the island pharisees-第2节

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offering　the　latest　novel　sounded　pleasantpleasant　the　independent

answers　of　a　bearded　guard；　and　the　stodgy　farewell　sayings　of　a　man

and　wife。　　The　limber　porters　trundling　their　barrows；　the　greyness

of　the　station　and　the　good　stolid　humour　clinging　to　the　people；

air；　and　voices；　all　brought　to　him　the　sense　of　home。　　Meanwhile　he

wavered　between　purchasing　a　book　called　Market　Hayborough；　which　he

had　read　and　would　；certainly　enjoy　a　second　time；　and　Carlyle's

French　Revolution；　which　he　had　not　read　and　was　doubtful　of

enjoying；　he　felt　that　he　ought　to　buy　the　latter；　but　he　did　not

relish　giving　up　the　former。　　While　he　hesitated　thus；　his　carriage

was　beginning　to　fill　up；　so；　quickly　buying　both；　he　took　up　a

position　from　which　he　could　defend　his　rights。　　〃Nothing；〃　he

thought；　〃shows　people　up　like　travelling。〃



The　carriage　was　almost　full；　and；　putting　his　bag；　up　in　the　rack；

he　took　his　seat。　　At　the　moment　of　starting　yet　another　passenger；　a

girl　with　a　pale　face；　scrambled　in。



〃I　was　a　fool　to　go　third；〃　thought　Shelton；　taking　in　his　neighbours

from　behind　his　journal。



They　were　seven。　　A　grizzled　rustic　sat　in　the　far　corner；　his　empty

pipe；　bowl　downwards；　jutted　like　a　handle　from　his　face；　all　bleared

with　the　smear　of　nothingness　that　grows　on　those　who　pass　their

lives　in　the　current　of　hard　facts。　　Next　to　him；　a　ruddy；　heavy…

shouldered　man　was　discussing　with　a　grey…haired；　hatchet…visaged

person　the　condition　of　their　gardens；　and　Shelton　watched　their　eyes

till　it　occurred　to　him　how　curious　a　look　was　in　thema　watchful

friendliness；　an　allied　distrustand　that　their　voices；　cheerful；

even　jovial；　seemed　to　be　cautious　all　the　time。　　His　glance　strayed

off；　and　almost　rebounded　from　the　semi…Roman；　slightly　cross；　and

wholly　self…complacent　face　of　a　stout　lady　in　a　black…and…white

costume；　who　was　reading　the　Strand　Magazine；　while　her　other；　sleek；

plump　hand；　freed　from　its　black　glove；　and　ornamented　with　a　thick

watch…bracelet；　rested　on　her　lap。　　A　younger；　bright…cheeked；　and

self…conscious　female　was　sitting　next　her；　looking　at　the　pale　girl

who　had　just　got　in。



〃There's　something　about　that　girl；〃　thought　Shelton；　〃they　don't

like。〃　　Her　brown　eyes　certainly　looked　frightened；　her　clothes　were

of　a　foreign　cut。　　Suddenly　he　met　the　glance　of　another　pair　of

eyes；　these　eyes；　prominent　and　blue；　stared　with　a　sort　of　subtle

roguery　from　above　a　thin；　lopsided　nose；　and　were　at　once　averted。

They　gave　Shelton　the　impression　that　he　was　being　judged；　and

mocked；　enticed；　initiated。　　His　own　gaze　did　not　fall；　this　sanguine

face；　with　its　two…day　growth　of　reddish　beard；　long　nose；　full　lips；

and　irony；　puzzled　him。　　〃A　cynical　face！〃　he　thought；　and　then；　〃but

sensitive！〃　and　then；　〃too　cynical；〃　again。



The　young　man　who　owned　it　sat　with　his　legs　parted　at　the　knees；　his

dusty　trouser…ends　and　boots　slanting　back　beneath　the　seat；　his

yellow　finger…tips　crisped　as　if　rolling　cigarettes。　　A　strange　air

of　detachment　was　about　that　youthful；　shabby　figure；　and　not　a　scrap

of　luggage　filled　the　rack　above　his　head。



The　frightened　girl　was　sitting　next　this　pagan　personality；　it　was

possibly　the　lack　of　fashion　in　his　looks　that　caused；　her　to　select

him　for　her　confidence。



〃Monsieur；〃　she　asked；　〃do　you　speak　French？〃



〃Perfectly。〃



〃Then　can　you　tell　me　where　they　take　the　tickets？



〃The　young　man　shook　his　head。



〃No；〃　said　he；　〃I　am　a　foreigner。〃



The　girl　sighed。



〃But　what　is　the　matter；　ma'moiselle？〃



The　girl　did　not　reply；　twisting　her　hands　on　an　old　bag　in　her　lap。

Silence　had　stolen　on　the　carriagea　silence　such　as　steals　on

animals　at　the　first　approach　of　danger；　all　eyes　were　turned　towards

the　figures　of　the　foreigners。





〃Yes；〃　broke　out　the　red…faced　man；　〃he　was　a　bit　squiffy　that

eveningold　Tom。〃



〃Ah！〃　replied　his　neighbour；　〃he　would　be。〃



Something　seemed　to　have　destroyed　their　look　of　mutual　distrust。

The　plump；　sleek　hand　of　the　lady　with　the　Roman　nose　curved

convulsively；　and　this　movement　corresponded　to　the　feeling　agitating

Shelton's　heart。　　It　was　almost　as　if　hand　and　heart　feared　to　be

asked　for　something。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　girl；　with　a　tremble　in　her　voice；　〃I　am　very

unhappy；　can　you　tell　me　what　to　do？　　I　had　no　money　for　a　ticket。〃



The　foreign　youth's　face　flickered。



〃Yes？〃　he　said；　〃that　might　happen　to　anyone；　of　course。〃



〃What　will　they　do　to　me？〃　sighed　the　girl。



〃Don't　lose　courage；　ma'moiselle。〃　　The　young　man　slid　his　eyes　from

left　to　right；　and　rested　them　on　Shelton。　　〃Although　I　don't　as　yet

see　your　way　out。〃



〃Oh；　monsieur！〃　sighed　the　girl；　and；　though　it　was　clear　that　none

but　Shelton　understood　what　they　were　saying；　there　was　a　chilly

feeling　in　the　carriage。



〃I　wish　I　could　assist　you；〃　said　the　foreign　youth；　〃unfortunately

〃　he　shrugged　his　shoulders；　and　again　his　eyes　returned　to

Shelton。



The　latter　thrust　his　hand　into　his　pocket。



〃Can　I　be　of　any　use？〃　he　asked　in　English。



〃Certainly；　sir；　you　could　render　this　young　lady　the　greatest

possible　service　by　lending　her　the　money　for　a　ticket。〃



Shelton　produced　a　sovereign；　which　the　young　man　took。　　Passing　it。

to　the　girl；　he　said：



〃A　thousand　thanks'voila　une　belle　action'！〃



The　misgivings　which　attend　on　casual　charity　crowded　up　in　Shelton's

mind；　he　was　ashamed　of　having　them　and　of　not　having　them；　and　he

stole　covert　looks　at　this　young　foreigner；　who　was　now　talking　to

the　girl　in　a　language　that　he　did　not　understand。　　Though　vagabond

in　essence；　the　fellow's　face　showed　subtle　spirit；　a　fortitude　and

irony　not　found　upon　the　face　of　normal　man；　and　in　turning　from　it

to　the　other　passengers　Shelton　was　conscious　of　revolt；　contempt；

and　questioning；　that　he　could　not　define。　　Leaning　back　with　half…

closed　eyes；　he　tried　to　diagnose　this　new　sensation。　　He　found　it

disconcerting　that　the　faces　and　behaviour　of　his　neighbours　lacked

anything　he　could　grasp　and　secretly　abuse。　　They　continued　to

converse　with　admirable　and　slightly　conscious　phlegm；　yet　he　knew；

as　well　as　if　each　one　had　whispered　to　him　privately；　that　this

shady　incident　had　shaken　them。　　Something　unsettling　to　their

notions　of　propriety…something　dangerous　and　destructive　of

complacencyhad　occurred；　and　this　was　unforgivable。　　Each　had　a

different　way；　humorous　or　philosophic；　contemptuous；　sour；　or　sly；

of　showing　this　resentment。　　But　by　a　flash　of　insight　Shelton　saw

that　at　the　bottom　of　their　minds　and　of　his　own　the　feeling　was　the

same。　　Because　he　shared　in　their　resentment　he　was　enraged　with　them

and　with　himself。　　He　looked　at　the　plump；　sleek　hand　of　the　woman

with　the　Roman　nose。　　The　insulation　and　complacency　of　its　pale

skin；　the　passive　righteousness　about　its　curve；　the　prim　separation

from　the　others　of　the　fat　little　finger；　had　acquired　a　wholly

unaccountable　importance。　　It　embodied　the　verdict　of　his　fellow…

passengers；　the　verdict　of　Society；　for　he　knew　that；　whether　or　no

repugnant　to　the　well…bred　mind；　each　assemblage　of　eight　persons；

even　in　a　third…class　carriage；　contains　the　kernel　of　Society。



But　being　in　love；　and　recently　engaged；　Shelton　had　a　right　to　be

immune　from　discontent　of　any　kind；　and　he　reverted　to　his　mental

image　of　the　cool；　fair　face；　quick　movements；　and　the　brilliant

smile　that　now　in　his　probationary　exile　haunted　his　imagination；　he

took　out　his　fiancee's　last　letter；　but　the　voice　of　the　young

foreigner　addressing　him　in　rapid　French　caused　him　to　put　it　back

abruptly。



〃From　what　she　tells　me；　sir；〃　he　said；　bending　forward　to　be　out　of

hearing　of　the　girl；　〃hers　is　an　unhappy　case。　　I　should　have　been

only　too　glad　to　help　her；　but；　as　you　see〃and　he　made　a　gesture　by

which　Shelton　observed　that　he　had　parted　from　his　waistcoat〃I　am

not　Rothschild。　　She　has　been　abandoned　by　the　man　who　brought　her

over　to　Dover　under　promise　of　marriage。　　Look〃and　by　a　subtle

flicker　of　his　eyes　he　marked　how　the　two　ladies　had　edged　away　from

the　French　girl　〃they　take　good　care　not　to　let　their　garments　touch

her。　　They　are　virtuous　women。　　How　fine　a　thing　is　virtue；　sir！　and

finer　to　know　you　have　it；　especially　when　you　are　never　likely　to　be

tempted。〃



Shelton　was　unable　to　repress　a　smile；　and　when　he　smiled　his　face

grew　soft。



〃Haven't　you　observed；〃　went　on　the　youthful　foreigner；　〃that　those

who　by　temperament　and　circumstance　are　worst　fitted　to　pronounce

judgment　are　usually　the　first　to　judge？　　The　judgments　of　Society

are　always　childish；　seeing　that　it's　composed　for　the　most　part　of

individuals　who　have　never　smelt　the　fire。　　And　look　at　this：　they

who　have　money　run　too　great　a　risk　of　parting　with　it　if　they　don't

accuse　the　penniless　of　being　rogues　and　imbeciles。〃



Shelton　was　startled；　a