the island pharisees-第41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！



employment　in　England　without　letting　you　know　first。　　I'm　entirely

at　the　end　of　my　resources。〃



The　phrase　struck　Shelton　as　one　that　he　had　heard　before。



But　I　wrote　to　you；〃　he　said；　〃did　n't　you　get　my　letter？〃



A　flicker　passed　across　the　vagrant's　face；　he　drew　the　letter　from

his　pocket　and　held　it　out。



〃Here　it　is；　monsieur。〃



Shelton　stared　at　it。



〃Surely；〃　said　he；　〃I　sent　a　cheque？〃



Ferrand　did　not　smile；　there　was　a　look　about　him　as　though　Shelton

by　forgetting　to　enclose　that　cheque　had　done　him　a　real　injury。



Shelton　could　not　quite　hide　a　glance　of　doubt。



〃Of　course；〃　he　said；　〃IImeant　to　enclose　a　cheque。〃



Too　subtle　to　say　anything；　Ferrand　curled　his　lip。；　〃I　am　capable　of

much；　but　not　of　that；〃　he　seemed　to　say；　and　at　once　Shelton　felt

the　meanness　of　his　doubt。



〃Stupid　of　me；〃　he　said。



〃I　had　no　intention　of　intruding　here；〃　said　Ferrand；　〃I　hoped　to　see

you　in　the　neighbourhood；　but　I　arrive　exhausted　with　fatigue。　　I've

eaten　nothing　since　yesterday　at　noon；　and　walked　thirty　miles。〃　　He

shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃You　see；　I　had　no　time　to　lose　before

assuring　myself　whether　you　were　here　or　not。〃



〃Of　course…〃　began　Shelton；　but　again　he　stopped。



〃I　should　very　much　like；〃　the　young　foreigner　went　on；　〃for　one　of

your　good　legislators　to　find　himself　in　these　country　villages　with

a　penny　in　his　pocket。　　In　other　countries　bakers　are　obliged　to　sell

you　an　equivalent　of　bread　for　a　penny；　here　they　won't　sell　you　as

much　as　a　crust　under　twopence。　　You　don't　encourage　poverty。〃



〃What　is　your　idea　now？〃　asked　Shelton；　trying　to　gain　time。



〃As　I　told　you；〃　replied　Ferrand；　〃there　's　nothing　to　be　done　at

Folkestone；　though　I　should　have　stayed　there　if　I　had　had　the　money

to　defray　certain　expenses〃；　and　again　he　seemed　to　reproach　his

patron　with　the　omission　of　that　cheque。　　〃They　say　things　will

certainly　be　better　at　the　end　of　the　month。　　Now　that　I　know　English

well；　I　thought　perhaps　I　could　procure　a　situation　for　teaching

languages。〃



〃I　see；〃　said　Shelton。



As　a　fact；　however；　he　was　far　from　seeing；　he　literally　did　not　know

what　to　do。　　It　seemed　so　brutal　to　give　Ferrand　money　and　ask　him　to

clear　out；　besides；　he　chanced　to　have　none　in　his　pocket。



〃It　needs　philosophy　to　support　what　I　've　gone　through　this　week；〃

said　Ferrand；　shrugging　his　shoulders。　　〃On　Wednesday　last；　when　I

received　your　letter；　I　had　just　eighteen…pence；　and　at　once　I　made　a

resolution　to　come　and　see　you；　on　that　sum　I　've　done　the　journey。

My　strength　is　nearly　at　an　end。〃



Shelton　stroked　his　chin。



〃Well；〃　he　had　just　begun；　〃we　must　think　it　over；〃　when　by　Ferrand's

face　he　saw　that　some　one　had　come　in。　　He　turned；　and　saw　Antonia　in

the　doorway。　　〃Excuse　me；〃　he　stammered；　and；　going　to　Antonia；　drew

her　from　the　room。



With　a　smile　she　said　at　once：　〃It's　the　young　foreigner；　I'm

certain。　　Oh；　what　fun！〃



〃Yes；〃　answered　Shelton　slowly；　〃he's　come　to　see　me　about　getting

some　sort　of　tutorship　or　other。　　Do　you　think　your　mother　would　mind

if　I　took　him　up　to　have　a　wash？　　He's　had　a　longish　walk。　　And　might

he　have　some　breakfast？　　He　must　be　hungry。〃



〃Of　course！　　I'll　tell　Dobson。　　Shall　I　speak　to　mother？　　He　looks

nice；　Dick。〃



He　gave　her　a　grateful；　furtive　look；　and　went　back　to　his　guest；　an

impulse　had　made　him　hide　from　her　the　true　condition　of　affairs。



Ferrand　was　standing　where　he　had　been　left　his　face　still　clothed　in

mordant　impassivity。



〃Come　up　to　my　room！〃　　said　Shelton；　and　while　his　guest　was　washing；

brushing；　and　otherwise　embellishing　his　person；　he　stood　reflecting

that　Ferrand　was　by　no　means　unpresentable；　and　he　felt　quite

grateful　to　him。



He　took　an　opportunity；　when　the　young　man's　back　was　turned；　of

examining　his　counterfoils。　　There　was　no　record；　naturally；　of　a

cheque　drawn　in　Ferrand's　favour。　　Shelton　felt　more　mean　than　ever。



A　message　came　from　Mrs。　Dennant；　so　he　took　the　traveller　to　the

dining…room　and　left　him　there；　while　he　himself　went　to　the　lady　of

the　house。　　He　met　Antonia　coming　down。



〃How　many　days　did　you　say　he　went　without　food　that　timeyou　know？〃

she　asked　in　passing。



〃Four。〃



〃He　does　n't　look　a　bit　common；　Dick。〃



Shelton　gazed　at　her　dubiously。



〃They're　surely　not　going　to　make　a　show　of　him！〃　he　thought。



Mrs。　Dennant　was　writing；　in　a　dark…blue　dress　starred　over　with

white　spots；　whose　fine　lawn　collar　was　threaded　with　black　velvet。



〃Have　you　seen　the　new　hybrid　Algy's　brought　me　back　from　Kidstone？

Is　n't　it　charmin'？〃　and　she　bent　her　face　towards　this　perfect　rose。

〃They　say　unique；　I'm　awfully　interested　to　find　out　if　that's　true。

I've　told　Algy　I　really　must　have　some。〃



Shelton　thought　of　the　unique　hybrid　breakfasting　downstairs；　he

wished　that　Mrs。　Dennant　would　show　in　him　the　interest　she　had

manifested　in　the　rose。　　But　this　was　absurd　of　him；　he　knew；　for　the

potent　law　of　hobbies　controlled　the　upper　classes；　forcing　them　to

take　more　interest　in　birds；　and　roses；　missionaries；　or　limited　and

highly…bound　editions　of　old　books　（things；　in　a　word；　in　treating

which　you　knew　exactly　where　you　were）　than　in　the　manifestations　of

mere　life　that　came　before　their　eyes。



〃Oh；　Dick；　about　that　young　Frenchman。　　Antonia　says　he　wants　a

tutorship；　now；　can　you　really　recommend　him？　　There's　Mrs。　Robinson

at　the　Gateways　wants　someone　to　teach　her　boys　languages；　and；　if　he

were　quite　satisfactory；　it's　really　time　Toddles　had　a　few　lessons

in　French；　he　goes　to　Eton　next　half。〃



Shelton　stared　at　the　rose；　he　had　suddenly　realised　why　it　was　that

people　take　more　interest　in　roses　than　in　human　beingsone　could　do

it　with　a　quiet　heart。



〃He's　not　a　Frenchman；　you　know；〃　he　said　to　gain　a　little　time。



〃He's　not　a　German；　I　hope；〃　Mrs。　Dennant　answered；　passing　her

forgers　round　a　petal；　to　impress　its　fashion　on　her　brain；　〃I　don't

like　Germans。　　Is　n't　he　the　one　you　wrote　aboutcome　down　in　the

world？　　Such　a　pity　with　so　young　a　fellow！　　His　father　was　a

merchant；　I　think　you　told　us。　　Antonia　says　he　's　quite　refined　to

look　at。〃



〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　Shelton；　feeling　on　safe　ground；　〃he's　refined　enough

to　look　at。〃



Mrs。　Dennant　took　the　rose　and　put　it　to　her　nose。



〃Delicious　perfume！　　That　was　a　very　touchin'　story　about　his　goin'

without　food　in　Paris。　　Old　Mrs。　Hopkins　has　a　room　to　let；　I　should

like　to　do　her　a　good　turn。　　I'm　afraid　there's　a　hole　in　the

ceilin'；　though。　　Or　there's　the　room　here　in　the　left　wing　on　the

ground…floor　where　John　the　footman　used　to　sleep。　　It's　quite　nice；

perhaps　he　could　have　that。〃



〃You　're　awfully　kind；〃　said　Shelton；　〃　but…〃



〃I　should　like　to　do　something　to　restore　his　self…respect；〃；　went　on

Mrs。　Dennant；　〃if；　as　you　say；　he　's　clever　and　all　that。　　Seein'　a

little　refined　life　again　might　make　a　world　of　difference　to　him。

It's　so　sad　when　a　young　man　loses　self…respect。〃



Shelton　was　much　struck　by　the　practical　way　in　which　she　looked　at

things。　　Restore　his　self…respect！　　It　seemed　quite　a　splendid

notion！　　He　smiled；　and　said；



〃You're　too　kind。　　I　think…〃



〃I　don't　believe　in　doin'　things　by　halves；〃　said　Mrs。　Dennant；　〃he

does　n't　drink；　I　suppose？〃



〃Oh；　no；〃　said　Shelton。　　〃He's　rather　a　tobacco　maniac；　of　course。〃



〃Well；　that's　a　mercy！　　You　would　n't　believe　the　trouble　I　've　had

with　drink；　especially　over　cooks　and　coachmen。　　And　now　Bunyan's

taken　to　it。〃



〃Oh；　you'd　have　no　trouble　with　Ferrand；〃　returned　Shelton；　〃　you

couldn't　tell　him　from　a　gentleman　as　far　as　manners　go。〃



Mrs。　Dennant　smiled　one　of　her　rather　sweet　and　kindly　smiles。



〃My　dear　Dick；〃　she　said；　〃there's　not　much　comfort　in　that。　　Look　at

poor　Bobby　Surcingle；　look　at　Oliver　Semples　and　Victor　Medallion；

you　could　n't　have　better　f