the way of all flesh-第32节

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whom　and　herself　there　had　been　little　sympathy；　and　came　up　to
London。　　She　was　determined；　so　she　said；　to　make　the　rest　of　her
life　as　happy　as　she　could；　and　she　had　clearer　ideas　about　the　best
way　of　setting　to　work　to　do　this　than　women；　or　indeed　men；
generally　have。

Her　fortune　consisted；　as　I　have　said；　of　5000　pounds；　which　had
come　to　her　by　her　mother's　marriage　settlements；　and　15；000　pounds
left　her　by　her　father；　over　both　which　sums　she　had　now　absolute
control。　　These　brought　her　in　about　900　pounds　a　year；　and　the
money　being　invested　in　none　but　the　soundest　securities；　she　had　no
anxiety　about　her　income。　　She　meant　to　be　rich；　so　she　formed　a
scheme　of　expenditure　which　involved　an　annual　outlay　of　about　500
pounds；　and　determined　to　put　the　rest　by。　　〃If　I　do　this；〃　she　said
laughingly；　〃I　shall　probably　just　succeed　in　living　comfortably
within　my　income。〃　　In　accordance　with　this　scheme　she　took
unfurnished　apartments　in　a　house　in　Gower　Street；　of　which　the
lower　floors　were　let　out　as　offices。　　John　Pontifex　tried　to　get
her　to　take　a　house　to　herself；　but　Alethea　told　him　to　mind　his　own
business　so　plainly　that　he　had　to　beat　a　retreat。　　She　had　never
liked　him；　and　from　that　time　dropped　him　almost　entirely。

Without　going　much　into　society　she　yet　became　acquainted　with　most
of　the　men　and　women　who　had　attained　a　position　in　the　literary；
artistic　and　scientific　worlds；　and　it　was　singular　how　highly　her
opinion　was　valued　in　spite　of　her　never　having　attempted　in　any　way
to　distinguish　herself。　　She　could　have　written　if　she　had　chosen；
but　she　enjoyed　seeing　others　write　and　encouraging　them　better　than
taking　a　more　active　part　herself。　　Perhaps　literary　people　liked
her　all　the　better　because　she　did　not　write。

I；　as　she　very　well　knew；　had　always　been　devoted　to　her；　and　she
might　have　had　a　score　of　other　admirers　if　she　had　liked；　but　she
had　discouraged　them　all；　and　railed　at　matrimony　as　women　seldom　do
unless　they　have　a　comfortable　income　of　their　own。　　She　by　no
means；　however；　railed　at　man　as　she　railed　at　matrimony；　and　though
living　after　a　fashion　in　which　even　the　most　censorious　could　find
nothing　to　complain　of；　as　far　as　she　properly　could　she　defended
those　of　her　own　sex　whom　the　world　condemned　most　severely。

In　religion　she　was；　I　should　think；　as　nearly　a　free…thinker　as
anyone　could　be　whose　mind　seldom　turned　upon　the　subject。　　She　went
to　church；　but　disliked　equally　those　who　aired　either　religion　or
irreligion。　　I　remember　once　hearing　her　press　a　late　well…known
philosopher　to　write　a　novel　instead　of　pursuing　his　attacks　upon
religion。　　The　philosopher　did　not　much　like　this；　and　dilated　upon
the　importance　of　showing　people　the　folly　of　much　that　they
pretended　to　believe。　　She　smiled　and　said　demurely；　〃Have　they　not
Moses　and　the　prophets？　　Let　them　hear　them。〃　　But　she　would　say　a
wicked　thing　quietly　on　her　own　account　sometimes；　and　called　my
attention　once　to　a　note　in　her　prayer…book　which　gave　account　of
the　walk　to　Emmaus　with　the　two　disciples；　and　how　Christ　had　said
to　them　〃O　fools　and　slow　of　heart　to　believe　ALL　that　the　prophets
have　spoken〃the　〃all〃　being　printed　in　small　capitals。

Though　scarcely　on　terms　with　her　brother　John；　she　had　kept　up
closer　relations　with　Theobald　and　his　family；　and　had　paid　a　few
days'　visit　to　Battersby　once　in　every　two　years　or　so。　　Alethea　had
always　tried　to　like　Theobald　and　join　forces　with　him　as　much　as
she　could　（for　they　two　were　the　hares　of　the　family；　the　rest　being
all　hounds）；　but　it　was　no　use。　　I　believe　her　chief　reason　for
maintaining　relations　with　her　brother　was　that　she　might　keep　an
eye　on　his　children　and　give　them　a　lift　if　they　proved　nice。

When　Miss　Pontifex　had　come　down　to　Battersby　in　old　times　the
children　had　not　been　beaten；　and　their　lessons　had　been　made
lighter。　　She　easily　saw　that　they　were　overworked　and　unhappy；　but
she　could　hardly　guess　how　all…reaching　was　the　regime　under　which
they　lived。　　She　knew　she　could　not　interfere　effectually　then；　and
wisely　forbore　to　make　too　many　enquiries。　　Her　time；　if　ever　it　was
to　come；　would　be　when　the　children　were　no　longer　living　under　the
same　roof　as　their　parents。　　It　ended　in　her　making　up　her　mind　to
have　nothing　to　do　with　either　Joey　or　Charlotte；　but　to　see　so　much
of　Ernest　as　should　enable　her　to　form　an　opinion　about　his
disposition　and　abilities。

He　had　now　been　a　year　and　a　half　at　Roughborough　and　was　nearly
fourteen　years　old；　so　that　his　character　had　begun　to　shape。　　His
aunt　had　not　seen　him　for　some　little　time　and；　thinking　that　if　she
was　to　exploit　him　she　could　do　so　now　perhaps　better　than　at　any
other　time；　she　resolved　to　go　down　to　Roughborough　on　some　pretext
which　should　be　good　enough　for　Theobald；　and　to　take　stock　of　her
nephew　under　circumstances　in　which　she　could　get　him　for　some　few
hours　to　herself。　　Accordingly　in　August　1849；　when　Ernest　was　just
entering　on　his　fourth　half　year　a　cab　drove　up　to　Dr　Skinner's　door
with　Miss　Pontifex；　who　asked　and　obtained　leave　for　Ernest　to　come
and　dine　with　her　at　the　Swan　Hotel。　　She　had　written　to　Ernest　to
say　she　was　coming　and　he　was　of　course　on　the　look…out　for　her。　　He
had　not　seen　her　for　so　long　that　he　was　rather　shy　at　first；　but
her　good　nature　soon　set　him　at　his　ease。　　She　was　so　strongly
biassed　in　favour　of　anything　young　that　her　heart　warmed　towards
him　at　once；　though　his　appearance　was　less　prepossessing　than　she
had　hoped。　　She　took　him　to　a　cake　shop　and　gave　him　whatever　he
liked　as　soon　as　she　had　got　him　off　the　school　premises；　and　Ernest
felt　at　once　that　she　contrasted　favourably　even　with　his　aunts　the
Misses　Allaby；　who　were　so　very　sweet　and　good。　　The　Misses　Allaby
were　very　poor；　sixpence　was　to　them　what　five　shillings　was　to
Alethea。　　What　chance　had　they　against　one　who；　if　she　had　a　mind；
could　put　by　out　of　her　income　twice　as　much　as　they；　poor　women；
could　spend？

The　boy　had　plenty　of　prattle　in　him　when　he　was　not　snubbed；　and
Alethea　encouraged　him　to　chatter　about　whatever　came　uppermost。　　He
was　always　ready　to　trust　anyone　who　was　kind　to　him；　it　took　many
years　to　make　him　reasonably　wary　in　this　respectif　indeed；　as　I
sometimes　doubt；　he　ever　will　be　as　wary　as　he　ought　to　beand　in　a
short　time　he　had　quite　dissociated　his　aunt　from　his　papa　and　mamma
and　the　rest；　with　whom　his　instinct　told　him　he　should　be　on　his
guard。　　Little　did　he　know　how　great；　as　far　as　he　was　concerned；
were　the　issues　that　depended　upon　his　behaviour。　　If　he　had　known；
he　would　perhaps　have　played　his　part　less　successfully。

His　aunt　drew　from　him　more　details　of　his　home　and　school　life　than
his　papa　and　mamma　would　have　approved　of；　but　he　had　no　idea　that
he　was　being　pumped。　　She　got　out　of　him　all　about　the　happy　Sunday
evenings；　and　how　he　and　Joey　and　Charlotte　quarrelled　sometimes；
but　she　took　no　side　and　treated　everything　as　though　it　were　a
matter　of　course。　　Like　all　the　boys；　he　could　mimic　Dr　Skinner；　and
when　warmed　with　dinner；　and　two　glasses　of　sherry　which　made　him
nearly　tipsy；　he　favoured　his　aunt　with　samples　of　the　Doctor's
manner　and　spoke　of　him　familiarly　as　〃Sam。〃

〃Sam；〃　he　said；　〃is　an　awful　old　humbug。〃　　It　was　the　sherry　that
brought　out　this　piece　of　swagger；　for　whatever　else　he　was　Dr
Skinner　was　a　reality　to　Master　Ernest；　before　which；　indeed；　he
sank　into　his　boots　in　no　time。　　Alethea　smiled　and　said；　〃I　must
not　say　anything　to　that；　must　I？〃　　Ernest　said；　〃I　suppose　not；〃
and　was　checked。　　By…and…by　he　vented　a　number　of　small　second…hand
priggishnesses　which　he　had　caught　up　believing　them　to　be　the
correct　thing；　and　made　it　plain　that　even　at　that　early　age　Ernest
believed　in　Ernest　with　a　belief　which　was　amusing　from　its
absurdity。　　His　aunt　judged　him　charitably　as　she　was　sure　to　do；
she　knew　very　well　where　the　priggishness　came　from；　and　seeing　that
the　string　of　his　tongue　had　been　loosened　sufficiently　gave　him　no
more　sherry。

It　was　after　dinner；　however；　that　he　completed　the　conquest　of　his
aunt。　　She　then　discovered　that；　like　herself；　he　was　passionately
fond　of　music；　and　that；　too；　of　the　highest　class。　　He　knew；　and
hummed　or　whistled　to　her　all　sorts　of　pieces　out　of　the　works　of
the　great　masters；　which　a　boy　of　his　age　could　hardly　be　expected
to　know；　and　it　was　evident　that　this　was　purely　instinctive；
inasmuch　as　music　received　no　kind　of　encouragement　at　Roughborough。
There　was　no　boy　in　the　school　as　fond　of　music　as　he　was。　　He
picked　up　his　knowledge；　he　said；　from　the　organist　of　St　Michael's
Church　who　used　to　practise　sometimes　on　a　week…day　afternoon。
Ernest　had　heard　the　organ　booming　away　as　he　was　passing　outside
the　church　and　had　sneaked　inside　and　up　into　the　organ　loft。　　In
the　course　of　time　the　organist　became　accustomed　to　him　as　a
familiar　visitant；　and　the　pair　became　friends。

It　was　this　which　decided　Alethea　that　the　boy　was　worth　taking
pains　with。　　〃He　likes　the　best　music；〃　she　thought；　〃and　he　hates
Dr　Skinner。　　This　is　a　very　fair　beginning。〃　　When　she　sent　him　away
at　night　with　a　soverei