villa rubein and other stories-第60节

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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；　if

this　were　true；　he　had　been　standing　on　his　head　for　years；　he　did

not　believe　the　attitude　possible　for　such　a　length　of　time；

personally　he　would　have　thought　that　he　too　had　had　a　little

something　to　say　to　the　company's　position；　but　no　matter。。。！　　His

irony　was　crushing。。。。　　It　was　possible　that　Mr。　Pippin　hoped　to

reverse　the　existing　laws　of　the　universe　with　regard　to　limited

companies；　he　would　merely　say　that　he　must　not　begin　with　a　company

of　which　he　（Hemmings）　happened　to　be　secretary。　　Mr。　Scorrier　had

hinted　at　excuses；　for　his　part；　with　the　best　intentions　in　the

world；　he　had　great　difficulty　in　seeing　them。　　He　would　go　further

he　did　not　see　them！　　The　explosion。。。！　　Pippin　shrank　so　visibly

that　Hemmings　seemed　troubled　by　a　suspicion　that　he　had　gone　too

far。



〃We　know；〃　he　said；　〃that　it　was　trying　for　you。。。。〃



〃Trying！〃　〃burst　out　Pippin。



〃No　one　can　say；〃　Hemmings　resumed　soothingly；　〃that　we　have　not

dealt　liberally。〃　　Pippin　made　a　motion　of　the　head。　　〃We　think　we

have　a　good　superintendent；　I　go　further；　an　excellent

superintendent。　　What　I　say　is：　Let's　be　pleasant！　　I　am　not　making

an　unreasonable　request！〃　　He　ended　on　a　fitting　note　of　jocularity；

and；　as　if　by　consent；　all　three　withdrew；　each　to　his　own　room；

without　another　word。



In　the　course　of　the　next　day　Pippin　said　to　Scorrier：　〃It　seems　I

have　been　very　wicked。　　I　must　try　to　do　better〃；　and　with　a　touch　of

bitter　humour；　〃They　are　kind　enough　to　think　me　a　good

superintendent；　you　see！　　After　that　I　must　try　hard。〃



Scorrier　broke　in：　〃No　man　could　have　done　so　much　for　them；〃　and；

carried　away　by　an　impulse　to　put　things　absolutely　straight；　went　on

〃But；　after　all；　a　letter　now　and　thenwhat　does　it　amount　to？〃



Pippin　besieged　him　with　a　subtle　glance。　　〃You　too？〃　he　said

〃I　must　indeed　have　been　a　wicked　man！〃　and　turned　away。



Scorrier　felt　as　if　he　had　been　guilty　of　brutality；　sorry　for

Pippin；　angry　with　himself；　angry　with　Pippin；　sorry　for　himself。　　He

earnestly　desired　to　see　the　back　of　Hemmings。　　The　secretary

gratified　the　wish　a　few　days　later；　departing　by　steamer　with

ponderous　expressions　of　regard　and　the　assurance　of　his　goodwill。



Pippin　gave　vent　to　no　outburst　of　relief；　maintaining　a　courteous

silence；　making　only　one　allusion　to　his　late　guest；　in　answer　to　a

remark　of　Scorrier：



〃Ah！　don't　tempt　me！　mustn't　speak　behind　his　back。〃



A　month　passed；　and　Scorrier　stillremained　Pippin's　guest。　　As　each

mail…day　approached　he　experienced　a　queer　suppressed　excitement。　　On

one　of　these　occasions　Pippin　had　withdrawn　to　his　room；　and　when

Scorrier　went　to　fetch　him　to　dinner　he　found　him　with　his　head

leaning　on　his　hands；　amid　a　perfect　fitter　of　torn　paper。　　He　looked

up　at　Scorrier。



〃I　can't　do　it；〃　he　said；　〃I　feel　such　a　hypocrite；　I　can't　put

myself　into　leading…strings　again。　　Why　should　I　ask　these　people；

when　I've　settled　everything　already？　　If　it　were　a　vital　matter　they

wouldn't　want　to　hearthey'd　simply　wire；　'Manage　this　somehow！'〃



Scorrier　said　nothing；　but　thought　privately　'This　is　a　mad

business！'　　What　was　a　letter？　　Why　make　a　fuss　about　a　letter？　　The

approach　of　mail…day　seemed　like　a　nightmare　to　the　superintendent；

he　became　feverishly　nervous　like　a　man　under　a　spell；　and；　when　the

mail　had　gone；　behaved　like　a　respited　criminal。　　And　this　had　been

going　on　two　years！　　Ever　since　that　explosion。　　Why；　it　was

monomania！



One　day；　a　month　after　Hemmings'　departure；　Pippin　rose　early　from

dinner；　his　face　was　flushed；　he　had　been　drinking　wine。　　〃I　won't　be

beaten　this　time；〃　he　said；　as　he　passed　Scorrier。　　The　latter　could

hear　him　writing　in　the　next　room；　and　looked　in　presently　to　say

that　he　was　going　for　a　walk。　　Pippin　gave　him　a　kindly　nod。



It　was　a　cool；　still　evening：　innumerable　stars　swarmed　in　c