the island pharisees-第42章

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

you　could　n't　have　better　families。　　But　if　you　're　sure　he　does　n't

drink！　　Algy　'll　laugh；　of　course；　that　does　n't　matterhe　laughs　at

everything。〃



Shelton　felt　guilty；　being　quite　unprepared　for　so　rapid　an　adoption

of　his　client。



〃I　really　believe　there's　a　lot　of　good　in　him；〃　he　stammered；　〃but；

of　course；　I　know　very　little；　and　from　what　he　tells　me　he's　had　a

very　curious　life。　　I　shouldn't　like…〃



〃Where　was　he　educated？〃　inquired　Mrs。　Dennant。　　〃They　have　no　public

schools　in　France；　so　I　've　been　told；　but；　of　course；　he　can't　help

that；　poor　young　fellow！　　Oh；　and；　Dick；　there　's　one　thinghas　he

relations？　　One　has　always　to　be　so　careful　about　that。　　It　's　one

thing　to　help　a　young　fellow；　but　quite　another　to　help　his　family

too。　　One　sees　so　many　cases　of　that　where　men　marry　girls　without

money；　don't　you　know。〃



〃He　has　told　me；〃　answered　Shelton；　〃his　only　relations　are　some

cousins；　and　they　are　rich。〃



Mrs。　Dennant　took　out　her　handkerchief；　and；　bending　above　the　rose；

removed　a　tiny　insect。



〃These　green…fly　get　in　everywhere；〃　she　said。



〃Very　sad　story；　can't　they　do　anything　for　him？〃　and　she　made

researches　in　the　rose's　heart。



〃He's　quarrelled　with　them；　I　believe；〃　said　Shelton；　〃I　have　n't

liked　to　press　him；　about　that。〃



〃No；　of　course　not；〃　assented　Mrs。　Dennant　absentlyshe　had　found

another　green…fly　〃I　always　think　it's　painful　when　a　young　man　seems

so　friendless。〃



Shelton　was　silent；　he　was　thinking　deeply。　　He　had　never　before　felt

so　distrustful　of　the　youthful　foreigner。



〃I　think；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃the　best　thing　would　be　for　you　to　see

him　for　yourself。〃



〃Very　well；〃　said　Mrs。　Dennant。　　〃I　should　be　so　glad　if　you　would

tell　him　to　come　up。　　I　must　say　I　do　think　that　was　a　most　touchin'

story　about　Paris。　　I　wonder　whether　this　light's　strong　enough　now

for　me　to　photograph　this　rose。〃



Shelton　withdrew　and　went　down…stairs。　　Ferrand　was　still　at

breakfast。　　Antonia　stood　at　the　sideboard　carving　beef　for　him；　and

in　the　window　sat　Thea　with　her　Persian　kitten。



Both　girls　were　following　the　traveller's　movements　with　inscrutable

blue　eyes。　　A　shiver　ran　down　Shelton's　spine。　　To　speak　truth；　he

cursed　the　young　man's　coming；　as　though　it　affected　his　relations

with　Antonia。









CHAPTER　XXVII



SUB　ROSA



》From　the　interview；　which　Shelton　had　the　mixed　delight　of　watching；

between　Ferrand　and　the　Honourable　Mrs。　Dennant；　certain　definite

results　accrued；　the　chief　of　which　was　the　permission　accorded　the

young　wanderer　to　occupy　the　room　which　had　formerly　been　tenanted　by

the　footman　John。　　Shelton　was　lost　in　admiration　of　Ferrand's　manner

in　this　scene。。　　Its　subtle　combination　of　deference　and　dignity　was

almost　paralysing；　paralysing；　too；　the　subterranean　smile　upon　his

lips。



〃Charmin'　young　man；　Dick；〃　said　Mrs。　Dennant；　when　Shelton　lingered

to　say　once　more　that　he　knew　but　very　little　of　him；　〃I　shall　send　a

note　round　to　Mrs。　Robinson　at　once。　　They're　rather　common；　you

knowthe　Robinsons。　　I　think　they'll　take　anyone　I　recommend。〃



〃I　'm　sure　they　will；〃　said　Shelton；　〃that's　why　I　think　you　ought　to

know…〃



But　Mrs。　Dennant's　eyes；　fervent；　hare…like；　were　fixed　on　something

far　away；　turning；　he　saw　the　rose　in　a　tall　vase　on　a　tall　and

spindly　stool。　　It　seemed　to　nod　towards　them　in　the　sunshine。　　Mrs。

Dennant　dived　her　nose　towards　her　camera。



〃The　light's　perfect　now；〃　she　said；　in　a　voice　muffled　by　the　cloth。

〃I　feel　sure　that　livin'　with　decent　people　will　do　wonders　for　him。

Of　course；　he　understands　that　his　meals　will　be　served　to　him

apart。〃



Shelton；　doubly　anxious；　now　that　his　efforts　had　lodged　his　client

in　a　place　of　trust；　fell；　back　on　hoping　for　the　best；　his　instinct

told　him　that；　vagabond　as　Ferrand　was；　he　had　a　curious　self…

respect；　that　would　save　him　from　a　mean　ingratitude。



In　fact；　as　Mrs。　Dennant；　who　was　by　no　means　void　of　common…sense；

foresaw；　the　arrangement　worked　all　right。　　Ferrand　entered　on　his

duties　as　French　tutor　to　the　little　Robinsons。　　In　the　Dennants'

household　he　kept　himself　to　his　own　room；　which；　day　and　night；　he

perfumed　with　tobacco；　emerging　at　noon　into　the　garden；　or；　if　wet；

into　the　study；　to　teach　young　Toddles　French。　　After　a　time　it

became　customary　for　him　to　lunch　with　the　house…party；　partly

through　a　mistake　of　Toddles；　who　seemed　to　think　that　it　was

natural；　and　partly　through　John　Noble；　one　of　Shelton's　friends；　who

had　come　to　stay；　and　discovered　Ferrand　to　be　a　most　awfully

interesting　person　he　was　always；　indeed；　discovering　the　most

awfully　interesting　persons。　　In　his　grave　and　toneless　voice；

brushing　his　hair　from　off　his　brow；　he　descanted　upon　Ferrand　with

enthusiasm；　to　which　was　joined　a　kind　of　shocked　amusement；　as　who

should　say；　〃Of　course；　I　know　it's　very　odd；　but　really　he　's　such

an　awfully　interesting　person。〃　　For　John　Noble　was　a　politician；

belonging　to　one　of　those　two　Peculiar　parties；　which；　thoroughly　in

earnest；　of　an　honesty　above　suspicion；　and　always　very　busy；　are

constitutionally　averse　to　anything　peculiar　for　fear　of　finding　they

have　overstepped　the　limit　of　what　is　practical　in　politics。　　As　such

he　inspired　confidence；　not　caring　for　things　unless　he　saw　some

immediate　benefit　to　be　had　from　them；　having　a　perfect　sense　of

decency；　and　a　small　imagination。　　He　discussed　all　sorts　of　things

with　Ferrand；　on　one　occasion　Shelton　overheard　them　arguing　on

anarchism。



〃No　Englishman　approves　of　murder；〃　Noble　was　saying；　in　the　gloomy

voice　that　contrasted　with　the　optimistic　cast　of　his　fine　head；　〃but

the　main　principle　is　right。　　Equalisation　of　property　is　bound　to

come。　　I　sympathise　with　then；　not　with　their　methods。〃



〃Forgive　me；〃　struck　in　Ferrand；　〃do　you　know　any　anarchists？〃



〃No；〃　returned　Noble；　〃I　certainly　do　not。〃



〃You　say　you　sympathise　with　them；　but　the　first　time　it　comes　to

action…〃



〃Well？〃



〃Oh；　monsieur！　one　doesn't　make　anarchism　with　the　head。〃



Shelton　perceived　that　he　had　meant　to　add；　〃but　with　the　heart；　the

lungs；　the　liver。〃　　He　drew　a　deeper　meaning　from　the　saying；　and

seemed　to　see；　curling　with　the　smoke　from　Ferrand's　lips；　the　words：

〃What　do　you；　an　English　gentleman；　of　excellent　position；　and　all

the　prejudices　of　your　class；　know　about　us　outcasts？　　If　you　want　to

understand　us　you　must　be　an　outcast　too；　we　are　not　playing　at　the

game。〃



This　talk　took　place　upon　the　lawn；　at　the　end　of　one　of　Toddles's

French　lessons；　and　Shelton　left　John　Noble　maintaining　to　the

youthful　foreigner；　with　stubborn　logic；　that　he；　John　Noble；　and　the

anarchists　had　much；　in　common。　　He　was　returning　to　the　house；　when

someone　called　his　name　from　underneath　the　holm　oak。　　There；　sitting

Turkish　fashion　on　the　grass；　a　pipe　between　his　teeth；　he　found　a

man　who　had　arrived　the　night　before；　and　impressed　him　by　his

friendly　taciturnity。　　His　name　was　Whyddon；　and　he　had　just　returned

from　Central　Africa；　a　brown…faced；　large…jawed　man；　with　small　but

good　and　steady　eyes；　and　strong；　spare　figure。



〃Oh；　Mr。　Shelton！〃　he　said；　〃I　wondered　if　you　could　tell　me　what

tips　I　ought　to　give　the　servants　here；　after　ten　years　away　I　've

forgotten　all　about　that　sort　of　thing。〃



Shelton　sat　down　beside　him；　unconsciously　assuming；　too；　a　cross…

legged　attitude；　which　caused　him　much　discomfort。



〃I　was　listening；〃　said　his　new　acquaintance；　〃to　the　little　chap

learning　his　French。　　I've　forgotten　mine。　　One　feels　a　hopeless

duffer　knowing　no；　languages。〃



〃I　suppose　you　speak　Arabic？〃　said　Shelton。



〃Oh；　Arabic；　and　a　dialect　or　two；　they　don't　count。　　That　tutor　has

a　curious　face。〃



〃You　think　so？〃　said　Shelton；　interested。　　〃He's　had　a　curious　life。〃



The　t