the island pharisees-第10节

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Shelton　replied　that　his　mother　was　all　right。



〃Tell　her　that　I'm　going　to　sell　her　Easterns　after　all；　and　put　into

this　Brass　thing。　　You　can　say　it's　safe；　from　me。〃



Shelton　made　a　face。



〃Mother；〃　said　he；　〃always　believes　things　are　safe。〃



His　uncle　looked　through　him　with　his　keen；　half…suffering　glance；

and　up　went　the　corners　of　his　mouth。



〃She's　splendid；〃　he　said。



〃Yes；〃　said　Shelton；　〃splendid。〃



The　transaction；　however；　did　not　interest　him；　his　uncle's　judgment

in　such　matters　had　a　breezy　soundness　he　would　never　dream　of

questioning。



〃Well；　about　your　settlement〃；　and；　touching　a　bell　three　times；　Mr。

Paramor　walked　up　and　down　the　room。　　〃Bring　me　the　draft　of　Mr。

Richard's　marriage　settlement。〃



The　stalwart　commissionaire　reappearing　with　a　document〃Now　then；

Dick；〃　said　Mr。　Paramor。　　〃She　's　not　bringing　anything　into

settlement；　I　understand；　how　's　that？〃



〃I　did　n't　want　it；〃　replied　Shelton；　unaccountably　ashamed。



Mr。　Paramor's　lips　quivered；　he　drew　the　draft　closer；　took　up　a　blue

pencil；　and；　squeezing　Shelton's　arm；　began　to　read。　　The　latter；

following　his　uncle's　rapid　exposition　of　the　clauses；　was　relieved

when　he　paused　suddenly。



〃If　you　die　and　she　marries　again；〃　said　Mr。　Paramor；　〃she　forfeits

her　life　interestsee？〃



〃Oh！〃　said　Shelton；　〃wait　a　minute；　Uncle　Ted。〃



Mr。　Paramor　waited；　biting　his　pencil；　a　smile　flickered　on　his

mouth；　and　was　decorously　subdued。　　It　was　Shelton's　turn　to　walk

about。



〃If　she　marries　again；〃　he　repeated　to　himself。



Mr。　Paramor　was　a　keen　fisherman；　he　watched　his　nephew　as　he　might

have　watched　a　fish　he　had　just　landed。



〃It's　very　usual；〃　he　remarked。



Shelton　took　another　turn。



〃She　forfeits；〃　thought　he；　〃exactly。〃



When　he　was　dead；　he　would　have　no　other　way　of　seeing　that　she

continued　to　belong　to　him。　　Exactly！



Mr。　Paramor's　haunting　eyes　were　fastened　on　his　nephew's　face。



〃Well；　my　dear；〃　they　seemed　to　say；　〃what　's　the　matter？〃



Exactly！　　Why　should　she　have　his　money　if　she　married　again？　　She

would　forfeit　it。　　There　was　comfort　in　the　thought。　　Shelton　came

back　and　carefully　reread　the　clause；　to　put　the　thing　on　a　purely

business　basis；　and　disguise　the　real　significance　of　what　was

passing　in　his　mind。



〃If　I　die　and　she　marries　again；〃　he　repeated　aloud；　〃she　forfeits。〃



What　wiser　provision　for　a　man　passionately　in　love　could　possibly

have　been　devised？　　His　uncle's　eye　travelled　beyond　him；　humanely

turning　from　the　last　despairing　wriggles　of　his　fish。



〃I　don't　want　to　tie　her；〃　said　Shelton　suddenly。



The　corners　of　Mr。　Paramour's　mouth　flew　up。



〃You　want　the　forfeiture　out？〃　he　asked。



The　blood　rushed　into　Shelton's　face；　he　felt　he　had　been　detected　in

a　piece　of　sentiment。



〃Ye…es；〃　he　stammered。



〃Sure？〃



〃Quite！〃　　The　answer　was　a　little　sulky。



Her　uncle's　pencil　descended　on　the　clause；　and　he　resumed　the

reading　of　the　draft；　but　Shelton　could　not　follow　it；　he　was　too

much　occupied　in　considering　exactly　why　Mr。　Paramor　had　been　amused；

and　to　do　this　he　was　obliged　to　keep　his　eyes　upon　him。　　Those

features；　just　pleasantly　rugged；　the　springy　poise　of　the　figure；

the　hair　neither　straight　nor　curly；　neither　short　nor　long；　the

haunting　look　of　his　eyes　and　the　humorous　look　of　his　mouth；　his

clothes　neither　shabby　nor　dandified；　his　serviceable；　fine　hands；

above　all；　the　equability　of　the　hovering　blue　pencil；　conveyed　the

impression　of　a　perfect　balance　between　heart　and　head；　sensibility

and　reason；　theory　and　its　opposite。



〃'During　coverture；'〃　quoted　Mr。　Paramor；　pausing　again；　〃you

understand；　of　course；　if　you　don't　get　on；　and　separate；　she　goes　on

taking？〃



If　they　didn't　get　on！　　Shelton　smiled。　　Mr。　Paramor　did　not　smile；

and　again　Shelton　had　the　sense　of　having　knocked　up　against

something　poised　but　firm。　　He　remarked　irritably：



〃If　we　're　not　living　together；　all　the　more　reason　for　her　having

it。〃



This　time　his　uncle　smiled。　　It　was　difficult　for　Shelton　to　feel

angry　at　that　ironic　merriment；　with　its　sudden　ending；　it　was　too

impersonal　to　irritate：　it　was　too　concerned　with　human　nature。



〃Ifhumit　came　to　the　other　thing；〃　said　Mr。　Paramor；　〃the

settlement's　at　an　end　as　far　as　she　's　concerned。　　We　're　bound　to

look　at　every　case；　you　know；　old　boy。〃



The　memory　of　the　play　and　his　conversation　with　Halidome　was　still

strong　in　Shelton。　　He　was　not　one　of　those　who　could　not　face　the

notion　of　transferred　affectionsat　a　safe　distance。



〃All　right；　Uncle　Ted；〃　said　he。　　For　one　mad　moment　he　was　attacked

by　the　desire　to　〃throw　in〃　the　case　of　divorce。　　Would　it　not　be

common　chivalry　to　make　her　independent；　able　to　change　her

affections　if　she　wished；　unhampered　by　monetary　troubles？　　You　only

needed　to　take　out　the　words　〃during　coverture。〃



Almost　anxiously　he　looked　into　his　uncle's　face。　　There　was　no

meanness　there；　but　neither　was　there　encouragement　in　that

comprehensive　brow　with　its　wide　sweep　of　hair。　　〃Quixotism；〃　it

seemed　to　say；　〃has　merits；　but〃　　The　room；　too；　with　its　wide

horizon　and　tall　windows；　looking　as　if　it　dealt　habitually　in

common…sense；　discouraged　him。　　Innumerable　men　of　breeding　and　the

soundest　principles　must　have　bought　their　wives　in　here。　　It　was

perfumed　with　the　atmosphere　of　wisdom　and　law…calf。　　The　aroma　of

Precedent　was　strong；　Shelton　swerved　his　lance；　and　once　more

settled　down　to　complete　the　purchase　of　his　wife。



〃I　can't　conceive　what　you'rein　such　a　hurry　for；　you　're　not　going

to　be　married　till　the　autumn；〃　said　Mr。　Paramor；　finishing　at　last。



Replacing　the　blue　pencil　in　the　rack；　he　took　the　red　rose　from　the

glass；　and　sniffed　at　it。　　〃Will　you　come　with　me　as　far　as　Pall

Mall？　　I　'm　going　to　take　an　afternoon　off；　too　cold　for　Lord's；　I

suppose？〃



They　walked　into　the　Strand。



〃Have　you　seen　this　new　play　of　Borogrove's？〃　asked　Shelton；　as　they

passed　the　theatre　to　which　he　had　been　with　Halidome。



〃I　never　go　to　modern　plays；〃　replied　Mr。　Paramor；　〃　too　d…d

gloomy。〃



Shelton　glanced　at　him；　he　wore　his　hat　rather　far　back　on　his　head；

his　eyes　haunted　the　street　in　front；　he　had　shouldered　his　umbrella。



〃Psychology　's　not　in　your　line；　Uncle　Ted？〃



〃Is　that　what　they　call　putting　into　words　things　that　can't　be　put

in　words？〃



〃The　French　succeed　in　doing　it；〃　replied　Shelton；　and　the　Russians；

why　should　n't　we？〃



Mr。　Paramor　stopped　to　look　in　at　a　fishmonger's。



〃What's　right　for　the　French　and　Russians；　Dick；〃　he　said　〃is　wrong

for　us。　　When　we　begin　to　be　real；　we　only　really　begin　to　be　false。

I　should　like　to　have　had　the　catching　of　that　fellow；　let's　send　him

to　your　mother。〃　　He　went　in　and　bought　a　salmon：



〃Now；　my　dear；〃　he　continued；　as　they　went　on；　〃do　you　tell　me　that

it's　decent　for　men　and　women　on　the　stage　to　writhe　about　like　eels？

Is　n't　life　bad　enough　already？〃



It　suddenly　struck　Shelton　that；　for　all　his　smile；　his　uncle's　face

had　a　look　of　crucifixion。　　It　was；　perhaps；　only　the　stronger

sunlight　in　the　open　spaces　of　Trafalgar　Square。



〃I　don't　know；〃　he　said；　〃I　think　I　prefer　the　truth。〃



〃Bad　endings　and　the　rest；〃　said　Mr。　Paramor；　pausing　under　one　of

Nelson's　lions　and　taking　Shelton　by　a　button。　　〃Truth　's　the　very

devil！〃



He　stood　there；　very　straight；　his　eyes　haunting　his　nephew's　face；

there　seemed　to　Shelton　a　touching　muddle　in　his　optimisma　muddle

of　tenderness　and　of　intolerance；　of　truth　and　second…handedness。

Like　the　lion　above　him；　he　seemed　to　be　defying　Life　to　make　him

look　at　her。



〃No；　my　dear；〃　he　said；　handing　sixpence　to　a　sweeper；　〃feelings　are

snakes！　only　fit　to　be　kept　in　bottles　with　tight　corks。　　You　won't

come　to　my　club？　　Well；　good…bye；　old　boy；　my　love　to　your　mother

when　you　see　her〃；　and　turning　up　the　Square；　he　left　Shelton　to　go

on　to　his　own　club；　feeling　that　he　had　parted；　not　from　his　uncle；

but　from　the　nation　of　which　they　were　both　members　by　birth　and

blood　and　education。









CHAPTER　VII



THE　CLUB



He　went　into　the　library　of　his　club；　and　took　up　Burke's　Peerage。

The　words　his　uncle　had　said　to　him　on　hearing　his　engagement　had

been　these：　〃Dennant！　　Are　those　the　Holm　Oaks　Dennants　？　　She　was　a

Penguin。〃



No　one　who　knew　Mr。　Paramor　connected　him　with　snobbery；　but　there

had　been　an　〃Ah！　that　's　right；　this　is　due　to　us〃　tone　about　the

saying。



Shelton　hunted　for　the　name　of　Baltimore：　〃Charles　Penguin；　fifth

Baron　Baltimore。　　Issue：　Alice；　b。　　184…；　m。　186…　Algernon　Dennant；

Esq。；　of　Holm　Oaks；　Cross　Eaton；　Oxfordshire。〃　　He　put　down　the

Peerage　and　took　up　the　'Landed　Gentry'：　〃Dennant；　Algernon　Cuffe；

eldest　son　of　the　late　Algernon　Cuffe　Dennant；　Esq。；　J。　P。；　and

Irene；　2nd　daur。　of　the