the pupil-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



ascertain　the　state　of　his　health；　but　awaited　the　answer　in　vain。

He　accordingly；　after　three　days；　took　an　abrupt　leave　of　the

opulent　youth　and；　crossing　the　Channel；　alighted　at　the　small

hotel；　in　the　quarter　of　the　Champs　Elysees；　of　which　Mrs。　Moreen

had　given　him　the　address。　　A　deep　if　dumb　dissatisfaction　with

this　lady　and　her　companions　bore　him　company：　　they　couldn't　be

vulgarly　honest；　but　they　could　live　at　hotels；　in　velvety

entresols；　amid　a　smell　of　burnt　pastilles；　surrounded　by　the　most

expensive　city　in　Europe。　　When　he　had　left　them　in　Venice　it　was

with　an　irrepressible　suspicion　that　something　was　going　to　happen；

but　the　only　thing　that　could　have　taken　place　was　again　their

masterly　retreat。　　〃How　is　he？　where　is　he？〃　he　asked　of　Mrs。

Moreen；　but　before　she　could　speak　these　questions　were　answered　by

the　pressure　round　hid　neck　of　a　pair　of　arms；　in　shrunken　sleeves；

which　still　were　perfectly　capable　of　an　effusive　young　foreign

squeeze。



〃Dreadfully　ill　…　I　don't　see　it！〃　the　young　man　cried。　　And　then

to　Morgan：　　〃Why　on　earth　didn't　you　relieve　me？　　Why　didn't　you

answer　my　letter？〃



Mrs。　Moreen　declared　that　when　she　wrote　he　was　very　bad；　and

Pemberton　learned　at　the　same　time　from　the　boy　that　he　had

answered　every　letter　he　had　received。　　This　led　to　the　clear

inference　that　Pemberton's　note　had　been　kept　from　him　so　that　the

game　practised　should　not　be　interfered　with。　　Mrs。　Moreen　was

prepared　to　see　the　fact　exposed；　as　Pemberton　saw　the　moment　he

faced　her　that　she　was　prepared　for　a　good　many　other　things。　　She

was　prepared　above　all　to　maintain　that　she　had　acted　from　a　sense

of　duty；　that　she　was　enchanted　she　had　got　him　over；　whatever　they

might　say；　and　that　it　was　useless　of　him　to　pretend　he　didn't　know

in　all　his　bones　that　his　place　at　such　a　time　was　with　Morgan。　　He

had　taken　the　boy　away　from　them　and　now　had　no　right　to　abandon

him。　　He　had　created　for　himself　the　gravest　responsibilities　and

must　at　least　abide　by　what　he　had　done。



〃Taken　him　away　from　you？〃　Pemberton　exclaimed　indignantly。



〃Do　it　…　do　it　for　pity's　sake；　that's　just　what　I　want。　　I　can't

stand　THIS　…　and　such　scenes。　　They're　awful　frauds　…　poor　dears！〃

These　words　broke　from　Morgan；　who　had　intermitted　his　embrace；　in

a　key　which　made　Pemberton　turn　quickly　to　him　and　see　that　he　had

suddenly　seated　himself；　was　breathing　in　great　pain；　and　was　very

pale。



〃NOW　do　you　say　he's　not　in　a　state；　my　precious　pet？〃　shouted　his

mother；　dropping　on　her　knees　before　him　with　clasped　hands；　but

touching　him　no　more　than　if　he　had　been　a　gilded　idol。　　〃It　will

pass　…　it's　only　for　an　instant；　but　don't　say　such　dreadful

things！〃



〃I'm　all　right　…　all　right；〃　Morgan　panted　to　Pemberton；　whom　he

sat　looking　up　at　with　a　strange　smile；　his　hands　resting　on　either

side　of　the　sofa。



〃Now　do　you　pretend　I've　been　dishonest；　that　I've　deceived？〃　Mrs。

Moreen　flashed　at　Pemberton　as　she　got　up。



〃It　isn't　HE　says　it；　it's　I！〃　the　boy　returned；　apparently　easier；

but　sinking　back　against　the　wall；　while　his　restored　friend；　who

had　sat　down　beside　him；　took　his　hand　and　bent　over　him。



〃Darling　child；　one　does　what　one　can；　there　are　so　many　things　to

consider；〃　urged　Mrs。　Moreen。　　〃It's　his　PLACE　…　his　only　place。

You　see　YOU　think　it　is　now。〃



〃Take　me　away　…　take　me　away；〃　Morgan　went　on；　smiling　to　Pemberton

with　his　white　face。



〃Where　shall　I　take　you；　and　how　…　oh　HOW；　my　boy？〃　the　young　man

stammered；　thinking　of　the　rude　way　in　which　his　friends　in　London

held　that；　for　his　convenience；　with　no　assurance　of　prompt　return；

he　had　thrown　them　over；　of　the　just　resentment　with　which　they

would　already　have　called　in　a　successor；　and　of　the　scant　help　to

finding　fresh　employment　that　resided　for　him　in　the　grossness　of

his　having　failed　to　pass　his　pupil。



〃Oh　we'll　settle　that。　　You　used　to　talk　about　it；〃　said　Morgan。

〃If　we　can　only　go　all　the　rest's　a　detail。〃



〃Talk　about　it　as　much　as　you　like；　but　don't　think　you　can　attempt

it。　　Mr。　Moreen　would　never　consent　…　it　would　be　so　VERY　hand…to…

mouth；〃　Pemberton's　hostess　beautifully　explained　to　him。　　Then　to

Morgan　she　made　it　clearer：　　〃It　would　destroy　our　peace；　it　would

break　our　hearts。　　Now　that　he's　back　it　will　be　all　the　same

again。　　You'll　have　your　life；　your　work　and　your　freedom；　and

we'll　all　be　happy　as　we　used　to　be。　　You'll　bloom　and　grow

perfectly　well；　and　we　won't　have　any　more　silly　experiments；　will

we？　　They're　too　absurd。　　It's　Mr。　Pemberton's　place　…　every　one　in

his　place。　　You　in　yours；　your　papa　in　his；　me　in　mine　…　n'est…ce

pas；　cheri？　　We'll　all　forget　how　foolish　we've　been　and　have

lovely　times。〃



She　continued　to　talk　and　to　surge　vaguely　about　the　little　draped

stuffy　salon　while　Pemberton　sat　with　the　boy；　whose　colour

gradually　came　back；　and　she　mixed　up　her　reasons；　hinting　that

there　were　going　to　be　changes；　that　the　other　children　might

scatter　（who　knew？　…　Paula　had　her　ideas）　and　that　then　it　might　be

fancied　how　much　the　poor　old　parent…birds　would　want　the　little

nestling。　　Morgan　looked　at　Pemberton；　who　wouldn't　let　him　move；

and　Pemberton　knew　exactly　how　he　felt　at　hearing　himself　called　a

little　nestling。　　He　admitted　that　he　had　had　one　or　two　bad　days；

but　he　protested　afresh　against　the　wrong　of　his　mother's　having

made　them　the　ground　of　an　appeal　to　poor　Pemberton。　　Poor

Pemberton　could　laugh　now；　apart　from　the　comicality　of　Mrs。

Moreen's　mustering　so　much　philosophy　for　her　defence　…　she　seemed

to　shake　it　out　of　her　agitated　petticoats；　which　knocked　over　the

light　gilt　chairs　…　so　little　did　their　young　companion；　MARKED；

unmistakeably　marked　at　the　best；　strike　him　as　qualified　to

repudiate　any　advantage。



He　himself　was　in　for　it　at　any　rate。　　He　should　have　Morgan　on　his

hands　again　indefinitely；　though　indeed　he　saw　the　lad　had　a

private　theory　to　produce　which　would　be　intended　to　smooth　this

down。　　He　was　obliged　to　him　for　it　in　advance；　but　the　suggested

amendment　didn't　keep　his　heart　rather　from　sinking；　any　more　than

it　prevented　him　from　accepting　the　prospect　on　the　spot；　with　some

confidence　moreover　that　he　should　do　so　even　better　if　he　could

have　a　little　supper。　　Mrs。　Moreen　threw　out　more　hints　about　the

changes　that　were　to　be　looked　for；　but　she　was　such　a　mixture　of

smiles　and　shudders　…　she　confessed　she　was　very　nervous　…　that　he

couldn't　tell　if　she　were　in　high　feather　or　only　in　hysterics。　　If

the　family　was　really　at　last　going　to　pieces　why　shouldn't　she

recognise　the　necessity　of　pitching　Morgan　into　some　sort　of

lifeboat？　　This　presumption　was　fostered　by　the　fact　that　they　were

established　in　luxurious　quarters　in　the　capital　of　pleasure；　that

was　exactly　where　they　naturally　WOULD　be　established　in　view　of

going　to　pieces。　　Moreover　didn't　she　mention　that　Mr。　Moreen　and

the　others　were　enjoying　themselves　at　the　opera　with　Mr。　Granger；

and　wasn't　THAT　also　precisely　where　one　would　look　for　them　on　the

eve　of　a　smash？　　Pemberton　gathered　that　Mr。　Granger　was　a　rich

vacant　American　…　a　big　bill　with　a　flourishy　heading　and　no　items；

so　that　one　of　Paula's　〃ideas〃　was　probably　that　this　time　she

hadn't　missed　fire　…　by　which　straight　shot　indeed　she　would　have

shattered　the　general　cohesion。　　And　if　the　cohesion　was　to　crumble

what　would　become　of　poor　Pemberton？　　He　felt　quite　enough　bound　up

with　them　to　figure　to　his　alarm　as　a　dislodged　block　in　the

edifice。



It　was　Morgan　who　eventually　asked　if　no　supper　had　been　ordered

for　him；　sitting　with　him　below；　later；　at　the　dim　delayed　meal；　in

the　presence　of　a　great　deal　of　corded　green　plush；　a　plate　of

ornamental　biscuit　and　an　aloofness　marked　on　the　part　of　the

waiter。　　Mrs。　Moreen　had　explained　that　they　had　been　obliged　to

secure　a　room　for　the　visitor　out　of　the　house；　and　Morgan's

consolation　…　he　offered　it　while　Pemberton　reflected　on　the

nastiness　of　lukewarm　sauces　…　proved　to　be；　largely；　that　his

circumstance　would　facilitate　their　escape。　　He　talked　of　their

escape　…　recurring　to　it　often　afterwards　…　as　if　they　were　making

up　a　〃boy's　book〃　together。　　But　he　likewise　expressed　his　sense

that　there　was　something　in　the　air；　that　the　Moreens　couldn't　keep

it　up　much　longer。　　In　point　of　fact；　as　Pemberton　was　to　see；　they

kept　it　up　for　five　or　six　months。　　All　the　while；　however；

Morgan's　contention　was　designed　to　cheer　him。　　Mr。　Moreen　and

Ulick；　whom　he　had　met　the　day　after　his　return；　accepted　that

return　like　perfect　men　of　the　world。　　If　Paula　and　Amy　treated　it

even　with　less　formality　an　allowance　was　to　be　made　for　them；

inasmuch　as　Mr。　Granger　hadn't　come　to　the　opera　after　all。　　He　had

only　placed　his　box　at　their　service；　with　a　bouquet　for　each　of

the　party；　there　was　even　one　apiece；　embittering　the　thought　of

his　profusion；　for