the island pharisees-第26章

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died　away；　it　was　calm；　wrinkled；　dead…looking　under　the　flattened；

narrow　brim　of　his　black　hat；　his　grey　moustache　drooped　thinly；　the

crow's…feet　hardened　round　his　eyes；　his　nostrils　were　distended　by

the　queerest　smile。



〃Gratitude！〃　　he　said；　〃almost　a　vice；　is　n't　it？　　Good…night！〃



Shelton's　face　quivered；　he　raised　his　hat；　and；　turning　as　abruptly

as　his　senior；　proceeded　on　his　way。　　He　had　been　playing　in　a　comedy

that　could　only　have　been　played　in　England。　　He　could　afford　to

smile　now　at　his　past　discomfort；　having　no　longer　the　sense　of　duty

unfulfilled。　　Everything　had　been　said　that　was　right　and　proper　to

be　said；　in　the　way　that　we　such　things　should　say。　　No　violence　had

been　done；　he　could　afford　to　smilesmile　at　himself；　at　Mr。

Dennant；　at　to…morrow；　smile　at　the　sweet　aroma　of　the　earth；　the

shy；　unwilling　sweetness　that　only　rain　brings　forth。









CHAPTER　XXII



THE　COUNTRY　HOUSE



The　luncheon　hour　at　Holm　Oaks；　was；　as　in　many　well…bred　country

housesout　of　the　shooting　season；　be　it　understoodthe　soulful

hour。　　The　ferment　of　the　daily　doings　was　then　at　its　full　height；

and　the　clamour　of　its　conversation　on　the　weather；　and　the　dogs；　the

horses；　neighbours；　cricket；　golf；　was　mingled　with　a　literary

murmur；　for　the　Dennants　were　superior；　and　it　was　quite　usual　to

hear　remarks　like　these　〃Have　you　read　that　charmin'　thing　of

Poser's？〃　or；　〃Yes；　I've　got　the　new　edition　of　old　Bablington：

delightfully　boundso　light。〃　　And　it　was　in　July　that　Holm　Oaks；　as

a　gathering…place　of　the　elect；　was　at　its　best。　　For　in　July　it　had

become　customary　to　welcome　there　many　of　those　poor　souls　from

London　who　arrived　exhausted　by　the　season；　and　than　whom　no

seamstress　in　a　two…pair　back　could　better　have　earned　a　holiday。

The　Dennants　themselves　never　went　to　London　for　the　season。　　It　was

their　good　pleasure　not　to。　　A　week　or　fortnight　of　it　satisfied

them。　　They　had　a　radical　weakness　for　fresh　air；　and　Antonia；　even

after　her　presentation　two　seasons　back；　had　insisted　on　returning

home；　stigmatising　London　balls　as　〃stuffy　things。〃



When　Shelton　arrived　the　stream　had　only　just　begun；　but　every　day

brought　fresh；　or　rather　jaded；　people　to　occupy　the　old；　dark；

sweet…smelling　bedrooms。　　Individually；　he　liked　his　fellow…guests；

but　he　found　himself　observing　them。　　He　knew　that；　if　a　man　judged

people　singly；　almost　all　were　better　than　himself；　only　when　judged

in　bulk　were　they　worthy　of　the　sweeping　criticisms　he　felt　inclined

to　pass　on　them。　　He　knew　this　just　as　he　knew　that　the　conventions；

having　been　invented　to　prevent　man　following　his　natural　desires；

were　merely　the　disapproving　sums　of　innumerable　individual

approvals。



It　was　in　the　bulk；　then；　that　he　found　himself　observing。　　But　with

his　amiability　and　dread　of　notoriety　he　remained　to　all　appearance　a

well…bred；　docile　creature；　and　he　kept　his　judgments　to　himself。



In　the　matter　of　intellect　he　made　a　rough　division　of　the　guests

those　who　accepted　things　without　a　murmur；　those　who　accepted　them

with　carping　jocularity；　in　the　matter　of　morals　he　found　they　all

accepted　things　without　the　semblance　of　a　kick。　　To　show　sign　of

private　moral　judgment　was　to　have　lost　your　soul；　and；　worse；　to　be

a　bit　of　an　outsider。　　He　gathered　this　by　intuition　rather　than　from

conversation；　for　conversation　naturally　tabooed　such　questions；　and

was　carried　on　in　the　loud　and　cheerful　tones　peculiar　to　people　of

good　breeding。　　Shelton　had　never　been　able　to　acquire　this　tone；　and

he　could　not　help　feeling　that　the　inability　made　him　more　or　less　an

object　of　suspicion。　　The　atmosphere　struck　him　as　it　never　had

before；　causing　him　to　feel　a　doubt　of　his　gentility。　　Could　a　man

suffer　from　passion；　heart…searchings；　or　misgivings；　and　remain　a

gentleman？　　It　seemed　improbable。　　One　of　his　fellow…guests；　a　man

called　Edgbaston；　small…eyed　and　semi…bald；　with　a　dark　moustache　and

a　distinguished　air　of　meanness；　disconcerted　him　one　day　by

remarking　of　an　unknown　person；　〃A　half…bred　lookin'　chap；　did　n't

seem　to　know　his　mind。〃　　Shelton　was　harassed　by　a　horrid　doubt。



Everything　seemed　divided　into　classes；　carefully　docketed　and

valued。　　For　instance；　a　Briton　was　of　more　value　than　a　man；　and

wives　than　women。　　Those　things　or　phases　of　life　with　which　people

had　no　personal　acquaintance　were　regarded　with　a　faint　amusement　and

a　certain　disapproval。　　The　principles　of　the　upper　class；　in　fact；

were　strictly　followed。



He　was　in　that　hypersenstive　and　nervous　state　favourable　for

recording　currents　foreign　to　itself。　　Things　he　had　never　before

noticed　now　had　profound　effect　on　him；　such　as　the　tone　in　which　men

spoke　of　womennot　precisely　with　hostility；　nor　exactly　with

contempt　best；　perhaps；　described　as　cultured　jeering；　never；　of

course；　when　men　spoke　of　their　own　wives；　mothers；　sisters；　or

immediate　friends；　but　merely　when　they　spoke　of　any　other　women。　　He

reflected　upon　this；　and　came　to　the　conclusion　that；　among　the　upper

classes；　each　man's　own　property　was　holy；　while　other　women　were

created　to　supply　him　with　gossip；　jests；　and　spice。　　Another　thing

that　struck　him　was　the　way　in　which　the　war　then　going　on　was　made

into　an　affair　of　class。　　In　their　view　it　was　a　baddish　business；

because　poor　hack　Blank　and　Peter　Blank…Blank　had　lost　their　lives；

and　poor　Teddy　Blank　had　now　one　arm　instead　of　two。　　Humanity　in

general　was　omitted；　but　not　the　upper　classes；　nor；　incidentally；

the　country　which　belonged　to　them。　　For　there　they　were；　all　seated

in　a　row；　with　eyes　fixed　on　the　horizon　of　their　lawns。



Late　one　evening；　billiards　and　music　being　over　and　the　ladies　gone；

Shelton　returned　from　changing　to　his　smoking…suit；　and　dropped　into

one　of　the　great　arm…chairs　that　even　in　summer　made　a　semicircle

round　the　fendered　hearth。　　Fresh　from　his　good…night　parting　with

Antonia；　he　sat　perhaps　ten　minutes　before　he　began　to　take　in　all

the　figures　in　their　parti…coloured　smoking　jackets；　cross…legged；

with　glasses　in　their　hands；　and　cigars　between　their　teeth。



The　man　in　the　next　chair　roused　him　by　putting　down　his　tumbler　with

a　tap；　and　seating　himself　upon　the　cushioned　fender。　　Through　the

mist　of　smoke；　with　shoulders　hunched；　elbows　and　knees　crooked　out；

cigar　protruding；　beak…ways；　below　his　nose；　and　the　crimson　collar

of　his　smoking　jacket　buttoned　close　as　plumage　on　his　breast；　he

looked　a　little　like　a　gorgeous　bird。



〃They　do　you　awfully　well；〃　he　said。



A　voice　from　the　chair　on　Shelton's　right　replied；



〃They　do　you　better　at　Verado's。〃



〃The　Veau　d'Or　's　the　best　place；　they　give　you　Turkish　baths　for

nothing！〃　　drawled　a　fat　man　with　a　tiny　mouth。



The　suavity　of　this　pronouncement　enfolded　all　as　with　a　blessing。

And　at　once；　as　if　by　magic；　in　the　old；　oak…panelled　room；　the　world

fell　naturally　into　its　three　departments：　that　where　they　do　you

well；　that　where　they　do　you　better；　and　that　where　they　give　you

Turkish　baths　for　nothing。



〃If　you　want　Turkish　baths；〃　said　a　tall　youth　with　clean　red　face；

who　had　come　into　the　room；　and　stood；　his　mouth　a　little　open；　and

long　feet　jutting　with　sweet　helplessness　in　front　of　him；　〃you

should　go；　you　know；　to　Buda　Pesth；　most　awfully　rippin'　there。〃



Shelton　saw　an　indescribable　appreciation　rise　on　every　face；　as

though　they　had　been　offered　truffles　or　something　equally　delicious。



〃Oh　no；　Poodles；〃　said　the　man　perched　on　the　fender。　　〃A　Johnny　I

know　tells　me　they　're　nothing　to　Sofia。〃　　His　face　was　transfigured

by　the　subtle　gloating　of　a　man　enjoying　vice　by　proxy。



〃Ah！〃　drawled　the　small…mouthed　man；　〃there　's　nothing　fit　to　hold　a

candle　to　Baghda…ad。〃



Once　again　his　utterance　enfolded　all　as　with　a　blessing；　and　once

again　the　world　fell　into　its　three　departments：　that　where　they　do

you　well；　that　where　they　do　you　better；　andBaghdad。



Shelton　thought　to　himself：　〃Why　don't　I　know　a　place　that's　better

than　Baghdad？〃



He　felt　so　insignificant。　　It　seemed　that　he　knew　none　of　these

delightful　spots；　that　he　was　of　no　use　to　any　of　his　fellow…men；

though　privately　he　was　convinced　that　all　these　speakers　were　as。

ignorant　as　himself；　and　merely　found　it　warming　to　recall　such

things　as　they　had　heard；　with　that　peculiar　gloating　look。　　Alas！

his　anecdotes　would　never　earn　for　him　that　prize　of　persons　in

society；　the　label　of　a　〃good　chap〃　and　〃sportsman。〃



〃Have　you　ever　been　in　Baghdad？〃　he　feebly　asked。



The　fat　man　did　not　answer；　he　had　begun　an　anecdote；　and　in　his

broad　expanse　of　face　his　tiny　mouth　writhed　like　a　caterpillar。　　The

anecdote　was　humorous。



With　the　exception　of　Antonia；　Shelton　saw　but　little　of　the　ladies；

for；　following　the　well…known　custom　of　the　country　house；　men　and

women　avoided　each　other　as　much　as　might　be。　　They　met　at　meals；　and

occasionally　joined　in　tennis　and　in　croquet；　otherwise　it　seemed

almost　Orientallyagreed　that　they　were　better　kept　apart。



Chancing　one　day　to　enter　the　withdrawing　room；　while　searching　for

Antonia；　he　found　that　he　had　lighted　on　a　feminine　discussion；　he

would　have　beaten　a　retreat；　of　course；　but　it　seemed　too　obvious

that　he　was　merely　looking　for　his　fiancee；　so；　sitting　down；　he

listened。



The　Honourable　Charlotte　Penguin；　still　knitting　a　silk　tiethe

sixth　since　that　she　had　been　knitting　at　Hyeressat　on　the　low

window…seat　close　to　a　hydrangea；　the　petals　of　whose　round　flowers

almost　kissed　her　sanguine　cheek。　Her　eyes　were　fixed　with　languid

aspiration　on　the　lady　who　was　speaking。　　This　was　a　square　woman　of

medium　height；　with　grey　hair　brushed　from　her　low　forehead；　the

expression　of　whose　face　was　brisk　and　rather　cross。　　She　was

standing　with　a　book；　as　if　delivering　a　sermon。　　Had　she　been　a　man

she　might　have　been　described　as　a　bright　young　man　of　business；　for；

though　grey；　she　never　could　be　old；　nor　ever　lose　the　power　of

forming　quick　decisions。　　Her　features　and　her　eyes　were　prompt　and

slightly　hard；　tinged　with　faith　fanatical　in　the　justice　of　her

judgments；　and　she　had　that　fussy　simpleness　of　dress　which　indicates

the　right　to　meddle。　　Not　red；　not　white；　neither　yellow　nor　quite

blue；　her　complexion　was　suffused　with　a　certain　mixture　of　these

colours；　adapted　to　the　climate；　and　her　smile　had　a　strange　sour

sweetness；　like　nothing　but　the　flavour　of　an　apple　on　the　turn。



〃I　don't　care　what　they　tell　you；〃　she　was　sayingnot　offensively；

though　her　voice　seemed　to　imply　that　she　had　no　time　to　waste　in

pleasing〃　in　all　my　dealings　with　them　I've　found　it　best　to　treat

them　quite　like　children。〃



A　lady；　behind　the　Times；　smiled；　her　mouthindeed；　her　whole　hard；

handsome　facewas　reminiscent　of　dappled　rocking…horses　found　in　the

Soho　Bazaar。　　She　crossed　her　feet；　and　some