the pupil-第6章

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never　arrested；　that　ignorance；　at　the　instant　he　touched　it；　was

already　flushing　faintly　into　knowledge；　that　there　was　nothing

that　at　a　given　moment　you　could　say　an　intelligent　child　didn't

know。　　It　seemed　to　him　that　he　himself　knew　too　much　to　imagine

Morgan's　simplicity　and　too　little　to　disembroil　his　tangle。



The　boy　paid　no　heed　to　his　last　remark；　he　only　went　on：　　〃I'd

have　spoken　to　them　about　their　idea；　as　I　call　it；　long　ago；　if　I

hadn't　been　sure　what　they'd　say。〃



〃And　what　would　they　say？〃



〃Just　what　they　said　about　what　poor　Zenobie　told　me　…　that　it　was

a　horrid　dreadful　story；　that　they　had　paid　her　every　penny　they

owed　her。〃



〃Well；　perhaps　they　had；〃　said　Pemberton。



〃Perhaps　they've　paid　you！〃



〃Let　us　pretend　they　have；　and　n'en　parlons　plus。〃



〃They　accused　her　of　lying　and　cheating〃　…　Morgan　stuck　to　historic

truth。　　〃That's　why　I　don't　want　to　speak　to　them。〃



〃Lest　they　should　accuse　me；　too？〃　　To　this　Morgan　made　no　answer；

and　his　companion；　looking　down　at　him　…　the　boy　turned　away　his

eyes；　which　had　filled　…　saw　what　he　couldn't　have　trusted　himself

to　utter。　　〃You're　right。　　Don't　worry　them；〃　Pemberton　pursued。

〃Except　for　that；　they　ARE　charming　people。〃



〃Except　for　THEIR　lying　and　THEIR　cheating？〃



〃I　say　…　I　say！〃　cried　Pemberton；　imitating　a　little　tone　of　the

lad's　which　was　itself　an　imitation。



〃We　must　be　frank；　at　the　last；　we　MUST　come　to　an　understanding；〃

said　Morgan　with　the　importance　of　the　small　boy　who　lets　himself

think　he　is　arranging　great　affairs　…　almost　playing　at　shipwreck

or　at　Indians。　　〃I　know　all　about　everything。〃



〃I　dare　say　your　father　has　his　reasons；''　Pemberton　replied；　but

too　vaguely；　as　he　was　aware。



〃For　lying　and　cheating？〃



〃For　saving　and　managing　and　turning　his　means　to　the　best　account。

He　has　plenty　to　do　with　his　money。　　You're　an　expensive　family。〃



〃Yes；　I'm　very　expensive；〃　Morgan　concurred　in　a　manner　that　made

his　preceptor　burst　out　laughing。



〃He's　saving　for　YOU；〃　said　Pemberton。　　〃They　think　of　you　in

everything　they　do。〃



〃He　might；　while　he's　about　it；　save　a　little　…　〃　　The　boy　paused；

and　his　friend　waited　to　hear　what。　　Then　Morgan　brought　out　oddly：

〃A　little　reputation。〃



〃Oh　there's　plenty　of　that。　　That's　all　right！〃



〃Enough　of　it　for　the　people　they　know；　no　doubt。　　The　people　they

know　are　awful。〃



〃Do　you　mean　the　princes？　　We　mustn't　abuse　the　princes。〃



〃Why　not？　　They　haven't　married　Paula　…　they　haven't　married　Amy。

They　only　clean　out　Ulick。〃



〃You　DO　know　everything！〃　Pemberton　declared。



〃No；　I　don't；　after　all。　　I　don't　know　what　they　live　on；　or　how

they　live；　or　WHY　they　live！　　What　have　they　got　and　how　did　they

get　it？　　Are　they　rich；　are　they　poor；　or　have　they　a　modeste

aisance？　　Why　are　they　always　chiveying　me　about　…　living　one　year

like　ambassadors　and　the　next　like　paupers？　　Who　are　they；　any　way；

and　what　are　they？　　I've　thought　of　all　that　…　I've　thought　of　a

lot　of　things。　　They're　so　beastly　worldly。　　That's　what　I　hate

most　…　oh；　I've　SEEN　it！　　All　they　care　about　is　to　make　an

appearance　and　to　pass　for　something　or　other。　　What　the　dickens　do

they　want　to　pass　for？　　What　DO　they；　Mr。　Pemberton？〃



〃You　pause　for　a　reply；〃　said　Pemberton；　treating　the　question　as　a

joke；　yet　wondering　too　and　greatly　struck　with　his　mate's　intense

if　imperfect　vision。　　〃I　haven't　the　least　idea。〃



〃And　what　good　does　it　do？　　Haven't　I　seen　the　way　people　treat

them　…　the　'nice'　people；　the　ones　they　want　to　know？　　They'll　take

anything　from　them　…　they'll　lie　down　and　be　trampled　on。　　The　nice

ones　hate　that　…　they　just　sicken　them。　　You're　the　only　really

nice　person　we　know。〃



〃Are　you　sure？　　They　don't　lie　down　for　me！〃



〃Well；　you　shan't　lie　down　for　them。　　You've　got　to　go　…　that's

what　you've　got　to　do；〃　said　Morgan。



〃And　what　will　become　of　you？〃



〃Oh　I'm　growing　up。　　I　shall　get　off　before　long。　　I'll　see　you

later。〃



〃You　had　better　let　me　finish　you；〃　Pemberton　urged；　lending

himself　to　the　child's　strange　superiority。



Morgan　stopped　in　their　walk；　looking　up　at　him。　　He　had　to　look　up

much　less　than　a　couple　of　years　before　…　he　had　grown；　in　his

loose　leanness；　so　long　and　high。　　〃Finish　me？〃　he　echoed。



〃There　are　such　a　lot　of　jolly　things　we　can　do　together　yet。　　I

want　to　turn　you　out　…　I　want　you　to　do　me　credit。〃



Morgan　continued　to　look　at　him。　　〃To　give　you　credit　…　do　you

mean？〃



〃My　dear　fellow；　you're　too　clever　to　live。〃



〃That's　just　what　I'm　afraid　you　think。　　No；　no；　it　isn't　fair　…　I

can't　endure　it。　　We'll　separate　next　week。　　The　sooner　it's　over

the　sooner　to　sleep。〃



〃If　I　hear　of　anything　…　any　other　chance　…　I　promise　to　go；〃

Pemberton　said。



Morgan　consented　to　consider　this。　　〃But　you'll　be　honest；〃　he

demanded；　〃you　won't　pretend　you　haven't　heard？〃



〃I'm　much　more　likely　to　pretend　I　have。〃



〃But　what　can　you　hear　of；　this　way；　stuck　in　a　hole　with　us？　　You

ought　to　be　on　the　spot；　to　go　to　England　…　you　ought　to　go　to

America。〃



〃One　would　think　you　were　MY　tutor！〃　said　Pemberton。



Morgan　walked　on　and　after　a　little　had　begun　again：　　〃Well；　now

that　you　know　I　know　and　that　we　look　at　the　facts　and　keep　nothing

back　…　it's　much　more　comfortable；　isn't　it？〃



〃My　dear　boy；　it's　so　amusing；　so　interesting；　that　it　will　surely

be　quite　impossible　for　me　to　forego　such　hours　as　these。〃



This　made　Morgan　stop　once　more。　　〃You　DO　keep　something　back。　　Oh

you're　not　straight　…　I　am！〃



〃How　am　I　not　straight？〃



〃Oh　you've　got　your　idea！〃



〃My　idea？〃



〃Why　that　I　probably　shan't　make　old　…　make　older　…　bones；　and　that

you　can　stick　it　out　till　I'm　removed。〃



〃You　ARE　too　clever　to　live！〃　Pemberton　repeated。



〃I　call　it　a　mean　idea；〃　Morgan　pursued。　　〃But　I　shall　punish　you

by　the　way　I　hang　on。〃



〃Look　out　or　I'll　poison　you！〃　Pemberton　laughed。



〃I'm　stronger　and　better　every　year。　　Haven't　you　noticed　that

there　hasn't　been　a　doctor　near　me　since　you　came？〃



〃I'M　your　doctor；〃　said　the　young　man；　taking　his　arm　and　drawing

him　tenderly　on　again。



Morgan　proceeded　and　after　a　few　steps　gave　a　sigh　of　mingled

weariness　and　relief。　　〃Ah　now　that　we　look　at　the　facts　it's　all

right！〃







CHAPTER　VII







They　looked　at　the　facts　a　good　deal　after　this　and　one　of　the

first　consequences　of　their　doing　so　was　that　Pemberton　stuck　it

out；　in　his　friend's　parlance；　for　the　purpose。　　Morgan　made　the

facts　so　vivid　and　so　droll；　and　at　the　same　time　so　bald　and　so

ugly；　that　there　was　fascination　in　talking　them　over　with　him；

just　as　there　would　have　been　heartlessness　in　leaving　him　alone

with　them。　　Now　that　the　pair　had　such　perceptions　in　common　it　was

useless　for　them　to　pretend　they　didn't　judge　such　people；　but　the

very　judgement　and　the　exchange　of　perceptions　created　another　tie。

Morgan　had　never　been　so　interesting　as　now　that　he　himself　was

made　plainer　by　the　sidelight　of　these　confidences。　　What　came　out

in　it　most　was　the　small　fine　passion　of　his　pride。　　He　had　plenty

of　that；　Pemberton　felt　…　so　much　that　one　might　perhaps　wisely

wish　for　it　some　early　bruises。　　He　would　have　liked　his　people　to

have　a　spirit　and　had　waked　up　to　the　sense　of　their　perpetually

eating　humble…pie。　　His　mother　would　consume　any　amount；　and　his

father　would　consume　even　more　than　his　mother。　　He　had　a　theory

that　Ulick　had　wriggled　out　of　an　〃affair〃　at　Nice：　　there　had　once

been　a　flurry　at　home；　a　regular　panic；　after　which　they　all　went

to　bed　and　took　medicine；　not　to　be　accounted　for　on　any　other

supposition。　　Morgan　had　a　romantic　imagination；　led　by　poetry　and

history；　and　he　would　have　liked　those　who　〃bore　his　name〃　…　as　he

used　to　say　to　Pemberton　with　the　humour　that　made　his　queer

delicacies　manly　…　to　carry　themselves　with　an　air。　　But　their　one

idea　was　to　get　in　with　people　who　didn't　want　them　and　to　take

snubs　as　it　they　were　honourable　scars。　　Why　people　didn't　want

them　more　he　didn't　know　…　that　was　people's　own　affair；　after　all

they　weren't　superficially　repulsive；　they　were　a　hundred　times

cleverer　than　most　of　the　dreary　grandees；　the　〃poor　swells〃　they

rushed　about　Europe　to　catch　up　with。　　〃After　all　they　ARE　amusing

…　they　are！〃　he　used　to　pronounce　with　the　wisdom　of　the　ages。　　To

which　Pemberton　always　replied：　　〃Amusing　…　the　great　Moreen

troupe？　　Why　they're　altogether　delightful；　and　if　it　weren't　for

the　hitch　that　you　and　I　（feeble　performers！）　make　in　the　ensemble

they'd　carry　everything　before　them。〃



What　the　boy　couldn't　get　over　was　the　fact　that　this　particular

blight　seemed；　in　a　tradition　of　self…respect；　so　undeserved　and　so

arbitrary。　　No　doubt　people　had　a　right　to　take　the　line　they

liked；　but　why　should　his　people　have　liked　the　line　of　pushing　and

toadying　and　lying　and　cheating？　　What　had　their　forefathers　…　all

decent　folk；　so　far　as　he　knew　…　done　to　them；　or　what　had　he　done

to　them？　　Who　had　poisoned　their　blood　with　the　fifth…rate　social

ideal；　the　fixed　idea　of　making　smart　acquaintances　and　getting

into　the　monde　chic；　especially　when　it　was　foredoomed　to　failure

and　exposure？　　They　showed　so　what　they　were　after；　that　was　what

made　the　people　they　wanted　not　want　THEM。　　And　never　a　wince　for

dignity；　never　a　throb　of　shame　at　looking　each　other　in　the　face；

never　any　independence　or　resentment　or　disgust。　　If　his　father　or

his　brother　would　only　knock　some　one　down　once　or　twice　a　year！

Clever　as　they　were　they　never　guessed　the　impression　they　made。

They　were　good…natured；　yes　…　as　good…natured　as　Jews　at　the　doors

of　clothing…shops！　　But　was　that　the　model　one　wanted　one's　family

to　follow？　　Morgan　had　dim　memories　of　an　old　grandfather；　the

maternal；　in　New　York；　whom　he　had　been　taken　across　the　ocean　at

the　age　of　five　to　see：　　a　gentleman　with　a　high　neck…cloth　and　a

good　deal　of　pronunciation；　who　wore　a　dress…coat　in　the　morning；

which　made　one　wonder　what　he　wore　in　the　evening；　and　had；　or　was

supposed　to　have　〃property〃　and　something　to　do　with　the　Bible

Society。　　It　couldn't　have　been　but　that　he　was　a　good　type。

Pemberton　himself　remembered　Mrs。　Clancy；　a　widowed　sister　of　Mr。

Moreen's；　who　was　as　irritating　as　a　moral　tale　and　had　paid　a

fortnight's　visit　to　the　family　at　Nice　shortly　after　he　came　to

live　with　them。　　She　was　〃pure　and　refined；〃　as　Amy　said　over　the

banjo；　and　had　the　air　of　not　knowing　what　they　meant　when　they

talked；　and　of　keeping　something　rather　important　back。　　Pemberton

judged　that　what　she　kept　back　was　an　approval　of　many　of　their

ways；　therefore　it　was　to　be　supposed　that　she　too　was　of　a　good

type；　and　that　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Moreen　and　Ulick　and　Paula　and　Amy

might　easily　have　been　of　a　better　o