The Rainbow-虹(英文版)-第102部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　class；　he　asked：

〃How　many　are　there　here　today？〃

〃Fiftytwo；〃　said　Ursula；　but　he　did　not　take　any　notice；
counting　for　himself。

〃Fiftytwo；〃　he　said。　〃And　how　many　pens　are　there；
Staples？〃

Ursula　was　now　silent。　He　would　not　heed　her　if　she　answered；
since　he　had　addressed　the　monitor。

〃That's　a　very　curious　thing；〃　said　Mr。　Harby；　looking　over
the　silent　class　with　a　slight　grin　of　fury。　All　the　childish
faces　looked　up　at　him　blank　and　exposed。

〃A　few　days　ago　there　were　sixty　pens　for　this
classnow　there　are　fortyeight。　What　is　fortyeight　from
sixty；　Williams？〃　There　was　a　sinister　suspense　in　the　question。
A　thin；　ferretfaced　boy　in　a　sailor　suit　started　up
exaggeratedly。

〃Please；　sir！〃　he　said。　Then　a　slow；　sly　grin　came　over　his
face。　He　did　not　know。　There　was　a　tense　silence。　The　boy
dropped　his　head。　Then　he　looked　up　again；　a　little　cunning
triumph　in　his　eyes。　〃Twelve；〃　he　said。

〃I　would　advise　you　to　attend；〃　said　the　headmaster
dangerously。　The　boy　sat　down。

〃Fortyeight　from　sixty　is　twelve：　so　there　are　twelve　pens
to　account　for。　Have　you　looked　for　them；　Staples？〃

〃Yes；　sir。〃

〃Then　look　again。〃

The　scene　dragged　on。　Two　pens　were　found：　ten　were　missing。
Then　the　storm　burst。

〃Am　I　to　have　you　thieving；　besides　your　dirt　and　bad　work
and　bad　behaviour？〃　the　headmaster　began。　〃Not　content　with
being　the　worstbehaved　and　dirtiest　class　in　the　school；　you
are　thieves　into　the　bargain；　are　you？　It　is　a　very　funny　thing！
Pens　don't　melt　into　the　air：　pens　are　not　in　the　habit　of
mizzling　away　into　nothing。　What　has　bee　of　them　then？　They
must　be　somewhere。　What　has　bee　of　them？　For　they　must　be
found；　and　found　by　Standard　Five。　They　were　lost　by　Standard
Five；　and　they　must　be　found。〃

Ursula　stood　and　listened；　her　heart　hard　and　cold。　She　was
so　much　upset；　that　she　felt　almost　mad。　Something　in　her
tempted　her　to　turn　on　the　headmaster　and　tell　him　to　stop；
about　the　miserable　pens。　But　she　did　not。　She　could　not。

After　every　session；　morning　and　evening；　she　had　the　pens
counted。　Still　they　were　missing。　And　pencils　and　indiarubbers
disappeared。　She　kept　the　class　staying　behind；　till　the　things
were　found。　But　as　soon　as　Mr。　Harby　had　gone　out　of　the　room；
the　boys　began　to　jump　about　and　shout；　and　at　last　they　bolted
in　a　body　from　the　school。

This　was　drawing　near　a　crisis。　She　could　not　tell　Mr。　Harby
because；　while　he　would　punish　the　class；　he　would　make　her　the
cause　of　the　punishment；　and　her　class　would　pay　her　back　with
disobedience　and　derision。　Already　there　was　a　deadly　hostility
grown　up　between　her　and　the　children。　After　keeping　in　the
class；　at　evening；　to　finish　some　work；　she　would　find　boys
dodging　behind　her；　calling　after　her：　〃Brangwen；
BrangwenProudacre。〃

When　she　went　into　Ilkeston　of　a　Saturday　morning　with
Gudrun；　she　heard　again　the　voices　yelling　after　her：

〃Brangwen；　Brangwen。〃

She　pretended　to　take　no　notice；　but　she　coloured　with　shame
at　being　held　up　to　derision　in　the　public　street。　She；　Ursula
Brangwen　of　Cossethay；　could　not　escape　from　the　Standard　Five
teacher　which　she　was。　In　vain　she　went　out　to　buy　ribbon　for
her　hat。　They　called　after　her；　the　boys　she　tried　to　teach。

And　one　evening；　as　she　went　from　the　edge　of　the　town　into
the　country；　stones　came　flying　at　her。　Then　the　passion　of
shame　and　anger　surpassed　her。　She　walked　on　unheeding；　beside
herself。　Because　of　the　darkness　she　could　not　see　who　were
those　that　threw。　But　she　did　not　want　to　know。

Only　in　her　soul　a　change　took　place。　Never　more；　and　never
more　would　she　give　herself　as　individual　to　her　class。　Never
would　she；　Ursula　Brangwen；　the　girl　she　was；　the　person　she
was；　e　into　contact　with　those　boys。　She　would　be　Standard
Five　teacher；　as　far　away　personally　from　her　class　as　if　she
had　never　set　foot　in　St。　Philip's　school。　She　would　just
obliterate　them　all；　and　keep　herself　apart；　take　them　as
scholars　only。

So　her　face　grew　more　and　more　shut；　and　over　her　flayed；
exposed　soul　of　a　young　girl　who　had　gone　open　and　warm　to　give
herself　to　the　children；　there　set　a　hard；　insentient　thing；
that　worked　mechanically　according　to　a　system　imposed。

It　seemed　she　scarcely　saw　her　class　the　next　day。　She　could
only　feel　her　will；　and　what　she　would　have　of　this　class　which
she　must　grasp　into　subjection。　It　was　no　good；　any　more；　to
appeal；　to　play　upon　the　better　feelings　of　the　class。　Her
swiftworking　soul　realized　this。

She；　as　teacher；　must　bring　them　all　as　scholars；　into
subjection。　And　this　she　was　going　to　do。　All　else　she　would
forsake。　She　had　bee　hard　and　impersonal；　almost　avengeful　on
herself　as　well　as　on　them；　since　the　stone　throwing。　She　did
not　want　to　be　a　person；　to　be　herself　any　more；　after　such
humiliation。　She　would　assert　herself　for　mastery；　be　only
teacher。　She　was　set　now。　She　was　going　to　fight　and　subdue。

She　knew　by　now　her　enemies　in　the　class。　The　one　she　hated
most　was　Williams。　He　was　a　sort　of　defective；　not　bad　enough　to
be　so　classed。　He　could　read　with　fluency；　and　had　plenty　of
cunning　intelligence。　But　he　could　not　keep　still。　And　he　had　a
kind　of　sickness　very　repulsive　to　a　sensitive　girl；　something
cunning　and　etiolated　and　degenerate。　Once　he　had　thrown　an
inkwell　at　her；　in　one　of　his　mad　little　rages。　Twice　he　had
run　home　out　of　class。　He　was　a　wellknown　character。

And　he　grinned　up　his　sleeve　at　this　girlteacher；　sometimes
hanging　round　her　to　fawn　on　her。　But　this　made　her　dislike　him
more。　He　had　a　kind　of　leechlike　power。

From　one　of　the　children　she　took　a　supple　cane；　and　this　she
determined　to　use　when　real　occasion　came。　One　morning；　at
position；　she　said　to　the　boy　Williams：

〃Why　have　you　made　this　blot？〃

〃Please；　miss；　it　fell　off　my　pen；〃　he　whined　out；　in　the
mocking　voice　that　he　was　so　clever　in　using。　The　boys　near
snorted　with　laughter。　For　Williams　was　an　actor；　he　could
tickle　the　feelings　of　his　hearers　subtly。　Particularly　he　could
tickle　the　children　with　him　into　ridiculing　his　teacher；　or
indeed；　any　authority　of　which　he　was　not　afraid。　He　had　that
peculiar　gaol　instinct。

〃Then　you　must　stay　in　and　finish　another　page　of
position；〃　said　the　teacher。

This　was　against　her　usual　sense　of　justice；　and　the　boy
resented　it　derisively。　At　twelve　o'clock　she　caught　him
slinking　out。

〃Williams；　sit　down；〃　she　said。

And　there　she　sat；　and　there　he　sat；　alone；　opposite　to　her；
on　the　back　desk；　looking　up　at　her　with　his　furtive　eyes　every
minute。

〃Please；　miss；　I've　got　to　go　an　errand；〃　he　called　out
insolently。

〃Bring　me　your　book；〃　said　Ursula。

The　boy　came　out；　flapping　his　book　along　the　desks。　He　had
not　written　a　line。

〃Go　back　and　do　the　writing　you　have　to　do；〃　said　Ursula。　And
she　sat　at　her　desk；　trying　to　correct　books。　She　was　trembling
and　upset。　And　for　an　hour　the　miserable　boy　writhed　and　grinned
in　his　seat。　At　the　end　of　that　time　he　had　done　five　lines。

〃As　it　is　so　late　now；〃　said　Ursula；　〃you　will　finish　the
rest　this　evening。〃

The　boy　kicked　his　way　insolently　down　the　passage。

The　afternoon　came　again。　Williams　was　there；　glancing　at
her；　and　her　heart　beat　thick；　for　she　knew　it　was　a　fight
between　them。　She　watched　him。

During　the　geography　lesson；　as　she　was　pointing　to　the　map
with　her　cane；　the　boy　continually　ducked　his　whitish　head　under
the　desk；　and　attracted　the　attention　of　other　boys。

〃Williams；〃　she　said；　gathering　her　courage；　for　it　was
critical　now　to　speak　to　him；　〃what　are　you　doing？〃

He　lifted　his　face；　the　sorerimmed　eyes　half　smiling。　There
was　something　intrinsically　indecent　about　him。　Ursula　shrank
away。

〃Nothing；〃　he　replied；　feeling　a　triumph。

〃What　are　you　doing？〃　she　repeated；　her　heartbeat
suffocating　her。

〃Nothing；〃　replied　the　boy；　insolently；　aggrieved；　ic。

〃If　I　speak　to　you　again；　you　must　go　down　to　Mr。　Harby；〃　she
said。

But　this　boy　was　a　match　even　for　Mr。　Harby。　He　was　so
persistent；　so　cringing；　and　flexible；　he　howled　so　when　he　was
hurt；　that　the　master　hated　more　the　teacher　who　sent　him　than
he　hated　the　boy　himself。　For　of　the　boy　he