The Rainbow-虹(英文版)- 第103节

〃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　sore…rimmed　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　heart…beat
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　was　sick　of　the
sight。　Which　Williams　knew。　He　grinned　visibly。

Ursula　turned　to　the　map　again；　to　go　on　with　the　geography
lesson。　But　there　was　a　little　ferment　in　the　class。　Williams'
spirit　infected　them　all。　She　heard　a　scuffle；　and　then　she
trembled　inwardly。　If　they　all　turned　on　her　this　time；　she　was
beaten。

〃Please；　miss〃　called　a　voice　in　distress。

She　turned　round。　One　of　the　boys　she　liked　was　ruefully
holding　out　a　torn　celluloid　collar。　She　heard　the　plaint；
feeling　futile。

〃Go　in　front；　Wright；〃　she　said。

She　was　trembling　in　every　fibre。　A　big；　sullen　boy；　not　bad
but　very　difficult；　slouched　out　to　the　front。　She　went　on　with
the　lesson；　aware　that　Williams　was　making　faces　at　Wright；　and
that　Wright　was　grinning　behind　her。　She　was　afraid。　She　turned
to　the　map　again。　And　she　was　afraid。

〃Please；　miss；　Williams〃　came　a　sharp　cry；　and
a　boy　on　the　back　row　was　standing　up；　with　drawn；　pained　brows；
half　a　mocking　grin　on　his　pain；　half　real　resentment　against
Williams……〃Please；　miss；　he's　nipped　me；〃……and　he
rubbed　his　leg　ruefully。

〃e　in　front；　Williams；〃　she　said。

The　rat…like　boy　sat　with　his　pale　smile　and　did　not
move。

〃e　in　front；〃　she　repeated；　definite　now。

〃I　shan't；〃　he　cried；　snarling；　rat…like；　grinning。　Something
went　click　in　Ursula's　soul。　Her　face　and　eyes　set；　she　went
through　the　class　straight。　The　boy　cowered　before　her
glowering；　fixed　eyes。　But　she　advanced　on　him；　seized　him　by
the　arm；　and　dragged　him　from　his　seat。　He　clung　to　the　form。　It
was　the　battle　between　him　and　her。　Her　instinct　had　suddenly
bee　calm　and　quick。　She　jerked　him　from　his　grip；　and　dragged
him；　struggling　and　kicking；　to　the　front。　He　kicked　her　several
times；　and　clung　to　the　forms　as　he　passed；　but　she　went　on。　The
class　was　on　its　feet　in　excitement。　She　saw　it；　and　made　no
move。

She　knew　if　she　let　go　the　boy　he　would　dash　to　the　door。
Already　he　had　run　home　once　out　of　her　class。　So　she　snatched
her　cane　from　the　desk；　and　brought　it　down　on　him。　He　was
writhing　and　kicking。　She　saw　his　face　beneath　her；　white；　with
eyes　like　the　eyes　of　a　fish；　stony；　yet　full　of　hate　and
horrible　fear。　And　she　loathed　him；　the　hideous　writhing　thing
that　was　nearly　too　much　for　her。　In　horror　lest　he　should
overe　her；　and　yet　at　the　heart　quite　calm；　she　brought　down
the　cane　again　and　again；　whilst　he　struggled　making
inarticulate　noises；　and　lunging　vicious　kicks　at　her。　With　one
hand　she　managed　to　hold　him；　and　now　and　then　the　cane　came
down　on　him。　He　writhed；　like　a　mad　thing。　But　the　pain　of　the
strokes　cut　through　his　writhing；　vicious；　coward's　courage；　bit
deeper；　till　at　last；　with　a　long　whimper　that　became　a　yell；　he
went　limp。　She　let　him　go；　and　he　rushed　at　her；　his　teeth　and
eyes　glinting。　There　was　a　second　of　agonized　terror　in　her
heart：　he　was　a　beast　thing。　Then　she　caught　him；　and　the　cane
came　down　on　him。　A　few　times；　madly；　in　a　frenzy；　he　lunged　and
writhed；　to　kick　her。　But　again　the　cane　broke　him；　he　sank　with
a　howling　yell　on　the　floor；　and　like　a　beaten　beast　lay　there
yelling。

Mr。　Harby　had　rushed　up　towards　the　end　of　this
performance。

〃What's　the　matter？〃　he　roared。

Ursula　felt　as　if　something　were　going　to　break　in　her。

〃I've　thrashed　him；〃　she　said；　her　breast　heaving；　forcing
out　the　words　on　the　last　breath。　The　headmaster　stood　choked
with　rage；　helpless。　She　looked　at　the　writhing；　howling　figure
on　the　floor。

〃Get　up；〃　she　said。　The　thing　writhed　away　from　her。　She　took
a　step　forward。　She　had　realized　the　presence　of　the　headmaster
for　one　second；　and　then　she　was　oblivious　of　it　again。

〃Get　up；〃　she　said。　And　with　a　little　dart　the　boy　was　on　his
feet。　His　yelling　dropped　to　a　mad　blubber。　He　had　been　in　a
frenzy。

〃Go　and　stand　by　the　radiator；〃　she　said。

As　if　mechanically；　blubbering；　he　went。

The　headmaster　stood　robbed　of　movement　or　speech。　His　face
was　yellow；　his　hands　twitched　convulsively。　But　Ursula　stood
stiff　not　far　from　him。　Nothing　could　touch　her　now：　she　was
beyond　Mr。　Harby。　She　was　as　if　violated　to　death。

The　headmaster　muttered　something；　turned；　and　went　down　the
room；　whence；　from　the　far　end；　he　was　heard　roaring　in　a　mad
rage　at　his　own　class。

The　boy　blubbered　wildly　by　the　radiator。　Ursula　looked　at
the　class。　There　were　fifty　pale；　still　faces　watching　her；　a
hundred　round　eyes　fixed　on　her　in　an　attentive；　expressionless
stare。

〃Give　out　the　history　readers；〃　she　said　to　the　monitors。

There　was　dead　silence。　As　she　stood　there；　she　could　hear
again　the　ticking　of　the　clock；　and　the　chock　of　piles　of　books
taken　out　of　the　low　cupboard。　Then　came　the　faint　flap　of　books
on　the　desks。　The　children　passed　in　silence；　their　hands
working　in　unison。　They　were　no　longer　a　pack；　but　each　one
separated　into　a　silent；　closed　thing。

〃Take　page　125；　and　read　that　chapter；〃　said　Ursula。

There　was　a　click　of　many　books　opened。　The　children　found
the　page；　and　bent　their　heads　obediently　to　read。　And　they
read；　mechanically。

Ursula；　who　was　trembling　violently；　went　and　sat　in　her　high
chair。　The　blubbering　of　the　boy　continued。　The　strident　voice
of　Mr。　Brunt；　the　roar　of　Mr。　Harby；　came　muffled　through　the
glass　partition。　And　now　and　then　a　pair　of　eyes　rose　from　the
reading…book；　rested　on　her　a　moment；　watchful；　as　if
calculating　impersonally；　then　sank　again。

She　sat　still　without　moving；　her　eyes　watching　the　class；
unseeing。　She　was　quite　still；　and　weak。　She　felt　that　she　could
not　raise　her　hand　from　the　desk。　If　she　sat　there　for　ever；　she
felt　she　could　not　move　again；　nor　utter　a　mand。　It　was　a
quarter…past　four。　She　almost　dreaded　the　closing　of　the　school；
when　she　would　be