the island pharisees-第28部分

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He　retraced　his　steps；　however；　and　halted　half　a　dozen　paces　from

their　figures。



〃Ask　the　gentleman！　　He　spoke　to　me；〃she　was　saying　in　her　brassy

voice；　through　the　emphasis　of　which　Shelton　could　detect　her　fear。



〃That's　all　right；〃　returned　the　policeman；　〃we　know　all　about　that。〃



〃Youpolice！〃　　cried　the　woman　tearfully；　〃I　've　got　to　get　my

living；　have　n't　I；　the　same　as　you？〃



Shelton　hesitated；　then；　catching　the　expression　in　her　frightened

face；　stepped　forward。　　The　policeman　turned；　and　at　the　sight　of　his

pale；　heavy　jowl；　cut　by　the　cheek…strap；　and　the　bullying　eyes；　he

felt　both　hate　and　fear；　as　if　brought　face　to　face　with　all　that　he

despised　and　loathed；　yet　strangely　dreaded。　　The　cold　certainty　of

law　and　order　upholding　the　strong；　treading　underfoot　the　weak；　the

smug　front　of　meanness　that　only　the　purest　spirits　may　attack；

seemed　to　be　facing　him。　　And　the　odd　thing　was；　this　man　was　only

carrying　out　his　duty。　　Shelton　moistened　his　lips。



〃You're　not　going　to　charge　her？〃



〃Aren't　I？〃　returned　the　policeman。



〃Look　here；　constable；　you　're　making　a　mistake。〃



The　policeman　took　out　his　note…book。



〃Oh；　I　'm　making　a　mistake？　　I　'll　take　your　name　and　address；

please；　we　have　to　report　these　things。〃



〃By　all　means；〃　said　Shelton；　angrily　giving　it。　　〃I　spoke　to　her

first。〃



〃Perhaps　you'll　come　up　to　the　court　tomorrow　morning；　and　repeat

that；〃　replied　the　policeman；　with　incivility。



Shelton　looked　at　him　with　all　the　force　at　his　command。



〃You　had　better　be　careful；　constable；〃　he　said；　but　in　the　act　of

uttering　these　words　he　thought　how　pitiable　they　sounded。



〃We　're　not　to　be　trifled　with；〃　returned　the　policeman　in　a

threatening　voice。



Shelton　could　think　of　nothing　but　to　repeat：



〃You　had　better　be　careful；　constable。〃



〃You're　a　gentleman；〃　replied　the　policeman。　　〃I'm　only　a　policeman。

You've　got　the　riches；　I've　got　the　power。〃



Grasping　the　woman's　arm；　he　began　to　move　along　with　her。



Shelton　turned；　and　walked　away。



He　went　to　Grinnings'　Club；　and　flung　himself　down　upon　a　sofa。　　His

feeling　was　not　one　of　pity　for　the　woman；　nor　of　peculiar　anger　with

the　policeman；　but　rather　of　dissatisfaction　with　himself。



〃What　ought　I　to　have　done？〃　he　thought；　〃the　beggar　was　within　his

rights。〃



He　stared　at　the　pictures　on　the　wall；　and　a　tide　of　disgust　surged

up　in　him。



〃One　or　other　of　us；〃　he　reflected；　〃we　make　these　women　what　they

are。　　And　when　we've　made　them；　we　can't　do　without　them；　we　don't

want　to；　but　we　give　them　no　proper　homes；　so　that　they're　reduced　to

prowl　about　the　streets；　and　then　we　run　them　in。　　Ha！　that's　good

that's　excellent！　　We　run　them　in！　　And　here　we　sit　and　carp。　　But

what　do　we　do？　　Nothing！　　Our　system　is　the　most　highly　moral　known。

We　get　the　benefit　without　soiling　even　the　hem　of　our　phylacteries

the　women　are　the　only　ones　that　suffer。　　And　why　should　n't　they

inferior　things？〃



He　lit　a　cigarette；　and　ordered　the　waiter　to　bring　a　drink。



〃I'll　go　to　the　Court；〃　he　thought；　but　suddenly　it　occurred　to　him

that　the　case　would　get　into　the　local　papers。　　　The　press　would

never　miss　so　nice　a　little　bit　of　scandal〃Gentleman　v。　Policeman！〃

And　he　had　a　vision　of　Antonia's　father；　a　neighbouring　and

conscientious　magistrate；　solemnly　reading　this。　　Someone；　at　all

events；　was　bound　to　see　his　name　and　make　a　point　of　mentioning　it

too　good　to　be　missed！　　And　suddenly　he　saw　with　horror　that　to　help

the　woman　he　would　have　to　assert　again　that　he　had　spoken　to　her

first。　　〃I　must　go　to　the　Court！〃　he　kept　thinking；　as　if　to　assure

himself　that　he　was　not　a　coward。



He　lay　awake　half　the　night　worrying　over　this　dilemma。



〃But　I　did　n't　speak　to　her　first；〃　he　told　himself；　〃I　shall　only　be

telling　a　lie；　and　they　'll　make　me　swear　it；　too！〃



He　tried　to　persuade　himself　that　this　was　against　his　principles；

but　at　the　bottom　of　his　heart　he　knew　that　he　would　not　object　to

telling　such　a　lie　if　only　guaranteed　immune　from　consequences；　it

appeared　to　him；　indeed；　but　obvious　humanity。



〃But　why　should　I　suffer？〃　he　thought；　〃I've　done　nothing。　　It's

neither　reasonable　nor　just。〃



He　hated　the　unhappy　woman　who　was　causing　him　these　horrors　of

uncertainty。　　Whenever　he　decided　one　way　or　other；　the　policeman's

face；　with　its　tyrannical　and　muddy　eyes；　rose　before　him　like　a

nightmare；　and　forced　him　to　an　opposite　conviction。　　He　fell　asleep

at　last　with　the　full　determination　to　go　and　see　what　happened。



He　woke　with　a　sense　of　odd　disturbance。　　〃I　can　do　no　good　by

going；〃　he　thought；　remembering；　aid　lying　very　still；　〃they　're

certain　to　believe　the　policeman；　I　shall　only　blacken　myself　for

nothing；〃　and　the　combat　began　again　within　him；　but　with　far　less

fury。　　It　was　not　what　other　people　thought；　not　even　the　risk　of

perjury　that　mattered　（all　this　he　made　quite　clear）it　was　Antonia。

It　was　not　fair　to　her　to　put　himself　in　such　a　false　position；　in

fact；　not　decent。



He　breakfasted。　　In　the　room　were　some　Americans；　and　the　face　of　one

young　girl　reminded　him　a　little　of　Antonia。　　Fainter　and　fainter

grew　the　incident；　it　seemed　to　have　its　right　proportions。



Two　hours　later；　looking　at　the　clock；　he　found　that　it　was　lunch…

time。　　He　had　not　gone；　had　not　committed　perjury；　but　he　wrote　to　a

daily　paper；　pointing　out　the　danger　run　by　the　community　from　the

power　which　a　belief　in　their　infallibility　places　in　the　hands　of

the　policehow；　since　they　are　the　sworn　abettors　of　right　and

justice；　their　word　is　almost　necessarily　taken　to　be　gospel；　how　one

and　all　they　hang　together；　from　mingled　interest　and　esprit　de

corps。　　Was　it　not；　he　said；　reasonable　to　suppose　that　amongst

thousands　of　human　beings　invested　with　such　opportunities　there

would　be　found　bullies　who　would　take　advantage　of　them；　and　rise　to

distinction　in　the　service　upon　the　helplessness　of　the　unfortunate

and　the　cowardice　of　people　with　anything　to　lose？　　Those　who　had　in

their　hands　the　sacred　duties　of　selecting　a　practically

irresponsible　body　of　men　were　bound；　for　the　sake　of　freedom　and

humanity；　to　exercise　those　duties　with　the　utmost　care　and

thoroughness　。　　。　　。　　。



However　true；　none　of　this　helped　him　to　think　any　better　of　himself

at　heart；　and　he　was　haunted　by　the　feeling　that　a　stout　and　honest

bit　of　perjury　was　worth　more　than　a　letter　to　a　daily　paper。



He　never　saw　his　letter　printed；　containing；　as　it　did；　the　germs　of

an　unpalatable　truth。



In　the　afternoon　he　hired　a　horse；　and　galloped　on　Port　Meadow。　　The

strain　of　his　indecision　over；　he　felt　like　a　man　recovering　from　an

illness；　and　he　carefully　abstained　from　looking　at　the　local　papers。

There　was　that　within　him；　however；　which　resented　the　worsting　of

his　chivalry。









CHAPTER　XX



HOLM　OAKS



Holm　Oaks　stood　back　but　little　from　the　roadan　old　manor…house；

not　set　upon　display；　but　dwelling　close　to　its　barns；　stables；　and

walled　gardens；　like　a　good　mother；　long；　flat…roofed；　red；　it　had

Queen　Anne　windows；　on　whose　white…framed　diamond　panes　the　sunbeams

glinted。



In　front　of　it　a　fringe　of　elms；　of　all　trees　the　tree　of　most

established　principle；　bordered　the　stretch　of　turf　between　the

gravel　drive　and　road；　and　these　elms　were　the　homes　of　rooks　of　all

birds　the　most　conventional。　　A　huge　aspenimpressionable　creature

shivered　and　shook　beyond；　apologising　for　appearance　among　such

imperturbable　surroundings。　　It　was　frequented　by　a　cuckoo；　who　came

once　a　year　to　hoot　at　the　rules　of　life；　but　seldom　made　long　stay；

for　boys　threw　stones　at　it；　exasperated　by　the　absence　of　its

morals。



The　village　which　clustered　in　the　dip　had　not　yet　lost　its　dread　of

motor…cars。　　About　this　group　of　flat…faced　cottages　with　gabled

roofs　the　scent　of　hay；　manure；　and　roses　clung　continually；　just　now

the　odour　of　the　limes　troubled　its　servile　sturdiness。　　Beyond　the

dip；　again；　a　square…towered　church　kept　within　grey　walls　the　record

of　the　village　flock；　births；　deaths；　and　marriageseven　the　births

of　bastards；　even　the　deaths　of　suicidesand　seemed　to　stretch　a

hand　invisible　above　the　heads　of　common　folk　to　grasp　the　forgers　of

the　manor…house。　　Decent　and　discreet；　the　two　roofs　caught　the　eye

to　the　exclusion　of　all　meaner　dwellings；　seeming　to　have　joined　in　a

conspiracy　to　keep　them　out　of　sight。



The　July　sun　had　burned　his　face　all　the　way　from　Oxford；　yet　pale

was　Shelton　when　he　walked　up　the　drive　and　rang　the　bell。



〃Mrs。　Dennant　at　home；　Dobson？〃　he　asked　of　the　grave　butler；　who；

old　servant　that　he　was；　still　wore　coloured　trousers　（for　it　was　not

yet　twelve　o'clock；　and　he　regarded　coloured　trousers　up　to　noon　as　a

sacred　distinction　between　the　footmen　and　himself）。



〃Mrs。　Dennant；〃　replied　this　perso