fraternity-第30章

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sort　on　his　dark　face；　his　neat　soldier's　figure　garbed　in　the　costume　which　had　made　〃Westminister〃　describe　him　as　a　〃dreadful　foreign…lookin'　man。〃　　Now　and　then　he　had　spoken　to　the　horse；　save　for　those　speeches；　of　no　great　importance；　he　had　been　silent。　　For　the　next　two　hours；　following　the　cart；　he　had　used　a　shovel；　and　still　his　square；　short　face；　with　little　black　moustache　and　still　blacker　eyes；　had　given　no　sign　of　conflict　in　his　breast。　So　he　had　passed　the　day。　　Apart　from　the　fact；　indeed；　that　men　of　any　kind　are　not　too　given　to　expose　private　passions　to　public　gaze；　the　circumstances　of　a　life　devoted　from　the　age　of　twenty　onwards　to　the　service　of　his　country；　first　as　a　soldier；　now　in　the　more　defensive　part　of　Vestry　scavenger；　had　given　him　a　kind　of　gravity。　Life　had　cloaked　him　with　passivitythe　normal　look　of　men　whose　bread　and　cheese　depends　on　their　not　caring　much　for　anything。　　Had　Hughs　allowed　his　inclinations　play；　or　sought　to　express　himself；　he　could　hardly　have　been　a　private　soldier；　still　less；　on　his　retirement　from　that　office　with　an　honourable　wound；　would　he　have　been　selected　out　of　many　others　as　a　Vestry　scavenger。　　For　such　an　occupation　as　the　lifting　from　the　streets　of　the　refuses　of　Lifea　calling　greatly　sought　after；　and；　indeed；　one　of　the　few　open　to　a　man　who　had　served　his　countrycharm　of　manner；　individuality；　or　the　engaging　quality　of　self…expression；　were　perhaps　out　of　place。

He　had　never　been　trained　in　the　voicing　of　his　thoughts；　and；　ever　since　he　had　been　wounded；　felt　at　times　a　kind　of　desperate　looseness　in　his　head。　　It　was　not；　therefore；　remarkable　that　he　should　be　liable　to　misconstruction；　more　especially　by　those　who　had　nothing　in　common　with　him；　except　that　somewhat　negligible　factor；　common　humanity。　　The　Dallisons　had　misconstrued　him　as　much　as；　but　no　more　than；　he　had　misconstrued　them　when；　as　〃Westminister〃　had　informed　Hilary；　he　〃went　on　against　the　gentry。〃　　He　was；　in　fact；　a　ragged　screen；　a　broken　vessel；　that　let　light　through　its　holes。　A　glass　or　two　of　beer；　the　fumes　of　which　his　wounded　head　no　longer　dominated；　and　he　at　once　became　〃dreadful　foreign。〃　　Unfortunately；　it　was　his　custom；　on　finishing　his　work；　to　call　at　the　〃Green　Glory。〃　　On　this　particular　afternoon　the　glass　had　become　three；　and　in　sallying　forth　he　had　felt　a　confused　sense　of　duty　urging　him　to　visit　the　house　where　this　girl　for　whom　he　had　conceived　his　strange　infatuation　〃carried　on　her　games。〃　　The　〃no…tale…bearing〃　tradition　of　a　soldier　fought　hard　with　this　sense　of　duty；　his　feelings　were　mixed　when　he　rang　the　bell　and　asked　for　Mrs。　Dallison。　　Habit；　however；　masked　his　face；　and　he　stood　before　her　at　〃attention；〃　his　black　eyes　lowered；　clutching　his　peaked　cap。

Blanca　noted　curiously　the　scar　on　the　left　side　of　his　cropped　black　head。

Whatever　Hughs　had　to　say　was　not　said　easily。

〃I've　come；〃　he　began　at　last　in　a　dogged　voice；　〃to　let　you　know。　　I　never　wanted　to　come　into　this　house。　　I　never　wanted　to　see　no　one。〃

Blanca　could　see　his　lips　and　eyelids　quivering　in　a　way　strangely　out　of　keeping　with　his　general　stolidity。

〃My　wife　has　told　you　tales　of　me；　I　suppose。　　She's　told　you　I　knock　her　about；　I　daresay。　　I　don't　care　what　she　tells　you　or　any　o'　the　people　that　she　works　for。　　But　this　I'll　say：　I　never　touched　her　but　she　touched　me　first。　　Look　here！　that's　marks　of　hers！〃　and；　drawing　up　his　sleeve　he　showed　a　scratch　on　his　sinewy　tattooed　forearm。　　〃I've　not　come　here　about　her；　that's　no　business　of　anyone's。〃

Bianca　turned　towards　her　pictures。　　〃Well？〃　　she　said；　〃but　what　have　you　come　about；　please？　　You　see　I'm　busy。〃

Hughs'　face　changed。　　Its　stolidity　vanished；　the　eyes　became　as　quick；　passionate；　and　leaping　as　a　dark　torrent。　　He　was　more　violently　alive　than　she　had　ever　seen　a　man。　　Had　it　been　a　woman　she　would　have　feltas　Cecilia　had　felt　with　Mrs。　Hughsthe　indecency；　the　impudence　of　this　exhibition；　but　from　that　male　violence　the　feminine　in　her　derived　a　certain　satisfaction。　　So　in　Spring；　when　all　seems　lowering　and　grey；　the　hedges　and　trees　suddenly　flare　out　against　the　purple　clouds；　their　twigs　all　in　flame。　　The　next　moment　that　white　glare　is　gone；　the　clouds　are　no　longer　purple；　fiery　light　no　longer　quivers　and　leaps　along　the　hedgerows。　　The　passion　in　Hughs'　face　was　gone　as　soon。　　Bianca　felt　a　sense　of　disappointment；　as　though　she　could　have　wished　her　life　held　a　little　more　of　that。　　He　stole　a　glance　at　her　out　of　his　dark　eyes；　which；　when　narrowed；　had　a　velvety　look；　like　the　body　of　a　wild　bee；　then　jerked　his　thumb　at　the　picture　of　the　little　model。

〃It's　about　her　I　come　to　speak。〃

Blanca　faced　him　frigidly。

〃I　have　not　the　slightest　wish　to　hear。〃

Hughs　looked　round；　as　though　to　find　something　that　would　help　him　to　proceed；　his　eyes　lighted　on　Hilary's　portrait。

〃Ah！　　I'd　put　the　two　together　if　I　was　you；〃　he　said。

Blanca　walked　past　him　to　the　door。

〃Either　you　or　I　must　leave　the　room。〃

The　man's　face　was　neither　sullen　now　nor　passionate；　but　simply　miserable。

〃Look　here；　lady；〃　he　said；　〃don't　take　it　hard　o'　me　coming　here。　I'm　not　out　to　do　you　a　harm。　　I've　got　a　wife　of　my　own；　and　Gawd　knows　I've　enough　to　put　up　with　from　her　about　this　girl。　　I'll　be　going　in　the　water　one　of　these　days。　　It's　him　giving　her　them　clothes　that　set　me　coming　here。〃

Blanca　opened　the　door。　　〃Please　go；〃　she　said。

〃I'll　go　quiet　enough；〃　he　muttered；　and；　hanging　his　head；　walked　out。

Having　seen　him　through　the　side　door　out　into　the　street；　Blanca　went　back　to　where　she　had　been　standing　before　he　came。　　She　found　some　difficulty　in　swallowing；　for　once　there　was　no　armour　on　her　face。　　She　stood　there　a　long　time　without　moving；　then　put　the　pictures　back　into　their　places　and　went　down　the　little　passage　to　the　house。　　Listening　outside　her　father's　door；　she　turned　the　handle　quietly　and　went　in。

Mr。　Stone；　holding　some　sheets　of　paper　out　before　him；　was　dictating　to　the　little　model；　who　was　writing　laboriously　with　her　face　close　above　her　arm。　　She　stopped　at　Blanca's　entrance。　　Mr。　Stone　did　not　stop；　but；　holding　up　his　other　hand；　said：

〃I　will　take　you　through　the　last　three　pages　again。　　Follow！〃

Blanca　sat　down　at　the　window。

Her　father's　voice；　so　thin　and　slow；　with　each　syllable　disjointed　from　the　other；　rose　like　monotony　itself。

〃'There　were　tra…cea…able　indeed；　in　those　days；　certain　rudi…men…　tary　at…tempts　to　f…u…s…e　the　classes。。。。'〃

It　went　on　unwavering；　neither　rising　high　nor　falling　low；　as　though　the　reader　knew　he　had　yet　far　to　go；　like　a　runner　that　brings　great　news　across　mountains；　plains；　and　rivers。

To　Blanca　that　thin　voice　might　have　been　the　customary　sighing　of　the　wind；　her　attention　was　so　fast　fixed　on　the　girl；　who　sat　following　the　words　down　the　pages　with　her　pen's　point。

Mr。　Stone　paused。

〃Have　you　got　the　word　'insane'？〃　　he　asked。

The　little　model　raised　her　face。　　〃Yes；　Mr。　Stone。〃

〃Strike　it　out。〃

With　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　trees　he　stood　breathing　audibly。　　The　little　model　moved　her　fingers；　freeing　them　from　cramp。　　Blanca's　curious；　smiling　scrutiny　never　left　her；　as　though　trying　to　fix　an　indelible　image　on　her　mind。　　There　was　something　terrifying　in　that　stare；　cruel　to　herself；　cruel　to　the　girl。

〃The　precise　word；〃　said　Mr。　Stone；　〃eludes　me。　　Leave　a　blank。　Follow！。。。　　'Neither　that　sweet　fraternal　interest　of　man　in　man；　nor　a　curiosity　in　phenomena　merely　as　phenomena。。。。'〃　　His　voice　pursued　its　tenuous　path　through　spaces；　frozen　by　the　calm　eternal　presence　of　his　beloved　idea；　which；　like　a　golden　moon；　far　and　cold；　presided　glamorously　above　the　thin　track　of　words。　　And　still　the　girl's　pen…point　traced　his　utterance　across　the　pages：　Mr。　Stone　paused　again；　and　looking　at　his　daughter　as　though　surprised　to　see　her　sitting　there；　asked：

〃Do　you　wish　to　speak　to　me；　my　dear？〃

Blanca　shook　her　head。

〃Follow！〃　said　Mr。　Stone。

But　the　little　model's　glance　had　stolen　round　to　meet　the　scrutiny　fixed　on　her。

A　look　passed　across　her　face　which　seemed　to　say：　'What　have　I　done　to　you；　that　you　should　s