the island pharisees-第43章

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a　curious　face。〃



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



The　traveller　spread　his　hands；　palms　downwards；　on　the　grass　and

looked　at　Shelton　with；　a　smile。



〃I　should　say　he　was　a　rolling　stone；〃　he　said。　　〃It　's　odd；　I'　ve

seen　white　men　in　Central　Africa　with　a　good　deal　of　his　look　about

them。



〃Your　diagnosis　is　a　good　one；〃　answered　Shelton。



〃I　'm　always　sorry　for　those　fellows。　　There's　generally　some　good　in

them。　　They　are　their　own　enemies。　　A　bad　business　to　be　unable　to

take　pride　in　anything　one　does！〃　　And　there　was　a　look　of　pity　on

his　face。



〃That's　exactly　it；〃　said　Shelton。　　〃I　've　often　tried　to　put　it　into

words。　　Is　it　incurable？〃



〃I　think　so。〃



〃Can　you　tell　me　why？〃



Whyddon　pondered。



〃I　rather　think；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃it　must　be　because　they　have　too

strong　a　faculty　of　criticism。　　You　can't　teach　a　man　to　be　proud　of

his　own　work；　that　lies　in　his　blood　〃；　folding　his　arms　across　his

breast；　he　heaved　a　sigh。　　Under　the　dark　foliage；　his　eyes　on　the

sunlight；　he　was　the　type　of　all　those　Englishmen　who　keep　their

spirits　bright　and　wear　their　bodies　out　in　the　dark　places　of　hard

work。　　〃You　can't　think；〃　he　said；　showing　his　teeth　in　a　smile；　〃how

delightful　it　is　to　be　at　home！　　You　learn　to　love　the　old　country

when　you're　away　from　it。〃



Shelton　often　thought；　afterwards；　of　this　diagnosis　of　the　vagabond；

for　he　was　always　stumbling　on　instances　of　that　power　of　subtle

criticism　which　was　the　young　foreigner's　prime　claim　to　be　〃a　most

awfully　interesting〃　and　perhaps　a　rather　shocking　person。



An　old　school…fellow　of　Shelton's　and　his　wife　were　staying　in　the

house；　who　offered　to　the　eye　the　picture　of　a　perfect　domesticity。

Passionless　and　smiling；　it　was　impossible　to　imagine　they　could　ever

have　a　difference。　　Shelton；　whose　bedroom　was　next　to　theirs；　could

hear　them　in　the　mornings　talking　in　exactly　the　tones　they　used　at

lunch；　and　laughing　the　same　laughs。　　Their　life　seemed　to　accord

them　perfect　satisfaction；　they　were　supplied　with　their　convictions

by　Society　just　as；　when　at　home；　they　were　supplied　with　all　the

other　necessaries　of　life　by　some　co…operative　stores。　　Their　fairly

handsome　faces；　with　the　fairly　kind　expressions；　quickly　and

carefully　regulated　by　a　sense　of　compromise；　began　to　worry　him　so

much　that　when　in　the　same　room　he　would　even　read　to　avoid　the　need

of　looking　at　them。　　And　yet　they　were　kindthat　is；　fairly　kind

and　clean　and　quiet　in　the　house；　except　when　they　laughed；　which　was

often；　and　at　things　which　made　him　want　to　howl　as　a　dog　howls　at

music。



〃Mr。　Shelton；〃　Ferrand　said　one　day；　〃I　'm　not　an　amateur　of

marriagenever　had　the　chance；　as　you　may　well　suppose；　but；　in　any

case；　you　have　some　people　in　the　house　who　would　make　me　mark　time

before　I　went　committing　it。　　They　seem　the　ideal　young　married

peopledon't　quarrel；　have　perfect　health；　agree　with　everybody；　go

to　church；　have　childrenbut　I　should　like　to　hear　what　is　beautiful

in　their　life；〃　and　he　grimaced。　　〃It　seems　to　me　so　ugly　that　I　can

only　gasp。　　I　would　much　rather　they　ill…treated　each　other；　just　to

show　they　had　the　corner　of　a　soul　between　them。　　If　that　is

marriage；　'Dieu　m'en　garde！'〃



But　Shelton　did　not　answer；　he　was　thinking　deeply。



The　saying　of　John　Noble's；　〃He's　really　a　most　interesting　person；〃

grew　more　and　more　upon　his　nerves；　it　seemed　to　describe　the　Dennant

attitude　towards　this　stranger　within　their　gates。　　They　treated　him

with　a　sort　of　wonder　on　the　〃don't　touch〃　system；　like　an　object　in

an　exhibition。　　The　restoration；　however；　of；　his　self…respect

proceeded　with　success。　　For　all　the　semblance　of　having　grown　too

big　for　Shelton's　clothes；　for　all　his　vividly　burnt　face；　and　the

quick　but　guarded　play　of　cynicism　on　his　lipshe　did　much　credit　to

his　patrons。　　He　had　subdued　his　terror　of　a　razor；　and　looked　well

in　a　suit　of　Shelton's　flannels。　　For；　after　all；　he　had　only　been

eight　years　exiled　from　middle…class　gentility；　and　he　had　been　a

waiter　half　that　time。　　But　Shelton　wished　him　at　the　devil。　　Not　for

his　manners'　sakehe　was　never　tired　of　watching　how　subtly　the

vagabond　adapted　his　conduct　to　the　conduct　of　his　hosts；　while

keeping　up　his　critical　detachmentbut　because　that　critical

detachment　was　a　constant　spur　to　his　own　vision；　compelling　him　to

analyse　the　life　into　which；　he　had　been　born　and　was　about　to　marry。

This　process　was　disturbing；　and　to　find　out　when　it　had　commenced；

he　had　to　go　back　to　his　meeting　with　Ferrand　on　the　journey　up　from

Dover。



There　was　kindness　in　a　hospitality　which　opened　to　so　strange　a

bird；　admitting　the　kindness；　Shelton　fell　to　analysing　it。　　To

himself；　to　people　of　his　class；　the　use　of　kindness　was　a　luxury；

not　significant　of　sacrifice；　but　productive　of　a　pleasant　feeling　in

the　heart；　such　as　massage　will　setup　in　the　legs。　　〃Everybody's

kind；〃　he　thought；　〃the　question　is；　What　understanding　is　there；

what　real　sympathy？〃　　This　problem　gave　him　food　for　thought。



The　progress；　which　Mrs。　Dennant　not　unfrequently　remarked　upon；　in

Ferrand's　conquest　of　his　strange　position；　seemed　to　Shelton　but　a

sign　that　he　was　getting　what　he　could　out　of　his　sudden　visit　to

green　pastures；　under　the　same　circumstances；　Shelton　thought　that　he

himself　would　do　the　same。　　He　felt　that　the　young　foreigner　was

making　a　convenient　bow　to　property；　but　he　had　more　respect　for　the

sarcastic　smile　on　the　lips　of　Ferrand's　heart。



It　was　not　long　before　the　inevitable　change　came　in　the　spirit　of

the　situation；　more　and　more　was　Shelton　conscious　of　a　quaint

uneasiness　in　the　very　breathing　of　the　household。



〃Curious　fellow　you've　got　hold　of　there；　Shelton；〃　Mr。　Dennant　said

to　him　during　a　game　of　croquet；　〃　he　'll　never　do　any　good　for

himself；　I'm　afraid。〃



〃In　one　sense　I'm　afraid　not；〃　admitted　Shelton。



〃Do　you　know　his　story？　　I　will　bet　you　sixpence〃and　Mr。　　Dennant

paused　to　swing　his　mallet　with　a　proper　accuracy　〃that　he's　been　in

prison。〃



〃Prison！〃　ejaculated　Shelton。



〃I　think；〃　said　Mr。　Dennant；　with　bent　knees　carefully　measuring　his

next　shot；　〃that　you　ought　to　make　inquiriesah！　　missed　it！

Awkward　these　hoops！　　One　must　draw　the　line　somewhere。〃



〃I　never　could　draw；〃　returned　Shelton；　nettled　and　uneasy；　〃but　I

understandI　'll　give　him　a　hint　to　go。〃



〃Don't；〃　said　Mr。　Dennant；　moving　after　his　second　ball；　which

Shelton　had　smitten　to　the　farther　end；　〃be　offended；　my　dear

Shelton；　and　by　no　means　give　him　a　hint；　he　interests　me　very　much

a　very　clever；　quiet　young　fellow。〃



That　this　was　not　his　private　view　Shelton　inferred　by　studying　Mr。

Dennant's　manner　in　the　presence　of　the　vagabond。　　Underlying　the

well…bred　banter　of　the　tranquil　voice；　the　guarded　quizzicality　of

his　pale　brown　face；　it　could　be　seen　that　Algernon　Cuffe　Dennant；

Esq。；　J。P。；　accustomed　to　laugh　at　other　people；　suspected　that　he

was　being　laughed　at。　　What　more　natural　than　that　he　should　grope

about　to　see　how　this　could　be？　　A　vagrant　alien　was　making　himself

felt　by　an　English　Justice　of　the　Peaceno　small　tribute；　this；　to

Ferrand's　personality。　　The　latter　would　sit　silent　through　a　meal；

and　yet　make　his　effect。　　He；　the　object　of　their　kindness；

education；　patronage；　inspired　their　fear。　　There　was　no　longer　any

doubt；　it　was　not　of　Ferrand　that　they　were　afraid；　but　of　what　they

did　not　understand　in　him；　of　horrid　subtleties　meandering　in　the

brain　under　that　straight；　wet…looking　hair；　of　something　bizarre

popping　from　the　curving　lips　below　that　thin；　lopsided　nose。



But　to　Shelton　in　this；　as　in　all　else；　Antonia　was　what　mattered。

At　first；　anxious　to　show　her　lover　that　she　trusted　him；　she　seemed

never　tired　of　doing　things　for　his　young　protege；　as　though　she　too

had　set　her　heart　on　his　salvation；　but；　watching