the house of pride and other tales of hawaii-第1章

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The　House　of　Pride　and　Other　Tales　of　Hawaii



by　Jack　London







Contents：



The　House　of　Pride

Koolau　the　Leper

Good…bye；　Jack

Aloha　Oe

Chun　Ah　Chun

The　Sheriff　of　Kona

Jack　London







THE　HOUSE　OF　PRIDE







Percival　Ford　wondered　why　he　had　come。　　He　did　not　dance。　　He　did　

not　care　much　for　army　people。　　Yet　he　knew　them　allgliding　and　

revolving　there　on　the　broad　lanai　of　the　Seaside；　the　officers　in　

their　fresh…starched　uniforms　of　white；　the　civilians　in　white　and　

black；　and　the　women　bare　of　shoulders　and　arms。　　After　two　years　in　

Honolulu　the　Twentieth　was　departing　to　its　new　station　in　Alaska；　

and　Percival　Ford；　as　one　of　the　big　men　of　the　Islands；　could　not　

help　knowing　the　officers　and　their　women。



But　between　knowing　and　liking　was　a　vast　gulf。　　The　army　women　

frightened　him　just　a　little。　　They　were　in　ways　quite　different　

from　the　women　he　liked　bestthe　elderly　women；　the　spinsters　and　

the　bespectacled　maidens；　and　the　very　serious　women　of　all　ages　

whom　he　met　on　church　and　library　and　kindergarten　committees；　who　

came　meekly　to　him　for　contributions　and　advice。　　He　ruled　those　

women　by　virtue　of　his　superior　mentality；　his　great　wealth；　and　the　

high　place　he　occupied　in　the　commercial　baronage　of　Hawaii。　　And　he　

was　not　afraid　of　them　in　the　least。　　Sex；　with　them；　was　not　

obtrusive。　　Yes；　that　was　it。　　There　was　in　them　something　else；　or　

more；　than　the　assertive　grossness　of　life。　　He　was　fastidious；　he　

acknowledged　that　to　himself；　and　these　army　women；　with　their　bare　

shoulders　and　naked　arms；　their　straight…looking　eyes；　their　

vitality　and　challenging　femaleness；　jarred　upon　his　sensibilities。



Nor　did　he　get　on　better　with　the　army　men；　who　took　life　lightly；　

drinking　and　smoking　and　swearing　their　way　through　life　and　

asserting　the　essential　grossness　of　flesh　no　less　shamelessly　than　

their　women。　　He　was　always　uncomfortable　in　the　company　of　the　army　

men。　　They　seemed　uncomfortable；　too。　　And　he　felt；　always；　that　

they　were　laughing　at　him　up　their　sleeves；　or　pitying　him；　or　

tolerating　him。　　Then；　too；　they　seemed；　by　mere　contiguity；　to　

emphasize　a　lack　in　him；　to　call　attention　to　that　in　them　which　he　

did　not　possess　and　which　he　thanked　God　he　did　not　possess。　　Faugh！　　

They　were　like　their　women！



In　fact；　Percival　Ford　was　no　more　a　woman's　man　than　he　was　a　man's　

man。　　A　glance　at　him　told　the　reason。　　He　had　a　good　constitution；　

never　was　on　intimate　terms　with　sickness；　nor　even　mild　disorders；　

but　he　lacked　vitality。　　His　was　a　negative　organism。　　No　blood　with　

a　ferment　in　it　could　have　nourished　and　shaped　that　long　and　narrow　

face；　those　thin　lips；　lean　cheeks；　and　the　small；　sharp　eyes。　　The　

thatch　of　hair；　dust…coloured；　straight　and　sparse；　advertised　the　

niggard　soil；　as　did　the　nose；　thin；　delicately　modelled；　and　just　

hinting　the　suggestion　of　a　beak。　　His　meagre　blood　had　denied　him　

much　of　life；　and　permitted　him　to　be　an　extremist　in　one　thing　

only；　which　thing　was　righteousness。　　Over　right　conduct　he　pondered　

and　agonized；　and　that　he　should　do　right　was　as　necessary　to　his　

nature　as　loving　and　being　loved　were　necessary　to　commoner　clay。



He　was　sitting　under　the　algaroba　trees　between　the　lanai　and　the　

beach。　　His　eyes　wandered　over　the　dancers　and　he　turned　his　head　

away　and　gazed　seaward　across　the　mellow…sounding　surf　to　the　

Southern　Cross　burning　low　on　the　horizon。　　He　was　irritated　by　the　

bare　shoulders　and　arms　of　the　women。　　If　he　had　a　daughter　he　would　

never　permit　it；　never。　　But　his　hypothesis　was　the　sheerest　

abstraction。　　The　thought　process　had　been　accompanied　by　no　inner　

vision　of　that　daughter。　　He　did　not　see　a　daughter　with　arms　and　

shoulders。　　Instead；　he　smiled　at　the　remote　contingency　of　

marriage。　　He　was　thirty…five；　and；　having　had　no　personal　

experience　of　love；　he　looked　upon　it；　not　as　mythical；　but　as　

bestial。　　Anybody　could　marry。　　The　Japanese　and　Chinese　coolies；　

toiling　on　the　sugar　plantations　and　in　the　rice…fields；　married。　　

They　invariably　married　at　the　first　opportunity。　　It　was　because　

they　were　so　low　in　the　scale　of　life。　　There　was　nothing　else　for　

them　to　do。　　They　were　like　the　army　men　and　women。　　But　for　him　

there　were　other　and　higher　things。　　He　was　different　from　them

from　all　of　them。　　He　was　proud　of　how　he　happened　to　be。　　He　had　

come　of　no　petty　love…match。　　He　had　come　of　lofty　conception　of　

duty　and　of　devotion　to　a　cause。　　His　father　had　not　married　for　

love。　　Love　was　a　madness　that　had　never　perturbed　Isaac　Ford。　　When　

he　answered　the　call　to　go　to　the　heathen　with　the　message　of　life；　

he　had　had　no　thought　and　no　desire　for　marriage。　　In　this　they　were　

alike；　his　father　and　he。　　But　the　Board　of　Missions　was　economical。　　

With　New　England　thrift　it　weighed　and　measured　and　decided　that　

married　missionaries　were　less　expensive　per　capita　and　more　

efficacious。　　So　the　Board　commanded　Isaac　Ford　to　marry。　　

Furthermore；　it　furnished　him　with　a　wife；　another　zealous　soul　with　

no　thought　of　marriage；　intent　only　on　doing　the　Lord's　work　among　

the　heathen。　　They　saw　each　other　for　the　first　time　in　Boston。　　The　

Board　brought　them　together；　arranged　everything；　and　by　the　end　of　

the　week　they　were　married　and　started　on　the　long　voyage　around　the　

Horn。



Percival　Ford　was　proud　that　he　had　come　of　such　a　union。　　He　had　

been　born　high；　and　he　thought　of　himself　as　a　spiritual　aristocrat。　　

And　he　was　proud　of　his　father。　　It　was　a　passion　with　him。　　The　

erect；　austere　figure　of　Isaac　Ford　had　burned　itself　upon　his　

pride。　　On　his　desk　was　a　miniature　of　that　soldier　of　the　Lord。　　In　

his　bedroom　hung　the　portrait　of　Isaac　Ford；　painted　at　the　time　

when　he　had　served　under　the　Monarchy　as　prime　minister。　　Not　that　

Isaac　Ford　had　coveted　place　and　worldly　wealth；　but　that；　as　prime　

minister；　and；　later；　as　banker；　he　had　been　of　greater　service　to　

the　missionary　cause。　　The　German　crowd；　and　the　English　crowd；　and　

all　the　rest　of　the　trading　crowd；　had　sneered　at　Isaac　Ford　as　a　

commercial　soul…saver；　but　he；　his　son；　knew　different。　　When　the　

natives；　emerging　abruptly　from　their　feudal　system；　with　no　

conception　of　the　nature　and　significance　of　property　in　land；　were　

letting　their　broad　acres　slip　through　their　fingers；　it　was　Isaac　

Ford　who　had　stepped　in　between　the　trading　crowd　and　its　prey　and　

taken　possession　of　fat；　vast　holdings。　　Small　wonder　the　trading　

crowd　did　not　like　his　memory。　　But　he　had　never　looked　upon　his　

enormous　wealth　as　his　own。　　He　had　considered　himself　God's　

steward。　　Out　of　the　revenues　he　had　built　schools；　and　hospitals；　

and　churches。　　Nor　was　it　his　fault　that　sugar；　after　the　slump；　had　

paid　forty　per　cent；　that　the　bank　he　founded　had　prospered　into　a　

railroad；　and　that；　among　other　things；　fifty　thousand　acres　of　Oahu　

pasture　land；　which　he　had　bought　for　a　dollar　an　acre；　grew　eight　

tons　of　sugar　to　the　acre　every　eighteen　months。　　No；　in　all　truth；　

Isaac　Ford　was　an　heroic　figure；　fit；　so　Percival　Ford　thought　

privately；　to　stand　beside　the　statue　of　Kamehameha　I。　in　front　of　

the　Judiciary　Building。　　Isaac　Ford　was　gone；　but　he；　his　son；　

carried　on　the　good　work　at　least　as　inflexibly　if　not　as　

masterfully。



He　turned　his　eyes　back　to　the　lanai。　　What　was　the　difference；　he　

asked　himself；　between　the　shameless；　grass…girdled　hula　dances　and　

the　decollete　dances　of　the　women　of　his　own　race？　　Was　there　an　

essential　difference？　or　was　it　a　matter　of　degree？



As　he　pondered　the　problem　a　hand　rested　on　his　shoulder。



〃Hello；　Ford；　what　are　you　doing　here？　　Isn't　this　a　bit　festive？〃



〃I　try　to　be　lenient；　Dr。　Kennedy；　even　as　I　look　on；〃　Percival　Ford　

answered　gravely。　　〃Won't　you　sit　down？〃



Dr。　Kennedy　sat　down；　clapping　his　palms　sharply。　　A　white…clad　

Japanese　servant　answered　swiftly。



Scotch　and　soda　was　Kennedy's　order；　then；　turning　to　the　other；　he　

said：…



〃Of　course；　I　don't　ask　you。〃



〃But　I　will　take　something；〃　Ford　said　firmly。　　The　doctor's　eyes　

showed　surprise；　and　the　servant　waited。　　〃Boy；　a　lemonade；　please。〃



The　doctor　laughed　at　it　heartily；　as　a　joke　on　himself；　and　glanced　

at　the　musicians　under　the　hau　tree。



〃Why；　it's　the　Aloha　Orchestra；〃　he　said。　　〃I　thought　they　were　with　

the　Hawaiian　Hotel　on　Tuesday　nights。　　Some　rumpus；　I　guess。〃



His　eyes　paused　for　a　moment；　and　dwelt　upon　the　one　who　was　playing　

a　guitar　and　singing　a　Hawaiian　song　to　the　accompaniment　of　all　the　

instruments。



His　face　became　grave　as　he　looked　at　the　singer；　and　it　was　still　

grave　as　he　turned　it　to　his　companion。



〃Look　here；　Ford；　isn't　it　time　you　let　up　on　Joe　Garland？　　I　

understand　you　are　in　opposition　to　the　Promotion　Committee's　

sending　him　to　the　States　on　this　surf…board　proposition；　and　I've　

been　wanting　to　speak　to　you　about　it。　　I　should　have　thought　you'd　

be　glad　to　get　him　out　of　the　country。　　It　would　be　a　good　way　to　

end　your　persecution　of　him。〃



〃Persecution？〃　Percival　Ford's　eyebrows　lifted　interrogatively。



〃Call　it　by　any　name　you　please；〃　Kennedy　went　on。　　〃You've　hounded　

that　poor　devil　for　years。　　It's　not　his　fault。　　Even　you　will　admit　

that。〃



〃Not　his　fault？〃　　Percival　Ford's　thin　lips　drew　tightly　together　

for　the　moment。　　〃Joe　Garland　is　dissolute　and　idle。　　He　has　always　

been　a　wastrel；　a　profligate。〃



〃But　that's　no　reason　you　should　keep　on　after　him　the　way　you　do。　　

I've　watched　you　from　the　beginning。　　The　first　thing　you　did　when　

you　returned　from　college　and　found　him　working　on　the　plantation　as　

outside　luna　was　to　fire　himyou　with　your　millions；　and　he　with　

his　sixty　dollars　a　month。〃



〃Not　the　first　thing；〃　Percival　Ford　said　judicially；　in　a　tone　he　

was　accustomed　to　use　in　committee　meetings。　　〃I　gave　him　his　

warning。　　The　superintendent　said　he　was　a　capable　luna。　　I　had　no　

objection　to　him　on　that　ground。　　It　was　what　he　did　outside　working　

hours。　　He　undid　my　work　faster　than　I　could　build　it　up。　　Of　what　

use　were　the　Sunday　schools；　the　night　schools；　and　the　sewing　

classes；　when　in　the　evenings　there　was　Joe　Garland　with　his　

infernal　and　eternal　tum…tumming　of　guitar　and　ukulele；　his　strong　

drink；　and　his　hula　dancing？　　After　I　warned　him；　I　came　upon　himI　

shall　never　forget　itcame　upon　him；　down　at　the　cabins。　　It　was　

evening。　　I　could　hear　the　hula　songs　before　I　saw　the　scene。　　And　

when　I　did　see　it；　there　were　the　girls；　shameless　in　the　moonlight　

and　dancingthe　girls　upon　whom　I　had　worked　to　teach　clean　living　

and　right　conduct。　　And　there　were　three　girls　there；　I　remember；　

just　graduated　from　the　mission　school。　　Of　course　I　discharged　Joe　

Garland。　　I　know　it　was　the　same　at　Hilo。　　People　said　I