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villa rubein and other stories-第60章

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Pippin came down to the capital to escort them; provided for their

comforts as if they had been royalty; and had a special train to take

them to the mines。



He was a little stouter; brighter of colour; greyer of beard; more

nervous perhaps in voice and breathing。  His manner to Hemmings was

full of flattering courtesy; but his sly; ironical glances played on

the secretary's armour like a fountain on a hippopotamus。  To

Scorrier; however; he could not show enough affection:



The first evening; when Hemmings had gone to his room; he jumped up

like a boy out of school。  〃So I'm going to get a wigging;〃 he said;

〃I suppose I deserve it; but if you knewif you only knew。。。! Out

here they've nicknamed me 'the King'they say I rule the colony。

It's myself that I can't rule〃; and with a sudden burst of passion

such as Scorrier had never seen in him: 〃Why did they send this man

here?  What can he know about the things that I've been through?〃  In

a moment he calmed down again。  〃There! this is very stupid; worrying

you like this!〃 and with a long; kind look into Scorrier's face; he

hustled him off to bed。



Pippin did not break out again; though fire seemed to smoulder behind

the bars of his courteous irony。  Intuition of danger had evidently

smitten Hemmings; for he made no allusion to the object of his visit。

There were moments when Scorrier's common…sense sided with Hemmings

these were moments when the secretary was not present。



'After all;' he told himself; 'it's a little thing to askone letter

a month。  I never heard of such a case。'  It was wonderful indeed how

they stood it!  It showed how much they valued Pippin!  What was the

matter with him?  What was the nature of his trouble?  One glimpse

Scorrier had when even Hemmings; as he phrased it; received 〃quite a

turn。〃  It was during a drive back from the most outlying of the

company's trial mines; eight miles through the forest。  The track led

through a belt of trees blackened by a forest fire。  Pippin was

driving。  The secretary seated beside him wore an expression of faint

alarm; such as Pippin's driving was warranted to evoke from almost

any face。  The sky had darkened strangely; but pale streaks of light;

coming from one knew not where; filtered through the trees。  No

breath was stirring; the wheels and horses' hoofs made no sound on

the deep fern mould。  All around; the burnt tree…trunks; leafless and

jagged; rose like withered giants; the passages between them were

black; the sky black; and black the silence。  No one spoke; and

literally the only sound was Pippin's breathing。  What was it that

was so terrifying?  Scorrier had a feeling of entombment; that nobody

could help him; the feeling of being face to face with Nature; a

sensation as if all the comfort and security of words and rules had

dropped away from him。  And…nothing happened。  They reached home and

dined。



During dinner he had again that old remembrance of a little man

chopping at a castle with his sword。  It came at a moment when Pippin

had raised his hand with the carving…knife grasped in it to answer

some remark of Hemmings' about the future of the company。  The

optimism in his uplifted chin; the strenuous energy in his whispering

voice; gave Scorrier a more vivid glimpse of Pippin's nature than he

had perhaps ever had before。  This new country; where nothing but

himself could help a manthat was the castle!  No wonder Pippin was

impatient of control; no wonder he was out of hand; no wonder he was

silentchopping away at that!  And suddenly he thought: 'Yes; and

all the time one knows; Nature must beat him in the end!'



That very evening Hemmings delivered himself of his reproof。  He had

sat unusually silent; Scorrier; indeed; had thought him a little

drunk; so portentous was his gravity; suddenly; however he rose。  It

was hard on a man; he said; in his position; with a Board (he spoke

as of a family of small children); to be kept so short of

information。  He was actually compelled to use his imagination to

answer the shareholders' questions。  This was painful and

humiliating; he had never heard of any secretary having to use his

imagination!  He went furtherit was insulting!  He had grown grey

in the service of the company。  Mr。 Scorrier would bear him out when

he said he had a position to maintainhis name in the City was a

high one; and; by George! he was going to keep it a high one; he

would allow nobody to drag it in the dustthat ought clearly to be

understood。  His directors felt they were being treated like

children; however that might be; it was absurd to suppose that he

(Hemmings) could be treated like a child。。。!  The secretary paused;

his eyes seemed to bully the room。



〃If there were no London office;〃 murmured Pippin; 〃the shareholders

would get the same dividends。〃



Hemmings gasped。  〃Come!〃 he said; 〃this is monstrous!〃



〃What help did I get from London when I first came here?  What help

have I ever had?〃



Hemmings swayed; recovered; and with a forced smile replied that; if

this were true; he had been standing on his head for years; he did

not believe the attitude possible for such a length of time;

personally he would have thought that he too had had a little

something to say to the company's position; but no matter。。。!  His

irony was crushing。。。。  It was possible that Mr。 Pippin hoped to

reverse the existing laws of the universe with regard to limited

companies; he would merely say that he must not begin with a company

of which he (Hemmings) happened to be secretary。  Mr。 Scorrier had

hinted at excuses; for his part; with the best intentions in the

world; he had great difficulty in seeing them。  He would go further

he did not see them!  The explosion。。。!  Pippin shrank so visibly

that Hemmings seemed troubled by a suspicion that he had gone too

far。



〃We know;〃 he said; 〃that it was trying for you。。。。〃



〃Trying!〃 〃burst out Pippin。



〃No one can say;〃 Hemmings resumed soothingly; 〃that we have not

dealt liberally。〃  Pippin made a motion of the head。  〃We think we

have a good superintendent; I go further; an excellent

superintendent。  What I say is: Let's be pleasant!  I am not making

an unreasonable request!〃  He ended on a fitting note of jocularity;

and; as if by consent; all three withdrew; each to his own room;

without another word。



In the course of the next day Pippin said to Scorrier: 〃It seems I

have been very wicked。  I must try to do better〃; and with a touch of

bitter humour; 〃They are kind enough to think me a good

superintendent; you see!  After that I must try hard。〃



Scorrier broke in: 〃No man could have done so much for them;〃 and;

carried away by an impulse to put things absolutely straight; went on

〃But; after all; a letter now and thenwhat does it amount to?〃



Pippin besieged him with a subtle glance。  〃You too?〃 he said

〃I must indeed have been a wicked man!〃 and turned away。



Scorrier felt as if he had been guilty of brutality; sorry for

Pippin; angry with himself; angry with Pippin; sorry for himself。  He

earnestly desired to see the back of Hemmings。  The secretary

gratified the wish a few days later; departing by steamer with

ponderous expressions of regard and the assurance of his goodwill。



Pippin gave vent to no outburst of relief; maintaining a courteous

silence; making only one allusion to his late guest; in answer to a

remark of Scorrier:



〃Ah! don't tempt me! mustn't speak behind his back。〃



A month passed; and Scorrier stillremained Pippin's guest。  As each

mail…day approached he experienced a queer suppressed excitement。  On

one of these occasions Pippin had withdrawn to his room; and when

Scorrier went to fetch him to dinner he found him with his head

leaning on his hands; amid a perfect fitter of torn paper。  He looked

up at Scorrier。



〃I can't do it;〃 he said; 〃I feel such a hypocrite; I can't put

myself into leading…strings again。  Why should I ask these people;

when I've settled everything already?  If it were a vital matter they

wouldn't want to hearthey'd simply wire; 'Manage this somehow!'〃



Scorrier said nothing; but thought privately 'This is a mad

business!'  What was a letter?  Why make a fuss about a letter?  The

approach of mail…day seemed like a nightmare to the superintendent;

he became feverishly nervous like a man under a spell; and; when the

mail had gone; behaved like a respited criminal。  And this had been

going on two years!  Ever since that explosion。  Why; it was

monomania!



One day; a month after Hemmings' departure; Pippin rose early from

dinner; his face was flushed; he had been drinking wine。  〃I won't be

beaten this time;〃 he said; as he passed Scorrier。  The latter could

hear him writing in the next room; and looked in presently to say

that he was going for a walk。  Pippin gave him a kindly nod。



It was a cool; still evening: innumerable stars swarmed in c
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