the island pharisees-第35章

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

rolled　over　their　edges；　soft　and　quick。　　He　noticed；　too；　the

mournful　head　of　a　sheltering　cow　that　was　chewing　at　the　hedge。



Mr。　Dennant　had　not　replied　to　his　remark　about　the　rain。　　So

disconcerting　was　this　silence　that　Shelton　turned。　　His　future

father…in…law；　upon　his　wooden　chair；　was　staring　at　his　well…blacked

boots；　bending　forward　above　his　parted　knees；　and　prodding　at　the

carpet；　a　glimpse　at　his　face　disturbed　Shelton's　resolution。　　It　was

not　forbidding；　stern；　discouragingnot　in　the　least；　it　had　merely

for　the　moment　ceased　to　look　satirical。　　This　was　so　startling　that

Shelton　lost　his　chance　of　speaking。　　There　seemed　a　heart　to　Mr。

Dennant's　gravity；　as　though　for　once　he　were　looking　grave　because

he　felt　so。　　But　glancing　up　at　Shelton；　his　dry　jocosity　reappeared

at　once。



〃What　a　day　for　ducks！〃　　he　said；　and　again　there　was　unmistakable

alarm　about　the　eye。　　Was　it　possible　that　he；　too；　dreaded

something？



〃I　can't　express…〃　began　Shelton　hurriedly。



〃Yes；　it's　beastly　to　get　wet；〃　said　Mr。　Dennant；　and　he　sang



　　　　　　　　　　For　we　can　wrestle　and　fight；　my　boys；

　　　　　　　　　　And　jump　out　anywhere。



〃You　'll　be　with　us　for　that　dinner…party　next　week；　eh？　　Capital！

There's　the　Bishop　of　Blumenthal　and　old　Sir　Jack　Buckwell；　I　must

get　my　wife　to　put　you　between　them…〃



　　　　　　　　　　For　it's　my　delight　of　a　starry　night



〃The　Bishop's　a　great　anti…divorce　man；　and　old　Buckwell　's　been　in

the　court　at　least　twice…'



　　　　　　　　　　In　the　season　of　the　year！



〃Will　you　please　to　take　some　tea；　gentlemen？〃　said　the　voice　of

Phoebe　in　the　doorway。



〃No；　thank　you；　Phoebe。　　That　girl　ought　to　get　married；〃　went　on　Mr。

Dennant；　as　Phoebe　blushingly　withdrew。　　A　flush　showed　queerly　on

his　sallow　cheeks。　　〃A　shame　to　keep　her　tied　like　this　to　her

father's　apron…stringsselfish　fellow；　that！〃　　He　looked　up　sharply；

as　if　he　had　made　a　dangerous　remark。



　　　　　　　　　　The　keeper　he　was　watching　us；

　　　　　　　　　　For　him　we　did　n't　care！



Shelton　suddenly　felt　certain　that　Antonia's　father　was　just　as

anxious　to　say　something　expressive　of　his　feelings；　and　as　unable　as

himself。　　And　this　was　comforting。



〃You　know；　sir…〃　he　began。



But　Mr。　Dennant's　eyebrows　rose；　his　crow's…feet　twinkled；　his

personality　seemed　to　shrink　together。



〃By　Jove！〃　　he　said；　〃it's　stopped！　　Now's　our　chance！　　Come　along；

my　dear　fellow；　delays　are　dangerous！〃　　and　with　his　bantering

courtesy　he　held　the　door　for　Shelton　to　pass　out。　　〃I　think　we'll

part　here；〃　he　said〃I　almost　think　so。　　Good　luck　to　you！〃



He　held　out　his　dry；　yellow　hand。　　Shelton　seized　it；　wrung　it　hard；

and　muttered　the　word：



〃Grateful！〃



Again　Mr。　Dennant's　eyebrows　quivered　as　if　they　had　been　tweaked；　he

had　been　found　out；　and　he　disliked　it。　　The　colour　in　his　face　had

died　away；　it　was　calm；　wrinkled；　dead…looking　under　the　flattened；

narrow　brim　of　his　black　hat；　his　grey　moustache　drooped　thinly；　the

crow's…feet　hardened　round　his　eyes；　his　nostrils　were　distended　by

the　queerest　smile。



〃Gratitude！〃　　he　said；　〃almost　a　vice；　is　n't　it？　　Good…night！〃



Shelton's　face　quivered；　he　raised　his　hat；　and；　turning　as　abruptly

as　his　senior；　proceeded　on　his　way。　　He　had　been　playing　in　a　comedy

that　could　only　have　been　played　in　England。　　He　could　afford　to

smile　now　at　his　past　discomfort；　having　no　longer　the　sense　of　duty

unfulfilled。　　Everything　had　been　said　that　was　right　and　proper　to

be　said；　in　the　way　that　we　such　things　should　say。　　No　violence　had

been　done；　he　could　afford　to　smilesmile　at　himself；　at　Mr。

Dennant；　at　to…morrow；　smile　at　the　sweet　aroma　of　the　earth；　the

shy；　unwilling　sweetness　that　only　rain　brings　forth。









CHAPTER　XXII



THE　COUNTRY　HOUSE



The　luncheon　hour　at　Holm　Oaks；　was；　as　in　many　well…bred　country

housesout　of　the　shooting　season；　be　it　understoodthe　soulful

hour。　　The　ferment　of　the　daily　doings　was　then　at　its　full　height；

and　the　clamour　of　its　conversation　on　the　weather；　and　the　dogs；　the

horses；　neighbours；　cricket；　golf；　was　mingled　with　a　literary

murmur；　for　the　Dennants　were　superior；　and　it　was　quite　usual　to

hear　remarks　like　these　〃Have　you　read　that　charmin'　thing　of

Poser's？〃　or；　〃Yes；　I've　got　the　new　edition　of　old　Bablington：

delightfully　boundso　light。〃　　And　it　was　in　July　that　Holm　Oaks；　as

a　gathering…place　of　the　elect；　was　at　its　best。　　For　in　July　it　had

become　customary　to　welcome　there　many　of　those　poor　souls　from

London　who　arrived　exhausted　by　the　season；　and　than　whom　no

seamstress　in　a　two…pair　back　could　better　have　earned　a　holiday。

The　Dennants　themselves　never　went　to　London　for　the　season。　　It　was

their　good　pleasure　not　to。　　A　week　or　fortnight　of　it　satisfied

them。　　They　had　a　radical　weakness　for　fresh　air；　and　Antonia；　even

after　her　presentation　two　seasons　back；　had　insisted　on　returning

home；　stigmatising　London　balls　as　〃stuffy　things。〃



When　Shelton　arrived　the　stream　had　only　just　begun；　but　every　day

brought　fresh；　or　rather　jaded；　people　to　occupy　the　old；　dark；

sweet…smelling　bedrooms。　　Individually；　he　liked　his　fellow…guests；

but　he　found　himself　observing　them。　　He　knew　that；　if　a　man　judged

people　singly；　almost　all　were　better　than　himself；　only　when　judged

in　bulk　were　they　worthy　of　the　sweeping　criticisms　he　felt　inclined

to　pass　on　them。　　He　knew　this　just　as　he　knew　that　the　conventions；

having　been　invented　to　prevent　man　following　his　natural　desires；

were　merely　the　disapproving　sums　of　innumerable　individual

approvals。



It　was　in　the　bulk；　then；　that　he　found　himself　observing。　　But　with

his　amiability　and　dread　of　notoriety　he　remained　to　all　appearance　a

well…bred；　docile　creature；　and　he　kept　his　judgments　to　himself。



In　the　matter　of　intellect　he　made　a　rough　division　of　the　guests

those　who　accepted　things　without　a　murmur；　those　who　accepted　them

with　carping　jocularity；　in　the　matter　of　morals　he　found　they　all

accepted　things　without　the　semblance　of　a　kick。　　To　show　sign　of

private　moral　judgment　was　to　have　lost　your　soul；　and；　worse；　to　be

a　bit　of　an　outsider。　　He　gathered　this　by　intuition　rather　than　from

conversation；　for　conversation　naturally　tabooed　such　questions；　and

was　carried　on　in　the　loud　and　cheerful　tones　peculiar　to　people　of

good　breeding。　　Shelton　had　never　been　able　to　acquire　this　tone；　and

he　could　not　help　feeling　that　the　inability　made　him　more　or　less　an

object　of　suspicion。　　The　atmosphere　struck　him　as　it　never　had

before；　causing　him　to　feel　a　doubt　of　his　gentility。　　Could　a　man

suffer　from　passion；　heart…searchings；　or　misgivings；　and　remain　a

gentleman？　　It　seemed　improbable。　　One　of　his　fellow…guests；　a　man

called　Edgbaston；　small…eyed　and　semi…bald；　with　a　dark　moustache　and

a　distinguished　air　of　meanness；　disconcerted　him　one　day　by

remarking　of　an　unknown　person；　〃A　half…bred　lookin'　chap；　did　n't

seem　to　know　his　mind。〃　　Shelton　was　harassed　by　a　horrid　doubt。



Everything　seemed　divided　into　classes；　carefully　docketed　and

valued。　　For　instance；　a　Briton　was　of　more　value　than　a　man；　and

wives　than　women。　　Those　things　or　phases　of　life　with　which　people

had　no　personal　acquaintance　were　regarded　with　a　faint　amusement　and

a　certain　disapproval。　　The　principles　of　the　upper　class；　in　fact；

were　strictly　followed。



He　was　in　that　hypersenstive　and　nervous　state　favourable　for

recording　currents　foreign　to　itself。　　Things　he　had　never　before

noticed　now　had　profound　effect　on　him；　such　as　the　tone　in　which　men

spoke　of　womennot　precisely　with　hostility；　nor　exactly　with

contempt　best；　perhaps；　described　as　cultured　jeering；　never；　of

course；　when　men　spoke　of　their　own　wives；　mothers；　sisters；　or

immediate　friends；　but　merely　when　they　spoke　of　any　other　women。　　He

reflected　upon　this；　and　ca