the island pharisees-第33节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃Poor　things！　they　have　a　lot　to　bear。〃



〃The　little　children！〃　　murmured　Aunt　Charlotte；　with　a　flushing

cheek　and　shining　eyes；　〃it　's　rather　pathetic。〃



〃Children　indeed！〃　　said　Mrs。　Mattock。　　〃It　puts　me　out　of　all

patience　to　see　the　way　that　they　neglect　them。　　People　are　so

sentimental　about　the　poor。〃



Lady　Bonington　creaked　again。　　Her　splendid　shoulders　were　wedged

into　her　chair；　her　fine　dark　hair；　gleaming　with　silver；　sprang　back

upon　her　brow；　a　ruby　bracelet　glowed　on　the　powerful　wrist　that　held

the　journal；　she　rocked　her　copper…slippered　foot。　　She　did　not

appear　to　be　too　sentimental。



〃I　know　they　often　have　a　very　easy　time；〃　said　Mrs。　Mattock；　as　if

some　one　had　injured　her　severely。　　And　Shelton　saw；　not　without

pity；　that　Fate　had　scored　her　kind　and　squashed…up　face　with

wrinkles；　whose　tiny　furrows　were　eloquent　of　good　intentions

frustrated　by　the　unpractical　and　discontented　poor。　　〃Do　what　you

will；　they　are　never　satisfied；　they　only　resent　one's　help；　or　else

they　take　the　help　and　never　thank　you　for　it！〃



〃Oh！〃　　murmured　Aunt　Charlotte；　〃that's　rather　hard。〃



Shelton　had　been　growing；　more　uneasy。　　He　said　abruptly：



〃I　should　do　the　same　if　I　were　they。〃



Mrs。　Mattock's　brown　eyes　flew　at　him；　Lady　Bonington　spoke　to　the

Times；　her　ruby　bracelet　and　a　bangle　jingled。



〃We　ought　to　put　ourselves　in　their　places。〃



Shelton　could　not　help　a　smile；　Lady　Bonington　in　the　places　of　the

poor！



〃Oh！〃　　exclaimed　Mrs。　Mattock；　〃I　put　myself　entirely　in　their　place。

I　quite　understand　their　feelings。　　But　ingratitude　is　a　repulsive

quality。〃



〃They　seem　unable　to　put　themselves　in　your　place；〃　murmured　Shelton；

and　in　a　fit　of　courage　he　took　the　room　in　with　a　sweeping　glance。



Yes；　that　room　was　wonderfully　consistent；　with　its　air　of　perfect

second…handedness；　as　if　each　picture；　and　each　piece　of　furniture；

each　book；　each　lady　present；　had　been　made　from　patterns。　　They　were

all　widely　different；　yet　all　（like　works　of　art　seen　in　some

exhibitions）　had　the　look　of　being　after　the　designs　of　some　original

spirit。　　The　whole　room　was　chaste；　restrained；　derived；　practical；

and　comfortable；　neither　in　virtue　nor　in　work；　neither　in　manner；

speech；　appearance；　nor　in　theory；　could　it　give　itself　away。









CHAPTER　XXIII



THE　STAINED…GLASS　MAN



Still　looking　for　Antonia；　Shelton　went　up　to　the　morning…room。　　Thea

Dennant　and　another　girl　were　seated　in　the　window；　talking。　　From

the　look　they　gave　him　he　saw　that　he　had　better　never　have　been

born；　he　hastily　withdrew。　　Descending　to　the　hall；　he　came　on　Mr。

Dennant　crossing　to　his　study；　with　a　handful　of　official…looking

papers。



〃Ah；　Shelton！〃　　said　he；　〃you　look　a　little　lost。　　Is　the　shrine

invisible？〃



Shelton　grinned；　said　〃Yes；〃　and　went　on　looking。　　He　was　not

fortunate。　　In　the　dining…room　sat　Mrs。　Dennant；　making　up　her　list

of　books。



〃Do　give　me　your　opinion；　Dick；〃　she　said。　　〃Everybody　's　readin'

this　thing　of　Katherine　Asterick's；　I　believe　it's　simply　because

she's　got　a　title。〃



〃One　must　read　a　book　for　some　reason　or　other；〃　answered　Shelton。



〃Well；〃　returned　Mrs。　Dennant；　〃I　hate　doin'　things　just　because

other　people　do　them；　and　I　sha'n't　get　it。〃



〃Good！〃



Mrs。　Dennant　marked　the　catalogue。



〃Here　's　Linseed's　last；　of　course；　though　I　must　say　I　don't　care

for　him；　but　I　suppose　we　ought　to　have　it　in　the　house。　　And　there's

Quality's　'The　Splendid　Diatribes'：　that　's　sure　to　be　good；　he's

always　so　refined。　　But　what　am　I　to　do　about　this　of　Arthur　Baal's？

They　say　that　he's　a　charlatan；　but　everybody　reads　him；　don't　you

know〃；　and　over　the　catalogue　Shelton　caught　the　gleam　of　hare…like

eyes。



Decision　had　vanished　from　her　face；　with　its　arched　nose　and

slightly　sloping　chin；　as　though　some　one　had　suddenly　appealed　to

her　to　trust　her　instincts。　　It　was　quite　pathetic。　　Still；　there　was

always　the　book's　circulation　to　form　her　judgment　by。



〃I　think　I　'd　better　mark　it；〃　she　said；　〃don't　you？　　Were　you

lookin'　for　Antonia？　　If　you　come　across　Bunyan　in　the　garden；　Dick；

do　say　I　want　to　see　him；　he's　gettin'　to　be　a　perfect　nuisance。　　I

can　understand　his　feelin's；　but　really　he　's　carryin'　it　too　far。〃



Primed　with　his　message　to　the　under…gardener；　Shelton　went。　　He　took

a　despairing　look　into　the　billiard…room。　　Antonia　was　not　there。

Instead；　a　tall　and　fat…cheeked　gentleman　with　a　neat　moustache；

called　Mabbey；　was　practising　the　spot…stroke。　　He　paused　as　Shelton

entered；　and；　pouting　like　a　baby；　asked　in　a　sleepy　voice；



〃Play　me　a　hundred　up？〃



Shelton　shook　his　head；　stammered　out　his　sorrow；　and　was　about　to

go。



The　gentleman　called　Mabbey；　plaintively　feeling　the　places　where　his

moustaches　joined　his　pink　and　glossy　cheeks；　asked　with　an　air　of

some　surprise；



〃What's　your　general　game；　then？〃



〃I　really　don't　know；〃　said　Shelton。



The　gentleman　called　Mabbey　chalked　his　cue；　and；　moving　his　round；

knock…kneed　legs　in　their　tight　trousers；　took　up　his　position　for

the　stroke。



〃What　price　that？〃　he　said；　as　he　regained　the　perpendicular；　and　his

well…fed　eyes　followed　Shelton　with　sleepy　inquisition。　　〃Curious

dark　horse；　Shelton；〃　they　seemed　to　say。



Shelton　hurried　out；　and　was　about　to　run　down　the　lower　lawn；　when

he　was　accosted　by　another　person　walking　in　the　sunshinea　slight…

built　man　in　a　turned…down　collar；　with　a　thin　and　fair　moustache；

and　a　faint　bluish　tint　on　one　side　of　his　high　forehead；　caused　by　a

network　of　thin　veins。　　His　face　had　something　of　the　youthful；

optimistic；　stained…glass　look　peculiar　to　the　refined　English　type。

He　walked　elastically；　yet　with　trim　precision；　as　if　he　had　a

pleasant　taste　in　furniture　and　churches；　and　held　the　Spectator　in

his　hand。



〃Ah；　Shelton！　　〃he　said　in　high…tuned　tones；　halting　his　legs　in　such

an　easy　attitude　that　it　was　impossible　to　interrupt　it：　〃come　to

take　the　air？〃



Shelton's　own　brown　face；　nondescript　nose；　and　his　amiable　but

dogged　chin　contrasted　strangely　with　the　clear…cut　features　of　the

stained…glass　man。



〃I　hear　from　Halidome　that　you're　going　to　stand　for　Parliament；〃　the

latter　said。



Shelton；　recalling　Halidome's　autocratic　manner　of　settling　other

people's　business；　smiled。



〃Do　I　look　like　it？〃　he　asked。



The　eyebrows　quivered　on　the　stained…glass　man。　　It　had　never

occurred　to　him；　perhaps；　that　to　stand　for　Parliament　a　man　must

look　like　it；　he　examined　Shelton　with　some　curiosity。



〃Ah；　well；〃　he　said；　〃now　you　mention　it；　perhaps　not。〃　　His　eyes；　so

carefully　ironical；　although　they　differed　from　the　eyes　of　Mabbey；

also　seemed　to　ask　of　Shelton　what　sort　of　a　dark　horse　he　was。



〃You　're　still　in　the　Domestic　Office；　then？〃　asked　Shelton。



The　stained…glass　man　stooped　to　sniff　a　rosebush。　　〃Yes；〃　he　said；

〃it　suits　me　very　well。　　I　get　lots　of　time　for　my　art　work。〃



〃That　must　be　very　interesting；〃　said　Shelton；　whose　glance　was

roving　for　Antonia；　〃I　never　managed　to　begin　a　hobby。〃



〃Never　had　a　hobby！〃　　said　the　stained…glass　man；　brushing　back　his

hair　（he　was　walking　with　no　hat）；　〃why；　what　the　deuce　d'　you　do？〃



Shelton　could　not　answer；　the　idea　had　never　troubled　him。



〃I　really　don't　know；〃　he　said；　embarrassed；　〃there's　always

something　going　on；　as　far　as　I　can　see。〃



The　stained…glass　man　placed　his　hands　within　his　pockets；　and　his

bright　glance　swept　over　his　companion。



〃A　fellow　must　have　a　hobby　to　give　him　an　interest　in　life；〃　he

said。



〃An　interest　in　life？〃　repeated　Shelton　grimly；　〃life　itself　is　good

enough　for　me。〃



〃Oh！〃　replied　the　stained…glass　man；　as　though　he　disapproved　of

regarding　life　itself　as　interesting。



〃That's　all　very　well；　but　you　want　something　more　than　that。　　Why

don't　you　take　up　woodcarving？〃



〃Wood…carving？〃



〃The　moment　I　get　fagged　with　office　papers　and　that　sort　of　thing　I

take　up　my　wood…carving；　good　as　a　game　of　hockey。〃



〃I　have　n't　the　enthusiasm。〃



The　eyebrows　of　the　stained…glass　man　twitched；　he　twisted　his

moustache。



〃You　'll　find　not　having　a　hobby　does　n't　pay；〃　he　said；　〃you　'll　get

old；　then　where　'll　you　be？〃



It　came　as　a　surprise　that　he　should　use　the　words　〃it　does　n't　pay；〃

for　he　had　a　kind　of　partially　enamelled　look；　like　that　modern

jewellery　which　really　seems　unconscious　of　its　market　value。



〃You've　given　up　the　Bar？　　Don't　you　get　awfully　bored　having　nothing

to　do？〃　pursued　the　stained…glass　man；　stopping　before　an　ancient

sundial。



Shelton　felt　a　delicacy；　as　a　man　naturally　would；　in　explaining　that

being　in　love　was　in　itself　enough　to　do。　　To　do　nothing　is　unworthy

of　a　man！　　But　he　had　never　felt　as　yet　the　want　of　any　occupation。

His　silence　in　no　way　disconcerted　his　acquaintance。