the island pharisees-第50章

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freckled　man；　an　older　man　sat　next　him；　square…jawed；　with　an

absent…looking　eye　and　sharpened　nose；　next　him；　again；　there　was　a

bearded　person　whom　they　seemed　to　call　the　Commodore；　in　the　fourth；

to　his　alarm；　Shelton　recognised　the　gentleman　called　Mabbey。　　It　was

really　no　matter　for　surprise　to　meet　him　miles　from　his　own　place；

for　he　was　one　of　those　who　wander　with　a　valet　and　two　guns　from　the

twelfth　of　August　to　the　end　of　January；　and　are　then　supposed　to　go

to　Monte　Carlo　or　to　sleep　until　the　twelfth　of　August　comes　again。



He　was　speaking。



〃Did　you　hear　what　a　bag　we　made　on　the　twelfth；　Sir　James？〃



〃Ah！　yes；　what　was　that？　　Have　you　sold　your　bay　horse；　Glennie？〃



Shelton　had　not　decided　whether　or　no　to　sneak　away；　when　the

Commodore's　thick　voice　began：



〃My　man　tellsh　me　that　Mrs。　Foliothawhas　lamed　her　Arab。　　Does

she　mean　to　come　out　cubbing？〃



Shelton　observed　the　smile　that　came　on　all　their　faces。　　〃Foliot　's

paying　for　his　good　time　now；　what　a　donkey　to　get　caught！〃　it　seemed

to　say。　　He　turned　his　back　and　shut　his　eyes。



〃Cubbing？〃　replied　Glennie；　〃hardly。〃



〃Never　could　shee　anything　wonderful　in　her　looks；〃　went　on　the

Commodore；　〃so　quiet；　you　never　knew　that　she　was　in　the　room。　　I

remember　sayin'　to　her　once；　〃Mrs。　Lutheran；　now　what　do　you　like

besht　in　all　the　world？　and　what　do　you　think　she　answered？　　'Music！'

Haw！〃



The　voice　of　Mabbey　said：



〃He　was　always　a　dark　horse；　Foliot：　It　's　always　the　dark　horses

that　get　let　in　for　this　kind　of　thing〃；　and　there　was　a　sound　as

though　he　licked　his　lips。



〃They　say；〃　said　the　voice　of　the　host；　〃he　never　gives　you　back　a

greeting　now。　　Queer　fish；　they　say　that　she's　devoted　to　him。〃



Coming　so　closely　on　his　meeting　with　this　lady；　and　on　the　dream

from　which　he　had　awakened；　this　conversation　mesmerised　the　listener

behind　the　hedge。



〃If　he　gives　up　his　huntin'　and　his　shootin'；　I　don't　see　what　the

deuce　he　'll　do；　he's　resigned　his　clubs；　as　to　his　chance　of

Parliament…〃　said　the　voice　of　Mabbey。



〃Thousand　pities；〃　said　Sir　James；　〃still；　he　knew　what　to　expect。〃



〃Very　queer　fellows；　those　Foliots；〃　said　the　Commodore。　　〃There　was

his　father：　he　'd　always　rather　talk　to　any　scarecrow　he　came　across

than　to　you　or　me。　　Wonder　what　he'll　do　with　all　his　horses；　I

should　like　that　chestnut　of　his。〃



〃You　can't　tell　what　a　fellow　'll　do；〃　said　the　voice　of　Mabbey

〃take　to　drink　or　writin'　books。　　Old　Charlie　Wayne　came　to　gazin'　at

stars；　and　twice　a　week　he　used　to　go　and　paddle　round　in

Whitechapel；　teachin'　pothooks〃



〃Glennie；〃　said　Sir　James；　〃what　's　become　of　Smollett；　your　old

keeper？〃



〃Obliged　to　get　rid　of　him。〃　　Shelton　tried　again　to　close　his　ears；

but　again　he　listened。　　〃Getting　a　bit　too　old；　lost　me　a　lot　of　eggs

last　season。〃



〃Ah！〃　　said　the　Commodore；　〃when　they　oncesh　begin　to　lose　eggsh　〃



〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　his　sonyou　remember　him；　Sir　James；　he　used

to　load　for　you？got　a　girl　into　trouble；　when　her　people　gave　her

the　chuck　old　Smollet　took　her　in；　beastly　scandal　it　made；　too。　　The

girl　refused　to　marry　Smollett；　and　old　Smollett　backed　her　up。

Naturally；　the　parson　and　the　village　cut　up　rough；　my　wife　offered

to　get　her　into　one　of　those　reformatory　what…d'　you…call…'ems；　but

the　old　fellow　said　she　should　n't　go　if　she　did　n't　want　to。　　Bad

business　altogether；　put　him　quite　off　his　stroke。　　I　only　got　five

hundred　pheasants　last　year　instead　of　eight。〃



There　was　a　silence。　　Shelton　again　peeped　through　the　hedge。　　All

were　eating　pie。



〃In　Warwickshire；〃　said　the　Commodore；　〃they　always　marryhawand

live　reshpectable　ever　after。〃



〃Quite　so；〃　remarked　the　host；　〃it　was　a　bit　too　thick；　her　refusing

to　marry　him。　　She　said　he　took　advantage　of　her。〃



〃She's　sorry　by　this　time；〃　said　Sir　James；　〃lucky　escape　for　young

Smollett。　　Queer；　the　obstinacy　of　some　of　these　old　fellows！〃



〃What　are　we　doing　after　lunch？〃　asked　the　Commodore。



〃The　next　field；〃　said　the　host；　〃is　pasture。　　We　line　up　along　the

hedge；　and　drive　that　mustard　towards　the　roots；　there　ought　to　be　a

good　few　birds。〃



〃Shelton　rose；　and；　crouching；　stole　softly　to　the　gate：



〃On　the　twelfth；　shootin'　in　two　parties；〃　followed　the　voice　of

Mabbey　from　the　distance。



Whether　from　his　walk　or　from　his　sleepless　night；　Shelton　seemed　to

ache　in　every　limb；　but　he　continued　his　tramp　along　the　road。　　He

was　no　nearer　to　deciding　what　to　do。　　It　was　late　in　the　afternoon

when　he　reached　Maidenhead；　and；　after　breaking　fast；　got　into　a

London　train　and　went　to　sleep。　　At　ten　o'clock　that　evening　he

walked　into　St。　James's　Park　and　there　sat　down。



The　lamplight　dappled　through　the　tired　foliage　on　to　these　benches

which　have　rested　many　vagrants。　　Darkness　has　ceased　to　be　the

lawful　cloak　of　the　unhappy；　but　Mother　Night　was　soft　and　moonless；

and　man　had　not　despoiled　her　of　her　comfort；　quite。



Shelton　was　not　alone　upon　the　seat；　for　at　the　far　end　was　sitting　a

young　girl　with　a　red；　round；　sullen　face；　and　beyond；　and　further

still；　were　dim　benches　and　dim　figures　sitting　on　them；　as　though

life's　institutions　had　shot　them　out　in　an　endless　line　of　rubbish。



〃Ah！〃　　thought　Shelton；　in　the　dreamy　way　of　tired　people；　〃the

institutions　are　all　right；　it's　the　spirit　that's　all…〃



〃Wrong？〃　　said　a　voice　behind　him；　〃why；　of　course！　　You've　taken　the

wrong　turn；　old　man。〃



He　saw　a　policeman；　with　a　red　face　shining　through　the　darkness；

talking　to　a　strange　old　figure　like　some　aged　and　dishevelled　bird。



〃Thank　you；　constable；〃　the　old　man　said；　〃as　I've　come　wrong　I'll

take　a　rest。〃　　Chewing　his　gums；　he　seemed　to　fear　to　take　the

liberty　of　sitting　down。



Shelton　made　room；　and　the　old　fellow　took　the　vacant　place。



〃You'll　excuse　me；　sir；　I'm　sure；〃　he　said　in　shaky　tones；　and

snatching　at　his　battered　hat；　〃I　see　you　was　a　gentleman〃and

lovingly　he　dwelt　upon　the　word〃would　n't　disturb　you　for　the

world。　　I'm　not　used　to　being　out　at　night；　and　the　seats　do　get　so

full。　　Old　age　must　lean　on　something；　you'll　excuse　me；　sir；　I　'm

sure。〃



〃Of　course；〃　said　Shelton　gently。



〃I'm　a　respectable　old　man；　really；〃　said　his　neighbour；　〃I　never

took　a　liberty　in　my　life。　　But　at　my　age；　sir；　you　get　nervous；

standin'　about　the　streets　as　I　been　this　last　week；　an'　sleepin'　in

them　doss…housesOh；　they're　dreadful　rough　placesa　dreadful　rough

lot　there！　　Yes；〃　the　old　man　said　again；　as　Shelton　turned　to　look

at　him；　struck　by　the　real　self…pity　in　his　voice；　〃dreadful　rough

places！〃



A　movement　of　his　head；　which　grew　on　a　lean；　plucked　neck　like　that

of　an　old　fowl；　had　brought　his　face　into　the　light。　　It　was　long；

and　run　to　seed；　and　had　a　large；　red　nose；　its　thin；　colourless　lips

were　twisted　sideways　and　apart；　showing　his　semi…toothless　mouth；

and　his　eyes　had　that　aged　look　of　eyes　in　which　all　colour　runs　into

a　thin　rim　round　the　iris；　and　over　them　kept　coming　films　like　the

films　over　parrots'　eyes。　　He　was；　or　should　have　been；　clean…shaven。

His　hairfor　he　had　taken　off　his　hat　was　thick　and　lank；　of　dusty

colour；　as　far　as　could　be　seen；　without　a　　speck　of　grey；　and　parted

very　beautifully　just　about　the　middle。



〃I　can　put　up　with　that；〃　he　said　again。　　〃I　never　interferes　with

nobody；　and　nobody　don't　interfere　with　me；　but　what　frightens　me〃

his　voice　grew　steady；　as　if　too　terrified　to　shake；　is　never　knowin'

day　to　day　what　's　to　become　of　yer。　　Oh；　that　'a　dreadful；　that　is！〃



〃It　must　be；〃　answered　Shelton。



〃Ah！　it　is；〃　the　old　man　said；　〃and　the　winter　cumin'　on。　　I　never

was　much　used　to　open　air；　bein'　in　domestic　service　all　my　life；　but

I　don't　mind　that　so　long　as　I　can　see　my　way　to　earn　a　livin'。

Well；　thank　God！　　I've　got　a　job　at　last〃；　and　his　voice　grew

cheerful　suddenly。　　〃Sellin'　papers　is　not　wha