villa rubein and other stories-第64章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



fine　wire　sound…recording　instrument。



'Suppose　he　were　to　snap！'　he　thought。　　Impelled　to　justify　this

fancy；　he　blurted　out：　〃You're　a　nervous　chap。　　The　way　you　look　at

those　poor　devils！〃



Pippin　hustled　him　along　the　deck。　　〃Come；　come；　you　took　me　off　my

guard；〃　he　murmured；　with　a　sly；　gentle　smile；　〃that's　not　fair。〃



He　found　it　a　continual　source　of　wonder　that　Pippin；　at　his　age；

should　cut　himself　adrift　from　the　associations　and　security　of

London　life　to　begin　a　new　career　in　a　new　country　with　dubious

prospect　of　success。　　'I　always　heard　he　was　doing　well　all　round；'

he　thought；　'thinks　he'll　better　himself；　perhaps。　　He's　a　true

Cornishman。'



The　morning　of　arrival　at　the　mines　was　grey　and　cheerless；　a　cloud

of　smoke；　beaten　down　by　drizzle；　clung　above　the　forest；　the　wooden

houses　straggled　dismally　in　the　unkempt　semblance　of　a　street；

against　a　background　of　endless；　silent　woods。　　An　air　of　blank

discouragement　brooded　over　everything；　cranes　jutted　idly　over　empty

trucks；　the　long　jetty　oozed　black　slime；　miners　with　listless　faces

stood　in　the　rain；　dogs　fought　under　their　very　legs。　　On　the　way　to

the　hotel　they　met　no　one　busy　or　serene　except　a　Chinee　who　was

polishing　a　dish…cover。



The　late　superintendent；　a　cowed　man；　regaled　them　at　lunch　with　his

forebodings；　his　attitude　toward　the　situation　was　like　the　food；

which　was　greasy　and　uninspiring。　　Alone　together　once　more；　the　two

newcomers　eyed　each　other　sadly。



〃Oh　dear！〃　sighed　Pippin。　　〃We　must　change　all　this；　Scorrier；　it

will　never　do　to　go　back　beaten。　　I　shall　not　go　back　beaten；　you

will　have　to　carry　me　on　my　shield；〃　and　slyly：　〃Too　heavy；　eh？　　Poor

fellow！〃　　Then　for　a　long　time　he　was　silent；　moving　his　lips　as　if

adding　up　the　cost。　　Suddenly　he　sighed；　and　grasping　Scorrier's　arm；

said：　〃Dull；　aren't　I？　　What　will　you　do？　　Put　me　in　your　report；

'New　Superintendentsad；　dull　dognot　a　word　to　throw　at　a　cat！'〃

And　as　if　the　new　task　were　too　much　for　him；　he　sank　back　in

thought。　　The　last　words　he　said　to　Scorrier　that　night　were：　〃Very

silent　here。　　It's　hard　to　believe　one's　here　for　life。　　But　I　feel　I

am。　　Mustn't　be　a　coward；　though！〃　and　brushing　his　forehead；　as

though　to　clear　from　it　a　cobweb　of　faint　thoughts；　he　hurried　off。



Scorrier　stayed　on　the　veranda　smoking。　　The　rain　had　ceased；　a　few

stars　were　burning　dimly；　even　above　the　squalor　of　the　township　the

scent　of　the　forests；　the　interminable　forests；　brooded。　　There

sprang　into　his　mind　the　memory　of　a　picture　from　one　of　his

children's　fairy　booksthe　picture　of　a　little　bearded　man　on

tiptoe；　with　poised　head　and　a　great　sword；　slashing　at　the　castle　of

a　giant。　　It　reminded　him　of　Pippin。　　And　suddenly；　even　to　Scorrier…

…whose　existence　was　one　long　encounter　with　strange　placesthe

unseen　presence　of　those　woods；　their　heavy；　healthy　scent；　the

little　sounds；　like　squeaks　from　tiny　toys；　issuing　out　of　the　gloomy

silence；　seemed　intolerable；　to　be　shunned；　from　the　mere　instinct　of

self…preservation。　　He　thought　of　the　evening　he　had　spent　in　the

bosom　of　〃Down…by…the…starn〃　Hemmings'　family；　receiving　his　last

instructionsthe　security　of　that　suburban　villa；　its　discouraging

gentility；　the　superior　acidity　of　the　Miss　Hemmings；　the　noble　names

of　large　contractors；　of　company　promoters；　of　a　peer；　dragged　with

the　lightness　of　gun…carriages　across　the　conversation；　the　autocracy

of　Hemmings；　rasped　up　here　and　there；　by　some　domestic

contradiction。　　It　was　all　so　nice　and　safeas　if　the　whole　thing

had　been　fastened　to　an　anchor　sunk　beneath　the　pink　cabbages　of　the

drawing…room　carpet！　　Hemmings；　seeing　him　off　the　premises；　had　said

with　secrecy：　〃Little　Pippin　will　have　a　good　thing。　　We　shall　make

his　salary　L。　　He'll　be　a　great　man…quite　a　king。　　Ha…ha！〃



Scorrier　shook　the　ashes　from　his　pipe。　　'Salary！'　he　thought；

straining　his　ears；　'I　wouldn't　take　the　place　for　five　thousand

pounds　a　year。　　And　yet　it's　a　fine　country；'　and　with　ironic

violence　he　repeated；　'a　dashed　fine　country！'



Ten　days　later；　having　finished　his　report　on　the　new　mine；　he　stood

on　the　jetty　waiting　to　go　abroad　the　steamer　for　home。



〃God　bless　you！〃　said　Pippin。　　〃Tell　them　they　needn't　be　afraid；　and

sometimes　when　you're　at　home　think　of　me；　eh？〃



Scorrier；　scrambling　on　board；　had　a　confused　memory　of　tears　in　his

eyes；　and　a　convulsive　handshake。









II



It　was　eight　years　before　the　wheels　of　life　carried　Scorrier　back　to

that　disenchanted　spot；　and　this　time　not　on　the　business　of　the　New

Colliery　Company。　　He　went　for　another　company　with　a　mine　some

thirty　miles　away。　　Before　starting；　however；　he　visited　Hemmings。

The　secretary　was　surrounded　by　pigeon…holes　and　finer　than　ever；

Scorrier　blinked　in　the　full　radiance　of　his　courtesy。　　A　little　man

with　eyebrows　full　of　questions；　and　a　grizzled　beard；　was　seated　in

an　arm…chair　by　the　fire。



〃You　know　Mr。　Booker；〃　said　Hemmings〃one　of　my　directors。　　This　is

Mr。　Scorrier；　sirwho　went　out　for　us。〃



These　sentences　were　murmured　in　a　way　suggestive　of　their　uncommon

value。　　The　director　uncrossed　his　legs；　and　bowed。　　Scorrier　also

bowed；　and　Hemmings；　leaning　back；　slowly　developed　the　full

resources　of　his　waistcoat。



〃So　you　are　going　out　again；　Scorrier；　for　the　other　side？　　I　tell

Mr。　Scorrier；　sir；　that　he　is　going　out　for　the　enemy。　　Don't　find

them　a　mine　as　good　as　you　found　us；　there's　a　good　man。〃



The　little　director　asked　explosively：　〃See　our　last　dividend？

Twenty　per　cent；　eh；　what？〃



Hemmings　moved　a　finger；　as　if　reproving　his　director。　　〃I　will　not

disguise　from　you；〃　he　murmured；　〃that　there　is　friction　between　us

andthe　enemy；　you　know　our　position　too　welljust　a　little　too

well；　eh？　　'A　nod's　as　good　as　a　wink。'〃



His　diplomatic　eyes　flattered　Scorrier；　who　passed　a　hand　over　his

browand　said：　〃Of　course。〃



〃Pippin　doesn't　hit　it　off　with　them。　　Between　ourselves；　he's　a

leetle　too　big　for　his　boots。　　You　know　what　it　is　when　a　man　in　his

position　gets　a　sudden　rise！〃



Scorrier　caught　himself　searching　on　the　floor　for　a　sight　of

Hemmings'　boots；　he　raised　his　eyes　guiltily。　　The　secretary

continued：　〃We　don't　hear　from　him　quite　as　often　as　we　should　like；

in　fact。〃



To　his　own　surprise　Scorrier　murmured：　〃It's　a　silent　place！〃



The　secretary　smiled。　　〃Very　good！　　Mr。　Scorrier　says；　sir；　it's　a

silent　place；　ha…ha！　I　call　that　very　good！〃　　But　suddenly　a　secret

irritation　seemed　to　bubble　in　him；　he　burst　forth　almost　violently：

〃He's　no　business　to　let　it　affect　him；　now；　has　he？　　I　put　it　to

you；　Mr。　Scorrier；　I　put　it　to　you；　sir！〃



But　Scorrier　made　no　reply；　and　soon　after　took　his　leave：　he　had

been　asked　to　convey　a　friendly　hint　to　Pippin　that　more　frequent

letters　would　be　welcomed。　　Standing　in　the　shadow　of　the　Royal

Exchange；　waiting　to　thread　his　way　across；　he　thought：　'So　you　must

have　noise；　must　youyou've　got　some　here；　and　to　spare。。。。'



On　his　arrival　in　the　new　world　he　wired　to　Pippin　asking　if　he　might

stay　with　him　on　the　way　up　country；　and　received　the　answer：　〃Be

sure　and　come。〃



A　week　later　he　arrived　（there　was　now　a　railway）　and　found　Pippin

waiting　for　him　in　a　phaeton。　　Scorrier　would　not　have　known　the

place　again；　there　was　a　glitter　over　everything；　as　if　some　one　had

touched　it　with　a　wand。　　The　tracks　had　given　place　to　roads；　running

firm；　straight；　and　black　between　the　trees　under　brilliant　sunshine；

the　wooden　houses　were　all　painted；　out　in　the　gleaming　harbour

amongst　the　green　of　islands　lay　three　steamers；　each　with　a　fleet　of

busy　boats；　and　here　and　there　a　tiny　yacht　floated；　like　a　sea…bird

on　the　water。　　Pippin　drove　his　long…tailed　horses　furiously；　his

eyes　brimmed　with　subtle　kindness；　as　if　according　Scorrier　a

continual　welcome。　　During　the　two　days　of　his　stay　Scorrier　never

lost　that　sen