the island pharisees-第5章

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image　of　an　English　day。



One　afternoon　he　had　taken　her　to　play　tennis　with　some　friends；　and

afterwards　they　strolled　on　to　her　favourite　view。　　Down　the　Toulon

road　gardens　and　hills　were　bathed　in　the　colour　of　ripe　apricot；　an

evening　crispness　had　stolen　on　the　air；　the　blood；　released　from　the

sun's　numbing；　ran　gladly　in　the　veins。　　On　the　right　hand　of　the

road　was　a　Frenchman　playing　bowls。　　Enormous；　busy；　pleased；　and

upright　as　a　soldier；　pathetically　trotting　his　vast　carcass　from　end

to　end；　he　delighted　Shelton。　　But　Antonia　threw　a　single　look　at　the

huge　creature；　and　her　face　expressed　disgust。　　She　began　running　up

towards　the　ruined　tower。



Shelton　let　her　keep　in　front；　watching　her　leap　from　stone　to　stone

and　throw　back　defiant　glances　when　he　pressed　behind。　　She　stood　at

the　top；　and　he　looked　up　at　her。　　Over　the　world；　gloriously　spread

below；　she；　like　a　statue；　seemed　to　rule。　　The　colour　was　brilliant

in　her　cheeks；　her　young　bosom　heaved；　her　eyes　shone；　and　the

flowing　droop　of　her　long；　full　sleeves　gave　to　her　poised　figure　the

look　of　one　who　flies。　　He　pulled　himself　up　and　stood　beside　her；

his　heart　choked　him；　all　the　colour　had　left　his　cheeks。



〃Antonia；〃　he　said；　〃I　love　you。〃



She　started；　as　if　his　whisper　had　intruded　on　her　thoughts；　but　his

face　must　have　expressed　his　hunger；　for　the　resentment　in　her　eyes

vanished。



They　stood　for　several　minutes　without　speaking；　and　then　went　home。

Shelton　painfully　revolved　the　riddle　of　the　colour　in　her　face。　　Had

he　a　chance　then？　　Was　it　possible？　　That　evening　the　instinct

vouchsafed　at　times　to　lovers　in　place　of　reason　caused　him　to　pack

his　bag　and　go　to　Cannes。　　On　returning；　two　days　later；　and

approaching　the　group　in　the　centre　of　the　Winter　Garden；　the　voice

of　the　maiden　aunt　reading　aloud　an　extract　from　the　Morning　Post

reached　him　across　the　room。



〃Don't　you　think　that's　rather　nice？〃　he　heard　her　ask；　and　then：

〃Oh；　here　you　aye！　　It's　very　nice　to　see　you　back！〃



Shelton　slipped　into　a　wicker　chair。　　Antonia　looked　up　quickly　from

her　sketch…book；　put　out　a　hand；　but　did　not　speak。



He　watched　her　bending　head；　and　his　eagerness　was　changed　to　gloom。

With　desperate　vivacity　he　sustained　the　five　intolerable　minutes　of

inquiry；　where　had　he　been；　what　had　he　been　doing？　　Then　once　again

the　maiden　aunt　commenced　her　extracts　from　the　Morning　Post。



A　touch　on　his　sleeve　startled　him。　　Antonia　was　leaning　forward；　her

cheeks　were　crimson　above　the　pallor　of　her　neck。



〃Would　you　like　to　see　my　sketches？〃



To　Shelton；　bending　above　those　sketches；　that　drawl　of　the　well…bred

maiden　aunt　intoning　the　well…bred　paper　was　the　most　pleasant　sound

that　he　had　ever　listened　to。



〃My　dear　Dick；〃　Mrs。　Dennant　said　to　him　a　fortnight　later；　〃we　would

rather；　after　you　leave　here；　that　you　don't　see　each　other　again

until　July。　　Of　course　I　know　you　count　it　an　engagement　and　all

that；　and　everybody's　been　writin'　to　congratulate　you。　　But　Algie

thinks　you　ought　to　give　yourselves　a　chance。　　Young　people　don't

always　know　what　they're　about；　you　know；　it's　not　long　to　wait。〃



〃Three　months！〃　　gasped　Shelton。



He　had　to　swallow　down　this　pill　with　what　grace　he　could　command。

There　was　no　alternative。　　Antonia　had　acquiesced　in　the　condition

with　a　queer；　grave　pleasure；　as　if　she　expected　it　to　do　her　good。



〃It'll　be　something　to　look　forward　to；　Dick；〃　she　said。



He　postponed　departure　as　long　as　possible；　and　it　was　not　until　the

end　of　April　that　he　left　for　England。　　She　came　alone　to　see　him

off。　　It　was　drizzling；　but　her　tall；　slight　figure　in　the　golf　cape

looked　impervious　to　cold　and　rain　amongst　the　shivering　natives。

Desperately　he　clutched　her　hand；　warm　through　the　wet　glove；　her

smile　seemed　heartless　in　its　brilliancy。　　He　whispered　〃You　will

write？〃



〃Of　course；　don't　be　so　stupid；　you　old　Dick！〃



She　ran　forward　as　the　train　began　to　move；　her　clear　〃Good…bye！〃

sounded　shrill　and　hard　above　the　rumble　of　the　wheels。　　He　saw　her

raise　her　hand；　an　umbrella　waving；　and　last　of　all；　vivid　still

amongst　receding　shapes；　the　red　spot　of　her　scarlet　tam…o'…shanter。









CHAPTER　III



A　ZOOLOGICAL　GARDEN



After　his　journey　up　from　Dover；　Shelton　was　still　fathering　his

luggage　at　Charing　Cross；　when　the　foreign　girl　passed　him；　and；　in

spite　of　his　desire　to　say　something　cheering；　he　could　get　nothing

out　but　a　shame…faced　smile。　　Her　figure　vanished；　wavering　into　the

hurly…burly；　one　of　his　bags　had　gone　astray；　and　so　all　thought　of

her　soon　faded　from　his　mind。　　His　cab；　however；　overtook　the　foreign

vagrant　marching　along　towards　Pall　Mall　with　a　curious；　lengthy

stridean　observant；　disillusioned　figure。



The　first　bustle　of　installation　over；　time　hung　heavy　on　his　hands。

July　loomed　distant；　as　in　some　future　century；　Antonia's　eyes

beckoned　him　faintly；　hopelessly。　　She　would　not　even　be　coming　back

to　England　for　another　month。



。　。　。　I　met　a　young　foreigner　in　the　train　from　Dover　＇he　wrote　to

her＇a　curious　sort　of　person　altogether；　who　seems　to　have　infected

me。　　Everything　here　has　gone　flat　and　unprofitable；　the　only　good

things　in　life　are　your　letters　。　。　。　。　John　Noble　dined　with　me

yesterday；　the　poor　fellow　tried　to　persuade　me　to　stand　for

Parliament。　　Why　should　I　think　myself　fit　to　legislate　for　the

unhappy　wretches　one　sees　about　in　the　streets？　　If　people's　faces

are　a　fair　test　of　their　happiness；　I'　d　rather　not　feel　in　any　way

responsible　。　。　。　。



The　streets；　in　fact；　after　his　long　absence　in　the　East；　afforded

him　much　food　for　thought：　the　curious　smugness　of　the　passers…by；

the　utterly　unending　bustle；　the　fearful　medley　of　miserable；　over…

driven　women；　and　full…fed　men；　with　leering；　bull…beef　eyes；　whom　he

saw　everywherein　club　windows；　on　their　beats；　on　box　seats；　on　the

steps　of　hotels；　discharging　dilatory　duties；　the　appalling　choas　of

hard…eyed；　capable　dames　with　defiant　clothes；　and　white…cheeked

hunted…looking　men；　of　splendid　creatures　in　their　cabs；　and　cadging

creatures　in　their　broken　hatsthe　callousness　and　the　monotony！



One　afternoon　in　May　he　received　this　letter　couched　in　French：



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　3；　BLANK　ROW

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WESTMINSTER。



MY　DEAR　SIR；



Excuse　me　for　recalling　to　your　memory　the　offer　of　assistance　you　so

kindly　made　me　during　the　journey　from　Dover　to　London；　in　which　I

was　so　fortunate　as　to　travel　with　a　man　like　you。　　Having　beaten　the

whole　town；　ignorant　of　what　wood　to　make　arrows；　nearly　at　the　end

of　my　resources；　my　spirit　profoundly　discouraged；　I　venture　to　avail

myself　of　your　permission；　knowing　your　good　heart。　　Since　I　saw　you

I　have　run　through　all　the　misfortunes　of　the　calendar；　and　cannot

tell　what　door　is　left　at　which　I　have　not　knocked。　　I　presented

myself　at　the　business　firm　with　whose　name　you　supplied　me；　but

being　unfortunately　in　rags；　they　refused　to　give　me　your　address。

Is　this　not　very　much　in　the　English　character？　　They　told　me　to

write；　and　said　they　would　forward　the　letter。　　I　put　all　my　hopes　in

you。

　　　　　Believe　me；　my　dear　sir；

　　　　　　　　　　（whatever　you　may　decide）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Your　devoted

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　LOUIS　FERRAND。



Shelton　looked　at　the　envelope；　and　saw；　that　it；　bore　date　a　week

ago。　　The　face　of　the　young　vagrant　rose　before　him；　vital；　mocking；

sensitive；　the　sound　of　his　quick　French　buzzed　in　his　ears；　and；

oddly；　the　whole　whiff　of　him　had　a　power　of　raising　more　vividly

than　ever　his　memories　of　Antonia。　　It　had　been　at　the　end　of　the

journey　from　Hyeres　to　London　that　he　had　met　him；　that　seemed　to

give　the　youth　a　claim。



He　took　his　hat　and　hurried；　to　Blank　Row。　　Dismissing　his　cab　at　the

corner　of　Victoria　Street　he　with　difficulty　found　the　house　in

question。　　It　was　a　door