the house of pride(傲慢之家)-第3章
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swimming tankyou remember； it was the regular dose every new boy
got。 And you held back。 You denied that you could swim。 You were
frightened； hysterical〃
〃Yes； I know；〃 Percival Ford said slowly。 〃I was frightened。 And
it was a lie； for I could swim 。 。 。 And I was frightened。〃
〃And you remember who fought for you？ who lied for you harder than
you could lie； and swore he knew you couldn't swim？ Who jumped into
the tank and pulled you out after the first under and was nearly drowned
for it by the other boys； who had discovered by that time that you
COULD swim？〃
〃Of course I know；〃 the other rejoined coldly。 〃But a generous act
as a boy does not excuse a lifetime of wrong living。〃
〃He has never done wrong to you？personally and directly； I mean？〃
〃No；〃 was Percival Ford's answer。 〃That is what makes my position
impregnable。 I have no personal spite against him。 He is bad； that is
all。 His life is bad〃
〃Which is another way of saying that he does not agree with you in
the way life should be lived；〃 the doctor interrupted。
〃Have it that way。 It is immaterial。 He is an idler〃
〃With reason；〃 was the interruption； 〃considering the jobs out of
which you have knocked him。〃
〃He is immoral〃
〃Oh； hold on now； Ford。 Don't go harping on that。 You are pure
New England stock。 Joe Garland is half Kanaka。 Your blood is thin。
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His is warm。 Life is one thing to you； another thing to him。 He
laughs and sings and dances through life； genial； unselfish； childlike；
everybody's friend。 You go through life like a perambulating prayer…
wheel； a friend of nobody but the righteous； and the righteous are those
who agree with you as to what is right。 And after all； who shall say？
You live like an anchorite。 Joe Garland lives like a good fellow。 Who
has extracted the most from life？ We are paid to live； you know。
When the wages are too meagre we throw up the job； which is the cause；
believe me； of all rational suicide。 Joe Garland would starve to death
on the wages you get from life。 You see； he is made differently。 So
would you starve on his wages； which are singing； and love〃
〃Lust； if you will pardon me；〃 was the interruption。
Dr。 Kennedy smiled。
〃Love； to you； is a word of four letters and a definition which you
have extracted from the dictionary。 But love； real love； dewy and
palpitant and tender； you do not know。 If God made you and me； and
men and women； believe me He made love； too。 But to come back。
It's about time you quit hounding Joe Garland。 It is not worthy of you；
and it is cowardly。 The thing for you to do is to reach out and lend him
a hand。〃
〃Why I； any more than you？〃 the other demanded。 〃Why don't you
reach him a hand？〃
〃I have。 I'm reaching him a hand now。 I'm trying to get you not to
down the Promotion Committee's proposition of sending him away。 I
got him the job at Hilo with Mason and Fitch。 I've got him half a
dozen jobs； out of every one of which you drove him。 But never mind
that。 Don't forget one thingand a little frankness won't hurt youit is
not fair play to saddle another fault on Joe Garland； and you know that
you； least of all； are the man to do it。 Why； man； it's not good taste。
It's positively indecent。〃
〃Now I don't follow you；〃 Percival Ford answered。 〃You're up in the
air with some obscure scientific theory of heredity and personal
irresponsibility。 But how any theory can hold Joe Garland
irresponsible for his wrongdoings and at the same time hold me
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personally responsible for themmore responsible than any one else；
including Joe Garlandis beyond me。〃
〃It's a matter of delicacy； I suppose； or of taste； that prevents you
from following me；〃 Dr。 Kennedy snapped out。 〃It's all very well； for
the sake of society； tacitly to ignore some things； but you do more than
tacitly ignore。〃
〃What is it； pray； that I tacitly ignore！〃
Dr。 Kennedy was angry。 A deeper red than that of constitutional
Scotch and soda suffused his face； as he answered：
〃Your father's son。〃
〃Now just what do you mean？〃
〃Damn it； man； you can't ask me to be plainer spoken than that。 But
if you will； all rightIsaac Ford's sonJoe Garlandyour brother。〃
Percival Ford sat quietly； an annoyed and shocked expression on his
face。 Kennedy looked at him curiously； then； as the slow minutes
dragged by； became embarrassed and frightened。
〃My God！〃 he cried finally； 〃you don't mean to tell me that you
didn't know！〃
As in answer； Percival Ford's cheeks turned slowly grey。
〃It's a ghastly joke；〃 he said； 〃a ghastly joke。〃
The doctor had got himself in hand。
〃Everybody knows it；〃 he said。 〃I thought you knew it。 And since
you don't know it； it's time you did； and I'm glad of the chance of setting
you straight。 Joe Garland and you are brothershalf… brothers。〃
〃It's a lie；〃 Ford cried。 〃You don't mean it。 Joe Garland's mother
was Eliza Kunilio。〃 （Dr。 Kennedy nodded。） 〃I remember her well；
with her duck pond and taro patch。 His father was Joseph Garland； the
beach…comber。〃 （Dr。 Kennedy shook his head。） 〃He died only two or
three years ago。 He used to get drunk。 There's where Joe got his
dissoluteness。 There's the heredity for you。〃
〃And nobody told you；〃 Kennedy said wonderingly； after a pause。
〃Dr。 Kennedy； you have said something terrible； which I cannot allow
to pass。 You must either prove or； or 。 。 。 〃
〃Prove it yourself。 Turn around and look at him。 You've got him in
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profile。 Look at his nose。 That's Isaac Ford's。 Yours is a thin edition
of it。 That's right。 Look。 The lines are fuller； but they are all there。〃
Percival Ford looked at the Kanaka half…breed who played under the
hau tree； and it seemed； as by some illumination； that he was gazing on a
wraith of himself。 Feature after feature flashed up an unmistakable
resemblance。 Or； rather； it was he who was the wraith of that other
full…muscled and generously moulded man。 And his features； and that
other man's features； were all reminiscent of Isaac Ford。 And nobody
had told him。 Every line of Isaac Ford's face he knew
