the island pharisees-第6节

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women？　　Why；　they're　pap　for　babes　and　shop…boys！　　I　was　a　blanky

actor　moyself！〃



Shelton　listened　with　mingled　feelings　of　amusement　and　dismay；　till

the　old　actor；　having　finished；　resumed　his　crouching　posture　at　the

table。



〃You　don't　get　dhrunk；　I　suppose？〃　he　said　suddenly〃too　much　of　'n

Englishman；　no　doubt。〃



〃Very　seldom；〃　said　Shelton。



〃Pity！　　Think　of　the　pleasures　of　oblivion！　　Oi　'm　dhrunk　every

night。〃



〃How　long　will　you　last　at　that　rate？〃



〃There　speaks　the　Englishman！　　Why　should　Oi　give　up　me　only　pleasure

to　keep　me　wretched　life　in？　　If　you've　anything　left　worth　the

keeping　shober　for；　keep　shober　by　all　means；　if　not；　the　sooner　you

are　dhrunk　the　betterthat　stands　to　reason。〃



In　the　corridor　Shelton　asked　the　Frenchman　where　the　old　man　came

from。



〃Oh；　and　Englishman！　　Yes；　yes；　from　Belfast　very　drunken　old　man。

You　are　a　drunken　nation〃he　made　a　motion　with　his　hands　〃he　no

longer　eatsno　inside　left。　　It　is　unfortunate…a　man　of　spirit。　　If

you　have　never　seen　one　of　these　palaces；　monsieur；　I　shall　be　happy

to　show　you　over　it。〃



Shelton　took　out　his　cigarette　case。



〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　the　Frenchman；　making　a　wry　nose　and　taking　a

cigarette；　〃I'm　accustomed　to　it。　　But　you're　wise　to　fumigate　the

air；　one　is　n't　in　a　harem。〃



And　Shelton　felt　ashamed　of　his　fastidiousness。



〃This；〃　said　the　guide；　leading　him　up…stairs　and　opening　a　door；　〃is

a　specimen　of　the　apartments　reserved　for　these　princes　of　the

blood。〃　　There　were　four　empty　beds　on　iron　legs；　and；　with　the　air

of　a　showman；　the　Frenchman　twitched　away　a　dingy　quilt。　　〃They　go

out　in　the　mornings；　earn　enough　to　make　them　drunk；　sleep　it　off；

and　then　begin　again。　　That's　their　life。　　There　are　people　who　think

they　ought　to　be　reformed。　　'Mon　cher　monsieur'；　one　must　face

reality　a　little；　even　in　this　country。　　It　would　be　a　hundred　times

better　for　these　people　to　spend　their　time　reforming　high　Society。

Your　high　Society　makes　all　these　creatures；　there's　no　harvest

without　cutting　stalks。　　'Selon　moi'；〃　he　continued；　putting　back　the

quilt；　and　dribbling　cigarette　smoke　through　his　nose；　〃there's　no

grand　difference　between　your　high　Society　and　these　individuals

here；　both　want　pleasure；　both　think　only　of　themselves；　which　is

very　natural。　　One　lot　have　had　the　luck；　the　otherwell；　you　see。〃

He　shrugged。　　〃A　common　set！　　I've　been　robbed　here　half　a　dozen

times。　　If　you　have　new　shoes；　a　good　waistcoat；　an　overcoat；　you

want　eyes　in　the　back　of　your　head。　　And　they　are　populated！　　Change

your　bed；　and　you'll　run　all　the　dangers　of　not　sleeping　alone。

'V'la　ma　clientele'！　　The　half　of　them　don't　pay　me！〃　　He；　snapped

his　yellow　sticks　of　fingers。　　〃A　penny　for　a　shave；　twopence　a　cut！

'Quelle　vie'！　　Here；〃　he　continued；　standing　by　a　bed；　〃is　a

gentleman　who　owes　me　fivepence。　　Here's　one　who　was　a　soldier；　he's

done　for！　　All　brutalised；　not　one　with　any　courage　left！　　But；

believe　me；　monsieur；〃　he　went　on；　opening　another　door；　〃when　you

come　down　to　houses　of　this　sort　you　must　have　a　vice；　it's　as

necessary　as　breath　is　to　the　lungs。　　No　matter　what；　you　must　have　a

vice　to　give　you　a　little　solace'un　peu　de　soulagement'。　　Ah；　yes！

before　you　judge　these　swine；　reflect　on　life！　　I've　been　through　it。

Monsieur；　it　is　not　nice　never　to　know　where　to　get　your　next　meal。

Gentlemen　who　have　food　in　their　stomachs；　money　in　their　pockets；

and　know　where　to　get　more；　they　never　think。　　Why　should　they'pas

de　danger'！　　All　these　cages　are　the　same。　　Come　down；　and　you　shall

see　the　pantry。〃　　He　took　Shelton　through　the　kitchen；　which　seemed

the　only　sitting…room　of　the　establishment；　to　an　inner　room

furnished　with　dirty　cups　and　saucers；　plates；　and　knives。　　Another

fire　was　burning　there。　　〃We　always　have　hot　water；〃　said　the

Frenchman；　〃and　three　times　a　week　they　make　a　fire　down　there〃he

pointed　to　a　cellar〃for　our　clients　to　boil　their　vermin。　　Oh；　yes；

we　have　all　the　luxuries。〃



Shelton　returned　to　the　kitchen；　and　directly　after　took　leave　of　the

little　Frenchman；　who　said；　with　a　kind　of　moral　button…holing；　as　if

trying　to　adopt　him　as　a　patron：



〃Trust　me；　monsieur；　if　he　comes　backthat　young　manhe　shall　have

your　letter　without　fail。　　My　name　is　Carolan　Jules　Carolan；　and　I

am　always　at　your　service。〃









CHAPTER　IV



THE　PLAY



Shelton　walked　away；　he　had　been　indulging　in　a　nightmare。　　〃That　old

actor　was　drunk；〃　thought　he；　〃and　no　doubt　he　was　an　Irishman；

still；　there　may　be　truth　in　what　he　said。　　I　am　a　Pharisee；　like　all

the　rest　who　are　n't　in　the　pit。　　My　respectability　is　only　luck。

What　should　I　have　become　if　I'd　been　born　into　his　kind　of　life？〃

and　he　stared　at　a　stream　of　people　coming　from　the　Stares；　trying　to

pierce　the　mask　of　their　serious；　complacent　faces。　　If　these　ladies

and　gentlemen　were　put　into　that　pit　into　which　he　had　been　looking；

would　a　single　one　of　them　emerge　again？　　But　the　effort　of　picturing

them　there　was　too　much　for　him；　it　was　too　fartoo　ridiculously

far。



One　particular　couple；　a　large；　fine　man　and　wife；　who；　in　the　midst

of　all　the　dirt　and　rumbling　hurry；　the　gloomy；　ludicrous；　and

desperately　jovial　streets；　walked　side　by　side　in　well…bred　silence；

had　evidently　bought　some　article　which　pleased　them。　　There　was

nothing　offensive　in　their　manner；　they　seemed　quite　unconcerned　at

the　passing　of　the　other　people。　　The　man　had　that　fine　solidity　of

shoulder　and　of　waist；　the　glossy　self…possession　that　belongs　to

those　with　horses；　guns；　and　dressing…bags。　　The　wife；　her　chin

comfortably　settled　in　her　fur；　kept　her　grey　eyes　on　the　ground；

and；　when　she　spoke；　her　even　and　unruffled　voice　reached　Shelton's

ears　above　all　the　whirring　of　the　traffic。　　It　was　leisurely

precise；　as　if　it　had　never　hurried；　had　never　been　exhausted；　or

passionate；　or　afraid。　　Their　talk；　like　that　of　many　dozens　of　fine

couples　invading　London　from　their　country　places；　was　of　where　to

dine；　what　theatre　they　should　go　to；　whom　they　had　seen；　what　they

should　buy。　　And　Shelton　knew　that　from　day's　end　to　end；　and　even　in

their　bed；　these　would　be　the　subjects　of　their　conversation。　　They

were　the　best…bred　people　of　the　sort　he　met　in　country　houses　and

accepted　as　of　course；　with　a　vague　discomfort　at　the　bottom　of　his

soul。　　Antonia's　home；　for　instance；　had　been　full　of　them。　　They

were　the　best…bred　people　of　the　sort　who　supported　charities；　knew

everybody；　had　clear；　calm　judgment；　and　intolerance　of　all　such

conduct　as　seemed　to　them　〃impossible；〃　all　breaches　of　morality；

such　as　mistakes　of　etiquette；　such　as　dishonesty；　passion；　sympathy

（except　with　a　canonised　class　of　objectsthe　legitimate　sufferings；

for　instance；　of　their　own　families　and　class）。　　How　healthy　they

were！　　The　memory　of　the　doss…house　worked　in　Shelton's　mind　like

poison。　　He　was　conscious　that　in　his　own　groomed　figure；　in　the

undemonstrative　assurance　of　his　walk；　he　bore　resemblance　to　the

couple　he　apostrophised。　　〃Ah！〃　he　thought；　〃how　vulgar　our

refinement　is！〃　　But　he　hardly　believed　in　his　own　outburst。　　These

people　were　so　well　mannered；　so　well　conducted；　and　so　healthy；　he

could　not　really　understand　what　irritated　him。　　What　was　the　matter

with　them？　　They　fulfilled　their　duties；　had　good　appetites；　clear

consciences；　all　the　furniture　of　perfect　citizens；　they　merely

lacked…feelers；　a　loss　that；　he　had　read；　was　suffered　by　plants　and

animals　which　no　longer　had　a　need　for　using　them。　　Some　rare

national　faculty　of　seeing　only　the　obvious　and　materially　useful　had

destroyed　their　power　of　catching　gleams　or　scents　to　right　or　left。



The　lady　looked　up　at　her　husband。　　The　light　of　quiet；　proprietary

affection　shone　in　her　calm　grey　eyes；　decorously　illumining　her

features　slightly　reddened　by　the　wind。　　And　the　husband　looked　back

at　her；　calm；　practical；　protecting。　　They　were　very　much　alike。　　So

doubtless　he　looked　when　he　presented　himself　in　snowy　shirt…sleeves

for　her　to　straighten　the　bow　of　his　white　tie；　so　nightly　she　would

look；　standing　before　the　full…length　mirror；　fixing　his　gifts　upon

her　bosom。　　Calm；　proprietary；　kind！　　He　passed　them　and　walked

behind　a　second　less　distinguished　couple；　who　manifested　a　mutual

dislike　as　matter…of…fact　and　free　from　nonsense　as　the　unruffled

satisfaction　of　the　first；　this　dislike　was　just　as　healthy；　and

produced　in　Shelton　about　the　same　sensation。　　It　was　like　knocking

at　a　never…opened　door；　looking　at　a　circlecouple　after　couple　all

the　same。　　No　heads；　toes；　angles　of　their　souls　stuck　out　anywhere。

In　the　sea　of　their　environments　they　were　drowned；　no　leg　braved　the

air；　no　arm　emerged　wet　and　naked　waving　at　the　skies；　shop…persons；

aristocrats；　workmen；　officials；　they　were　all　respectable。　　And　he

himself　as　respectable　as　any。



He　returned；　thus　moody；　to　his　roo