Chapter 5

Into these dark imaginings a breath of the commonplace came with almost ludicrous effect.

A man came into the lounge, caught sight of the Boyntons and came across to them. He was apleasant middle-aged¹ American of a strictly² conventional type. He was carefully dressed, with along clean-shaven face and he had a slow, pleasant, somewhat monotonous³ voice.

‘I was looking around for you all,’ he said.

Meticulously⁴ he shook hands with the entire family. ‘And how do you find yourself, MrsBoynton? Not too tired by the journey?’

Almost graciously, the old lady wheezed⁵ out: ‘No, thank you. My health’s never good, as youknow—’

‘Why, of course, too bad—too bad.’

‘But I’m certainly no worse.’

Mrs Boynton added with a slow reptilian⁶ smile: ‘Nadine, here, takes good care of me, don’tyou, Nadine?’

‘I do my best.’ Her voice was expressionless.

‘Why, I bet you do,’ said the stranger heartily⁷. ‘Well, Lennox, and what do you think of KingDavid’s city?’

‘Oh, I don’t know.’

Lennox spoke⁸ apathetically—without interest.

‘Find it kind of disappointing, do you? I’ll confess it struck me that way at first. But perhapsyou haven’t been around much yet?’

Carol Boynton said: ‘We can’t do very much because of Mother.’

Mrs Boynton explained: ‘A couple of hours’ sightseeing is about all I can manage every day.’

The stranger said heartily: ‘I think it’s wonderful you manage to do all you do, Mrs Boynton.’

Mrs Boynton gave a slow, wheezy chuckle⁹; it had an almost gloating sound.

‘I don’t give in to my body! It’s the mind that matters! Yes, it’s the mind…’

Her voice died away. Gerard saw Raymond Boynton give a nervous jerk.

‘Have you been to the Wailing¹⁰ Wall yet, Mr Cope?’ he asked.

‘Why, yes, that was one of the first places I visited. I hope to have done Jerusalem thoroughly¹¹ ina couple more days, and I’m letting them get me out an itinerary¹² at Cook’s so as to do the HolyLand thoroughly—Bethlehem, Nazareth, Tiberias, the Sea of Galilee. It’s all going to be mightyinteresting. Then there’s Jerash, there are some very interesting ruins there—Roman, you know.

And I’d very much like to have a look at the Rose Red City of Petra, a most remarkable¹⁴ naturalphenomenon, I believe that is—and right off the beaten track—but it takes the best part of a weekto get there and back, and do it properly.’

Carol said: ‘I’d love to go there. It sounds marvelous.’

‘Why, I should say it was definitely worth seeing—yes, definitely worth seeing.’ Mr Copepaused, shot a somewhat dubious¹⁵ glance at Mrs Boynton, and then went on in a voice that to thelistening Frenchman was palpably uncertain:

‘I wonder now if I couldn’t persuade some of you people to come with me? Naturally I knowyou couldn’t manage it, Mrs Boynton, and naturally some of your family would want to remainwith you, but if you were to divide forces, so to speak—’

He paused. Gerard heard the even click of Mrs Boynton’s knitting needles. Then she said:

‘I don’t think we’d care to divide up. We’re a very homey group.’ She looked up. ‘Well,children, what do you say?’

There was a queer ring in her voice. The answers came promptly¹⁶. ‘No, Mother.’ ‘Oh, no.’ ‘No,of course not.’

Mrs Boynton said, smiling that very odd smile of hers: ‘You see—they won’t leave me. Whatabout you, Nadine? You didn’t say anything.’

‘No, thank you, Mother, not unless Lennox cares about it.’

Mrs Boynton turned her head slowly towards her son.

‘Well, Lennox, what about it, why don’t you and Nadine go? She seems to want to.’

He started—looked up. ‘I—well—no, I—I think we’d better all stay together.’

Mr Cope said genially¹⁷: ‘Well, you are a devoted¹⁸ family!’ But something in his geniality¹⁹ rang alittle hollow and forced.

‘We keep to ourselves,’ said Mrs Boynton. She began to wind up her ball of wool. ‘By the way,Raymond, who was that young woman who spoke to you just now?’

Raymond started nervously²⁰. He flushed, then went white.

‘I—I don’t know her name. She—she was on the train the other night.’

Mrs Boynton began slowly to try to heave herself out of her chair.

‘I don’t think we’ll have much to do with her,’ she said.

Nadine rose and assisted the old woman to struggle out of her chair. She did it with aprofessional deftness²¹ that attracted Gerard’s attention.

‘Bedtime,’ said Mrs Boynton. ‘Good night, Mr Cope.’

‘Good night, Mrs Boynton. Good night, Mrs Lennox.’

They went off—a little procession. It did not seem to occur to any of the younger members ofthe party to stay behind.

Mr Cope was left looking after them. The expression on his face was an odd one.

As Dr Gerard knew by experience, Americans are disposed to be a friendly race. They have notthe uneasy suspicion of the travelling Briton. To a man of Dr Gerard’s tact²² making theacquaintance of Mr Cope presented few difficulties. The American was lonely and was, like mostof his race, disposed to friendliness²³. Dr Gerard’s card-case was again to the fore²⁴.

Reading the name on it, Mr Jefferson Cope was duly impressed.

‘Why, surely, Dr Gerard, you were over in the States not very long ago?’

‘Last autumn. I was lecturing at Harvard.’

‘Of course. Yours, Dr Gerard, is one of the most distinguished²⁵ names in your profession.

You’re pretty well at the head of your subject in Paris.’

‘My dear sir, you are far too kind! I protest.’

‘No, no, this is a great privilege—meeting you like this. As a matter of fact, there are severalvery distinguished people here in Jerusalem just at present. There’s yourself and there’s LordWelldon, and Sir Gabriel Steinbaum, the financier. Then there’s the veteran English archaeologist,Sir Manders Stone. And there’s Lady Westholme, who’s very prominent in English politics. Andthere’s that famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.’

‘Little Hercule Poirot? Is he here?’

‘I read his name in the local paper as having lately arrived. Seems to me all the world and hiswife are at the Solomon Hotel. A mighty¹³ fine hotel it is, too. And very tastefully decorated.’

Mr Jefferson Cope was clearly enjoying himself. Dr Gerard was a man who could display a lotof charm when he chose. Before long the two men had adjourned²⁶ to the bar.

After a couple of highballs Gerard said: ‘Tell me, is that a typical American family to whomyou were talking?’

Jefferson Cope sipped²⁸ his drink thoughtfully. Then he said: ‘Why, no, I wouldn’t say it wasexactly typical.’

‘No? A very devoted family, I thought.’

Mr Cope said slowly: ‘You mean they all seem to revolve²⁹ round the old lady? That’s trueenough. She’s a very remarkable old lady, you know.’

‘Indeed?’

Mr Cope needed very little encouragement. The gentle invitation was enough.

‘I don’t mind telling you, Dr Gerard, I’ve been having that family a good deal on my mindlately. I’ve been thinking about them a lot. If I may say so, it would ease my mind to talk to youabout the matter. If it won’t bore you, that is?’

Dr Gerard disclaimed³⁰ boredom³¹. Mr Jefferson Cope went on slowly, his pleasant clean-shavenface creased³² with perplexity.

‘I’ll tell you straight away that I’m just a little worried. Mrs Boynton, you see, is an old friendof mine. That is to say, not the old Mrs Boynton, the young one, Mrs Lennox Boynton.’

‘Ah, yes, that very charming dark-haired young lady.’

‘That’s right. That’s Nadine. Nadine Boynton, Dr Gerard, is a very lovely character. I knew herbefore she was married. She was in hospital then, working to be a trained nurse. Then she went fora vacation to stay with the Boyntons and she married Lennox.’

‘Yes?’

Mr Jefferson Cope took another sip²⁷ of highball and went on:

‘I’d like to tell you, Dr Gerard, just a little of the Boynton family history.’

‘Yes? I should be most interested.’

‘Well, you see, the late Elmer Boynton—he was quite a well-known man and a very charmingpersonality—was twice married. His first wife died when Carol and Raymond were tiny toddlers.

The second Mrs Boynton, so I’ve been told, was a handsome woman when he married her, thoughnot very young. Seems odd to think she can ever have been handsome to look at her now, butthat’s what I’ve been told on very good authority. Anyway, her husband thought a lot of her andadopted her judgement on almost every point. He was an invalid³³ for some years before he died,and she practically ruled the roost. She’s a very capable woman with a fine head for business. Avery conscientious³⁴ woman, too. After Elmer died, she devoted herself absolutely to these children.

There’s one of her own, too, Ginevra—pretty red-haired girl, but a bit delicate. Well, as I wastelling you, Mrs Boynton devoted herself entirely³⁵ to her family. She just shut out the outside worldentirely. Now I don’t know what you think, Dr Gerard, but I don’t think that’s always a verysound thing.’

‘I agree with you. It is most harmful to developing mentalities³⁶.’

‘Yes, I should say that just about expresses it. Mrs Boynton shielded these children from theoutside world and never let them make any outside contacts. The result of that is that they’vegrown up—well, kind of nervy. They’re jumpy, if you know what I mean. Can’t make friendswith strangers. It’s bad, that.’

‘It is very bad.’

‘I’ve no doubt Mrs Boynton meant well. It was just over-devotion on her part.’

‘They all live at home?’ asked the doctor.

‘Yes.’

‘Do neither of the sons work?’

‘Why, no. Elmer Boynton was a rich man. He left all his money to Mrs Boynton for her lifetime—but it was understood that it was for the family upkeep generally.’

‘So they are dependent on her financially?’

‘That is so. And she’s encouraged them to live at home and not go out and look for jobs. Well,maybe that’s all right, there’s plenty of money, they don’t need to take a job, but I think for themale sex, anyway, work’s a good tonic³⁷. Then, there’s another thing—they’ve none of them gotany hobbies. They don’t play golf. They don’t belong to any country club. They don’t go aroundto dances or do anything with the other young people. They live in a great barrack of a house waydown in the country miles from anywhere. I tell you, Dr Gerard, it seems all wrong to me.’

‘I agree with you,’ said Dr Gerard.

‘Not one of them has got the least social sense. The community spirit—that’s what’s lacking!

They may be a very devoted family, but they’re all bound up in themselves.’

‘There has never been any question of one or other of them branching out for him or herself?’

‘Not that I’ve heard of. They just sit around.’

‘Do you put the blame for that on them or on Mrs Boynton?’

Jefferson Cope shifted uneasily.

‘Well, in a sense, I feel she is more or less responsible. It’s bad bringing-up on her part. All thesame, when a young fellow comes to maturity³⁸ it’s up to him to kick over the traces of his ownaccord. No boy ought to keep on being tied to his mother’s apron³⁹ strings⁴⁰. He ought to choose to beindependent.’

Dr Gerard said thoughtfully: ‘That might be impossible.’

‘Why impossible?’

‘There are methods, Mr Cope, of preventing a tree from growing.’

Cope stared. ‘They’re a fine healthy lot, Dr Gerard.’

‘The mind can be stunted⁴¹ and warped⁴² as well as the body.’

‘They’re bright mentally, too.’

Jefferson Cope went on: ‘No, Dr Gerard, take it from me, a man has got the control of his owndestiny right there in his own hands. A man who respects himself strikes out on his own andmakes something of his life. He doesn’t just sit round and twiddle his thumbs. No woman ought torespect a man who does that.’

Gerard looked at him curiously⁴³ for a minute or two. Then he said: ‘You refer particularly, Ithink, to Mr Lennox Boynton?’

‘Why, yes, it was Lennox I was thinking of. Raymond’s only a boy still. But Lennox is just onthirty. Time he showed he was made of something.’

‘It is a difficult life, perhaps, for his wife?’

‘Of course it’s a difficult life for her! Nadine is a very fine girl. I admire her more than I can say.

She’s never let drop one word of complaint. But she’s not happy, Dr Gerard. She’s just as unhappyas she can be.’

Gerard nodded his head.

‘Yes, I think that well might be.’

‘I don’t know what you think about it, Dr Gerard, but I think that there’s a limit to what awoman ought to put up with! If I were Nadine I’d put it to young Lennox straight. Either he sets toand proves what he’s made of, or else—’

‘Or else, you think, she should leave him?’

‘She’s got her own life to live, Dr Gerard. If Lennox doesn’t appreciate her as she ought to beappreciated—well, there are other men who will.’

‘There is—yourself, for instance?’

The American flushed. Then he looked straight at the other with a certain simple dignity.

‘That’s so,’ he said. ‘I’m not ashamed of my feeling for that lady. I respect her and I am verydeeply attached to her. All I want is her happiness. If she were happy with Lennox, I’d sit rightback and fade out of the picture.’

‘But as it is?’

‘But as it is I’m standing⁴⁴ by! If she wants me, I’m here!’

‘You are, in fact, the parfait gentil knight,’ murmured Gerard.

‘Pardon?’

‘My dear sir, chivalry⁴⁵ only lives nowadays in the American nation! You are content to serveyour lady without hope of reward! It is most admirable, that! What exactly do you hope to be ableto do for her?’

‘My idea is to be right here at hand if she needs me.’

‘And what, may I ask, is the older Mrs Boynton’s attitude towards you?’

Jefferson Cope said slowly: ‘I’m never quite sure about that old lady. As I’ve told you, she isn’tfond of making outside contacts. But she’s been different to me, she’s always very gracious andtreats me quite like one of the family.’

‘In fact, she approves of your friendship with Mrs Lennox?’

‘She does.’

Dr Gerard shrugged⁴⁶ his shoulders.

‘That is, perhaps, a little odd?’

Jefferson Cope said stiffly: ‘Let me assure you, Dr Gerard, there is nothing dishonourable in thatfriendship. It is purely⁴⁷ platonic⁴⁸.’

‘My dear sir, I am quite sure of that. I repeat, though, that for Mrs Boynton to encourage thatfriendship is a curious action on her part. You know, Mr Cope, Mrs Boynton interests me—sheinterests me greatly.’

‘She is certainly a remarkable woman. She has great force of character—a most prominentpersonality. As I say, Elmer Boynton had the greatest faith in her judgement.’

‘So much so that he was content to leave his children completely at her mercy from the financialpoint of view. In my country, Mr Cope, it is impossible by law to do such a thing.’

Mr Cope rose. ‘In America,’ he said, ‘we’re great believers in absolute freedom.’

Dr Gerard rose also. He was unimpressed by the remark. He had heard it made before by peopleof many different nationalities. The illusion that freedom is the prerogative⁴⁹ of one’s own particularrace is fairly widespread.

Dr Gerard was wiser. He knew that no race, no country and no individual could be described asfree. But he also knew that there were different degrees of bondage⁵⁰.

He went up to bed thoughtful and interested.

 

点击收听单词发音