the way of all flesh-第33节

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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　sovereign　in　his　pocket　（and　he　had　only　hoped　to
get　five　shillings）　she　felt　as　though　she　had　had　a　good　deal　more
than　her　money's　worth　for　her　money。



CHAPTER　XXXIII



Next　day　Miss　Pontifex　returned　to　town；　with　her　thoughts　full　of
her　nephew　and　how　she　could　best　be　of　use　to　him。

It　appeared　to　her　that　to　do　him　any　real　service　she　must　devote
herself　almost　entirely　to　him；　she　must　in　fact　give　up　living　in
London；　at　any　rate　for　a　long　time；　and　live　at　Roughborough　where
she　could　see　him　continually。　　This　was　a　serious　undertaking；　she
had　lived　in　London　for　the　last　twelve　years；　and　naturally
disliked　the　prospect　of　a　small　country　town　such　as　Roughborough。
Was　it　a　prudent　thing　to　attempt　so　much？　　Must　not　people　take
their　chances　in　this　world？　　Can　anyone　do　much　for　anyone　else
unless　by　making　a　will　in　his　favour　and　dying　then　and　there？
Should　not　each　look　after　his　own　happiness；　and　will　not　the　world
be　best　carried　on　if　everyone　minds　his　own　business　and　leaves
other　people　to　mind　theirs？　　Life　is　not　a　donkey　race　in　which
everyone　is　to　ride　his　neighbour's　donkey　and　the　last　is　to　win；
and　the　psalmist　long　since　formulated　a　common　experience　when　he
declared　that　no　man　may　deliver　his　brother　nor　make　agreement　unto
God　for　him；　for　it　cost　more　to　redeem　their　souls；　so　that　he　must
let　that　alone　for　ever。

All　these　excellent　reasons　for　letting　her　nephew　alone　occurred　to
her；　and　many　more；　but　against　them　there　pleaded　a　woman's　love
for　children；　and　her　desire　to　find　someone　among　the　younger
branches　of　her　own　family　to　whom　she　could　become　warmly　attached；
and　whom　she　could　attach　warmly　to　herself。

Over　and　above　this　she　wanted　someone　to　leave　her　money　to；　she
was　not　going　to　leave　it　to　people　about　whom　she　knew　very　little；
merely　because　they　happened　to　be　sons　and　daughters　of　brothers
and　sisters　whom　she　had　never　liked。　　She　knew　the　power　and　value
of　money　exceedingly　well；　and　how　many　lovable　people　suffer　and
die　yearly　for　the　want　of　it；　she　was　little　likely　to　leave　it
without　being　satisfied　that　her　legatees　were　square；　lovable；　and
more　or　less　hard　up。　　She　wanted　those　to　have　it　who　would　be　most
likely　to　use　it　genially　and　sensibly；　and　whom　it　would　thus　be
likely　to　make　most　happy；　if　she　could　find　one　such　among　her
nephews　and　nieces；　so　much　the　better；　it　was　worth　taking　a　great
deal　of　pains　to　see　whether　she　could　or　could　not；　but　if　she
failed；　she　must　find　an　heir　who　was　not　related　to　her　by　blood。

〃Of　course；〃　she　had　said　to　me；　more　than　once；　〃I　shall　make　a
mess　of　it。　　I　shall　choose　some　nice…looking；　well…dressed　screw；
with　gentlemanly　manners　which　will　take　me　in；　and　he　will　go　and
paint　Academy　pictures；　or　write　for　the　Times；　or　do　something　just
as　horrid　the　moment　the　breath　is　out　of　my　body。〃

As　yet；　however；　she　had　made　no　will　at　all；　and　this　was　one　of
the　few　things　that　troubled　her。　　I　believe　she　would　have　left
most　of　her　money　to　me　if　I　had　not　stopped　her。　　My　father　left　me
abundantly　well　off；　and　my　mode　of　life　has　been　always　simple；　so
that　I　have　never　known　uneasiness　about　money；　moreover　I　was
especially　anxious　that　there　should　be　no　occasion　given　for　ill…
natured　talk；　she　knew　well；　therefore；　that　her　leaving　her　money
to　me　would　be　of　all　things　the　most　likely　to　weaken　the　ties　that
existed　between　us；　provided　that　I　was　aware　of　it；　but　I　did　not
mind　her　talking　about　whom　she　should　make　her　heir；　so　long　as　it
was　well　understood　that　I　was　not　to　be　the　person。

Ernest　had　satisfied　her　as　having　enough　in　him　to　tempt　her
strongly　to　take　him　up；　but　it　was　not　till　after　many　days'
reflection　that　she　gravitated　towards　actually　doing　so；　with　all
the　break　in　her　daily　ways　that　this　would　entail。　　At　least；　she
said　it　took　her　some　days；　and　certainly　it　appeared　to　do　so；　but
from　the　moment　she　had　begun　to　broach　the　subject；　I　had　guessed
how　things　were　going　to　end。

It　was　now　arranged　she　should　take　a　house　at　Roughborough；　and　go
and　live　there　for　a　couple　of　years。　　As　a　compromise；　however；　to
meet　some　of　my　objections；　it　was　also　arranged　that　she　should
keep　her　rooms　in　Gower　Street；　and　come　to　town　for　a　week　once　in
each　month；　of　course；　also；　she　would　leave　Roughborough　for　the
greater　part　of　the　holidays。　　After　two　years；　the　thing　was　to
come　to　an　end；　unless　it　proved　a　great　success。　　She　should　by
that　time；　at　any　rate；　have　made　up　her　mind　what　the　boy's
character　was；　and　would　then　act　as　circumstances　might　determine。

The　pretext　she　put　forward　ostensibly　was　that　her　doctor　said　she
ought　to　be　a　year　or　two　in　the　country　after　so　many　years　of
London　life；　and　had　recommended　Roughborough　on　account　of　the
purity　of　its　air；　and　its　easy　access　to　and　from　Londonfor　by
this　time　the　railway　had　reached　it。　　She　was　anxious　not　to　give
her　brother　and　sister　any　right　to　complain；　if　on　seeing　more　of
her　nephew　she　found　she　could　not　get　on　with　him；　and　she　was　also
anxious　not　to　raise　false　hopes　of　any　kind　in　the　boy's　own　mind。

Having　settled　how　everything　was　to　be；　she　wrote　to　Theobald　and
said　she　meant　to　take　a　house　in　Roughborough　from　the　Michaelmas
then　approaching；　and　mentioned；　as　though　casually；　that　one　of　the
attractions　of　the　place　would　be　that　her　nephew　was　at　school
there　and　she　should　hope　to　see　more　of　him　than　she　had　done
hitherto。

Theobald　and　Christina　knew　how　dearly　Alethea　loved　London；　and
thought　it　very　odd　that　she　should　want　to　go　and　live　at
Roughborough；　but　they　did　not　suspect　that　she　was　going　there
solely　on　her　nephew's　account；　much　less　that　she　had　thought　of
making　Ernest　her　heir。　　If　they　had　guessed　this；　they　would　have
been　so　jealous　that　I　half　believe　they　would　have　asked　her　to　go
and　live　somewhere　else。　　Alethea　however；　was　two　or　three　years
younger　than　Theobald；　she　was　still　some　years　short　of　fifty；　and
might　very　well　live　to　eighty…five　or　ninety；　her　money；　therefore；
was　not　worth　taking　much　trouble　about；　and　her　brother　and　sister…
in…law　had　dismissed　it；　so　to　speak；　from　their　minds　with　costs；
assuming；　however；　that　if　anything　did　happen　to　her　while　they
were　still　alive；　the　money　would；　as　a　matter　of　course；　come　to
them。

The　prospect　of　Alethea　seeing　much　of　Ernest　was　a　serious　matter。
Christina　smelt　mischief　from　afar；　as　indeed　she　often　did。
Alethea　was　worldlyas　worldly；　that　is　to　say；　as　a　sister　of
Theobald's　could　be。　　In　her　letter　to　Theobald　she　had　said　she
knew　how　much　of　his　and　Christina's　thoughts　were　taken　up　with
anxiety　for　the　boy's　welfare。　　Alethea　had　thought　this　handsome
enough；　but　Christina　had　wanted　something　better　and　stronger。
〃How　can　she　know　how　much　we　think　of　our　darling？〃　she　had
exclaimed；　when　Theobald　showed　her　his　sister's　letter。　　〃I　think；
my　dear；　Alethea　would　understand　these　things　better　if　she　had
children　of　her　own。〃　　The　least　that　would　have　satisfied　Christina
was　to　have　been　told　that　there　never　yet　had　been　any　parents
comparable　to　Theobald　and　herself。　　She　did　not　feel　easy　that　an
alliance　of　some　kind　would　not　grow　up　between　aunt　and　nephew；　and
neither　she　nor　Theobald　wanted　Ernest　to　have　any　allies。　　Joey　and
Charlotte　were　quite　as　many　allies　as　were　good　for　him。　　After
all；　however；　if　Alethea　chose　to　go　and　live　at　Roughborough；　they
could　not　well　stop　her；　and　must　make　the　best　of　it。

In　a　few　weeks'　time　Alethea　did　choose　to　go　and　live　at
Roughborough。　　A　house　was　found　with　a　field　and　a　nice　little
garden　which　suited　her　very　well。　　〃At　any　rate；〃　she　said　to
herself；　〃I　will　have　fresh　eggs　and　flowers。〃　　She　even　considered
the　question　of　keeping　a　cow；　but　in　the　end　decided　not　to　do　so。
She　furnished　her　house　throughout　anew；　taking　nothing　whatever
from　her　establishment　in　Gower　Street；　and　by　Michaelmasfor　the
house　was　empty　when　she　took　itshe　was　settled　comfortably；　and
had　begun　to　make　herself　at　home。

One　of　Miss　Pontifex's　first　moves　was　to　ask　a　dozen　of　the
smartest　and　most　gentlemanly　boys　to　breakfast　with　her。　　From　her
seat　in　church　she　could　see　the　faces　of　the　upper…form　boys；　and
soon　made　up　her　mind　which　of　them　it　would　be　best　to　cultivate。
Miss　Pontifex；　sitting　opposite　the　boys　in　church；　and　reckoning
them　up　with　her　keen　eyes　from　under　her　veil　by　all　a　woman's
criteria；　came　to　a　truer　conclusion　about　the　greater　number　of
those　she　scrutinized　than　even　Dr　Skinner　had　done。　　She　fell　in
love　with　one　boy　from　seeing　him　put　on　his　gloves。

Miss　Pontifex；　as　I　have　said；　got　hold　of　some　of　these　youngsters
through　Ernest；　and　fed　them　well。　　No　boy　can　resist　being　fed　well
by　a　good…natured　and　still　handsome　woman。　　Boys　are　very　like　nice
dogs　in　this　respectgive　them　a　bone　and　they　will　like　you　at
once。　　Alethea　employed　every　other　little　artifice　which　she