the way of all flesh-第18节

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fact　that　no　living　children　were　born　to　them。



CHAPTER　XVII



In　the　course　of　time　this　sorrow　was　removed。　　At　the　beginning　of
the　fifth　year　of　her　married　life　Christina　was　safely　delivered　of
a　boy。　　This　was　on　the　sixth　of　September　1835。

Word　was　immediately　sent　to　old　Mr　Pontifex；　who　received　the　news
with　real　pleasure。　　His　son　John's　wife　had　borne　daughters　only；
and　he　was　seriously　uneasy　lest　there　should　be　a　failure　in　the
male　line　of　his　descendants。　　The　good　news；　therefore；　was　doubly
welcome；　and　caused　as　much　delight　at　Elmhurst　as　dismay　in　Woburn
Square；　where　the　John　Pontifexes　were　then　living。

Here；　indeed；　this　freak　of　fortune　was　felt　to　be　all　the　more
cruel　on　account　of　the　impossibility　of　resenting　it　openly；　but
the　delighted　grandfather　cared　nothing　for　what　the　John　Pontifexes
might　feel　or　not　feel；　he　had　wanted　a　grandson　and　he　had　got　a
grandson；　and　this　should　be　enough　for　everybody；　and；　now　that　Mrs
Theobald　had　taken　to　good　ways；　she　might　bring　him　more　grandsons；
which　would　be　desirable；　for　he　should　not　feel　safe　with　fewer
than　three。

He　rang　the　bell　for　the　butler。

〃Gelstrap；〃　he　said　solemnly；　〃I　want　to　go　down　into　the　cellar。〃

Then　Gelstrap　preceded　him　with　a　candle；　and　he　went　into　the　inner
vault　where　he　kept　his　choicest　wines。

He　passed　many　bins：　　there　was　1803　Port；　1792　Imperial　Tokay；　1800
Claret；　1812　Sherry；　these　and　many　others　were　passed；　but　it　was
not　for　them　that　the　head　of　the　Pontifex　family　had　gone　down　into
his　inner　cellar。　　A　bin；　which　had　appeared　empty　until　the　full
light　of　the　candle　had　been　brought　to　bear　upon　it；　was　now　found
to　contain　a　single　pint　bottle。　　This　was　the　object　of　Mr
Pontifex's　search。

Gelstrap　had　often　pondered　over　this　bottle。　　It　had　been　placed
there　by　Mr　Pontifex　himself　about　a　dozen　years　previously；　on　his
return　from　a　visit　to　his　friend　the　celebrated　traveller　Dr　Jones…
…but　there　was　no　tablet　above　the　bin　which　might　give　a　clue　to
the　nature　of　its　contents。　　On　more　than　one　occasion　when　his
master　had　gone　out　and　left　his　keys　accidentally　behind　him；　as　he
sometimes　did；　Gelstrap　had　submitted　the　bottle　to　all　the　tests　he
could　venture　upon；　but　it　was　so　carefully　sealed　that　wisdom
remained　quite　shut　out　from　that　entrance　at　which　he　would　have
welcomed　her　most　gladlyand　indeed　from　all　other　entrances；　for
he　could　make　out　nothing　at　all。

And　now　the　mystery　was　to　be　solved。　　But　alas！　it　seemed　as　though
the　last　chance　of　securing　even　a　sip　of　the　contents　was　to　be
removed　for　ever；　for　Mr　Pontifex　took　the　bottle　into　his　own　hands
and　held　it　up　to　the　light　after　carefully　examining　the　seal。　　He
smiled　and　left　the　bin　with　the　bottle　in　his　hands。

Then　came　a　catastrophe。　　He　stumbled　over　an　empty　hamper；　there
was　the　sound　of　a　falla　smash　of　broken　glass；　and　in　an　instant
the　cellar　floor　was　covered　with　the　liquid　that　had　been　preserved
so　carefully　for　so　many　years。

With　his　usual　presence　of　mind　Mr　Pontifex　gasped　out　a　month's
warning　to　Gelstrap。　　Then　he　got　up；　and　stamped　as　Theobald　had
done　when　Christina　had　wanted　not　to　order　his　dinner。

〃It's　water　from　the　Jordan；〃　he　exclaimed　furiously；　〃which　I　have
been　saving　for　the　baptism　of　my　eldest　grandson。　　Damn　you；
Gelstrap；　how　dare　you　be　so　infernally　careless　as　to　leave　that
hamper　littering　about　the　cellar？〃

I　wonder　the　water　of　the　sacred　stream　did　not　stand　upright　as　an
heap　upon　the　cellar　floor　and　rebuke　him。　　Gelstrap　told　the　other
servants　afterwards　that　his　master's　language　had　made　his　backbone
curdle。

The　moment；　however；　that　he　heard　the　word　〃water；〃　he　saw　his　way
again；　and　flew　to　the　pantry。　　Before　his　master　had　well　noted　his
absence　he　returned　with　a　little　sponge　and　a　basin；　and　had　begun
sopping　up　the　waters　of　the　Jordan　as　though　they　had　been　a　common
slop。

〃I'll　filter　it；　Sir；〃　said　Gelstrap　meekly。　　〃It'll　come　quite
clean。〃

Mr　Pontifex　saw　hope　in　this　suggestion；　which　was　shortly　carried
out　by　the　help　of　a　piece　of　blotting　paper　and　a　funnel；　under　his
own　eyes。　　Eventually　it　was　found　that　half　a　pint　was　saved；　and
this　was　held　to　be　sufficient。

Then　he　made　preparations　for　a　visit　to　Battersby。　　He　ordered
goodly　hampers　of　the　choicest　eatables；　he　selected　a　goodly　hamper
of　choice　drinkables。　　I　say　choice　and　not　choicest；　for　although
in　his　first　exaltation　he　had　selected　some　of　his　very　best　wine；
yet　on　reflection　he　had　felt　that　there　was　moderation　in　all
things；　and　as　he　was　parting　with　his　best　water　from　the　Jordan；
he　would　only　send　some　of　his　second　best　wine。

Before　he　went　to　Battersby　he　stayed　a　day　or　two　in　London；　which
he　now　seldom　did；　being　over　seventy　years　old；　and　having
practically　retired　from　business。　　The　John　Pontifexes；　who　kept　a
sharp　eye　on　him；　discovered　to　their　dismay　that　he　had　had　an
interview　with　his　solicitors。



CHAPTER　XVIII



For　the　first　time　in　his　life　Theobald　felt　that　he　had　done
something　right；　and　could　look　forward　to　meeting　his　father
without　alarm。　　The　old　gentleman；　indeed；　had　written　him　a　most
cordial　letter；　announcing　his　intention　of　standing　godfather　to
the　boynay；　I　may　as　well　give　it　in　full；　as　it　shows　the　writer
at　his　best。　　It　runs：


〃Dear　Theobald；Your　letter　gave　me　very　sincere　pleasure；　the　more
so　because　I　had　made　up　my　mind　for　the　worst；　pray　accept　my　most
hearty　congratulations　for　my　daughter…in…law　and　for　yourself。

〃I　have　long　preserved　a　phial　of　water　from　the　Jordan　for　the
christening　of　my　first　grandson；　should　it　please　God　to　grant　me
one。　　It　was　given　me　by　my　old　friend　Dr　Jones。　　You　will　agree
with　me　that　though　the　efficacy　of　the　sacrament　does　not　depend
upon　the　source　of　the　baptismal　waters；　yet；　ceteris　paribus；　there
is　a　sentiment　attaching　to　the　waters　of　the　Jordan　which　should
not　be　despised。　　Small　matters　like　this　sometimes　influence　a
child's　whole　future　career。

〃I　shall　bring　my　own　cook；　and　have　told　him　to　get　everything
ready　for　the　christening　dinner。　　Ask　as　many　of　your　best
neighbours　as　your　table　will　hold。　　By　the　way；　I　have　told　Lesueur
NOT　TO　GET　A　LOBSTERyou　had　better　drive　over　yourself　and　get　one
from　Saltness　（for　Battersby　was　only　fourteen　or　fifteen　miles　from
the　sea　coast）；　they　are　better　there；　at　least　I　think　so；　than
anywhere　else　in　England。

〃I　have　put　your　boy　down　for　something　in　the　event　of　his
attaining　the　age　of　twenty…one　years。　　If　your　brother　John
continues　to　have　nothing　but　girls　I　may　do　more　later　on；　but　I
have　many　claims　upon　me；　and　am　not　as　well　off　as　you　may
imagine。Your　affectionate　father；

〃G。　　PONTIFEX。〃


A　few　days　afterwards　the　writer　of　the　above　letter　made　his
appearance　in　a　fly　which　had　brought　him　from　Gildenham　to
Battersby；　a　distance　of　fourteen　miles。　　There　was　Lesueur；　the
cook；　on　the　box　with　the　driver；　and　as　many　hampers　as　the　fly
could　carry　were　disposed　upon　the　roof　and　elsewhere。　　Next　day　the
John　Pontifexes　had　to　come；　and　Eliza　and　Maria；　as　well　as
Alethea；　who；　by　her　own　special　request；　was　godmother　to　the　boy；
for　Mr　Pontifex　had　decided　that　they　were　to　form　a　happy　family
party；　so　come　they　all　must；　and　be　happy　they　all　must；　or　it
would　be　the　worse　for　them。　　Next　day　the　author　of　all　this　hubbub
was　actually　christened。　　Theobald　had　proposed　to　call　him　George
after　old　Mr　Pontifex；　but　strange　to　say；　Mr　Pontifex　over…ruled
him　in　favour　of　the　name　Ernest。　　The　word　〃earnest〃　was　just
beginning　to　come　into　fashion；　and　he　thought　the　possession　of
such　a　name　might；　like　his　having　been　baptised　in　water　from　the
Jordan；　have　a　permanent　effect　upon　the　boy's　character；　and
influence　him　for　good　during　the　more　critical　periods　of　his　life。

I　was　asked　to　be　his　second　godfather；　and　was　rejoiced　to　have　an
opportunity　of　meeting　Alethea；　whom　I　had　not　seen　for　some　few
years；　but　with　whom　I　had　been　in　constant　correspondence。　　She　and
I　had　always　been　friends　from　the　time　we　had　played　together　as
children　onwards。　　When　the　death　of　her　grandfather　and　grandmother
severed　her　connection　with　Paleham　my　intimacy　with　the　Pontifexes
was　kept　up　by　my　having　been　at　school　and　college　with　Theobald；
and　each　time　I　saw　her　I　admired　her　more　and　more　as　the　best；
kindest；　wittiest；　most　lovable；　and；　to　my　mind；　handsomest　woman
whom　I　had　ever　seen。　　None　of　the　Pontifexes　were　deficient　in　good
looks；　they　were　a　well…grown　shapely　family　enough；　but　Alethea　was
the　flower　of　the　flock　even　as　regards　good　looks；　while　in　respect
of　all　other　qualities　that　make　a　woman　lovable；　it　seemed　as
though　the　stock　that　had　been　intended　for　the　three　daughters；　and
would　have　been　about　sufficient　for　them；　had　all　been　allotted　to
herself；　her　sisters　getting　none；　and　she　all。

It　is　impossible　for　me　to　explain　how　it　was　that　she　and　I　never
married。　　We　two　knew　exceedingly　well；　and　that　must　suffice　for
the　reader。　　There　was　the　most　perfect　sympathy　and　understanding