the house of pride and other tales of hawaii-第3章

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irresponsible　for　his　wrongdoings　and　at　the　same　time　hold　me　

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　

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。　　Miniatures；　portraits；　and　photographs　of　his　father　

were　passing　in　review　through　his　mind；　and　here　and　there；　over　

and　again；　in　the　face　before　him；　he　caught　resemblances　and　vague　

hints　of　likeness。　　It　was　devil's　work　that　could　reproduce　the　

austere　features　of　Isaac　Ford　in　the　loose　and　sensuous　features　

before　him。　　Once；　the　man　turned；　and　for　one　flashing　instant　it　

seemed　to　Percival　Ford　that　he　saw　his　father；　dead　and　gone；　

peering　at　him　out　of　the　face　of　Joe　Garland。



〃It's　nothing　at　all；〃　he　could　faintly　hear　Dr。　Kennedy　saying；　

〃They　were　all　mixed　up　in　the　old　days。　　You　know　that。　　You've　

seen　it　all　your　life。　　Sailors　married　queens　and　begat　princesses　

and　all　the　rest　of　it。　　It　was　the　usual　thing　in　the　Islands。〃



〃But　not　with　my　father；〃　Percival　Ford　interrupted。



〃There　you　are。〃　　Kennedy　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃Cosmic　sap　and　

smoke　of　life。　　Old　Isaac　Ford　was　straitlaced　and　all　the　rest；　and　

I　know　there's　no　explaining　it；　least　of　all　to　himself。　　He　

understood　it　no　more　than　you　do。　　Smoke　of　life；　that's　all。　　And　

don't　forget　one　thing；　Ford。　　There　was　a　dab　of　unruly　blood　in　

old　Isaac　Ford；　and　Joe　Garland　inherited　itall　of　it；　smoke　of　

life　and　cosmic　sap；　while　you　inherited　all　of　old　Isaac's　ascetic　

blood。　　And　just　because　your　blood　is　cold；　well…ordered；　and　well…

disciplined；　is　no　reason　that　you　should　frown　upon　Joe　Garland。　　

When　Joe　Garland　undoes　the　work　you　do；　remember　that　it　is　only　

old　Isaac　Ford　on　both　sides；　undoing　with　one　hand　what　he　does　

with　the　other。　　You　are　Isaac　Ford's　right　hand；　let　us　say；　Joe　

Garland　is　his　left　hand。〃



Percival　Ford　made　no　answer；　and　in　the　silence　Dr。　Kennedy　

finished　his　forgotten　Scotch　and　soda。　　From　across　the　grounds　an　

automobile　hooted　imperatively。



〃There's　the　machine；〃　Dr。　Kennedy　said；　rising。　　〃I've　got　to　run。　　

I'm　sorry　I've　shaken　you　up；　and　at　the　same　time　I'm　glad。　　And　

know　one　thing；　Isaac　Ford's　dab　of　unruly　blood　was　remarkably　

small；　and　Joe　Garland　got　it　all。　　And　one　other　thing。　　If　your　

father's　left　hand　offend　you；　don't　smite　it　off。　　Besides；　Joe　is　

all　right。　　Frankly；　if　I　could　choose　between　you　and　him　to　live　

with　me　on　a　desert　isle；　I'd　choose　Joe。〃



Little　bare…legged　children　ran　about　him；　playing；　on　the　grass；　

but　Percival　Ford　did　not　see　them。　　He　was　gazing　steadily　at　the　

singer　under　the　hau　tree。　　He　even　changed　his　position　once；　to　

get　closer。　　The　clerk　of　the　Seaside　went　by；　limping　with　age　and　

dragging　his　reluctant　feet。　　He　had　lived　forty　years　on　the　

Islands。　　Percival　Ford　beckoned　to　him；　and　the　clerk　came　

respectfully；　and　wondering　that　he　should　be　noticed　by　Percival　

Ford。



〃John；〃　Ford　said；　〃I　want　you　to　give　me　some　information。　　Won't　

you　sit　down？〃



The　clerk　sat　down　awkwardly；　stunned　by　the　unexpected　honour。　　He　

blinked　at　the　other　and　mumbled；　〃Yes；　sir；　thank　you。〃



〃John；　who　is　Joe　Garland？〃



The　clerk　stared　at　him；　blinked；　cleared　his　throat；　and　said　

nothing。



〃Go　on；〃　Percival　Ford　commanded。



〃Who　is　he？〃



〃You're　joking　me；　sir；〃　the　other　managed　to　articulate。



〃I　spoke　to　you　seriously。〃



The　clerk　recoiled　from　him。



〃You　don't　mean　to　say　you　don't　know？〃　he　questioned；　his　question　

in　itself　the　answer。



〃I　want　to　know。〃



〃Why；　he's〃　John　broke　off　and　looked　about　him　helplessly。　　

〃Hadn't　you　better　ask　somebody　else？　　Everybody　thought　you　knew。　　

We　always　thought　。　。　。　〃



〃Yes；　go　ahead。〃



〃We　always　thought　that　that　was　why　you　had　it　in　for　him。〃



Photographs　and　miniatures　of　Isaac　Ford　were　trooping　through　his　

son's　brain；　and　ghosts　of　Isaac　Ford　seemed　in　the　air　about　hint　

〃I　wish　you　good　night；　sir；〃　he　could　hear　the　clerk　saying；　and　he　

saw　him　beginning　to　limp　away。



〃John；〃　he　called　abruptly。



John　came　back　and　stood　near　him；　blinking　and　nervously　moistening　

his　lips。



〃You　haven't　told　me　yet；　you　know。〃



〃Oh；　about　Joe　Garland？〃



〃Yes；　about　Joe　Garland。　　Who　is　he？〃



〃He's　your　brother；　sir；　if　I　say　it　who　shouldn't。〃



〃Thank　you；　John。　　Good　night。〃



〃And　you　didn't　know？〃　the　old　man　queried；　content　to　linger；　now　

that　the　crucial　point　was　past。



〃Thank　you；　John。　　Good　night；〃　was　the　response。



〃Yes；　sir；　thank　you；　sir。　　I　think　it's　going　to　rain。　　Good　night；　

sir。〃



Out　of　the　clear　sky；　filled　only　with　stars　and　moonlight；　fell　a　

rain　so　fine　and　attenuated　as　to　resemble　a　vapour　spray。　　Nobody　

minded　it；　the　children　played　on；　running　bare…legged　over　the　

grass　and　leaping　into　the　sand；　and　in　a　few　minutes　it　was　gone。　　

In　the　south…east；　Diamond　Head；　a　black　blot；　sharply　defined；　

silhouetted　its　crater…form　against　the　stars。　　At　sleepy　intervals　

the　surf　flung　its　foam　across　the　sands　to　the　grass；　and　far　out　

could　be　seen　the　black　specks　of　swimmers　under　the　moon。　　The　

voices　of　the　singers；　singing　a　waltz；　died　away；　and　in　the　

silence；　from　somewhere　under　the　trees；　arose　the　laugh　of　a　woman　

that　was　a　love…cry。　　It　startled　Percival　Ford；　and　it　remi