the way of all flesh-第27节

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It　is　true　that　in　the　intervals　of　business　I　had　written　a　good
deal；　but　my　works　had　been　almost　exclusively　for　the　stage；　and
for　those　theatres　that　devoted　themselves　to　extravaganza　and
burlesque。　　I　had　written　many　pieces　of　this　description；　full　of
puns　and　comic　songs；　and　they　had　had　a　fair　success；　but　my　best
piece　had　been　a　treatment　of　English　history　during　the　Reformation
period；　in　the　course　of　which　I　had　introduced　Cranmer；　Sir　Thomas
More；　Henry　the　Eighth；　Catherine　of　Arragon；　and　Thomas　Cromwell
（in　his　youth　better　known　as　the　Malleus　Monachorum）；　and　had　made
them　dance　a　break…down。　　I　had　also　dramatised　〃The　Pilgrim's
Progress〃　for　a　Christmas　Pantomime；　and　made　an　important　scene　of
Vanity　Fair；　with　Mr　Greatheart；　Apollyon；　Christiana；　Mercy；　and
Hopeful　as　the　principal　characters。　　The　orchestra　played　music
taken　from　Handel's　best　known　works；　but　the　time　was　a　good　deal
altered；　and　altogether　the　tunes　were　not　exactly　as　Handel　left
them。　　Mr　Greatheart　was　very　stout　and　he　had　a　red　nose；　he　wore　a
capacious　waistcoat；　and　a　shirt　with　a　huge　frill　down　the　middle
of　the　front。　　Hopeful　was　up　to　as　much　mischief　as　I　could　give
him；　he　wore　the　costume　of　a　young　swell　of　the　period；　and　had　a
cigar　in　his　mouth　which　was　continually　going　out。

Christiana　did　not　wear　much　of　anything：　　indeed　it　was　said　that
the　dress　which　the　Stage　Manager　had　originally　proposed　for　her
had　been　considered　inadequate　even　by　the　Lord　Chamberlain；　but
this　is　not　the　case。　　With　all　these　delinquencies　upon　my　mind　it
was　natural　that　I　should　feel　convinced　of　sin　while　playing　chess
（which　I　hate）　with　the　great　Dr　Skinner　of　Roughboroughthe
historian　of　Athens　and　editor　of　Demosthenes。　　Dr　Skinner；
moreover；　was　one　of　those　who　pride　themselves　on　being　able　to　set
people　at　their　ease　at　once；　and　I　had　been　sitting　on　the　edge　of
my　chair　all　the　evening。　　But　I　have　always　been　very　easily
overawed　by　a　schoolmaster。

The　game　had　been　a　long　one；　and　at　half…past　nine；　when　supper
came　in；　we　had　each　of　us　a　few　pieces　remaining。　　〃What　will　you
take　for　supper；　Dr　Skinner？〃　said　Mrs　Skinner　in　a　silvery　voice。

He　made　no　answer　for　some　time；　but　at　last　in　a　tone　of　almost
superhuman　solemnity；　he　said；　first；　〃Nothing；〃　and　then　〃Nothing
whatever。〃

By　and　by；　however；　I　had　a　sense　come　over　me　as　though　I　were
nearer　the　consummation　of　all　things　than　I　had　ever　yet　been。　　The
room　seemed　to　grow　dark；　as　an　expression　came　over　Dr　Skinner's
face；　which　showed　that　he　was　about　to　speak。　　The　expression
gathered　force；　the　room　grew　darker　and　darker。　　〃Stay；〃　he　at
length　added；　and　I　felt　that　here　at　any　rate　was　an　end　to　a
suspense　which　was　rapidly　becoming　unbearable。　　〃StayI　may
presently　take　a　glass　of　cold　waterand　a　small　piece　of　bread　and
butter。〃

As　he　said　the　word　〃butter〃　his　voice　sank　to　a　hardly　audible
whisper；　then　there　was　a　sigh　as　though　of　relief　when　the　sentence
was　concluded；　and　the　universe　this　time　was　safe。

Another　ten　minutes　of　solemn　silence　finished　the　game。　　The　Doctor
rose　briskly　from　his　seat　and　placed　himself　at　the　supper　table。
〃Mrs　Skinner；〃　he　exclaimed　jauntily；　〃what　are　those　mysterious…
looking　objects　surrounded　by　potatoes？〃

〃Those　are　oysters；　Dr　Skinner。〃

〃Give　me　some；　and　give　Overton　some。〃

And　so　on　till　he　had　eaten　a　good　plate　of　oysters；　a　scallop　shell
of　minced　veal　nicely　browned；　some　apple　tart；　and　a　hunk　of　bread
and　cheese。　　This　was　the　small　piece　of　bread　and　butter。

The　cloth　was　now　removed　and　tumblers　with　teaspoons　in　them；　a
lemon　or　two　and　a　jug　of　boiling　water　were　placed　upon　the　table。
Then　the　great　man　unbent。　　His　face　beamed。

〃And　what　shall　it　be　to　drink？〃　he　exclaimed　persuasively。　　〃Shall
it　be　brandy　and　water？　　No。　　It　shall　be　gin　and　water。　　Gin　is　the
more　wholesome　liquor。〃

So　gin　it　was；　hot　and　stiff　too。

Who　can　wonder　at　him　or　do　anything　but　pity　him？　　Was　he　not　head…
master　of　Roughborough　School？　　To　whom　had　he　owed　money　at　any
time？　　Whose　ox　had　he　taken；　whose　ass　had　he　taken；　or　whom　had　he
defrauded？　　What　whisper　had　ever　been　breathed　against　his　moral
character？　　If　he　had　become　rich　it　was　by　the　most　honourable　of
all　meanshis　literary　attainments；　over　and　above　his　great　works
of　scholarship；　his　〃Meditations　upon　the　Epistle　and　Character　of
St　Jude〃　had　placed　him　among　the　most　popular　of　English
theologians；　it　was　so　exhaustive　that　no　one　who　bought　it　need
ever　meditate　upon　the　subject　againindeed　it　exhausted　all　who
had　anything　to　do　with　it。　　He　had　made　5000　pounds　by　this　work
alone；　and　would　very　likely　make　another　5000　pounds　before　he
died。　　A　man　who　had　done　all　this　and　wanted　a　piece　of　bread　and
butter　had　a　right　to　announce　the　fact　with　some　pomp　and
circumstance。　　Nor　should　his　words　be　taken　without　searching　for
what　he　used　to　call　a　〃deeper　and　more　hidden　meaning。〃　　Those　who
searched　for　this　even　in　his　lightest　utterances　would　not　be
without　their　reward。　　They　would　find　that　〃bread　and　butter〃　was
Skinnerese　for　oyster…patties　and　apple　tart；　and　〃gin　hot〃　the　true
translation　of　water。

But　independently　of　their　money　value；　his　works　had　made　him　a
lasting　name　in　literature。　　So　probably　Gallio　was　under　the
impression　that　his　fame　would　rest　upon　the　treatises　on　natural
history　which　we　gather　from　Seneca　that　he　compiled；　and　which　for
aught　we　know　may　have　contained　a　complete　theory　of　evolution；　but
the　treatises　are　all　gone　and　Gallio　has　become　immortal　for　the
very　last　reason　in　the　world　that　he　expected；　and　for　the　very
last　reason　that　would　have　flattered　his　vanity。　　He　has　become
immortal　because　he　cared　nothing　about　the　most　important　movement
with　which　he　was　ever　brought　into　connection　（I　wish　people　who
are　in　search　of　immortality　would　lay　the　lesson　to　heart　and　not
make　so　much　noise　about　important　movements）；　and　so；　if　Dr　Skinner
becomes　immortal；　it　will　probably　be　for　some　reason　very　different
from　the　one　which　he　so　fondly　imagined。

Could　it　be　expected　to　enter　into　the　head　of　such　a　man　as　this
that　in　reality　he　was　making　his　money　by　corrupting　youth；　that　it
was　his　paid　profession　to　make　the　worse　appear　the　better　reason
in　the　eyes　of　those　who　were　too　young　and　inexperienced　to　be　able
to　find　him　out；　that　he　kept　out　of　the　sight　of　those　whom　he
professed　to　teach　material　points　of　the　argument；　for　the
production　of　which　they　had　a　right　to　rely　upon　the　honour　of
anyone　who　made　professions　of　sincerity；　that　he　was　a　passionate
half…turkey…cock　half…gander　of　a　man　whose　sallow；　bilious　face　and
hobble…gobble　voice　could　scare　the　timid；　but　who　would　take　to　his
heels　readily　enough　if　he　were　met　firmly；　that　his　〃Meditations　on
St　Jude；〃　such　as　they　were；　were　cribbed　without　acknowledgment；
and　would　have　been　beneath　contempt　if　so　many　people　did　not
believe　them　to　have　been　written　honestly？　　Mrs　Skinner　might　have
perhaps　kept　him　a　little　more　in　his　proper　place　if　she　had
thought　it　worth　while　to　try；　but　she　had　enough　to　attend　to　in
looking　after　her　household　and　seeing　that　the　boys　were　well　fed
and；　if　they　were　ill；　properly　looked　afterwhich　she　took　good
care　they　were。



CHAPTER　XXVIII



Ernest　had　heard　awful　accounts　of　Dr　Skinner's　temper；　and　of　the
bullying　which　the　younger　boys　at　Roughborough　had　to　put　up　with
at　the　hands　of　the　bigger　ones。　　He　had　now　got　about　as　much　as　he
could　stand；　and　felt　as　though　it　must　go　hard　with　him　if　his
burdens　of　whatever　kind　were　to　be　increased。　　He　did　not　cry　on
leaving　home；　but　I　am　afraid　he　did　on　being　told　that　he　was
getting　near　Roughborough。　　His　father　and　mother　were　with　him；
having　posted　from　home　in　their　own　carriage；　Roughborough　had　as
yet　no　railway；　and　as　it　was　only　some　forty　miles　from　Battersby；
this　was　the　easiest　way　of　getting　there。

On　seeing　him　cry；　his　mother　felt　flattered　and　caressed　him。　　She
said　she　knew　he　must　feel　very　sad　at　leaving　such　a　happy　home；
and　going　among　people　who；　though　they　would　be　very　good　to　him；
could　never；　never　be　as　good　as　his　dear　papa　and　she　had　been；
still；　she　was　herself；　if　he　only　knew　it；　much　more　deserving　of
pity　than　he　was；　for　the　parting　was　more　painful　to　her　than　it
could　possibly　be　to　him；　etc。；　and　Ernest；　on　being　told　that　his
tears　were　for　grief　at　leaving　home；　took　it　all　on　trust；　and　did
not　trouble　to　investigate　the　real　cause　of　his　tears。　　As　they
approached　Roughborough　he　pulled　himself　together；　and　was　fairly
calm　by　the　time　he　reached　Dr　Skinner's。

On　their　arrival　they　had　luncheon　with　the　Doctor　and　his　wife；　and
then　Mrs　Skinner　took　Christina　over　the　bedrooms；　and　showed　her
where　her　dear　little　boy　was　to　sleep。

Whatever　men　may　think　about　the　study　of　man；　women　do　really
believe　the　noblest　study　for　womankind　to　be　woman；　and　Christina
was　too　much　engrossed　with　Mrs　Skinner　to　pay　much　attention　to
anything　else；　I　daresay　Mrs　Skinner；　too；　was　taking　pretty
accurate　stoc