Free Short Stories by W. Somerset Maugham Page A

more awkward was that both Jackson and Edward seemed to be amused. It was bad enough to have forced on him the acquaintance of the one man on the island he would rather have avoided, but worse to discern that he was being made a fool of. Perhaps, however, he had reached this conclusion too quickly, for Jackson, without a pause, added:
    'I understand you're very friendly with the Longstaffes. Mary Longstaffe is my sister.'
    Now Bateman asked himself if Arnold Jackson could think him ignorant of the most terrible scandal that Chicago had ever known. But Jackson put his hand on Edward's shoulder.
    'I can't sit down, Teddie,' he said. 'I'm busy. But you two boys had better come up and dine tonight.'
    'That'll be fine,' said Edward.
    'It's very kind of you, Mr Jackson,' said Bateman, frigidly, 'but I'm here for so short a time; my boat sails tomorrow, you know; I think if you'll forgive me, I won't come.'
    'Oh, nonsense. I'll give you a native dinner. My wife's a wonderful cook. Teddie will show you the way. Come early so as to see the sunset. I can give you both a shake-down if you like.'
    'Of course we'll come,' said Edward. 'There's always the devil of a row in the hotel on the night a boat arrives and we can have a good yarn up at the bungalow.'
    'I can't let you off, Mr Hunter,' Jackson continued with the utmost cordiality. 'I want to hear all about Chicago and Mary.'
    He nodded and walked away before Bateman could say another word.
    'We don't take refusals in Tahiti,' laughed Edward. 'Besides, you'll get the best dinner on the island.'
    'What did he mean by saying his wife was a good cook? I happen to know his wife's in Geneva.'
    'That's a long way off for a wife, isn't it?' said Edward. 'And it's a long time since he saw her. I guess it's another wife he's talking about.'
    For some time Bateman was silent. His face was set in grave lines. But looking up he caught the amused look in Edward's eyes, and he flushed darkly.
    'Arnold Jackson is a despicable rogue,' he said.
    'I greatly fear he is,' answered Edward, smiling.
    'I don't see how any decent man can have anything to do with him.'
    'Perhaps I'm not a decent man.'
    'Do you see much of him, Edward?'
    'Yes, quite a lot. He's adopted me as his nephew.'
    Bateman leaned forward and fixed Edward with his searching eyes.
    'Do you like him?'
    'Very much.'
    'But don't you know, doesn't everyone here know, that he's a forger and that he's been a convict? He ought to be hounded out of civilized society.'
    Edward watched a ring of smoke that floated from his cigar into the still, scented air.
    'I suppose he is a pretty unmitigated rascal,' he said at last. 'And I can't flatter myself that any repentance for his misdeeds offers one an excuse for condoning them. He was a swindler and a hypocrite. You can't get away from it. I never met a more agreeable companion. He's taught me everything I know.'
    'What has he taught you?' cried Bateman in amazement.
    'How to live.'
    Bateman broke into ironical laughter.
    'A fine master. Is it owing to his lessons that you lost the chance of making a fortune and earn your living now by serving behind a counter in a ten-cent store?'
    'He has a wonderful personality,' said Edward, smiling good-naturedly. 'Perhaps you'll see what I mean tonight.'
    'I'm not going to dine with him if that's what you mean. Nothing would induce me to set foot within that man's house.'
    'Come to oblige me, Bateman. We've been friends for so many years, you won't refuse me a favour when I ask it.'
    Edward's tone had in it a quality new to Bateman. Its gentleness was singularly persuasive.
    'If you put it like that, Edward, I'm bound to come,' he smiled.
    Bateman reflected, moreover, that it would be as well to learn what he could about Arnold Jackson. It was plain that he had a great ascendancy over Edward, and if it was to be combated it was necessary to discover in what exactly it consisted. The more he talked with Edward the more conscious he became that a change had taken