villa rubein and other stories-第67章

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are　doing　very　well。〃



〃And　Pippin？〃



The　secretary　frowned。　　〃Ah；　Pippin！　We　asked　you　to　come　on　his

account。　　Pippin　is　giving　us　a　lot　of　trouble。　　We　have　not　had　a

single　line　from　him　for　just　two　years！〃　　He　spoke　with　such　a　sense

of　personal　grievance　that　Scorrier　felt　quite　sorry　for　him。　　〃Not　a

single　line；〃　said　Hemmings；　〃since　that　explosionyou　were　there　at

the　time；　I　remember！　　It　makes　it　very　awkward；　I　call　it　personal

to　me。〃



〃But　how〃　Scorrier　began。



〃We　gettelegrams。　　He　writes　to　no　one；　not　even　to　his　family。

And　why？　　Just　tell　me　why？　　We　hear　of　him；　he's　a　great　nob　out

there。　　Nothing's　done　in　the　colony　without　his　finger　being　in　the

pie。　　He　turned　out　the　last　Government　because　they　wouldn't　grant

us　an　extension　for　our　railwayshows　he　can't　be　a　fool。　　Besides；

look　at　our　balance…sheet！〃



It　turned　out　that　the　question　on　which　Scorrier's　opinion　was

desired　was；　whether　Hemmings　should　be　sent　out　to　see　what　was　the

matter　with　the　superintendent。　　During　the　discussion　which。

ensued；　he　was　an　unwilling　listener　to　strictures　on　Pippin's

silence。　　〃The　explosion；〃　he　muttered　at　last；　〃a　very　trying　time！〃



Mr。　Booker　pounced　on　him。　　〃A　very　trying　time！　　So　it　wasto　all

of　us。　　But　what　excuse　is　thatnow；　Mr。　Scorrier；　what　excuse　is

that？〃



Scorrier　was　obliged　to　admit　that　it　was　none。



〃Business　is　businesseh；　what？〃



Scorrier；　gazing　round　that　neat　Board…room；　nodded。　　A　deaf

director；　who　had　not　spoken　for　some　months；　said　with　sudden

fierceness：　〃It's　disgraceful！〃　　He　was　obviously　letting　off　the

fume　of　long…unuttered　disapprovals。　　One　perfectly　neat；　benevolent

old　fellow；　however；　who　had　kept　his　hat　on；　and　had　a　single　vice

that　of　coming　to　the　Board…room　with　a　brown　paper　parcel　tied　up

with　stringmurmured：　〃We　must　make　all　allowances；〃　and　started　an

anecdote　about　his　youth。　　He　was　gently　called　to　order　by　his

secretary。　　Scorrier　was　asked　for　his　opinion。　　He　looked　at

Hemmings。　　〃My　importance　is　concerned；〃　was　written　all　over　the

secretary's　face。　　Moved　by　an　impulse　of　loyalty　to　Pippin；　Scorrier

answered；　as　if　it　were　all　settled：　〃　Well；　let　me　know　when　you　are

starting；　HemmingsI　should　like　the　trip　myself。〃



As　he　was　going　out；　the　chairman；　old　Jolyon　Forsyte；　with　a　grave；

twinkling　look　at　Hemmings；　took　him　aside。　　〃Glad　to　hear　you　say

that　about　going　too；　Mr。　Scorrier；　we　must　be　carefulPippin's　such

a　good　fellow；　and　so　sensitive；　and　our　friend　therea　bit　heavy　in

the　hand；　um？〃



Scorrier　did　in　fact　go　out　with　Hemmings。　　The　secretary　was　sea…

sick；　and　his　prostration；　dignified　but　noisy；　remained　a　memory　for

ever；　it　was　sonorous　and　finethe　prostration　of　superiority；　and

the　way　in　which　he　spoke　of　it；　taking　casual　acquaintances　into　the

caves　of　his　experience；　was　truly　interesting。



Pippin　came　down　to　the　capital　to　escort　them；　provided　for　their

comforts　as　if　they　had　been　royalty；　and　had　a　special　train　to　take

them　to　the　mines。



He　was　a　little　stouter；　brighter　of　colour；　greyer　of　beard；　more

nervous　perhaps　in　voice　and　breathing。　　His　manner　to　Hemmings　was

full　of　flattering　courtesy；　but　his　sly；　ironical　glances　played　on

the　secretary's　armour　like　a　fountain　on　a　hippopotamus。　　To

Scorrier；　however；　he　could　not　show　enough　affection：



The　first　evening；　when　Hemmings　had　gone　to　his　room；　he　jumped　up

like　a　boy　out　of　school。　　〃So　I'm　going　to　get　a　wigging；〃　he　said；

〃I　suppose　I　deserve　it；　but　if　you　knewif　you　only　knew。。。！　Out

here　they've　nicknamed　me　'the　King'they　say　I　rule　the　colony。

It's　myself　that　I　can't　rule〃；　and　with　a　sudden　burst　of　passion

such　as　Scorrier　had　never　seen　in　him：　〃Why　did　they　send　this　man

here？　　What　can　he　know　about　the　things　that　I've　been　through？〃　　In

a　moment　he　calmed　down　again。　　〃There！　this　is　very　stupid；　worrying

you　like　this！〃　and　with　a　long；　kind　look　into　Scorrier's　face；　he

hustled　him　off　to　bed。



Pippin　did　not　break　out　again；　though　fire　seemed　to　smoulder　behind

the　bars　of　his　courteous　irony。　　Intuition　of　danger　had　evidently

smitten　Hemmings；　for　he　made　no　allusion　to　the　object　of　his　visit。

There　were　moments　when　Scorrier's　common…sense　sided　with　Hemmings

these　were　moments　when　the　secretary　was　not　present。



'After　all；'　he　told　himself；　'it's　a　little　thing　to　askone　letter

a　month。　　I　never　heard　of　such　a　case。'　　It　was　wonderful　indeed　how

they　stood　it！　　It　showed　how　much　they　valued　Pippin！　　What　was　the

matter　with　him？　　What　was　the　nature　of　his　trouble？　　One　glimpse

Scorrier　had　when　even　Hemmings；　as　he　phrased　it；　received　〃quite　a

turn。〃　　It　was　during　a　drive　back　from　the　most　outlying　of　the

company's　trial　mines；　eight　miles　through　the　forest。　　The　track　led

through　a　belt　of　trees　blackened　by　a　forest　fire。　　Pippin　was

driving。　　The　secretary　seated　beside　him　wore　an　expression　of　faint

alarm；　such　as　Pippin's　driving　was　warranted　to　evoke　from　almost

any　face。　　The　sky　had　darkened　strangely；　but　pale　streaks　of　light；

coming　from　one　knew　not　where；　filtered　through　the　trees。　　No

breath　was　stirring；　the　wheels　and　horses'　hoofs　made　no　sound　on

the　deep　fern　mould。　　All　around；　the　burnt　tree…trunks；　leafless　and

jagged；　rose　like　withered　giants；　the　passages　between　them　were

black；　the　sky　black；　and　black　the　silence。　　No　one　spoke；　and

literally　the　only　sound　was　Pippin's　breathing。　　What　was　it　that

was　so　terrifying？　　Scorrier　had　a　feeling　of　entombment；　that　nobody

could　help　him；　the　feeling　of　being　face　to　face　with　Nature；　a

sensation　as　if　all　the　comfort　and　security　of　words　and　rules　had

dropped　away　from　him。　　And…nothing　happened。　　They　reached　home　and

dined。



During　dinner　he　had　again　that　old　remembrance　of　a　little　man

chopping　at　a　castle　with　his　sword。　　It　came　at　a　moment　when　Pippin

had　raised　his　hand　with　the　carving…knife　grasped　in　it　to　answer

some　remark　of　Hemmings'　about　the　future　of　the　company。　　The

optimism　in　his　uplifted　chin；　the　strenuous　energy　in　his　whispering

voice；　gave　Scorrier　a　more　vivid　glimpse　of　Pippin's　nature　than　he

had　perhaps　ever　had　before。　　This　new　country；　where　nothing　but

himself　could　help　a　manthat　was　the　castle！　　No　wonder　Pippin　was

impatient　of　control；　no　wonder　he　was　out　of　hand；　no　wonder　he　was

silentchopping　away　at　that！　　And　suddenly　he　thought：　'Yes；　and

all　the　time　one　knows；　Nature　must　beat　him　in　the　end！'



That　very　evening　Hemmings　delivered　himself　of　his　reproof。　　He　had

sat　unusually　silent；　Scorrier；　indeed；　had　thought　him　a　little

drunk；　so　portentous　was　his　gravity；　suddenly；　however　he　rose。　　It

was　hard　on　a　man；　he　said；　in　his　position；　with　a　Board　（he　spoke

as　of　a　family　of　small　children）；　to　be　kept　so　short　of

information。　　He　was　actually　compelled　to　use　his　imagination　to

answer　the　shareholders'　questions。　　This　was　painful　and

humiliating；　he　had　never　heard　of　any　secretary　having　to　use　his

imagination！　　He　went　furtherit　was　insulting！　　He　had　grown　grey

in　the　service　of　the　company。　　Mr。　Scorrier　would　bear　him　out　when

he　said　he　had　a　position　to　maintainhis　name　in　the　City　was　a

high　one；　and；　by　George！　he　was　going　to　keep　it　a　high　one；　he

would　allow　nobody　to　drag　it　in　the　dustthat　ought　clearly　to　be

understood。　　His　directors　felt　they　were　being　treated　like

children；　however　that　might　be；　it　was　absurd　to　suppose　that　he

（Hemmings）　could　be　treated　like　a　child。。。！　　The　secretary　paused；

his　eyes　seemed　to　bully　the　room。



〃If　there　were　no　London　office；〃　murmured　Pippin；　〃the　shareholders

would　get　the　same　dividends。〃



Hemmings　gasped。　　〃Come！〃　he　said；　〃this　is　monstrous！〃



〃What　help　did　I　get　from　London　when　I　first　came　here？　　What　help

have　I　ever　had？〃



Hemmings　swayed；　recovered；　and　with　a　forced　smile　replied　that；　i