the island pharisees-第48章

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〃Oh；　no；　thanks！　　You're　very　kind。〃



Out　of　Antonia's　face　the　timid；　doubting　friendliness　had　fled；　and

was　replaced　by　enmity。　　With　a　long；　cold　look　at　both　of　them　she

turned　away。　　Mrs。　Foliot　gave　a　little　laugh；　and　raised　her　foot

for　Shelton's　help。　　He　heard　a　hiss　of　pain　as　he　swung　her　up；　but

when　he　looked　at　her　she　smiled。



〃Anyway；〃　　he　said　impatiently；　〃let　me　come　and　see　you　don't　break

down。



She　shook　her　head。　　〃It　's　only　two　miles。　　I'm　not　made　of　sugar。〃



〃Then　I　shall　simply　have　to　follow。〃



She　shrugged　her　shoulders；　fixing　her　resolute　eyes　on　him。



〃Would　that　boy　like　to　come？〃　she　asked。



Toddles　left　the　horse's　head。



〃By　Jove！〃　he　cried。　　〃Would　n't　I　just！〃



〃Then；〃　she　said；　〃I　think　that　will　be　best。　　You　've　been　so　kind。〃



She　bowed；　smiled　inscrutably　once　more；　touched　the　Arab　with　her

whip；　and　started；　Toddles　trotting　at　her　side。



Shelton　was　left　with　Antonia　underneath　the　elms。　　A　sudden　puff　of

tepid　air　blew　in　their　faces；　like　a　warning　message　from　the　heavy；

purple　heat　clouds；　low　rumbling　thunder　travelled　slowly　from　afar。



〃We're　going　to　have　a　storm；〃　he　said。



Antonia　nodded。　　She　was　pale　now；　and　her　face　still　wore　its　cold

look　of　offence。



〃I　've　got　a　headache；〃　she　said；　〃I　shall　go　in　and　lie　down。〃



Shelton　tried　to　speak；　but　something　kept　him　silentsubmission　to

what　was　coming；　like　the　mute　submission　of　the　fields　and　birds　to

the　menace　of　the　storm。



He　watched　her　go；　and　went　back　to　his　seat。　　And　the　silence　seemed

to　grow；　the　flowers　ceased　to　exude　their　fragrance；　numbed　by　the

weighty　air。　　All　the　long　house　behind　him　seemed　asleep；　deserted。

No　noise　came　forth；　no　laughter；　the　echo　of　no　music；　the　ringing

of　no　bell；　the　heat　had　wrapped　it　round　with　drowsiness。　　And　the

silence　added　to　the　solitude　within　him。　　What　an　unlucky　chance；

that　woman's　accident！　　Designed　by　Providence　to　put　Antonia　further

from　him　than　before！　　Why　was　not　the　world　composed　of　the

immaculate　alone？　　He　started　pacing　up　and　down；　tortured　by　a

dreadful　heartache。



〃I　must　get　rid　of　this；〃　he　thought。　　〃I　'll　go　for　a　good　tramp；

and　chance　the　storm。〃



Leaving　the　drive　he　ran　on　Toddles；　returning　in　the　highest

spirits。



〃I　saw　her　home；〃　he　crowed。　　〃I　say；　what　a　ripper；　isn't　she？

She　'll　be　as　lame　as　a　tree　to…morrow；　so　will　the　gee。　　Jolly　hot！〃



This　meeting　showed　Shelton　that　he　had　been　an　hour　on　the　stone

seat；　he　had　thought　it　some　ten　minutes；　and　the　discovery　alarmed

him。　　It　seemed　to　bring　the　import　of　his　miserable　fear　right　home

to　him。　　He　started　with　a　swinging　stride；　keeping　his　eyes　fixed　on

the　road；　the　perspiration　streaming　down　his　face。









CHAPTER　XXXI



THE　STORM



It　was　seven　and　more　when　Shelton　returned；　from　his　walk；　a　few

heat　drops　had　splashed　the　leaves；　but　the　storm　had　not　yet　broken。

In　brooding　silence　the　world　seemed　pent　beneath　the　purple

firmament。



By　rapid　walking　in　the　heat　Shelton　had　got　rid　of　his　despondency。

He　felt　like　one　who　is　to　see　his　mistress　after　long　estrangement。

He；　bathed；　and；　straightening　his　tie…ends；　stood　smiling　at　the

glass。　　His　fear；　unhappiness；　and　doubts　seemed　like　an　evil　dream；

how　much　worse　off　would　he　not　have　been；　had　it　all　been　true？



It　was　dinner…party　night；　and　when　he　reached　the　drawing…room　the

guests　were　there　already；　chattering　of　the　coming　storm。　　Antonia

was　not　yet　down；　and　Shelton　stood　by　the　piano　waiting　for　her

entry。　　Red　faces；　spotless　shirt…fronts；　white　arms；　and　freshly…

twisted　hair　were　all　around　him。　　Some　one　handed　him　a　clove

carnation；　and；　as　he　held　it　to　his　nose；　Antonia　came　in；

breathless；　as　though　she　had　rushed　down…stairs；　Her　cheeks　were

pale　no　longer；　her　hand　kept　stealing　to　her　throat。　　The　flames　of

the　coming　storm　seemed　to　have　caught　fire　within　her；　to　be

scorching　her　in　her　white　frock；　she　passed　him　close；　and　her

fragrance　whipped　his　senses。



She　had　never　seemed　to　him　so　lovely。



Never　again　will　Shelton　breathe　the　perfume　of　melons　and　pineapples

without　a　strange　emotion。　　From　where　he　sat　at　dinner　he　could　not

see　Antonia；　but　amidst　the　chattering　of　voices；　the　clink　of　glass

and　silver；　the　sights　and　sounds　and　scents　of　feasting；　he　thought

how　he　would　go　to　her　and　say　that　nothing　mattered　but　her　love。

He　drank　the　frosted；　pale…gold　liquid　of　champagne　as　if　it　had　been

water。



The　windows　stood　wide　open　in　the　heat；　the　garden　lay　in　thick；

soft　shadow；　where　the　pitchy　shapes　of　trees　could　be　discerned。

There　was　not　a　breath　of　air　to　fan　the　candle…flames　above　the

flowers；　but　two　large　moths；　fearful　of　the　heavy　dark；　flew　in　and

wheeled　between　the　lights　over　the　diners'　heads。　　One　fell　scorched

into　a　dish　of　fruit；　and　was　removed；　the　other；　eluding　all　the

swish　of　napkins　and　the　efforts　of　the　footmen；　continued　to　make

soft；　fluttering　rushes　till　Shelton　rose　and　caught　it　in　his　hand。

He　took　it　to　the　window　and　threw　it　out　into　the　darkness；　and　he

noticed　that　the　air　was　thick　and　tepid　to　his　face。　　At　a　sign　from

Mr。　Dennant　the　muslin　curtains　were　then　drawn　across　the　windows；

and　in　gratitude；　perhaps；　for　this　protection；　this　filmy　barrier

between　them　and　the　muffled　threats　of　Nature；　everyone　broke　out　in

talk。　　It　was　such　a　night　as　comes　in　summer　after　perfect　weather；

frightening　in　its　heat；　and　silence；　which　was　broken　by　the　distant

thunder　travelling　low　along　the　ground　like　the　muttering　of　all

dark　places　on　the　earthsuch　a　night　as　seems；　by　very

breathlessness；　to　smother　life；　and　with　its　fateful　threats　to

justify　man's　cowardice。



The　ladies　rose　at　last。　　The　circle　of　the　rosewood　dining…table；

which　had　no　cloth；　strewn　with　flowers　and　silver　gilt；　had　a

likeness　to　some　autumn　pool　whose　brown　depths　of　oily　water　gleam

under　the　sunset　with　red　and　yellow　leaves；　above　it　the　smoke　of

cigarettes　was　clinging；　like　a　mist　to　water　when　the　sun　goes　down。

Shelton　became　involved　in　argument　with　his　neighbour　on　the　English

character。



〃In　England　we've　mislaid　the　recipe　of　life；〃　he　said。　　〃Pleasure's

a　lost　art。　　We　don't　get　drunk；　we're　ashamed　of　love；　and　as　to

beauty；　we've　lost　the　eye　for'　it。　　In　exchange　we　have　got　money；

but　what　's　the　good　of　money　when　we　don't　know　how　to　spend　it？〃

Excited　by　his　neighbour's　smile；　he　added：　〃As　to　thought；　we　think

so　much　of　what　our　neighbours　think　that　we　never　think　at　all。。。。

Have　you　ever　watched　a　foreigner　when　he's　listening　to　an

Englishman？　　We　're　in　the　habit　of　despising　foreigners；　the　scorn

we　have　for　them　is　nothing　to　the　scorn　they　have　for　us。　　And　they

are　right！　　Look　at　our　taste！　　What　is　the　good　of　owning　riches　if

we　don't　know　how　to　use　them？〃



〃That's　rather　new　to　me；〃　his　neighbour　said。　　〃There　may　be

something　in　it。。。。　　Did　you　see　that　case　in　the　papers　the　other

day　of　old　Hornblower；　who　left　the　1820　port　that　fetched　a　guinea　a

bottle？　　When　the　purchaserpoor　feller！came　to　drink　it　he　found

eleven　bottles　out　of　twelve　completely　ullagedha！　ha！　　Well；

there's　nothing　wrong　with　this〃；　and　he　drained　his　glass。



〃No；〃　answered　Shelton。



When　they　rose　to　join　the　ladies；　he　slipped　out　on　the　lawn。



At　once　he　was　enveloped　in　a　bath　of　heat。　　A　heavy　odour；　sensual；

sinister；　was　in　the　air；　as　from　a　sudden　flowering　of　amorous

shrubs。　　He　stood　and　drank　it　in　with　greedy　nostrils。　　Putting　his

hand　down；　he　felt　the　grass；　it　was　dry；　and　charged　with

electricity。　　Then　he　saw；　pale　and　candescent　in　the　blackness；

three　or　four　great　lilies；　the　authors　of　that　perfume。　　The

blossoms　seemed　to　be　rising　at　him　through　the　darkness；　as　though

putting　up　their　faces　to　be　kissed。　　He　straightened　himself