the book of snobs-第14节
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Hugby cried when Glenlivat apologized; if the young
nobleman had kicked him round the court; I believe the
tutor would have been happy; so that an apology and a
reconciliation might subsequently ensue。 'My lord;' said
he; 'in your conduct on this and all other occasions; you
have acted as becomes a gentleman; you have been an
honour to the University; as you will be to the peerage;
I am sure; when the amiable vivacity of youth is calmed
down; and you are called upon to take your proper share
in the government of the nation。' And when his lordship
took leave of the University; Hugby presented him with a
copy of his 'Sermons to a Nobleman's Family' (Hugby was
once private tutor to the Sons of the Earl of
Muffborough); which Glenlivat presented in return to Mr。
William Ramm; known to the fancy as the Tutbury Pet; and
the sermons now figure on the boudoir…table of Mrs。 Ramm;
behind the bar of her house of entertainment; 'The Game
Cock and Spurs;' near Woodstock; Oxon。
At the beginning of the long vacation; Hugby comes to
town; and puts up in handsome lodgings near St。 James's
Square; rides in the Park in the afternoon; and is
delighted to read his name in the morning papers among
the list of persons present at Muffborough House; and the
Marquis of Farintosh's evening…parties。 He is a member
of Sydney Scraper's Club; where; however; he drinks his
pint of claret。
Sometimes you may see him on Sundays; at the hour when
tavern doors open; whence issue little girls with great
jugs of porter; when charity…boys walk the streets;
bearing brown dishes of smoking shoulders of mutton and
baked 'taturs; when Sheeny and Moses are seen smoking
their pipes before their lazy shutters in Seven Dials;
when a crowd of smiling persons in clean outlandish
dresses; in monstrous bonnets and flaring printed gowns;
or in crumpled glossy coats and silks that bear the
creases of the drawers where they have lain all the week;
file down High Street;sometimes; I say; you may see
Hugby coming out of the Church of St。 Giles…in…the…
Fields; with a stout gentlewoman leaning on his arm;
whose old face bears an expression of supreme pride and
happiness as she glances round at all the neighbours; and
who faces the curate himself and marches into Holborn;
where she pulls the bell of a house over which is
inscribed; 'Hugby; Haberdasher。' It is the mother of the
Rev。 F。 Hugby; as proud of her son in his white choker as
Cornelia of her jewels at Rome。 That is old Hugby
bringing up the rear with the Prayer…books; and Betsy
Hugby the old maid; his daughter;old Hugby; Haberdasher
and Church…warden。
In the front room upstairs; where the dinner is laid out;
there is a picture of Muffborough Castle; of the Earl of
Muffborough; K。X。; Lord…Lieutenant for Diddlesex; an
engraving; from an almanac; of Saint Boniface College;
Oxon; and a sticking…plaster portrait of Hugby when
young; in a cap and gown。 A copy of his 'Sermons to a
Nobleman's Family' is on the bookshelf; by the 'Whole
Duty of Man;' the Reports of the Missionary Societies;
and the 'Oxford University Calendar。' Old Hugby knows
part of this by heart; every living belonging to Saint
Boniface; and the name of every tutor; fellow; nobleman;
and undergraduate。
He used to go to meeting and preach himself; until his
son took orders; but of late the old gentleman has been
accused of Puseyism; and is quite pitiless against the
Dissenters。
CHAPTER XV
ON UNIVERSITY SNOBS
I should like to fill several volumes with accounts of
various University Snobs; so fond are my reminiscences of
them; and so numerous are they。 I should like to speak;
above all; of the wives and daughters of some of the
Professor…Snobs; their amusements; habits; jealousies;
their innocent artifices to entrap young men; their
picnics; concerts; and evening…parties。 I wonder what
has become of Emily Blades; daughter of Blades; the
Professor of the Mandingo language? I remember her
shoulders to this day; as she sat in the midst of a crowd
of about seventy young gentlemen; from Corpus and
Catherine Hall; entertaining them with ogles and French
songs on the guitar。 Are you married; fair Emily of the
shoulders? What beautiful ringlets those were that used
to dribble over them!what a waist!what a killing sea…
green shot…silk gown!what a cameo; the size of a
muffin! There were thirty…six young men of the
University in love at one time with Emily Blades: and no
words are sufficient to describe the pity; the sorrow;
the deep; deep commiserationthe rage; fury; and
uncharitableness; in other wordswith which the Miss
Trumps (daughter of Trumps; the Professor of Phlebotomy)
regarded her; because she DIDN'T squint; and because she
WASN'T marked with the small…pox。
As for the young University Snobs; I am getting too old;
now; to speak of such very familiarly。 My recollections
of them lie in the far; far pastalmost as far back as
Pelham's time。
We THEN used to consider Snobs raw…looking lads; who
never missed chapel; who wore highlows and no straps; who
walked two hours on the Trumpington road every day of
their lives; who carried off the college scholarships;
and who overrated themselves in hall。 We were premature
in pronouncing our verdict of youthful Snobbishness The
man without straps fulfilled his destiny and duty。 He
eased his old governor; the curate in Westmoreland; or
helped his sisters to set up the Ladies' School。 He
wrote a 'Dictionary;' or a 'Treatise on Conic Sections;'
as his nature and genius prompted。 He got a fellowship:
and then took to himself a wife; and a living。 He
presides over a parish now; and thinks it rather a
dashing thing to belong to the 'Oxford and Cambridge
Club;' and his parishioners love him; and snore under his
sermons。 No; no; HE is not a Snob。 It is not straps
that make the gentleman; or highlows that unmake him; be
they ever so thick。 My son; it is you who are the Snob
if you lightly despise a man for doing his duty; and
refuse to shake an honest man's hand because it wears a
Berlin glove。
We then used to consider it not the least vulgar for a
parcel of lads who had been whipped three months
previous; and were not allowed more than three glasses of
port at home; to sit down to pineapples and ices at each
other's rooms; and fuddle themselves with champagne and
claret。
One looks back to what was called a 'wine…party' with a
sort of wonder。 Thirty lads round a table covered with
bad sweetmeats; drinking bad wines; telling bad stories;
singing bad songs over and over again。 Milk punch
smokingghastly headache frightful spectacle of
dessert…table next morning; and smell of tobaccoyour
guardian; the clergyman; dropping in; in the midst of
thisexpecting to find you deep in Algebra; and
discovering the Gyp administering soda…water。
There were young men who despised the lads who indulged
in the coarse hospitalities of wine…parties; who prided
themselves in giving RECHERCHE little French dinners。
Both wine…party…givers and dinner…givers were Snobs。
There were what used to be called 'dressy' Snobs:… Jimmy;
who might be seen at five o'clock elaborately rigged out;
with a camellia in his button…hole; glazed boots; and
fresh kid…gloves twice a day;Jessamy; who was
conspicuous for his 'jewellery;'a young donkey;
glittering all over with chains; rings; and shirt…studs;…
…Jacky; who rode every day solemnly on the Blenheim Road;
in pumps and white silk stockings; with his hair curled;…
…all three of whom flattered themselves they gave laws to
the University about dressall three most odious
varieties of Snobs。
Sporting Snobs of course there were; and are always
those happy beings in whom Nature has implanted a love of
slang: who loitered about the horsekeeper's stables; and
drove the London coachesa stage in and outand might
be seen swaggering through the courts in pink of early
mornings; and indulged in dice and blind…hookey at
nights; and never missed a race or a boxing…match; and
rode flat…races; and kept bull…terriers。 Worse Snobs
even than these were poor miserable wretches who did not
like hunting at all; and could not afford it; and were in
mortal fear at a two…foot ditch; but who hunted because
Glenlivat and Cinqbars hunted。 The Billiard Snob and the
Boating Snob were varieties of these; and are to be found
elsewhere than in universities。
Then there were Philosophical Snobs; who used to ape
statesmen at the spouting…clubs; and who believed as a
fact that Government always had an eye on the University
for the selection of orators for the House of Commons。
There were audacious young free…thinkers; who adored
nobody or nothing; except perhaps Robespierre and the
Koran; and panted for the day when the pale name of
priest should shrink and dwindle away before the
indignation o