the pupil-第6部分

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again　with　the　remark：　　〃I'll　tell　you　how　I　know　it；　I　know　it

through　Zenobie。〃



〃Zenobie？　　Who　in　the　world　is　SHE？〃



〃A　nurse　I　used　to　have　…　ever　so　many　years　ago。　　A　charming

woman。　　I　liked　her　awfully；　and　she　liked　me。〃



〃There's　no　accounting　for　tastes。　　What　is　it　you　know　through

her？〃



〃Why　what　their　idea　is。　　She　went　away　because　they　didn't　fork

out。　　She　did　like　me　awfully；　and　she　stayed　two　years。　　She　told

me　all　about　it　…　that　at　last　she　could　never　get　her　wages。　　As

soon　as　they　saw　how　much　she　liked　me　they　stopped　giving　her

anything。　　They　thought　she'd　stay　for　nothing　…　just　BECAUSE；

don't　you　know？〃　　And　Morgan　had　a　queer　little　conscious　lucid

look。　　〃She　did　stay　ever　so　long　…　as　long　an　she　could。　　She　was

only　a　poor　girl。　　She　used　to　send　money　to　her　mother。　　At　last

she　couldn't　afford　it　any　longer；　and　went　away　in　a　fearful　rage

one　night　…　I　mean　of　course　in　a　rage　against　THEM。　　She　cried

over　me　tremendously；　she　hugged　me　nearly　to　death。　　She　told　me

all　about　it；〃　the　boy　repeated。　　〃She　told　me　it　was　their　idea。

So　I　guessed；　ever　so　long　ago；　that　they　have　had　the　same　idea

with　you。〃



〃Zenobie　was　very　sharp；〃　said　Pemberton。　　〃And　she　made　you　so。〃



〃Oh　that　wasn't　Zenobie；　that　was　nature。　　And　experience！〃　Morgan

laughed。



〃Well；　Zenobie　was　a　part　of　your　experience。〃



〃Certainly　I　was　a　part　of　hers；　poor　dear！〃　the　boy　wisely　sighed。

〃And　I'm　part　of　yours。〃



〃A　very　important　part。　　But　I　don't　see　how　you　know　that　I've

been　treated　like　Zenobie。〃



〃Do　you　take　me　for　the　biggest　dunce　you've　known？〃　Morgan　asked。

〃Haven't　I　been　conscious　of　what　we've　been　through　together？〃



〃What　we've　been　through？〃



〃Our　privations　…　our　dark　days。〃



〃Oh　our　days　have　been　bright　enough。〃



Morgan　went　on　in　silence　for　a　moment。　　Then　he　said：　　〃My　dear

chap；　you're　a　hero！〃



〃Well；　you're　another！〃　Pemberton　retorted。



〃No　I'm　not；　but　I　ain't　a　baby。　　I　won't　stand　it　any　longer。　　You

must　get　some　occupation　that　pays。　　I'm　ashamed；　I'm　ashamed！〃

quavered　the　boy　with　a　ring　of　passion；　like　some　high　silver　note

from　a　small　cathedral　cloister；　that　deeply　touched　his　friend。



〃We　ought　to　go　off　and　live　somewhere　together；〃　the　young　man

said。



〃I'll　go　like　a　shot　if　you'll　take　me。〃



〃I'd　get　some　work　that　would　keep　us　both　afloat；〃　Pemberton

continued。



〃So　would　I。　　Why　shouldn't　I　work？　　I　ain't　such　a　beastly　little

muff　as　that　comes　to。〃



〃The　difficulty　is　that　your　parents　wouldn't　hear　of　it。　　They'd

never　part　with　you；　they　worship　the　ground　you　tread　on。　　Don't

you　see　the　proof　of　it？〃　Pemberton　developed。　　〃They　don't　dislike

me；　they　wish　me　no　harm；　they're　very　amiable　people；　but　they're

perfectly　ready　to　expose　me　to　any　awkwardness　in　life　for　your

sake。〃



The　silence　in　which　Morgan　received　his　fond　sophistry　struck

Pemberton　somehow　as　expressive。　　After　a　moment　the　child

repeated：　　〃You　are　a　hero！〃　　Then　he　added：　　〃They　leave　me　with

you　altogether。　　You've　all　the　responsibility。　　They　put　me　off　on

you　from　morning　till　night。　　Why　then　should　they　object　to　my

taking　up　with　you　completely？　　I'd　help　you。〃



〃They're　not　particularly　keen　about　my　being　helped；　and　they

delight　in　thinking　of　you　as　THEIRS。　　They're　tremendously　proud

of　you。〃



〃I'm　not　proud　of　THEM。　　But　you　know　that；〃　Morgan　returned。



〃Except　for　the　little　matter　we　speak　of　they're　charming　people；〃

said　Pemberton；　not　taking　up　the　point　made　for　his　intelligence；

but　wondering　greatly　at　the　boy's　own；　and　especially　at　this

fresh　reminder　of　something　he　had　been　conscious　of　from　the　first

…　the　strangest　thing　in　his　friend's　large　little　composition；　a

temper；　a　sensibility；　even　a　private　ideal；　which　made　him　as

privately　disown　the　stuff　his　people　were　made　of。　　Morgan　had　in

secret　a　small　loftiness　which　made　him　acute　about　betrayed

meanness；　as　well　as　a　critical　sense　for　the　manners　immediately

surrounding　him　that　was　quite　without　precedent　in　a　juvenile

nature；　especially　when　one　noted　that　it　had　not　made　this　nature

〃old…fashioned；〃　as　the　word　is　of　children　…　quaint　or　wizened　or

offensive。　　It　was　as　if　he　had　been　a　little　gentleman　and　had

paid　the　penalty　by　discovering　that　he　was　the　only　such　person　in

his　family。　　This　comparison　didn't　make　him　vain；　but　it　could

make　him　melancholy　and　a　trifle　austere。　　While　Pemberton　guessed

at　these　dim　young　things；　shadows　of　shadows；　he　was　partly　drawn

on　and　partly　checked；　as　for　a　scruple；　by　the　charm　of　attempting

to　sound　the　little　cool　shallows　that　were　so　quickly　growing

deeper。　　When　he　tried　to　figure　to　himself　the　morning　twilight　of

childhood；　so　as　to　deal　with　it　safely；　he　saw　it　was　never　fixed；

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　w