the island pharisees-第51章

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cheerful　suddenly。　　〃Sellin'　papers　is　not　what　I　been　accustomed　to；

but　the　Westminister；　they　tell　me　that's　one　of　the　most　respectable

of　the　evenin'　papersin　fact；　I　know　it　is。　　So　now　I'm　sure　to　get

on；　I　try　hard。〃



〃How　did　you　get　the　job？〃　asked　Shelton。



〃I　've　got　my　character；〃　the　old　fellow　said；　making　a　gesture　with

a　skinny　hand　towards　his　chest；　as　if　it　were　there　he　kept　his

character。



〃Thank　God；　nobody　can't　take　that　away！　　I　never　parts　from　that〃；

and　fumbling；　he　produced　a　packet；　holding　first　one　paper　to　the

light；　and　then　another；　and　he　looked　anxiously　at　Shelton。　　〃In

that　house　where　I　been　sleepin'　they're　not　honest；　they　've　stolen

a　parcel　of　my　thingsa　lovely　shirt　an'　a　pair　of　beautiful　gloves

a　gentleman　gave　me　for　holdin'　of　his　horse。　　Now；　would　n't　you

prosecute　'em；　sir？〃



〃It　depends　on　what　you　can　prove。〃



〃I　know　they　had　'em。　　A　man　must　stand　up　for　his　rights；　that's

only　proper。　　I　can't　afford　to　lose　beautiful　things　like　them。　　I

think　I　ought　to　prosecute；　now；　don't　you；　sir？〃



Shelton　restrained　a　smile。



〃There！〃　　said　the　old　man；　smoothing　out　a　piece　of　paper　shakily；

〃that's　Sir　George！〃　　and　his　withered　finger…tips　trembled　on　the

middle　of　the　page：　'Joshua　Creed；　in　my　service　five　years　as

butler；　during　which　time　I　have　found　him　all　that　a　servant　should

be。'　　And　this　'ere'he　fumbled　with　another〃this　'ere　's　Lady

Glengow　：　'Joshua　Creed'　I　thought　I'd　like　you　to　read　'em　since

you've　been　so　kind。〃



〃Will　you　have　a　pipe？〃



〃Thank　　ye；　sir；〃　replied　the　aged　butler；　filling　his　clay　from

Shelton's　pouch；　then；　taking　a　front　tooth　between　his　finger　and

his　thumb；　he　began　to　feel　it　tenderly；　working　it　to　and　fro　with　a

sort　of　melancholy　pride。



〃My　teeth's　a…comin'　out；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　enjoys　pretty　good　health

for　a　man　of　my　age。〃



〃How　old　is　that？〃



〃Seventy…two！　　Barrin'　my　cough；　and　my　rupture；　and　this　'ere

affliction〃he　passed　his　hand　over　his　face〃　I　've　nothing　to

complain　of；　everybody　has　somethink；　it　seems。　　I'm　a　wonder　for　my

age；　I　think。〃



Shelton；　for　all　his　pity；　would　have　given　much　to　laugh。



〃Seventy…two！〃　he　said；　〃yes；　a　great　age。　　You　remember　the　country

when　it　was　very　different　to　what　it　is　now？〃



〃Ah！〃　said　the　old　butler；　〃there　was　gentry　then；　I　remember　them

drivin'　down　to　Newmarket　（my　native　place；　sir）　with　their　own

horses。　　There　was　n't　so　much　o'　these　here　middle　classes　then。

There　was　more；　too；　what　you　might　call　the　milk　o'　human　kindness

in　people　thennone　o'　them　amalgamated　stores；　every　man　keepin'

his　own　little　shop；　not　so　eager　to　cut　his　neighbour's　throat；　as

you　might　say。　　And　then　look　at　the　price　of　bread！　　O　dear！　　why；

it　is　n't　a　quarter　what　it　was！〃



〃And　are　people　happier　now　than　they　were　then？〃　asked　Shelton。



The　old　butler　sucked　his　pipe。



〃No；〃　he　answered；　shaking　his　old　head；　〃they've　lost　the　contented

spirit。　　I　see　people　runnin'　here　and　runnin'　there；　readin'　books；

findin'　things　out；　they　ain't　not　so　self…contented　as　they　were。〃



〃Is　that　possible？〃　thought　Shelton。



〃No；〃　repeated　the　old　man；　again　sucking　at　his　pipe；　and　this　time

blowing　out　a　lot　of　smoke；　〃I　don't　see　as　much　happiness　about；　not

the　same　look　on　the　faces。　　'T　isn't　likely。　　See　these　'ere　motor…

cars；　too；　they　say　'orses　is　goin'　out〃；　and；　as　if　dumbfounded　at

his　own　conclusion；　he　sat　silent　for　some　time；　engaged　in　the

lighting　and　relighting　of　his　pipe。



The　girl　at　the　far　end　stirred；　cleared　her　throat；　and　settled　down

again；　her　movement　disengaged　a　scent　of　frowsy　clothes。　　The

policeman　had　approached　and　scrutinised　these　ill…assorted　faces；

his　glance　was　jovially　contemptuous　till　he　noticed　Shelton；　and

then　was　modified　by　curiosity。



〃There's　good　men　in　the　police；〃　the　aged　butler　said；　when　the

policeman　had　passed　on〃　there's　good　men　in　the　police；　as　good

men　as　you　can　see；　and　there　's　them　that　treats　you　like　the　dirt

a　dreadful　low　class　of　man。　　Oh　dear；　yes！　　when　they　see　you　down

in　the　world；　they　think　they　can　speak　to　you　as　they　like；　I　don't

give　them　no　chance　to　worry　me；　I　keeps　myself　to　myself；　and　speak

civil　to　all　the　world。　　You　have　to　hold　the　candle　to　them；　for；　oh

dear！　if　they　're　crossedsome　of　themthey　're　a　dreadful

unscrup'lous　lot　of　men！〃



〃Are　you　going　to　spend　the　night　here？〃



〃It's　nice　and　warm　to…night；〃　replied　the　aged　butler。　　〃I　said　to

the　man　at　that　low　place　I　said：　'Don't　you　ever　speak　to　me　again；'

I　said；　'don't　you　come　near　me！'　　Straightforward　and　honest　's　been

my　motto　all　my　life；　I　don't　want　to　have　nothing　to　say　to　them　low

fellows〃he　made　an　annihilating　gesture〃after　the　way　they

treated　me；　takin'　my　things　like　that。　　Tomorrow　I　shall　get　a　room

for　three　shillin's　a　week；　don't　you　think　so；　sir？　　Well；　then　I

shall　be　all　right。　　I　'm　not　afraid　now；　the　mind　at　rest。　　So　long

as　I　ran　keep　myself；　that's　all　I　want。　　I　shall　do　first…rate；　I

think〃；　and　he　stared　at　Shelton；　but　the　look　in　his　eyes　and　the

half…scared　optimism　of　his　voice　convinced　the　latter　that　he　lived

in　dread。　　〃So　long　as　I　can　keep　myself；〃　he　said　again；　〃I　sha'n't

need　no　workhouse　nor　lose　respectability。〃



〃No；〃　thought　Shelton；　and　for　some　time　sat　without　a　word。　　〃When

you　can；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃come　and　see　me；　here's　my　card。〃



The　aged　butler　became　conscious　with　a　jerk；　for　he　was　nodding。



〃Thank　ye；　sir；　I　will；〃　he　said；　with　pitiful　alacrity。　　〃Down　by

Belgravia？　　Oh；　I　know　it　well；　I　lived　down　in　them　parts　with　a

gentleman　of　the　name　of　Batesonperhaps　you　knew　him；　he　's　dead

nowthe　Honourable　Bateson。　　Thank　ye；　sir；　I'll　be　sure　to　come〃；

and；　snatching　at　his　battered　hat；　he　toilsomely　secreted　Shelton's

card　amongst　his　character。　　A　minute　later　he　began　again　to　nod。



The　policeman　passed　a　second　time；　his　gaze　seemed　to　say；　〃Now；

what's　a　toff　doing　on　that　seat　with　those　two　rotters？〃　　And

Shelton　caught　his　eye。



〃Ah！〃　　he　thought；　〃exactly！　　You　don't　know　what　to　make　of　mea

man　of　my　position　sitting　here！　　Poor　devil！　to　spend　your　days　in

spying　on　your　fellow…creatures！　　Poor　devil！　　But　you　don't　know

that　you　're　a　poor　devil；　and　so　you　're　not　one。〃



The　man　on　the　next　bench　sneezeda　shrill　and　disapproving　sneeze。



The　policeman　passed　again；　and；　seeing　that　the　lower　creatures　were

both　dozing；　he　spoke　to　Shelton：



〃Not　very　safe　on　these　'ere　benches；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃you　never　know

who　you　may　be　sittin'　next　to。　　If　I　were　you；　sir；　I　should　be

gettin'　onif　you　're　not　goin'　to　spend　the　night　here；　that　is〃；

and　he　laughed；　as　at　an　admirable　joke。



Shelton　looked　at　him；　and　itched　to　say；　〃Why　shouldn't　I？〃　but　it

struck　him　that　it　would　sound　very　odd。　　〃Besides；〃　he　thought；　〃I

shall　only　catch　a　cold〃；　and；　without　speaking；　he　left　the　seat；

and　went　along　towards　his　rooms。









CHAPTER　XXXIII



THE　END



He　reached　his　rooms　at　midnight　so　exhausted　that；　without　waiting

to　light　up；　he　dropped　into　a　chair。　　The　curtains　and　blinds　had

been　removed　for　cleaning；　and　the　tall　windows　admitted　the　night's

staring　gaze。　　Shelton　fixed　his　eyes　on　that　outside　darkness；　as

one　lost　man　might　fix　his　eyes　upon　another。



An　unaired；　dusty　odour　clung　about　the　room；　but；　like　some　God…sent

whiff　of　grass　or　flowers　wafted　to　one　sometimes　in　the　streets；　a

perfume　came　to　him；　the　spice　from　the　withered　clove　carnation

still　clinging；　to　his　button…hole；　and　he　suddenly　awoke　from　his。

queer　trance。　　There　was　a　decision　to　be　made。　　He　rose　to　light　a

candle；　the　dust　was　thick　on　everything　he　touched。　　〃Ugh！〃　　he

thought；　〃how　wretched！〃　　and　the　loneliness　that　had　seized　him　on

the　stone　seat　at　Holm　Oaks　the　day　before　returned　with　f