the island pharisees-第30节

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just　at　first；　but　now　he　's　really　too　distressin'。　　I　've　done　all

I　can　to　rouse　him；　it's　so　melancholy　to　see　him　mopin'。　　And；　my

dear　Dick；　the　way　he　mangles　the　new　rose…trees！　　I'm　afraid　he's

goin'　mad；　I　shall　have　to　send　him　away；　poor　fellow！〃



It　was　clear　that　she　sympathised　with　Bunyan；　or；　rather；　believed

him　entitled　to　a　modicum　of　wholesome　grief；　the　loss　of　wives　being

a　canonised　and　legal；　sorrow。　　But　excesses！　　O　dear；　no！



〃I　've　told　him　I　shall　raise　his　wages；〃　she　sighed。　　〃He　used　to　be

such　a　splendid　gardener！　　That　reminds　me；　my　dear　Dick；　I　want　to

have　a　talk　with　you。　　Shall　we　go　in　to　lunch？〃



Consulting　the　memorandum…book　in　which　she　had　been　noting　the　case

of　Mrs。　Hopkins；　she　slightly　preceded　Shelton　to　the　house。



It　was　somewhat　late　that　afternoon　when　Shelton　had　his　〃wigging〃；

nor　did　it　seem　to　him；　hypnotised　by　the　momentary　absence　of

Antonia；　such　a　very　serious　affair。



〃Now；　Dick；〃　the　Honourable　Mrs。　Dennant　said；　in　her　decisive　drawl；

〃I　don't　think　it　's　right　to　put　ideas　into　Antonia's　head。〃



〃Ideas！〃　　murmured　Shelton　in　confusion。



〃We　all　know；〃　continued　Mrs。　Dennant；　〃that　things　are　not　always

what　they　ought　to　be。〃



Shelton　looked　at　her；　she　was　seated　at　her　writing…table；

addressing　in　her　large；　free　writing　a　dinner　invitation　to　a

bishop。　　There　was　not　the　faintest　trace　of　awkwardness　about　her；

yet　Shelton　could　not　help　a　certain　sense　of　shock。　　If　sheshe

did　not　think　things　were　what　they　ought　to　bein　a　bad　way　things

must　be　indeed！



〃Things！〃　　he　muttered。



Mrs。　Dennant　looked　at　him　firmly　but　kindly　with　the　eyes　that　would

remind　him　of　a　hare's。



〃She　showed　me　some　of　your　letters；　you　know。　　Well；　it　's　not　a　bit

of　use　denyin'；　my　dear　Dick；　that　you've　been　thinkin'　too　much

lately。〃



Shelton　perceived　that　he　had　done　her　an　injustice；　she　handled

〃things〃　as　she　handled　under…gardenersput　them　away　when　they

showed　signs　of　running　to　extremes。



〃I　can't　help　that；　I　'm　afraid；〃　he　answered。



〃My　dear　boy！　　you'll　never　get　on　that　way。　　Now；　I　want　you　to

promise　me　you　won't　talk　to　Antonia　about　those　sort　of　things。〃



Shelton　raised　his　eyebrows。



〃Oh；　you　know　what　I　mean！〃



He　saw　that　to　press　Mrs。　Dennant　to　say　what　she　meant　by　〃things〃

would　really　hurt　her　sense　of　form；　it　would　be　cruel　to　force　her

thus　below　the　surface！



He　therefore　said；　〃Quite　so！〃



To　his　extreme　surprise；　flushing　the　peculiar　arid　pathetic　flush　of

women　past　their　prime；　she　drawled　out：



〃About　the　poorand　criminalsand　marriagesthere　was　that

wedding；　don't　you　know？〃



Shelton　bowed　his　head。　　Motherhood　had　been　too　strong　for　her；　in

her　maternal　flutter　she　had　committed　the　solecism　of　touching　in　so

many　words　on　〃things。〃



〃Does　n't　she　really　see　the　fun；〃　he　thought；　〃in　one　man　dining　out

of　gold　and　another　dining　in　the　gutter；　or　in　two　married　people

living　on　together　in　perfect　discord　'pour　encourages　les　autres'；

or　in　worshipping　Jesus　Christ　and　claiming　all　her　rights　at　the

same　time；　or　in　despising　foreigners　because　they　are　foreigners；　or

in　war；　or　in　anything　that　is　funny？〃　But　he　did　her　a　certain

amount　of　justice　by　recognising　that　this　was　natural；　since　her

whole　life　had　been　passed　in　trying　not　to　see　the　fun　in　all　these

things。



But　Antonia　stood　smiling　in　the　doorway。　　Brilliant　and　gay　she

looked；　yet　resentful；　as　if　she　knew　they　had　been　talking　of　her。

She　sat　down　by　Shelton's　side；　and　began　asking　him　about　the

youthful　foreigner　whom　he　had　spoken　of；　and　her　eyes　made　him　doubt

whether　she；　too；　saw　the　fun　that　lay　in　one　human　being　patronising

others。



〃But　I　suppose　he's　really　good；〃　she　said；　〃I　mean；　all　those　things

he　told　you　about　were　only…〃



〃Good！〃　　he　answered；　fidgeting；　〃I　don't　really　know　what　the　word

means。〃



Her　eyes　clouded。　　〃Dick；　how　can　you？〃　they　seemed　to　say。



Shelton　stroked　her　sleeve。



〃Tell　us　about　Mr。　Crocker；〃　she　said；　taking　no　heed　of　his　caress。



〃The　lunatic！〃　　he　said。



〃Lunatic！　　Why；　in　your　letters　he　was　splendid。〃



〃So　he　is；〃　said　Shelton；　half　ashamed；　〃　he's　not　a　bit　mad；　really

that　is；　I　only　wish　I　were　half　as　mad。〃



〃Who's　that　mad？〃　queried　Mrs。　Dennant　from　behind　the　urn〃Tom

Crocker？　　Ah；　yes！　　I　knew　his　mother；　she　was　a　Springer。〃



〃Did　he　do　it　in　the　week？〃　said　Thea；　appearing　in　the　window　with　a

kitten。



〃I　don't　know；〃　Shelton　was　obliged　to　answer。



Thea　shook　back　her　hair。



〃I　call　it　awfully　slack　of　you　not　to　have　found　out；〃　she　said。



Antonia　frowned。



〃You　were　very　sweet　to　that　young　foreigner；　Dick；〃　she　murmured

with　a　smile　at　Shelton。　　〃I　wish　that　we　could　see　him。〃



But　Shelton　shook　his　head。



〃It　seems　to　me；〃　he　muttered；　〃that　I　did　about　as　little　for　him　as

I　could。〃



Again　her　face　grew　thoughtful；　as　though　his　words　had　chilled　her。



〃I　don't　see　what　more　you　could　have　done；〃　she　answered。



A　desire　to　get　close　to　her；　half　fear；　half　ache；　a　sense　of

futility　and　bafflement；　an　inner　burning；　made　him　feel　as　though　a

flame　were　licking　at　his　heart。









CHAPTER　XXI



ENGLISH



Just　as　Shelton　was　starting　to　walk　back　to　Oxford　he　met　Mr。

Dennant　coming　from　a　ride。　　Antonia's　father　was　a　spare　man　of

medium　height；　with　yellowish　face；　grey　moustache；　ironical

eyebrows；　and　some　tiny　crow's…feet。　　In　his　old；　short　grey　coat；

with　a　little　slit　up　the　middle　of　the　back；　his　drab　cord　breeches；

ancient　mahogany　leggings；　and　carefully　blacked　boats；　he　had　a　dry；

threadbare　quality　not　without　distinction。



〃Ah；　Shelton！〃　　he　said；　in　his　quietly　festive　voice；　〃glad　to　see

the　pilgrim　here；　at　last。　　You're　not　off　already？〃　and；　laying　his

hand　on　Shelton's　arm；　he　proposed　to　walk　a　little　way　with　him

across　the　fields。



This　was　the　first　time　they　had　met　since　the　engagement；　and

Shelton　began　to　nerve　himself　to　express　some　sentiment；　however

bald；　about　it。　　He　squared　his　shoulders；　cleared　his　throat；　and

looked　askance　at　Mr。　Dennant。　　That　gentleman　was　walking　stiffly；

his　cord　breeches　faintly　squeaking。　　He　switched　a　yellow；　jointed

cane　against　his　leggings；　and　after　each　blow　looked　at　his　legs

satirically。　　He　himself　was　rather　like　that　yellow　cane…pale；　and

slim；　and　jointed；　with　features　arching　just　a　little；　like　the

arching　of　its　handle。



〃They　say　it'll　be　a　bad　year　for　fruit；〃　Shelton　said　at　last。



〃My　dear　fellow；　you　don't　know　your　farmer；　I　'm　afraid。　　We　ought

to　hang　some　farmersdo　a　world　of　good。　　Dear　souls！　　I've　got　some

perfect　strawberries。〃



〃I　suppose；〃　said　Shelton；　glad　to　postpone　the　evil　moment；　〃in　a

climate　like　this　a　man　must　grumble。〃



〃Quite　so；　quite　so！　　Look　at　us　poor　slaves　of　land…owners；　if　I

couldn't　abuse　the　farmers　I　should　be　wretched。　　Did　you　ever　see

anything　finer　than　this　pasture？　　And　they　want　me　to　lower　their

rents！〃



And　Mr。　Dennant's　glance　satirically　wavered；　rested　on　Shelton；　and

whisked　back　to　the　ground　as　though　he　had　seen　something　that

alarmed　him。　　There　was　a　pause。



〃Now　for　it！〃　　thought　the　younger　man。



Mr。　Dennant　kept　his　eyes　fixed　on　his　boots。



〃If　they'd　said；　now；〃　he　remarked　jocosely；　〃that　the　frost　had

nipped　the　partridges；　there　'd　have　been　some　sense　in　it；　but　what

can　you　expect？　　They've　no　consideration；　dear　souls！〃



Shelton　took　a　breath；　and；　with　averted　eyes；　he　hurriedly　began：



〃It's　awfully　hard；　sir；　to…〃



Mr。　Dennant　switched　his　cane　against　his　shin。



〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃it　's　awfully　hard　to　put　up　with；　but　what　can　a

fellow　do？　　One　must　have　farmers。　　Why；　if　it　was　n't　for　the

farmers；　there　'd　be　still　a　hare　or　two　about　the　place！〃



Shelton　laughed　spasmodically；　again　he　glanced　askance　at　his　future

father…in…law。　　What　did　the　waggling　of　his　head　mean；　the　deepening

of　his　crow's…feet；　the　odd　contraction　of　the　mouth？　　And　his　eye

caught　Mr。　Dennant's　eye；　its　expression　was　queer　above　the　fine；

dry　nose　（one　of　the　sort　that　reddens　in　a　wind）。



〃I've　never　had　much　to　do　with　farmers；〃　he　said　at　last。



〃Have　n't　you？　　Lucky　fellow！　　The　mostyes；　quite　the　most　trying

portion　of　the　human　speciesnext　to　daughters。〃



〃Well；　sir；　you　can　hardly　expect　me〃　began　Shelton。



〃I　don'toh；　I　don't！　　D　'you　know；　I　really　believe　we're　in　for　a

ducking。〃



A　large　black　cloud　had　covered　up　the　sun；　and　some　drops　were

spattering　on　Mr。　Dennant's　hard　felt　hat。



Shelton　welcomed　the　shower；　it　appeared　to　him　an　intervention　on

the　part　of　Providence。　　He　would　have　to　say　something；　but　not　now；

later。



〃I　'll　go　on；〃　he　said；　〃I　don't　mind　the　rain。　　But　you'd　better　get

back；　sir。〃