the island pharisees-第4节

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Manor　of　Holm　Oaks　against　a　neighbouring　house；　in　the　evening　there

was　dancing　oh　the　lawn。　　The　fair　hair　was　now　turned　up；　but　the

eyes　were　quite　unchanged。　　Their　steps　went　together；　and　they。

outlasted　every　other　couple　on　the　slippery　grass。　　Thence；　perhaps；

sprang　her　respect　for　him；　he　was　wiry；　a　little　taller　than

herself；　and　seemed　to　talk　of　things　that　interested　her。　　He　found

out　she　was　seventeen；　and　she　found　out　that　he　was　twenty…nine。

The　following　two　years　Shelton　went　to　Holm　Oaks　whenever　he　was

asked；　to　him　this　was　a　period　of　enchanted　games；　of　cub…hunting；

theatricals；　and　distant　sounds　of　practised　music；　and　during　it

Antonia's　eyes　grew　more　friendly　and　more　curious；　and　his　own　more

shy；　and　schooled；　more　furtive　and　more　ardent。　　Then　came　his

father's　death；　a　voyage　round　the　world；　and　that　peculiar　hour　of

mixed　sensations　when；　one　March　morning；　abandoning　his　steamer　at

Marseilles；　he　took　train　for　Hyeres。



He　found　her　at　one　of　those　exclusive　hostelries　amongst　the　pines

where　the　best　English　go；　in　common　with　Americans；　Russian

princesses；　and　Jewish　families；　he　would　not　have　been　shocked　to

find　her　elsewhere；　but　he　would　have　been　surprised。　　His　sunburnt

face　and　the　new　beard；　on　which　he　set　some　undefined　value；

apologetically　displayed；　were　scanned　by　those　blue　eyes　with　rapid

glances；　at　once　more　friendly　and　less　friendly。　　〃Ah！〃　they　seemed

to　say；　〃here　you　are；　how　glad　I　am！　　Butwhat　now？〃



He　was　admitted　to　their　sacred　table　at　the　table　d'hote；　a　snowy

oblong　in　an　airy　alcove；　where　the　Honourable　Mrs。　Dennant；　Miss

Dennant；　and　the　Honourable　Charlotte　Penguin；　a　maiden　aunt　with

insufficient　lungs；　sat　twice　a　day　in　their　own　atmosphere。　　A

momentary　weakness　came　on　Shelton　the　first　time　he　saw　them　sitting

there　at　lunch。　　What　was　it　gave　them　their　look　of　strange

detachment？　　Mrs。　Dennant　was　bending　above　a　camera。



〃I'm　afraid；　d'　you　know；　it's　under…exposed；〃　she　said。



〃What　a　pity！　　The　kitten　was　rather　nice！〃　　The　maiden　aunt；　placing

the　knitting　of　a　red　silk　tie　beside　her　plate；　turned　her　aspiring；

well…bred　gaze　on　Shelton。



〃Look；　Auntie；〃　said　Antonia　in　her　clear；　quick　voice；　〃there's　the

funny　little　man　again！〃



〃Oh；〃　said　the　maiden　aunta　smile　revealed　her　upper　teeth；　she

looked　for　the　funny　little　man　（who　was　not　English）〃he's　rather

nice！〃



Shelton　did　not　look　for　the　funny　little　man；　he　stole　a　glance　that

barely　reached　Antonia's　brow；　where　her　eyebrows　took　their　tiny

upward　slant　at　the　outer　corners；　and　her　hair　was　still　ruffled　by

a　windy　walk。　　From　that　moment　he　became　her　slave。



〃Mr。　Shelton；　do　you　know　anything　about　these　periscopic

binoculars？〃　said　Mrs。　Dennant's　voice；　〃they're　splendid　for

buildin's；　but　buildin's　are　so　disappointin'。　　The　thing　is　to　get

human　interest；　isn't　it？〃　and　her　glance　wandered　absently　past

Shelton　in　search　of　human　interest。



〃You　haven't　put　down　what　you've　taken；　mother。〃



》From　a　little　leather　bag　Mrs。　Dennant　took　a　little　leather　book。



〃It's　so　easy　to　forget　what　they're　about；〃　she　said；　〃that's　so

annoyin'。〃



Shelton　was　not　again　visited　by　his　uneasiness　at　their　detachment；

he　accepted　them　and　all　their　works；　for　there　was　something　quite

sublime　about　the　way　that　they　would　leave　the　dining…room；

unconscious　that　they　themselves　were　funny　to　all　the　people　they

had　found　so　funny　while　they　had　been　sitting　there；　and　he　would

follow　them　out　unnecessarily　upright　and　feeling　like　a　fool。



In　the　ensuing　fortnight；　chaperoned　by　the　maiden　aunt；　for　Mrs。

Dennant　disliked　driving；　he　sat　opposite　to　Antonia　during　many

drives；　he　played　sets　of　tennis　with　her；　but　it　was　in　the　evenings

after　dinnerthose　long　evenings　on　a　parquet　floor　in　wicker　chairs

dragged　as　far　as　might　be　from　the　heating　apparatusthat　he　seemed

so　very　near　her。　　The　community　of　isolation　drew　them　closer。　　In

place　of　a　companion　he　had　assumed　the　part　of　friend；　to　whom　she

could　confide　all　her　home…sick　aspirations。　　So　that；　even　when　she

was　sitting　silent；　a　slim；　long　foot　stretched　out　in　front；　bending

with　an　air　of　cool　absorption　over　some　pencil　sketches　which　she

would　not　show　himeven　then；　by　her　very　attitude；　by　the　sweet

freshness　that　clung　about　her；　by　her　quick；　offended　glances　at　the

strange　persons　round；　she　seemed　to　acknowledge　in　some　secret　way

that　he　was　necessary。　　He　was　far　from　realising　this；　his

intellectual　and　observant　parts　were　hypnotised　and　fascinated　even

by　her　failings。　　The　faint　freckling　across　her　nose；　the　slim　and

virginal　severeness　of　her　figure；　with　its　narrow　hips　and　arms；　the

curve　of　her　long　neck…all　were　added　charms。　　She　had　the　wind　and

rain　look；　a　taste　of　home；　and　over　the　glaring　roads；　where　the

palm…tree　shadows　lay　so　black；　she　seemed　to　pass　like　the　very

image　of　an　English　day。



One　afternoon　he　had　taken　her　to　play　tennis　with　some　friends；　and

afterwards　they　strolled　on　to　her　favourite　view。　　Down　the　Toulon

road　gardens　and　hills　were　bathed　in　the　colour　of　ripe　apricot；　an

evening　crispness　had　stolen　on　the　air；　the　blood；　released　from　the

sun's　numbing；　ran　gladly　in　the　veins。　　On　the　right　hand　of　the

road　was　a　Frenchman　playing　bowls。　　Enormous；　busy；　pleased；　and

upright　as　a　soldier；　pathetically　trotting　his　vast　carcass　from　end

to　end；　he　delighted　Shelton。　　But　Antonia　threw　a　single　look　at　the

huge　creature；　and　her　face　expressed　disgust。　　She　began　running　up

towards　the　ruined　tower。



Shelton　let　her　keep　in　front；　watching　her　leap　from　stone　to　stone

and　throw　back　defiant　glances　when　he　pressed　behind。　　She　stood　at

the　top；　and　he　looked　up　at　her。　　Over　the　world；　gloriously　spread

below；　she；　like　a　statue；　seemed　to　rule。　　The　colour　was　brilliant

in　her　cheeks；　her　young　bosom　heaved；　her　eyes　shone；　and　the

flowing　droop　of　her　long；　full　sleeves　gave　to　her　poised　figure　the

look　of　one　who　flies。　　He　pulled　himself　up　and　stood　beside　her；

his　heart　choked　him；　all　the　colour　had　left　his　cheeks。



〃Antonia；〃　he　said；　〃I　love　you。〃



She　started；　as　if　his　whisper　had　intruded　on　her　thoughts；　but　his

face　must　have　expressed　his　hunger；　for　the　resentment　in　her　eyes

vanished。



They　stood　for　several　minutes　without　speaking；　and　then　went　home。

Shelton　painfully　revolved　the　riddle　of　the　colour　in　her　face。　　Had

he　a　chance　then？　　Was　it　possible？　　That　evening　the　instinct

vouchsafed　at　times　to　lovers　in　place　of　reason　caused　him　to　pack

his　bag　and　go　to　Cannes。　　On　returning；　two　days　later；　and

approaching　the　group　in　the　centre　of　the　Winter　Garden；　the　voice

of　the　maiden　aunt　reading　aloud　an　extract　from　the　Morning　Post

reached　him　across　the　room。



〃Don't　you　think　that's　rather　nice？〃　he　heard　her　ask；　and　then：

〃Oh；　here　you　aye！　　It's　very　nice　to　see　you　back！〃



Shelton　slipped　into　a　wicker　chair。　　Antonia　looked　up　quickly　from

her　sketch…book；　put　out　a　hand；　but　did　not　speak。



He　watched　her　bending　head；　and　his　eagerness　was　changed　to　gloom。

With　desperate　vivacity　he　sustained　the　five　intolerable　minutes　of

inquiry；　where　had　he　been；　what　had　he　been　doing？　　Then　once　again

the　maiden　aunt　commenced　her　extracts　from　the　Morning　Post。



A　touch　on　his　sleeve　startled　him。　　Antonia　was　leaning　forward；　her

cheeks　were　crimson　above　the　pallor　of　her　neck。



〃Would　you　like　to　see　my　sketches？〃



To　Shelton；　bending　above　those　sketches；　that　drawl　of　the　well…bred

maiden　aunt　intoning　the　well…bred　paper　was　the　most　pleasant　sound

that　he　had　ever　listened　to。



〃My　dear　Dick；〃　Mrs。　Dennant　said　to　him　a　fortnight　later；　〃we　would

rather；　after　you　leave　here；　that　you　don't　see　each　other　again

until　July。　　Of　course　I　know　you　count　it　an　engagement　and　all

that；　and　everybody's　been　writin'　to　congratulate　you。　　But　Algie

thinks　you　ought　to　give　yourselves　a　chance。　　Young　people　don't

always　know　what　they're　about；　you　know；　it's　not　long　to　wait。〃



〃Three　months！〃　　gasped　Shelton。



He　had　to　swallow　down　this　pill　with　what　grace　he　could　command。

There　was　no　alternative。　　Antonia　had　acquiesced　in　the　condition

with　a　queer；　grave　pleasure；　as　if　she　expected　it　to　do　her　good。



〃It'll　be　something　to　look　forward　to；　Dick；〃　she　said。



He　postponed　departure　as　long　as　possible；　and　it　was　not　until　the

end　of　April　that　he　left　for　England。　　She　came　alone　to　see　him

off。　　It　was　drizzling；　but　her　tall；　slight　figure　in　the　golf　cape

looked　impervious　to　cold　and　rain　amongst　the　shivering　natives。

Desperately　he　clutched　her　hand；　warm　through　the　wet　glove；　her

smile　seemed　heartless　in　its　brilliancy。　　He　whispered　〃You　will

write？〃



〃Of　course；　don't　be　so　stupid；　you　old　Dick！〃



She　ran　forward　as　the