hard cash-第141节

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er　present　feelings；　was　to　take　a　leaf　out　of　your　book；　and　use　all　her　power；　where　would　you　be　then？　Come；　old　fellow；　I　know　what　love　is；　and　one　of　us　_shall_　have　the　girl　he　loves；　unless　any　harm　should　come　to　my　poor　father　owing　to　your　blunderoh；　that　would　put　it　out　of　the　question；　I　feelbut　let　us　hope　better。　I　pulled　you　out　of　the　fire；　and　somehow　I　seem　to　like　you　better　than　ever　after　that；　let　me　pull　you　out　of　this　mess　too。〃

〃Pull　away；〃　cried　the　impetuous　youth。　〃I'll　trust　you　with　my　life：　ay；　with　more　than　my　life；　with　my　love；　for　you　are　the　man　for　me：　reason　is　always　uppermost　with　you：

　　　　　Give　me　the　man　that　is　not　passion's　slave；　　　　　　And　I　will　wear　him　in　my　heart's　core；　ay〃

〃Oh　bother　that。　If　you　are　in　earnest；　don't　mouth；　but　put　on　your　hat　and　come　over。〃

He　assented；　but　in　the　middle　of　putting　on　his　coat；　made　this　little　observation：　〃Now　I　see　how　wise　the　ancients　were：　yes；　friendship　is　better　than　love；　calmer；　more　constant；　free　from　the　heats　and　chills　of　that　impetuous　passion；　its　pure　bosom　is　ruffled　by　none　of　love's　jealousies　and　irritabilities。　Solem　e　mundo　tollunt　qui　tollunt　amicitiam。〃

〃Oh　bother　quoting；　come　and　shake　hands　with　Julia。〃　They　went　over；　Mrs。　Dodd　was　in　the　city。　Edward　ushered　in　Alfred；　saying；　〃Here　is　the　other　Impetuosity；〃　and　sagely　retired　for　a　few　minutes。　When　he　came　back　they　were　sitting　hand　in　hand；　he　gazing　on　her；　she　inspecting　the　carpet。　〃That　is　all　right；〃　said　Edward　drily：　〃now　the　next　thing　is；　you　must　go　back　to　Oxford　directly；　and　read　for　your　first　class。〃

The　proposal　fell　like　a　blight　upon　the　reconciled　lovers。　But　Edward　gave　potent　reasons。　The　delays　of　law　were　endless：　Alfred's　defendant　had　already　obtained　one　postponement　of　the　trial　on　frivolous　grounds。　Now　the　Oxford　examination　and　Doncaster　races　come　on　at　a　fixed　date；　by　a　Law　of　Nature；　and　admit　of　no　〃postponement　swindle。〃　〃You　mark　my　words；　you　will　get　your　class　before　you　will　get　your　trial；　and　it　won't　hurt　you　to　go　into　court　a　first…class　man：　will　it？　And　then　you　won't　quarrel　by　letter；　you　two；　I　know。　Come；　will　you　do　what　I　tell　you：　or　is　friendship　but　a　name？　eh；　Mr。　Bombast？〃　He　ended　with　great　though　quiet　force：　〃Come；　you　two；　which　is　better；　to　part　like　the　scissors；　or　part　like　the　thread？〃

Similes　are　no　arguments；　that　is　why　they　convince　people　so：　Alfred　capitulated　to　the　scissors　and　thread；　and　only　asked　with　abnormal　humility　to　be　allowed　to　taste　the　joys　of　reconciliation　for　two　days。　The　third　found　him　at　Oxford；　he　called　on　the　head　of　his　college　to　explain　what　had　prevented　his　return　to　Exeter　in　the　October　term　twelve　months　ago；　and　asked　for　rooms。　Instead　of　siding　with　a　man　of　his　own　college　so　cruelly　injured；　the　dignitary　was　alarmed　by　the　bare　accusation；　and　said　he　must　consider：　insanity　was　a　terrible　thing。

〃So　is　false　accusation；　and　so　is　false　imprisonment；〃　said　Hardie　bitterly。

〃Unquestionably。　But　I　have　at　present　no　means　of　deciding　how　far　those　words　apply。〃　In　short；　he　could　give　no　answer；　must　consult　the　other　officers；　and　would　convey　the　result　by　letter。

Alfred's　pride　was　deeply　mortified；　not　less　by　a　certain　cold　repugnant　manner　than　by　the　words。　And　there　came　over　his　heart　a　sickening　feeling　that　he　was　now　in　the　eyes　of　men　an　intellectual　leper。

He　went　to　another　college　directly；　and　applied　to　the　vice…president；　the　vice…president　sent　him　with　a　letter　to　the　dean；　the　dean　looked　frightened；　and　told　him　hesitatingly　the　college　was　full；　he　might　put　his　name　down；　and　perhaps　get　in　next　year。　Alfred　retired；　and　learned　from　the　porter　that　the　college　was　not　full。　He　sighed　deeply；　and　the　sickening　feeling　grew　on　him；　an　ineradicable　stigma　seemed　upon　him；　and　Mrs。　Dodd　was　no　worse　than　the　rest　of　the　world　then；　every　mother　in　England　would　approve　her　resolutions。　He　wandered　about　the　scenes　of　his　intellectual　triumphs：　he　stood　in　the　great　square　of　the　schools；　a　place　ugly　to　unprejudiced　eyes；　but　withal　somewhat　grand　and　inspiring；　especially　to　scholars　who　have　fought　their　keen　and　bloodless　battles　there。　He　looked　at　the　windows　and　gilt　inscription　of　the　Schola　Metaphysices；　in　which　he　had　met　the　scholars　of　his　day　and　defeated　them　for　the　Ireland。　He　wandered　into　the　theatre；　and　eyed　the　rostrum；　whence　he　had　not　mumbled；　but　recited；　his　Latin　prize　poem　with　more　than　one　thunder　of　academic　applause：　thunder　compared　with　which　Drury　Lane's　us　a　mere　cracker。　These　places　were　unchanged；　but　he；　sad　scholar；　wandered　among　them　as　if　he　was　a　ghost；　and　all　these　were　stony　phantoms　of　an　intellectual　past；　never；　never　to　return。

He　telegraphed　Sampson　and　Edward　to　furnish　him　with　certificates　that　he　had　never　been　insane；　but　the　victim　of　a　foul　conspiracy；　and；　when　he　received　them；　he　went　with　them　to　St。　Margaret's　Hall；　for　he　had　bethought　him　that　the　new　principal　was　a　first…rate　man；　and　had　openly　vowed　he　would　raise　that　〃refuge　for　the　oft…times　phoughed〃　to　a　place　of　learning。

Hardie　called；　sent　in　his　card；　and　was　admitted　to　the　principal's　study。　He　was　about　to　explain　who　he　was；　when　the　doctor　interrupted　him；　and　told　him　politely　he　knew　him　by　reputation。　〃Tell　me　rather；〃　said　he　shrewdly；　〃to　what　I　owe　this　application　from　an　undergraduate　so　distinguished　as　Mr。　Hardie？〃

Then　Alfred　began　to　quake；　and；　instead　of　replying；　put　a　hand　suddenly　before　his　face；　and　lost　courage　for　one　moment。

〃Come；　Mr。　Hardie；〃　said　the　principal；　〃don't　be　disconcerted：　a　fault　regretted　is　half　atoned；　and　I　am　not　disposed　to　be　hard　on　the　errors　of　youth；　I　mean　where　there　is　merit　to　balance　them。〃

〃Sir；〃　said　Alfred　sadly；　〃it　is　not　a　fault　I　have　to　acknowledge；　but　a　misfortune。〃

〃Tell　me　all　about　it；〃　said　Dr。　Alder　guardedly。

He　told　it；　omitting　nothing　essential　that　could　touch　the　heart　or　excite　the　ironical　humour　of　an　academician。

Well；　'truth　is　more　wonderful　than　fiction；'〃　said　the　doctor。　And　I　conclude　the　readers　of　this　tale　are　all　of　the　doctor's　opinion；　so　sweet　to　the　mind　is　cant。

Alfred　offered　his　certificates。

Now　Dr。　Alder　had　been　asking　himself　in　what　phrases　he　should　decline　this　young　genius；　who　was　sane　now；　but　of　course　had　been　mad；　only　had　forgotten　the　circumstance。　But　the　temptation　to　get　an　Ireland　scholar　into　his　Hall　suddenly　overpowered　him。　The　probability　that　he　might　get　a　first…class　in　a　lucid　interval　was　too　enticing；　nothing　venture；　nothing　have。　He　determined　to　venture　a　good　deal。

〃Mr。　Hardie；〃　said　he；　〃this　house　shall　always　be　open　to　good　morals　and　good　scholarship　while　I　preside　over　it；　and　it　shall　be　open　to　them　all　the　more　when　they　come　to　me　dignified；　and　made　sacred；　by　'unmerited　calamity。'〃

Now　this　fine　speech；　like　Minerva　herself；　came　from　the　head。　Alfred　was　overcome　by　it　to　tears。　At　that　the　doctor's　heart　was　touched；　and　even　began　to　fancy　it　had　originated　that　noble　speech。

It　was　no　use　doing　things　by　halves；　so　Dr。　Alder　gave　Alfred　a　delightful　set　of　rooms；　and　made　the　Hall　pleasant　to　him。　He　was　rewarded　by　a　growing　conviction　that　he　had　made　an　excellent　acquisition。　This　opinion；　however；　was　anything　but　universal：　and　Alfred　finding　the　men　of　his　own　college　suspected　his　sanity；　and　passed　jokes　behind　his　back；　cut　them　all　dead；　and　confined　himself　to　his　little　Hall。　There　they　petted　him；　and　crowed　about　him；　and　betted　on　him　for　the　schools　as　freely　as　if　he　was　a　colt　the　Hall　was　going　to　enter　for　the　Derby。

He　read　hard；　and　judiciously；　but　without　his　old　confidence：　he　became　anxious　and　doubtful；　he　had　seen　so　many　first…rate　men　just　miss　a　first…class。　The　brilliant　creature　analysed　all　his　Aristotelian　treatises；　and　wrote　the　synopses　clear　with　marginal　references　on　great　pasteboard　cards　three　feet　by　two；　and　so　kept　the　whole　subject　before　his　eye；　till　he　obtained　a　singular　mastery。　Same　system　with　the　historians：　nor　did　he　disdain　the　use　of　coloured　inks。　Then　the　brilliant　creature　drew　lists　of　all　the　hard　words　he　encountered　in　his　reading；　especially　in　the　common　books；　and　read　these　lists　till　mastered。　The　stake　was　singularly　heavy　in　his　case；　so　he　guarded　every　crevice。

And　at　this　period　he　was　not　so　unhappy　as　he　expected。　The　laborious　days　went　swiftly；　and　twice　a　week　at　least　came　a　letter　from　Julia。　Oh；　how　his　grave　academic　room　with　oaken　panels　did　brighten；　when　her　letter　lay　on　the　table。　It　was　opened；　and　seemed　written　with　sunbeams。　No　quarrels　on　paper！　Absence　made　the　heart　grow　fonder。　And　Edward　came　to　see　him；　and　over　their　wine　let　out　a　feminine　trait　in　Julia。　〃When　Hurd　calls；　she　walks　out　of　the　room；　just　as　my　poor　mother　does　when　you　come。　That　is　spite：　since　you　are　sent　away；　nobody　else　is　to　profit　by　it。　Where　is　her　Christianity；　eh？　and　echo　answers　Got　a　cigar；　old　fellow？〃　And；　after　puffing　in　silence　awhile；　he　said　resignedly；　〃I　am　an　unnatural　monster。〃

〃Oh；　are　you？〃　said　the　other　serenely；　for　he　was　also　under　the　benign　influence。

〃Yes；〃　said　Edwa