the island pharisees-第9节

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〃I　don't　know　about　that；〃　said　Halidome；　more　and　more　superior　as

Shelton　grew　more　warm；　〃when　you　stand　on　your　rights；　you　do　it　for

the　sake　of　Society　as　well　as　for　your　own。　　If　you　want　to　do　away

with　marriage；　why　don't　you　say　so？〃



〃But　I　don't；〃　said　Shelton：〃　is　it　likely？　　Why；　I'm　going…〃　　He

stopped　without　adding　the　words　〃to　be　married　myself；〃　for　it

suddenly　occurred　to　him　that　the　reason　was　not　the　most　lofty　and

philosophic　in　the　world。　　〃All　I　can　say　is；〃　he　went　on　soberly；

〃that　you　can't　make　a　horse　drink　by　driving　him。　　Generosity　is　the

surest　way　of　tightening　the　knot　with　people　who've　any　sense　of

decency；　as　to　the　rest；　the　chief　thing　is　to　prevent　their

breeding。〃



Halidome　smiled。



〃You're　a　rum　chap；〃　he　said。



Shelton　jerked　his　cigarette　into　the　fire。



〃I　tell　you　what〃for　late　at　night　a　certain　power　of　vision　came

to　him〃it's　humbug　to　talk　of　doing　things　for　the　sake　of　Society；

it's　nothing　but　the　instinct　to　keep　our　own　heads　above　the　water。〃



But　Halidome　remained　unruffled。



〃All　right；〃　he　said；　〃call　it　that。　　I　don't　see　why　I　should　go　to

the　wall；　it　wouldn't　do　any　good。〃



〃You　admit；　then；〃　said　Shelton；　〃that　our　morality　is　the　sum　total

of　everybody's　private　instinct　of　self…preservation？〃



Halidome　stretched　his　splendid　frame　and　yawned。



〃I　don't　know；〃　he　began；　〃that　I　should　quite　call　it　that〃



But　the　compelling　complacency　of　his　fine　eyes；　the　dignified

posture　of　his　healthy　body；　the　lofty　slope　of　his　narrow　forehead；

the　perfectly　humane　look　of　his　cultivated　brutality；　struck　Shelton

as　ridiculous。



〃Hang　it；　Hall〃　he　cried；　jumping　from　his　chair；　〃what　an　old　fraud

you　are！　　I'll　be　off。〃



〃No；　look　here！〃　　said　Halidome；　the　faintest　shade　of　doubt　had

appeared　upon　his　face；　he　took　Shelton　by　a　lapel：　〃You're　quite

wrong…〃



〃Very　likely；　good…night；　old　chap！〃



Shelton　walked　home；　letting　the　spring　wind　into　him。　　It　was

Saturday；　and　he　passed　many　silent　couples。　　In　every　little　patch

of　shadow　he　could　see　two　forms　standing　or　sitting　close　together；

and　in　their　presence　Words　the　Impostors　seemed　to　hold　their

tongues。　　The　wind　rustled　the　buds；　the　stars；　one　moment　bright　as

diamonds；　vanished　the　next。　　In　the　lower　streets　a　large　part　of

the　world　was　under　the　influence　of　drink；　but　by　this　Shelton　was

far　from　being　troubled。　　It　seemed　better　than　Drama；　than　dressing…

bagged　men；　unruffled　women；　and　padded　points　of　view；　better　than

the　immaculate　solidity　of　his　friend's　possessions。



〃So；〃　he　reflected；　〃it's　right　for　every　reason；　social；　religious；

and　convenient；　to　inflict　one's　society　where　it's　not　desired。

There　are　obviously　advantages　about　the　married　state；　charming　to

feel　respectable　while　you're　acting　in　a　way　that　in　any　other　walk

of　life　would　bring　on　you　contempt。　　If　old　Halidome　showed　that　he

was　tired　of　me；　and　I　continued　to　visit　him；　he'd　think　me　a　bit　of

a　cad；　but　if　his　wife　were　to　tell　him　she　couldn't　stand　him；　he'd

still　consider　himself　a　perfect　gentleman　if　he　persisted　in　giving

her　the　burden　of　his　society；　and　he　has　the　cheek　to　bring　religion

into　ita　religion　that　says；　'Do　unto　others！'〃



But　in　this　he　was　unjust　to　Halidome；　forgetting　how　impossible　it

was　for　him　to　believe　that　a　woman　could　not　stand　him。　　He　reached

his　rooms；　and；　the　more　freely　to　enjoy　the　clear　lamplight；　the

soft；　gusty　breeze；　and　waning　turmoil　of　the　streets；　waited　a

moment　before　entering。



〃I　wonder；〃　thought　he；　〃if　I　shall　turn　out　a　cad　when　I　marry；　like

that　chap　in　the　play。　　It's　natural。　　We　all　want　our　money's　worth；

our　pound　of　…flesh！　　Pity　we　use　such　fine　words'Society；

Religion；　Morality。'　　Humbug！〃



He　went　in；　and；　throwing　his　window　open；　remained　there　a　long

time；　his　figure　outlined　against　the　lighted　room　for　the　benefit　of

the　dark　square　below；　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　his　head　down；　a

reflective　frown　about　his　eyes。　　A　half…intoxicated　old　ruffian；　a

policeman；　and　a　man　in　a　straw　hat　had　stopped　below；　and　were

holding　a　palaver。



〃Yus；〃　the　old　ruffian　said；　〃I'm　a　rackety　old　blank；　but　what　I　say

is；　if　we　wus　all　alike；　this　would　n't　be　a　world！〃



They　went　their　way；　and　before　the　listener's　eyes　there　rose

Antonia's　face；　with　its　unruffled　brow；　Halidome's；　all　health　and

dignity；　the　forehead　of　the　goggle…eyed　man；　with　its　line　of　hair

parted　in　the　centre；　and　brushed　across。　　A　light　seemed　to　illumine

the　plane　of　their　existence；　as　the　electric　lamp　with　the　green

shade　had　illumined　the　pages　of　the　Matthew　Arnold；　serene　before

Shelton's　vision　lay　that　Elysium；　untouched　by　passion　or　extremes

of　any　kind；　autocratic；　complacent；　possessive；　and　well…kept　as　any

Midland　landscape。　　Healthy；　wealthy；　wise！　　No　room　but　for

perfection；　self…preservation；　the　survival　of　the　fittest！　　〃The

part　of　the　good　citizen；〃　he　thought：　〃no；　if　we　were　all　alike；

this　would　n't　be　a　world！〃









CHAPTER　VI



MARRIAGE　SETTLEMENT



My　dear　Richard〃　（wrote　Shelton's　uncle　the　next　day）；　〃I　shall　be

glad　to　see　you　at　three　o'clock　to…morrow　afternoon　upon　the

question　of　your　marriage　settlement。。。。〃　　　At　that　hour　accordingly

Shelton　made　his　way　to　Lincoln's　Inn　Fields；　where　in　fat　black

letters　the　names　〃Paramor　and　Herring　（Commissioners　for　Oaths）〃

were　written　on　the　wall　of　a　stone　entrance。　　He　ascended　the　solid

steps　with　nervousness；　and　by　a　small　red…haired　boy　was　introduced

to　a　back　room　on　the　first　floor。　　Here；　seated　at　a　table　in　the

very　centre；　as　if　he　thereby　better　controlled　his　universe；　a　pug…

featured　gentleman；　without　a　beard；　was　writing。　　He　paused。

〃Ow；　Mr。　Richard！〃　he　said；　〃glad　to　see　you；　sir。　　Take　a　chair。

Your　uncle　will　be　disengaged　in　'arf　a　minute〃；　and　in　the　tone　of

his　allusion　to　his　employer　was　the　satirical　approval　that　comes

with　long　and　faithful　service。　　〃He　will　do　everything　himself；〃　he

went　on；　screwing　up　his　sly；　greenish；　honest　eyes；　〃and　he　's　not　a

young　man。〃



Shelton　never　saw　his　uncle's　clerk　without　marvelling　at　the

prosperity　deepening　upon　his　face。　　In　place　of　the　look　of

harassment　which　on　most　faces　begins　to　grow　after　the　age　of　fifty；

his　old　friend's　countenance；　as　though　in　sympathy　with　the　nation；

had　expandeda　little　greasily；　a　little　genially；　a　little

coarselyevery　time　he　met　it。　　A　contemptuous　tolerance　for　people

who　were　not　getting　on　was　spreading　beneath　its　surface；　it　left

each　time　a　deeper　feeling　that　its　owner　could　never　be　in　the

wrong。



〃I　hope　you're　well；　sir；〃　he　resumed：　〃most　important　for　you　to

have　your　health　now　you're　going…to〃and；　feeling　for　the　delicate

way　to　put　it；　he　involuntarily　winked〃to　become　a　family　man。　　We

saw　it　in　the　paper。　　My　wife　said　to　me　the　other　morning　at

breakfast：　'Bob；　here's　a　Mr。　Richard　Paramor　Shelton　goin'　to　be

married。　　Is　that　any　relative　of　your　Mr。　Shelton？'　'　My　dear；'　I

said　to　her；　'　it's　the　very　man！'〃



It　disquieted　Shelton　to　perceive　that　his　old　friend　did　not　pass

the　whole　of　his　life　at　that　table　writing　in　the　centre　of　the

room；　but　that　somewhere　（vistas　of　little　grey　houses　rose　before

his　eyes）　he　actually　lived　another　life　where　someone　called　him

〃Bob。〃　　Bob！　　And　this；　too；　was　a　revelation。　　Bob！　　Why；　of　course；

it　was　the　only　name　for　him！　　A　bell　rang。



〃That's　your　uncle〃；　and　again　the　head　clerk's　voice　sounded

ironical。　　〃Good…bye；　sir。〃



He　seemed　to　clip　off　intercourse　as　one　clips　off　electric　light。

Shelton　left　him　writing；　and　preceded　the　red…haired　boy　to　an

enormous　room　in　the　front　where　his　uncle　waited。



Edmund　Paramor　was　a　medium…sized　and　upright　man　of　seventy；　whose

brown　face　was　perfectly　clean…shaven。　　His　grey；　silky　hair　was

brushed　in　a　cock's　comb　from　his　fine　forehead；　bald　on　the　left

side。　　He　stood　before　the　hearth　facing　the　room；　and　his　figure　had

the　springy　abruptness　of　men　who　cannot　fatten。　　There　was　a　certain

youthfulness；　too；　in　his　eyes；　yet　they　had　a　look　as　though　he　had

been　through　fire；　and　his　mouth　curled　at　the　corners　in　surprising

smiles。　　The　room　was　like　the　manmorally　large；　void　of　red…tape

and　almost　void　of　furniture；　no　tin　boxes　were　ranged　against　the

walls；　no　papers　littered　up　the　table；　a　single　bookcase　contained　a

complete　edition　of　the　law　reports；　and　resting　on　the　Law　Directory

was　a　single　red　rose　in　a　glass　of　water。　　It　looked　the　room　of　one

with　a　sober　magnanimity；　who　went　to　the　heart　of　things；　despised

haggling；　and　before　whose　smiles　the　more　immediate　kinds　of　humbug

faded。



〃Well；　Dick；〃　said　he；　〃how's　your　mother？〃



Shelton　replied　that　his　mother　was　all　right。



〃Tell　her　that　I'm　going　to　sell　her　Easterns　after　all；　and　put