the house of pride and other tales of hawaii- 第2部分

〃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　went　out　of　

my　way　when　I　persuaded　Mason　and　Fitch　to　discharge　him。　　But　it　

was　the　missionaries　who　requested　me　to　do　so。　　He　was　undoing　

their　work　by　his　reprehensible　example。〃



〃Afterwards；　when　he　got　on　the　railroad；　your　railroad；　he　was　

discharged　without　cause；〃　Kennedy　challenged。



〃Not　so；〃　was　the　quick　answer。　　〃I　had　him　into　my　private　office　

and　talked　with　him　for　half　an　hour。〃



〃You　discharged　him　for　inefficiency？〃



〃For　immoral　living；　if　you　please。〃



Dr。　Kennedy　laughed　with　a　grating　sound。　　〃Who　the　devil　gave　it　to　

you　to　be　judge　and　jury？　　Does　landlordism　give　you　control　of　the　

immortal　souls　of　those　that　toil　for　you？　　I　have　been　your　

physician。　　Am　I　to　expect　tomorrow　your　ukase　that　I　give　up　Scotch　

and　soda　or　your　patronage？　　Bah！　　Ford；　you　take　life　too　

seriously。　　Besides；　when　Joe　got　into　that　smuggling　scrape　（he　

wasn't　in　your　employ；　either）；　and　he　sent　word　to　you；　asked　you　

to　pay　his　fine；　you　left　him　to　do　his　six　months'　hard　labour　on　

the　reef。　　Don't　forget；　you　left　Joe　Garland　in　the　lurch　that　

time。　　You　threw　him　down；　hard；　and　yet　I　remember　the　first　day　

you　came　to　schoolwe　boarded；　you　were　only　a　day　scholaryou　had　

to　be　initiated。　　Three　times　under　in　the　swimming　tankyou　

remember；　it　was　the　regular　dose　every　new　boy　got。　　And　you　held　

back。　　You　denied　that　you　could　swim。　　You　were　frightened；　

hysterical〃



〃Yes；　I　know；〃　Percival　Ford　said　slowly。　　〃I　was　frightened。　　And　

it　was　a　lie；　for　I　could　swim　。　。　。　And　I　was　frightened。〃



〃And　you　remember　who　fought　for　you？　who　lied　for　you　harder　than　

you　could　lie；　and　swore　he　knew　you　couldn't　swim？　　Who　jumped　into　

the　tank　and　pulled　you　out　after　the　first　under　and　was　nearly　

drowned　for　it　by　the　other　boys；　who　had　discovered　by　that　time　

that　you　COULD　swim？〃



〃Of　course　I　know；〃　the　other　rejoined　coldly。　　〃But　a　generous　act　

as　a　boy　does　not　excuse　a　lifetime　of　wrong　living。〃



〃He　has　never　done　wrong　to　you？personally　and　directly；　I　mean？〃



〃No；〃　was　Percival　Ford's　answer。　　〃That　is　what　makes　my　position　

impregnable。　　I　have　no　personal　spite　against　him。　　He　is　bad；　that　

is　all。　　His　life　is　bad〃



〃Which　is　another　way　of　saying　that　he　does　not　agree　with　you　in　

the　way　life　should　be　lived；〃　the　doctor　interrupted。



〃Have　it　that　way。　　It　is　immaterial。　　He　is　an　idler〃



〃With　reason；〃　was　the　interruption；　〃considering　the　jobs　out　of　

which　you　have　knocked　him。〃



〃He　is　immoral〃



〃Oh；　hold　on　now；　Ford。　　Don't　go　harping　on　that。　　You　are　pure　New　

England　stock。　　Joe　Garland　is　half　Kanaka。　　Your　blood　is　thin。　　

His　is　warm。　　Life　is　one　thing　to　you；　another　thing　to　him。　　He　

laughs　and　sings　and　dances　through　life；　genial；　unselfish；　

childlike；　everybody's　friend。　　You　go　through　life　like　a　

perambulating　prayer…wheel；　a　friend　of　nobody　but　the　righteous；　

and　the　righteous　are　those　who　agree　with　you　as　to　what　is　right。　　

And　after　all；　who　shall　say？　　You　live　like　an　anchorite。　　Joe　

Garland　lives　like　a　good　fellow。　　Who　has　extracted　the　most　from　

life？　　We　are　paid　to　live；　you　know。　　When　the　wages　are　too　meagre　

we　throw　up　the　job；　which　is　the　cause；　believe　me；　of　all　rational　

suicide。　　Joe　Garland　would　starve　to　death　on　the　wages　you　get　

from　life。　　You　see；　he　is　made　differently。　　So　would　you　starve　on　

his　wages；　which　are　singing；　and　love〃



〃Lust；　if　you　will　pardon　me；〃　was　the　interruption。



Dr。　Kennedy　smiled。



〃Love；　to　you；　is　a　word　of　four　letters　and　a　definition　which　you　

have　extracted　from　the　dictionary。　　But　love；　real　love；　dewy　and　

palpitant　and　tender；　you　do　not　know。　　If　God　made　you　and　me；　and　

men　and　women；　believe　me　He　made　love；　too。　　But　to　come　back。　　

It's　about　time　you　quit　hounding　Joe　Garland。　　It　is　not　worthy　of　

you；　and　it　is　cowardly。　　The　thing　for　you　to　do　is　to　reach　out　

and　lend　him　a　hand。〃



〃Why　I；　any　more　than　you？〃　the　other　demanded。　　〃Why　don't　you　

reach　him　a　hand？〃



〃I　have。　　I'm　reaching　him　a　hand　now。　　I'm　trying　to　get　you　not　to　

down　the　Promotion　Committee's　proposition　of　sending　him　away。　　I　

got　him　the　job　at　Hilo　with　Mason　and　Fitch。　　I've　got　him　half　a　

dozen　jobs；　out　of　every　one　of　which　you　drove　him。　　But　never　mind　

that。　　Don't　forget　one　thingand　a　little　frankness　won't　hurt　

youit　is　not　fair　play　to　saddle　another　fault　on　Joe　Garland；　and　

you　know　that　you；　least　of　all；　are　the　man　to　do　it。　　Why；　man；　

it's　not　good　taste。　　It's　positively　indecent。〃



〃Now　I　don't　follow　you；〃　Percival　Ford　answered。　　〃You're　up　in　the　

air　with　some　obscure　scientific　theory　of　heredity　and　personal　

irresponsibility。　　But　how　any　theory　can　hold　Joe　Garland　

irresponsible　for　his　wrongdoings　and　at　the　same　time　hold　me　

personally　responsible　for　themmore　responsible　than　any　one　else；　

including　Joe　Garlandis　beyond　me。〃



〃It's　a　matter　of　delicacy；　I　suppose；　or　of　taste；　that　prevents　

you　from　following　me；〃　Dr。　Kennedy　snapped　out。　　〃It's　all　very　

well；　for　the　sake　of　society；　tacitly　to　ignore　some　things；　but　

you　do　more　than　tacitly　ignore。〃



〃What　is　it；　pray；　that　I　tacitly　ignore！〃



Dr。　Kennedy　was　angry。　　A　deeper　red　than　that　of　constitutional　

Scotch　and　soda　suffused　his　face；　as　he　answered：



〃Your　father's　son。〃



〃Now　just　what　do　you　mean？〃



〃Damn　it；　man；　you　can't　ask　me　to　be　plainer　spoken　than　that。　　But　

if　you　will；　all　rightIsaac　Ford's　sonJoe　Garlandyour　

brother。〃



Percival　Ford　sat　quietly；　an　annoyed　and　shocked　expression　on　his　

face。　　Kennedy　looked　at　him　curiously；　then；　as　the　slow　minutes　

dragged　by；　became　embarrassed　and　frightened。



〃My　God！〃　he　cried　finally；　〃you　don't　mean　to　tell　me　that　you　

didn't　know！〃



As　in　answer；　Percival　Ford's　cheeks　turned　slowly　grey。



〃It's　a　ghastly　joke；〃　he　said；　〃a　ghastly　joke。〃



The　doctor　had　got　himself　in　hand。



〃Everybody　knows　it；〃　he　said。　　〃I　thought　you　knew　it。　　And　since　

you　don't　know　it；　it's　time　you　did；　and　I'm　glad　of　the　chance　of　

setting　you　straight。　　Joe　Garland　and　you　are　brothershalf…

brothers。〃



〃It's　a　lie；〃　Ford　cried。　　〃You　don't　mean　it。　　Joe　Garland's　mother　

was　Eliza　Kunilio。〃　　（Dr。　Kennedy　nodded。）　　〃I　remember　her　well；　

with　her　duck　pond　and　taro　patch。　　His　father　was　Joseph　Garland；　

the　beach…comber。〃　　（Dr。　Kennedy　shook　his　head。）　　〃He　died　only　two　

or　three　years　ago。　　He　used　to　get　drunk。　　There's　where　Joe　got　

his　dissoluteness。　　There's　the　heredity　for　you。〃



〃And　nobody　told　you；〃　Kennedy　said　wonderingly；　after　a　pause。



〃Dr。　Kennedy；　you　have　said　something　terrible；　which　I　cannot　allow　

to　pass。　　You　must　either　prove　or；　or　。　。　。　〃



〃Prove　it　yourself。　　Turn　around　and　look　at　him。　　You've　got　him　in　

profile。　　Look　at　his　nose。　　That's　Isaac　Ford's。　　Yours　is　a　thin　

edition　of　it。　　That's　right。　　Look。　　The　lines　are　fuller；　but　they　

are　all　there。〃



Percival　Ford　looked　at　the　Kanaka　half…breed　who　played　under　the　

hau　tree；　and　it　seemed；　as　by　some　illumination；　that　he　was　gazing　

on　a　wraith　of　himself。　　Feature　after　feature　flashed　up　an　

unmistakable　resemblance。　　Or；　rather；　it　was　he　who　was　the　wraith　

of　that　other　full…muscled　and　generously　moulded　man。　　And　his　

features；　and　that　other　man's　features；　were　all　reminiscent　of　

Isaac　Ford。　　And　nobody　had　told　him。　　Every　line　of　Isaac　Ford's　

face　he　knew。　　Miniatures；　portraits；　and　photographs　of　his　father　

were　passing　in　review　through　his　mind；　and　here　and　there；　over　

and　again；　in　the　face　before　him；　he　caught　resemblances　and　vague　

hints　of　likeness。　　It　was　devil's　work　that　could　reproduce　the　

austere　features　of　Isaac　Ford　in　the　loose　and　sensuous　features　

before　him。　　Once；　the　man　turned；　and　for　one　flashing　instant　it　

seemed　to　Percival　Ford　that　he　saw　his　father；　dead　and　gone；　

peering　at　him　out　of　the　face　of　Joe　Garland。



〃It's　nothing　at　all；〃　he　could　faintly　hear　Dr。　Kennedy　saying；　

〃They　were　all　mixed　up　in　the　old　days。　　You　know　that。　　You've　

seen　it　all　your　life。　　Sailors　married　queens　and　begat　princesses　

and　all　the　rest　of　it。　　It　was　the　usual　thing　in　the　Islands。〃



〃But　not　with　my　father；〃　Percival　Ford　interrupted。



〃There　you　are。〃　　Kennedy　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃Cosmic　sap　and　

smoke　of　life。　　Old　Isaac　Ford　was　straitlaced　and　all　the　rest；　and　

I　know　there's　no　explaining　it；　least　of　all　to　himself。　　He　

understood　it　no　more　than　you　do。　　Smoke　of　life；　that's　all。　　And　

don't　forget　one　thing；　Ford。　　There　was　a　dab　of　unruly　blood　in　

old　Isaac　Ford；　and　Joe　Garland　inherited　itall　of　it；　smoke　of　

life　and　cosmic　sap；　while　you　inherited　all　of　old　Isaac's　asc