rapped　on　the　door　of　a　prosperous…looking　cottage。



It　was　opened　by　a　girl　of　Antonia's　age　and　height。



〃Ah；　Phoebe！　　Your　father　in？〃



〃No；〃　replied　the　girl；　fluttering；　〃father's　out；　Mr。　Dennant。〃



〃So　sorry！　　Will　you　let　us　bide　a　bit　out　of　the　rain？〃



The　sweet…looking　Phoebe　dusted　them　two　chairs；　and；　curtseying；

left　them　in　the　parlour。



〃What　a　pretty　girl！　　〃　said　Shelton。



〃Yes；　she's　a　pretty　girl；　half　the　young　fellows　are　after　her；　but

she　won't　leave　her　father。　　Oh；　he　's　a　charming　rascal　is　that

fellow！〃



This　remark　suddenly　brought　home　to　Shelton　the　conviction　that　he

was　further　than　ever　from　avoiding　the　necessity　for　speaking。　　He

walked　over　to　the　window。　　The　rain。　　was　coming　down　with　fury；

though　a　golden　line　far　down　the　sky　promised　the　shower's　quick

end。　　〃For　goodness'　sake；〃　he　thought；　〃let　me　say　something；

however　idiotic；　and　get　it　over！〃　　But　he　did　not　turn；　a　kind　of

paralysis　had　seized　on　him。



〃Tremendous　heavy　rain！〃　　he　said　at　last；　〃coming　down　in

waterspouts。〃



It　would　have　been　just　as　easy　to　say：　〃I　believe　your　daughter　to

be　the　sweetest　thing　on　earth；　I　love　her；　and　I　'm　going　to　make

her　happy！〃　　Just　as　easy；　just　about　the　same　amount　of　breath

required；　but　he　couldn't　say　it！　　He　watched　the　rain　stream　and

hiss　against　the　leaves　and　churn　the　dust　on　the　parched　road　with

its　insistent　torrent；　and　he　noticed　with　precision　all　the　details

of　the　process　going　on　outside　how　the　raindrops　darted　at　the

leaves　like　spears；　and　how　the　leaves　shook　themselves　free　a

hundred　times　a　minute；　while　little　runnels　of　water；　ice…clear；