the way of all flesh-第2节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


If　he　has　made　me　feel　that　he　felt　those　things　to　be　loveable
which　I　hold　loveable　myself　I　ask　no　more；　his　grammar　may　have
been　imperfect；　but　still　I　have　understood　him；　he　and　I　are　en
rapport；　and　I　say　again；　Edward；　that　old　Pontifex　was　not　only　an
able　man；　but　one　of　the　very　ablest　men　I　ever　knew。

Against　this　there　was　no　more　to　be　said；　and　my　sisters　eyed　me　to
silence。　　Somehow　or　other　my　sisters　always　did　eye　me　to　silence
when　I　differed　from　my　father。

〃Talk　of　his　successful　son；〃　snorted　my　father；　whom　I　had　fairly
roused。　　〃He　is　not　fit　to　black　his　father's　boots。　　He　has　his
thousands　of　pounds　a　year；　while　his　father　had　perhaps　three
thousand　shillings　a　year　towards　the　end　of　his　life。　　He　IS　a
successful　man；　but　his　father；　hobbling　about　Paleham　Street　in　his
grey　worsted　stockings；　broad　brimmed　hat　and　brown　swallow…tailed
coat　was　worth　a　hundred　of　George　Pontifexes；　for　all　his　carriages
and　horses　and　the　airs　he　gives　himself。〃

〃But　yet；〃　he　added；　〃George　Pontifex　is　no　fool　either。〃　　And　this
brings　us　to　the　second　generation　of　the　Pontifex　family　with　whom
we　need　concern　ourselves。



CHAPTER　II



Old　Mr　Pontifex　had　married　in　the　year　1750；　but　for　fifteen　years
his　wife　bore　no　children。　　At　the　end　of　that　time　Mrs　Pontifex
astonished　the　whole　village　by　showing　unmistakable　signs　of　a
disposition　to　present　her　husband　with　an　heir　or　heiress。　　Hers
had　long　ago　been　considered　a　hopeless　case；　and　when　on　consulting
the　doctor　concerning　the　meaning　of　certain　symptoms　she　was
informed　of　their　significance；　she　became　very　angry　and　abused　the
doctor　roundly　for　talking　nonsense。　　She　refused　to　put　so　much　as
a　piece　of　thread　into　a　needle　in　anticipation　of　her　confinement
and　would　have　been　absolutely　unprepared；　if　her　neighbours　had　not
been　better　judges　of　her　condition　than　she　was；　and　got　things
ready　without　telling　her　anything　about　it。　　Perhaps　she　feared
Nemesis；　though　assuredly　she　knew　not　who　or　what　Nemesis　was；
perhaps　she　feared　the　doctor　had　made　a　mistake　and　she　should　be
laughed　at；　from　whatever　cause；　however；　her　refusal　to　recognise
the　obvious　arose；　she　certainly　refused　to　recognise　it；　until　one
snowy　night　in　January　the　doctor　was　sent　for　with　all　urgent　speed
across　the　rough　country　roads。　　When　he　arrived　he　found　two
patients；　not　one；　in　need　of　his　assistance；　for　a　boy　had　been
born　who　was　in　due　time　christened　George；　in　honour　of　his　then
reigning　majesty。

To　the　best　of　my　belief　George　Pontifex　got　the　greater　part　of　his
nature　from　this　obstinate　old　lady；　his　mothera　mother　who　though
she　loved　no　one　else　in　the　world　except　her　husband　（and　him　only
after　a　fashion）　was　most　tenderly　attached　to　the　unexpected　child
of　her　old　age；　nevertheless　she　showed　it　little。

The　boy　grew　up　into　a　sturdy　bright…eyed　little　fellow；　with　plenty
of　intelligence；　and　perhaps　a　trifle　too　great　readiness　at　book
learning。　　Being　kindly　treated　at　home；　he　was　as　fond　of　his
father　and　mother　as　it　was　in　his　nature　to　be　of　anyone；　but　he
was　fond　of　no　one　else。　　He　had　a　good　healthy　sense　of　meum；　and
as　little　of　tuum　as　he　could　help。　　Brought　up　much　in　the　open　air
in　one　of　the　best　situated　and　healthiest　villages　in　England；　his
little　limbs　had　fair　play；　and　in　those　days　children's　brains　were
not　overtasked　as　they　now　are；　perhaps　it　was　for　this　very　reason
that　the　boy　showed　an　avidity　to　learn。　　At　seven　or　eight　years
old　he　could　read；　write　and　sum　better　than　any　other　boy　of　his
age　in　the　village。　　My　father　was　not　yet　rector　of　Paleham；　and
did　not　remember　George　Pontifex's　childhood；　but　I　have　heard
neighbours　tell　him　that　the　boy　was　looked　upon　as　unusually　quick
and　forward。　　His　father　and　mother　were　naturally　proud　of　their
offspring；　and　his　mother　was　determined　that　he　should　one　day
become　one　of　the　kings　and　councillors　of　the　earth。

It　is　one　thing　however　to　resolve　that　one's　son　shall　win　some　of
life's　larger　prizes；　and　another　to　square　matters　with　fortune　in
this　respect。　　George　Pontifex　might　have　been　brought　up　as　a
carpenter　and　succeeded　in　no　other　way　than　as　succeeding　his
father　as　one　of　the　minor　magnates　of　Paleham；　and　yet　have　been　a
more　truly　successful　man　than　he　actually　wasfor　I　take　it　there
is　not　much　more　solid　success　in　this　world　than　what　fell　to　the
lot　of　old　Mr　and　Mrs　Pontifex；　it　happened；　however；　that　about　the
year　1780；　when　George　was　a　boy　of　fifteen；　a　sister　of　Mrs
Pontifex's；　who　had　married　a　Mr　Fairlie；　came　to　pay　a　few　days'
visit　at　Paleham。　　Mr　Fairlie　was　a　publisher；　chiefly　of　religious
works；　and　had　an　establishment　in　Paternoster　Row；　he　had　risen　in
life；　and　his　wife　had　risen　with　him。　　No　very　close　relations　had
been　maintained　between　the　sisters　for　some　years；　and　I　forget
exactly　how　it　came　about　that　Mr　and　Mrs　Fairlie　were　guests　in　the
quiet　but　exceedingly　comfortable　house　of　their　sister　and　brother…
in…law；　but　for　some　reason　or　other　the　visit　was　paid；　and　little
George　soon　succeeded　in　making　his　way　into　his　uncle　and　aunt's
good　graces。　　A　quick；　intelligent　boy　with　a　good　address；　a　sound
constitution；　and　coming　of　respectable　parents；　has　a　potential
value　which　a　practised　business　man　who　has　need　of　many
subordinates　is　little　likely　to　overlook。　　Before　his　visit　was
over　Mr　Fairlie　proposed　to　the　lad's　father　and　mother　that　he
should　put　him　into　his　own　business；　at　the　same　time　promising
that　if　the　boy　did　well　he　should　not　want　some　one　to　bring　him
forward。　　Mrs　Pontifex　had　her　son's　interest　too　much　at　heart　to
refuse　such　an　offer；　so　the　matter　was　soon　arranged；　and　about　a
fortnight　after　the　Fairlies　had　left；　George　was　sent　up　by　coach
to　London；　where　he　was　met　by　his　uncle　and　aunt；　with　whom　it　was
arranged　that　he　should　live。

This　was　George's　great　start　in　life。　　He　now　wore　more　fashionable
clothes　than　he　had　yet　been　accustomed　to；　and　any　little　rusticity
of　gait　or　pronunciation　which　he　had　brought　from　Paleham；　was　so
quickly　and　completely　lost　that　it　was　ere　long　impossible　to
detect　that　he　had　not　been　born　and　bred　among　people　of　what　is
commonly　called　education。　　The　boy　paid　great　attention　to　his
work；　and　more　than　justified　the　favourable　opinion　which　Mr
Fairlie　had　formed　concerning　him。　　Sometimes　Mr　Fairlie　would　send
him　down　to　Paleham　for　a　few　days'　holiday；　and　ere　long　his
parents　perceived　that　he　had　acquired　an　air　and　manner　of　talking
different　from　any　that　he　had　taken　with　him　from　Paleham。　　They
were　proud　of　him；　and　soon　fell　into　their　proper　places；　resigning
all　appearance　of　a　parental　control；　for　which　indeed　there　was　no
kind　of　necessity。　　In　return；　George　was　always　kindly　to　them；　and
to　the　end　of　his　life　retained　a　more　affectionate　feeling　towards
his　father　and　mother　than　I　imagine　him　ever　to　have　felt　again　for
man；　woman；　or　child。

George's　visits　to　Paleham　were　never　long；　for　the　distance　from
London　was　under　fifty　miles　and　there　was　a　direct　coach；　so　that
the　journey　was　easy；　there　was　not　time；　therefore；　for　the　novelty
to　wear　off　either　on　the　part　of　the　young　man　or　of　his　parents。
George　liked　the　fresh　country　air　and　green　fields　after　the
darkness　to　which　he　had　been　so　long　accustomed　in　Paternoster　Row；
which　then；　as　now；　was　a　narrow　gloomy　lane　rather　than　a　street。
Independently　of　the　pleasure　of　seeing　the　familiar　faces　of　the
farmers　and　villagers；　he　liked　also　being　seen　and　being
congratulated　on　growing　up　such　a　fine…looking　and　fortunate　young
fellow；　for　he　was　not　the　youth　to　hide　his　light　under　a　bushel。
His　uncle　had　had　him　taught　Latin　and　Greek　of　an　evening；　he　had
taken　kindly　to　these　languages　and　had　rapidly　and　easily　mastered
what　many　boys　take　years　in　acquiring。　　I　suppose　his　knowledge
gave　him　a　self…confidence　which　made　itself　felt　whether　he
intended　it　or　not；　at　any　rate；　he　soon　began　to　pose　as　a　judge　of
literature；　and　from　this　to　being　a　judge　of　art；　architecture；
music　and　everything　else；　the　path　was　easy。　　Like　his　father；　he
knew　the　value　of　money；　but　he　was　at　once　more　ostentatious　and
less　liberal　than　his　father；　while　yet　a　boy　he　was　a　thorough
little　man　of　the　world；　and　did　well　rather　upon　principles　which
he　had　tested　by　personal　experiment；　and　recognised　as　principles；
than　from　those　profounder　convictions　which　in　his　father　were　so
instinctive　that　he　could　give　no　account　concerning　them。

His　father；　as　I　have　said；　wondered　at　him　and　let　him　alone。　　His
son　had　fairly　distanced　him；　and　in　an　inarticulate　way　the　father
knew　it　perfectly　well。　　After　a　few　years　he　took　to　wearing　his
best　clothes　whenever　his　son　came　to　stay　with　him；　nor　would　he
discard　them　for　his　ordinary　ones　till　the　young　man　had　returned
to　London。　　I　believe　old　Mr　Pontifex；　along　with　his　pride　and
affection；　felt　also　a　certain　fear　of　his　son；　as　though　of
something　which　he　could　not　thoroughly　understand；　and　whose　ways；
notwithstanding　outward　agreement；　were　neverthel