the island pharisees-第8章

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。　　。　　。　　I　don't　think　I　understand　what　you　mean　by　〃the　healthier

people　are；　the　more　repulsive　they　seem　to　be〃；　one　must　be　healthy

to　be　perfect；　must　n't　one？　　I　don't　like　unhealthy　people。　　I　had

to　play　on　that　wretched　piano　after　reading　your　letter；　it　made　me

feel　unhappy。　　I've　been　having　a　splendid　lot　of　tennis　lately；　got

the　back…handed　lifting　stroke　at　lasthurrah！　　。　　。　　。



By　the　same　post；　too；　came　the　following　note　in　an　autocratic

writing：



DEAR　BIRD　＇for　this　was　Shelton's　college　nickname＇；

My　wife　has　gone　down　to　her　people；　so　I'm　'en　garcon'　for　a　few

days。　　If　you've　nothing　better　to　do；　come　and　dine　to…night　at

seven；　and　go　to　the　theatre。　　It's　ages　since　I　saw　you。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Yours　as　ever；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　B。　M。　HALIDOME。



Shelton　had　nothing　better　to　do；　for　pleasant　were　his　friend

Halidome's　well…appointed　dinners。　　At　seven；　therefore；　he　went　to

Chester　Square。　　His　friend　was　in　his　study；　reading　Matthew　Arnold

by　the　light　of　an　electric　lamp。　　The　walls　of　the　room　were　hung

with　costly　etchings；　arranged　with　solid　and　unfailing　taste；　from

the　carving　of　the　mantel…piece　to　the　binding　of　the　books；　from　the

miraculously…coloured　meerschaums　to　the　chased　fire…irons；

everything　displayed　an　unpretentious　luxury；　an　order　and　a　finish

significant　of　life　completely　under　rule　of　thumb。　　Everything　had

been　collected。　　The　collector　rose　as　Shelton　entered；　a　fine　figure

of　a　man；　clean　shaven；with　dark　hair；　a　Roman　nose；　good　eyes；　and

the　rather　weighty　dignity　of　attitude　which　comes　from　the　assurance

that　one　is　in　the　right。



Taking　Shelton　by　the　lapel；　he　drew　him　into　the　radius　of　the　lamp；

where　he　examined　him；　smiling　a　slow　smile。　　〃Glad　to　see　you；　old

chap。　　I　rather　like　your　beard；〃　he　said　with　genial　brusqueness；

and　nothing；　perhaps；　could　better　have　summed　up　his　faculty　for

forming　independent　judgments　which　Shelton　found　so　admirable。　　He

made　no　apology　for　the　smallness　of　the　dinner；　which；　consisting　of

eight　courses　and　three　wines；　served　by　a　butler　and　one　footman；

smacked　of　the　same　perfection　as　the　furniture；　in　fact；　he　never

apologised　for　anything；　except　with　a　jovial　brusqueness　that　was

worse　than　the　offence。　　The　suave　and　reasonable　weight　of　his

dislikes　and　his　approvals　stirred　Shelton　up　to　feel　ironical　and

insignificant；　but　whether　from　a　sense　of　the　solid；　humane；　and

healthy　quality　of　his　friend's　egoism；　or　merely　from　the　fact　that

this　friendship　had　been　long　in　bottle；　he　did　not　resent　his　mixed

sensations。



〃By　the　way；　I　congratulate　you；　old　chap；〃　said　Halidome；　while

driving　to　the　theatre；　there　was　no　vulgar　hurry　about　his

congratulations；　no　more　than　about　himself。　　〃They're　awfully　nice

people；　the　Dennants。〃



A　sense　of　having　had　a　seal　put　on　his　choice　came　over　Shelton。



〃Where　are　you　going　to　live？　　You　ought　to　come　down　and　live　near

us；　there　are　some　ripping　houses　to　be　had　down　there；　it's　really　a

ripping　neighbourhood。　　Have　you　chucked　the　Bar？　　You　ought　to　do

something；　you　know；　it'll　be　fatal　for　you　to　have　nothing　to　do。　　I

tell　you　what；　Bird：　you　ought　to　stand　for　the　County　Council。〃



But　before　Shelton　had　replied　they　reached　the　theatre；　and　their

energies　were　spent　in　sidling　to　their　stalls。　　He　had　time　to　pass

his　neighbours　in　review　before　the　play　began。　　Seated　next　to　him

was　a　lady　with　large　healthy　shoulders；　displayed　with　splendid

liberality；　beyond　her　a　husband；　red…cheeked；　with　drooping；　yellow…

grey　moustache　and　a　bald　head；　beyond　him　again　two　men　whom　he　had

known　at　Eton。　　One　of　them　had　a　clean…shaved　face；　dark　hair；　and　a

weather…tanned　complexion；　his　small　mouth　with　its　upper　lip　pushed

out　above　the　lower；　his　eyelids　a　little　drooped　over　his　watchful

eyes；　gave　him　a　satirical　and　resolute　expression。　　〃I've　got　hold

of　your　tail；　old　fellow；〃　he　seemed　to　say；　as　though　he　were　always

busy　with　the　catching　of　some　kind　of　fox。　　The　other's　goggling

eyes　rested　on　Shelton　with　a　chaffing　smile；　his　thick；　sleek　hair；

brushed　with　water　and　parted　in　the　middle；　his　neat　moustache　and

admirable　waistcoat；　suggested　the　sort　of　dandyism　that　despises

women。　　From　his　recognition　of　these　old　schoolfellows　Shelton

turned　to　look　at　Halidome；　who；　having　cleared　his　throat；　was

staring　straight　before　him　at　the　curtain。　　Antonia's　words　kept

running　in　her　lover's　head；　〃I　don't　like　unhealthy　people。〃　　Well；

all　these　people；　anyway；　were　healthy；　they　looked　as　if　they　had

defied　the　elements　to　endow　them　with　a　spark　of　anything　but

health。　　Just　then　the　curtain　rose。



Slowly；　unwillingly；　for　he　was　of　a　trustful　disposition；　Shelton

recognised　that　this　play　was　one　of　those　masterpieces　of　the　modern

drama　whose　characters　were　drawn　on　the　principle　that　men　were　made

for　morals　rather　than　morals　made　by　men；　and　he　watched　the　play

unfold　with　all　its　careful　sandwiching　of　grave　and　gay。



A　married　woman　anxious　to　be　ridded　of　her　husband　was　the　pivot　of

the　story；　and　a　number　of　scenes；　ingeniously　contrived；　with　a

hundred　reasons　why　this　desire　was　wrong　and　inexpedient；　were

revealed　to　Shelton's　eyes。　　These　reasons　issued　mainly　from　the

mouth　of　a　well…preserved　old　gentleman　who　seemed　to　play　the　part

of　a　sort　of　Moral　Salesman。　　He　turned　to　Halidome　and　whispered：



〃Can　you　stand　that　old　woman？〃



His　friend　fixed　his　fine　eyes　on　him　wonderingly。



〃What　old　woman？〃



〃Why；　the　old　ass　with　the　platitudes！〃



Halidome's　countenance　grew　cold；　a　little　shocked；　as　though　he　had

been　assailed　in　person。



〃Do　you　mean　Pirbright？〃　he　said。　　〃I　think　he's　ripping。〃



Shelton　turned　to　the　play　rebuffed；　he　felt　guilty　of　a　breach　of

manners；　sitting　as　he　was　in　one　of　his　friend's　stalls；　and　he

naturally　set　to　work　to　watch　the　play　more　critically　than　ever。

Antonia's　words　again　recurred　to　him；　〃I　don't　like　unhealthy

people；〃　and　they　seemed　to　throw　a　sudden　light　upon　this　play。　　It

was　healthy！



The　scene　was　a　drawing…room；　softly　lighted　by　electric　lamps；　with

a　cat　（Shelton　could　not　decide　whether　she　was　real　or　not）　asleep

upon　the　mat。



The　husband；　a　thick…set；　healthy　man　in　evening　dress；　was　drinking

off　neat　whisky。　　He　put　down　his　tumbler；　and　deliberately　struck　a

match；　then　with　even　greater　deliberation　he　lit　a　gold…tipped

cigarette。。。。



Shelton　was　no　inexperienced　play…goer。　　He　shifted　his　elbows；　for

he　felt　that　something　was　about　to　happen；　and　when　the　match　was

pitched　into　the　fire；　he　leaned　forward　in　his　seat。　　The　husband

poured　more　whisky　out；　drank　it　at　a　draught；　and　walked　towards　the

door；　then；　turning　to　the　audience　as　if　to　admit　them　to　the　secret

of　some　tremendous　resolution；　he　puffed　at　them　a　puff　of　smoke。　　He

left　the　room；　returned；　and　once　more　filled　his　glass。　　A　lady　now

entered；　pale　of　face　and　dark　of　eyehis　wife。　　The　husband　crossed

the　stage；　and　stood　before　the　fire；　his　legs　astride；　in　the

attitude　which　somehow　Shelton　had　felt　sure　he　would　assume。　　He

spoke：



〃Come　in；　and　shut　the　door。〃



Shelton　suddenly　perceived　that　he　was　face　to　face　with　one　of　those

dumb　moments　in　which　two　people　declare　their　inextinguishable

hatred　the　hatred　underlying　the　sexual　intimacy　of　two　ill…

assorted　creaturesand　he　was　suddenly　reminded　of　a　scene　he　had

once　witnessed　in　a　restaurant。　　He　remembered　with　extreme

minuteness　how　the　woman　and　the　man　had　sat　facing　each　other　across

the　narrow　patch　of　white；　emblazoned　by　a　candle　with　cheap　shades

and　a　thin　green　vase　with　yellow　flowers。　　He　remembered　the　curious

scornful　anger　of　their　voices；　subdued　so　that　only　a　few　words

reached　him。　　He　remembered　the　cold　loathing　in　their　eyes。　　And；

above　all；　he　remembered　his　impression　that　this　sort　of　scene