the pupil-第3章

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！



my　father　and　my　mother　very　much？〃



〃Dear　me；　yes。　　They're　charming　people。〃



Morgan　received　this　with　another　silence；　then　unexpectedly；

familiarly；　but　at　the　same　time　affectionately；　he　remarked：

〃You're　a　jolly　old　humbug！〃



For　a　particular　reason　the　words　made　our　young　man　change　colour。

The　boy　noticed　in　an　instant　that　he　had　turned　red；　whereupon　he

turned　red　himself　and　pupil　and　master　exchanged　a　longish　glance

in　which　there　was　a　consciousness　of　many　more　things　than　are

usually　touched　upon；　even　tacitly；　in　such　a　relation。　　It

produced　for　Pemberton　an　embarrassment；　it　raised　in　a　shadowy

form　a　question　…　this　was　the　first　glimpse　of　it　…　destined　to

play　a　singular　and；　as　he　imagined；　owing　to　the　altogether

peculiar　conditions；　an　unprecedented　part　in　his　intercourse　with

his　little　companion。　　Later；　when　he　found　himself　talking　with

the　youngster　in　a　way　in　which　few　youngsters　could　ever　have　been

talked　with；　he　thought　of　that　clumsy　moment　on　the　bench　at　Nice

as　the　dawn　of　an　understanding　that　had　broadened。　　What　had　added

to　the　clumsiness　then　was　that　he　thought　it　his　duty　to　declare

to　Morgan　that　he　might　abuse　him；　Pemberton；　as　much　as　he　liked；

but　must　never　abuse　his　parents。　　To　this　Morgan　had　the　easy

retort　that　he　hadn't　dreamed　of　abusing　them；　which　appeared　to　be

true：　　it　put　Pemberton　in　the　wrong。



〃Then　why　am　I　a　humbug　for　saying　I　think　them　charming？〃　the

young　man　asked；　conscious　of　a　certain　rashness。



〃Well　…　they're　not　your　parents。〃



〃They　love　you　better　than　anything　in　the　world　…　never　forget

that；〃　said　Pemberton。



〃Is　that　why　you　like　them　so　much？〃



〃They're　very　kind　to　me；〃　Pemberton　replied　evasively。



〃You　ARE　a　humbug！〃　laughed　Morgan；　passing　an　arm　into　his

tutor's。　　He　leaned　against　him　looking　oft　at　the　sea　again　and

swinging　his　long　thin　legs。



〃Don't　kick　my　shins；〃　said　Pemberton　while　he　reflected　〃Hang　it；

I　can't　complain　of　them　to　the　child！〃



〃There's　another　reason；　too；〃　Morgan　went　on；　keeping　his　legs

still。



〃Another　reason　for　what？〃



〃Besides　their　not　being　your　parents。〃



〃I　don't　understand　you；〃　said　Pemberton。



〃Well；　you　will　before　long。　　All　right！〃



He　did　understand　fully　before　long；　but　he　made　a　fight　even　with

himself　before　he　confessed　it。　　He　thought　it　the　oddest　thing　to

have　a　struggle　with　the　child　about。　　He　wondered　he　didn't　hate

the　hope　of　the　Moreens　for　bringing　the　struggle　on。　　But　by　the

time　it　began　any　such　sentiment　for　that　scion　was　closed　to　him。

Morgan　was　a　special　case；　and　to　know　him　was　to　accept　him　on　his

own　odd　terms。　　Pemberton　had　spent　his　aversion　to　special　cases

before　arriving　at　knowledge。　　When　at　last　he　did　arrive　his

quandary　was　great。　　Against　every　interest　he　had　attached

himself。　　They　would　have　to　meet　things　together。　　Before　they

went　home　that　evening　at　Nice　the　boy　had　said；　clinging　to　his

arm：



〃Well；　at　any　rate　you'll　hang　on　to　the　last。〃



〃To　the　last？〃



〃Till　you're　fairly　beaten。〃



〃YOU　ought　to　be　fairly　beaten！〃　cried　the　young　man；　drawing　him

closer。







CHAPTER　IV







A　year　after　he　had　come　to　live　with　them　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Moreen

suddenly　gave　up　the　villa　at　Nice。　　Pemberton　had　got　used　to

suddenness；　having　seen　it　practised　on　a　considerable　scale　during

two　jerky　little　tours　…　one　in　Switzerland　the　first　summer；　and

the　other　late　in　the　winter；　when　they　all　ran　down　to　Florence

and　then；　at　the　end　of　ten　days；　liking　it　much　less　than　they　had

intended；　straggled　back　in　mysterious　depression。　　They　had

returned　to　Nice　〃for　ever；〃　as　they　said；　but　this　didn't　prevent

their　squeezing；　one　rainy　muggy　May　night；　into　a　second…class

railway…carriage　…　you　could　never　tell　by　which　class　they　would

travel　…　where　Pemberton　helped　them　to　stow　away　a　wonderful

collection　of　bundles　and　bags。　　The　explanation　of　this　manoeuvre

was　that　they　had　determined　to　spend　the　summer　〃in　some　bracing

place〃；　but　in　Paris　they　dropped　into　a　small　furnished　apartment

…　a　fourth　floor　in　a　third…rate　avenue；　where　there　was　a　smell　on

the　staircase　and　the　portier　was　hateful　…　and　passed　the　next

four　months　in　blank　indigence。



The　better　part　of　this　baffled　sojourn　was　for　the　preceptor　and

his　pupil；　who；　visiting　the　Invalides　and　Notre　Dame；　the

Conciergerie　and　all　the　museums；　took　a　hundred　remunerative

rambles。　　They　learned　to　know　their　Paris；　which　was　useful；　for

they　came　back　another　year　for　a　longer　stay；　the　general

character　of　which　in　Pemberton's　memory　to…day　mixes　pitiably　and

confusedly　with　that　of　the　first。　　He　sees　Morgan's　shabby

knickerbockers　…　the　everlasting　pair　that　didn't　match　his　blouse

and　that　as　he　grew　longer　could　only　grow　faded。　　He　remembers　the

particular　holes　in　his　three　or　four　pair　of　coloured　stockings。



Morgan　was　dear　to　his　mother；　but　he　never　was　better　dressed　than

was　absolutely　necessary　…　partly；　no　doubt；　by　his　own　fault；　for

he　was　as　indifferent　to　his　appearance　as　a　German　philosopher。

〃My　dear　fellow；　you　ARE　coming　to　pieces；〃　Pemberton　would　say　to

him　in　sceptical　remonstrance；　to　which　the　child　would　reply；

looking　at　him　serenely　up　and　down：　　〃My　dear　fellow；　so　are　you！

I　don't　want　to　cast　you　in　the　shade。〃　　Pemberton　could　have　no

rejoinder　for　this　…　the　assertion　so　closely　represented　the　fact。

If　however　the　deficiencies　of　his　own　wardrobe　were　a　chapter　by

themselves　he　didn't　like　his　little　charge　to　look　too　poor。

Later　he　used　to　say　〃Well；　if　we're　poor；　why；　after　all；

shouldn't　we　look　it？〃　and　he　consoled　himself　with　thinking　there

was　something　rather　elderly　and　gentlemanly　in　Morgan's　disrepair

…　it　differed　from　the　untidiness　of　the　urchin　who　plays　and

spoils　his　things。　　He　could　trace　perfectly　the　degrees　by　which；

in　proportion　as　her　little　son　confined　himself　to　his　tutor　for

society；　Mrs。　Moreen　shrewdly　forbore　to　renew　his　garments。　　She

did　nothing　that　didn't　show；　neglected　him　because　he　escaped

notice；　and　then；　as　he　illustrated　this　clever　policy；　discouraged

at　home　his　public　appearances。　　Her　position　was　logical　enough　…

those　members　of　her　family　who　did　show　had　to　be　showy。



During　this　period　and　several　others　Pemberton　was　quite　aware　of

how　he　and　his　comrade　might　strike　people；　wandering　languidly

through　the　Jardin　des　Plantes　as　if　they　had　nowhere　to　go；

sitting　on　the　winter　days　in　the　galleries　of　the　Louvre；　so

splendidly　ironical　to　the　homeless；　as　if　for　the　advantage　of　the

calorifere。　　They　joked　about　it　sometimes：　　it　was　the　sort　of

joke　that　was　perfectly　within　the　boy's　compass。　　They　figured

themselves　as　part　of　the　vast　vague　hand…to…mouth　multitude　of　the

enormous　city　and　pretended　they　were　proud　of　their　position　in　it

…　it　showed　them　〃such　a　lot　of　life〃　and　made　them　conscious　of　a

democratic　brotherhood。　　If　Pemberton　couldn't　feel　a　sympathy　in

destitution　with　his　small　companion　…　for　after　all　Morgan's　fond

parents　would　never　have　let　him　really　suffer　…　the　boy　would　at

least　feel　it　with　him；　so　it　came　to　the　same　thing。　　He　used

sometimes　to　wonder　what　people　would　think　they　were　…　to　fancy

they　were　looked　askance　at；　as　if　it　might　be　a　suspected　case　of

kidnapping。　　Morgan　wouldn't　be　taken　for　a　young　patrician　with　a

preceptor　…　he　wasn't　smart　enough；　though　he　might　pass　for　his

companion's　sickly　little　brother。　　Now　and　then　he　had　a　five…

franc　piece；　and　except　once；　when　they　bought　a　couple　of　lovely

neckties；　one　of　which　he　made　Pemberton　accept；　they　laid　it　out

scientifically　in　old　books。　　This　was　sure　to　be　a　great　day；

always　spent　on　the　quays；　in　a　rummage　of　the　dusty　boxes　that

garnish　the　parapets。　　Such　occasions　helped　them　to　live；　for

their　books　ran　low　very　soon　after　the　beginning　of　their

acquaintance。　　Pemberton　had　a　good　many　in　England；　but　he　was

obliged　to　write　to　a　friend　and　ask　him　kindly　to　get　some　fellow

to　give　him　something　for　them。



If　they　had　to　relinquish　that　summer　the　advantage　of　the　bracing

climate　the　young　man　couldn't　but　suspect　this　failure　of　the　cup

when　at　their　very　lips　to　have　been　the　effect　of　a　rude　jostle　of

his　own。　　This　had　represented　his　first　blow…out；　as　he　called　it；

with　his　patrons；　his　first　successful　attempt　…　though　there　was

little　other　success　about　it　…　to　bring　them　to　a　consideration　of

his　impossible　position。　　As　the　ostensible　eve　of　a　costly　journey

the　moment　had　struck　him　as　favourable　to　an　earnest　protest；　the

presentation　of　an　ultimatum。　　Ridiculous　as　it　sounded；　he　had

never　yet　been　able　to　compass　an　uninterrupted　private　interview

with　the　elder　pair　or　with　either　of　them　singly。　　They　were

always　flanked　by　their　elder　children；　and　poor　Pemberton　usually

had　his　own　little　charge　at　his　side。　　He　was　conscious　of　its

being　a　house　in　which　the　surface　of　one's　delicacy　got　rather

smudged；　nevertheless　he　had　preserved　the　bloom　of　his　scruple

against　announcing　to　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Moreen　with　publicity　that　he

shouldn't　be　able　to　go　on　longer　without　a　little　money。　　He　was

still　simple　enough　to　suppose　Ulick　and　Paula　and　Amy　might　not

know　that　since　his　arrival　he　had　only　had　a　hundred　and　forty

francs；　and　he　was　magnanimous　enough　to　wish　not　to　compromise

their　parents　in　their　eyes。　　Mr。　Moreen　now　listened　to　him；　as　he

listened　to　every　one　and　to　every　thing；　like　a　man　of　the　world；

and　seemed　to　appeal　to　him　…　though　not　of　course　too　grossly　…　to

try　and　be　a　little　more　of　one　himself。　　Pemberton　recognised　in

fact　the　importance　of　the　character　…　from　the　advantage　it　gave

Mr。　Moreen。　　He　was　not　even　confused　or　embarrassed；　whereas　the

young　man　in　his　service　was　more　so　than　there　was　any　reason　for。

Neither　was　he　surprised　…　at　least　any　more　than　a　gentleman　had

to　be　who　freely　confessed　himself　a　little　shocked　…　though　not

perhaps　strictly　at　Pemberton。



〃We　must　go　into　this；　mustn't　we；　dear？〃　he　said　to　his　wife。　　He

assured　his　young　friend　that　the　matter　should　have　his　very　best

attention；　and　he　melted　into　space　as　elusively　as　if；　at　the

door；　he　were　taking　an　inevitable　but　deprecatory　precedence。

When；　the　next　moment；　Pemberton　found　himself　alone　with　Mrs。

Moreen　it　was　to　hear　her　say　〃I　see；　I　see〃　…　stroking　the

roundness　of　her　chin　and　looking　as　if　she　were　only　hesitating

between　a　dozen　easy　remedies。　　If　they　didn't　make　their　push　Mr。

Moreen　could　at　least　disappear　for　several　days。　　During　his

absence　his　wife　took　up　the　subject　again　spontaneously；　but　her

contribution　to　it　was　merely　that　she　had　thought　all　the　while

they　were　getting　on　so　beautifully。　　Pemberton's　reply　to　this

revelation　was　that　unl