the way of all flesh-第34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！


once。　　Alethea　employed　every　other　little　artifice　which　she
thought　likely　to　win　their　allegiance　to　herself；　and　through　this
their　countenance　for　her　nephew。　　She　found　the　football　club　in　a
slight　money　difficulty　and　at　once　gave　half　a　sovereign　towards
its　removal。　　The　boys　had　no　chance　against　her；　she　shot　them　down
one　after　another　as　easily　as　though　they　had　been　roosting
pheasants。　　Nor　did　she　escape　scathless　herself；　for；　as　she　wrote
to　me；　she　quite　lost　her　heart　to　half　a　dozen　of　them。　　〃How　much
nicer　they　are；〃　she　said；　〃and　how　much　more　they　know　than　those
who　profess　to　teach　them！〃

I　believe　it　has　been　lately　maintained　that　it　is　the　young　and
fair　who　are　the　truly　old　and　truly　experienced；　inasmuch　as　it　is
they　who　alone　have　a　living　memory　to　guide　them；　〃the　whole
charm；〃　it　has　been　said；　〃of　youth　lies　in　its　advantage　over　age
in　respect　of　experience；　and　when　this　has　for　some　reason　failed
or　been　misapplied；　the　charm　is　broken。　　When　we　say　that　we　are
getting　old；　we　should　say　rather　that　we　are　getting　new　or　young；
and　are　suffering　from　inexperience；　trying　to　do　things　which　we
have　never　done　before；　and　failing　worse　and　worse；　till　in　the　end
we　are　landed　in　the　utter　impotence　of　death。〃

Miss　Pontifex　died　many　a　long　year　before　the　above　passage　was
written；　but　she　had　arrived　independently　at　much　the　same
conclusion。

She　first；　therefore；　squared　the　boys。　　Dr　Skinner　was　even　more
easily　dealt　with。　　He　and　Mrs　Skinner　called；　as　a　matter　of
course；　as　soon　as　Miss　Pontifex　was　settled。　　She　fooled　him　to　the
top　of　his　bent；　and　obtained　the　promise　of　a　MS。　copy　of　one　of
his　minor　poems　（for　Dr　Skinner　had　the　reputation　of　being　quite
one　of　our　most　facile　and　elegant　minor　poets）　on　the　occasion　of
his　first　visit。　　The　other　masters　and　masters'　wives　were　not
forgotten。　　Alethea　laid　herself　out　to　please；　as　indeed　she　did
wherever　she　went；　and　if　any　woman　lays　herself　out　to　do　this；　she
generally　succeeds。



CHAPTER　XXXIV



Miss　Pontifex　soon　found　out　that　Ernest　did　not　like　games；　but　she
saw　also　that　he　could　hardly　be　expected　to　like　them。　　He　was
perfectly　well　shaped　but　unusually　devoid　of　physical　strength。　　He
got　a　fair　share　of　this　in　after　life；　but　it　came　much　later　with
him　than　with　other　boys；　and　at　the　time　of　which　I　am　writing　he
was　a　mere　little　skeleton。　　He　wanted　something　to　develop　his　arms
and　chest　without　knocking　him　about　as　much　as　the　school　games
did。　　To　supply　this　want　by　some　means　which　should　add　also　to　his
pleasure　was　Alethea's　first　anxiety。　　Rowing　would　have　answered
every　purpose；　but　unfortunately　there　was　no　river　at　Roughborough。

Whatever　it　was　to　be；　it　must　be　something　which　he　should　like　as
much　as　other　boys　liked　cricket　or　football；　and　he　must　think　the
wish　for　it　to　have　come　originally　from　himself；　it　was　not　very
easy　to　find　anything　that　would　do；　but　ere　long　it　occurred　to　her
that　she　might　enlist　his　love　of　music　on　her　side；　and　asked　him
one　day　when　he　was　spending　a　half…holiday　at　her　house　whether　he
would　like　her　to　buy　an　organ　for　him　to　play　on。　　Of　course；　the
boy　said　yes；　then　she　told　him　about　her　grandfather　and　the　organs
he　had　built。　　It　had　never　entered　into　his　head　that　he　could　make
one；　but　when　he　gathered　from　what　his　aunt　had　said　that　this　was
not　out　of　the　question；　he　rose　as　eagerly　to　the　bait　as　she　could
have　desired；　and　wanted　to　begin　learning　to　saw　and　plane　so　that
he　might　make　the　wooden　pipes　at　once。

Miss　Pontifex　did　not　see　how　she　could　have　hit　upon　anything　more
suitable；　and　she　liked　the　idea　that　he　would　incidentally　get　a
knowledge　of　carpentering；　for　she　was　impressed；　perhaps　foolishly；
with　the　wisdom　of　the　German　custom　which　gives　every　boy　a
handicraft　of　some　sort。

Writing　to　me　on　this　matter；　she　said　〃Professions　are　all　very
well　for　those　who　have　connection　and　interest　as　well　as　capital；
but　otherwise　they　are　white　elephants。　　How　many　men　do　not　you　and
I　know　who　have　talent；　assiduity；　excellent　good　sense；
straightforwardness；　every　quality　in　fact　which　should　command
success；　and　who　yet　go　on　from　year　to　year　waiting　and　hoping
against　hope　for　the　work　which　never　comes？　　How；　indeed；　is　it
likely　to　come　unless　to　those　who　either　are　born　with　interest；　or
who　marry　in　order　to　get　it？　　Ernest's　father　and　mother　have　no
interest；　and　if　they　had　they　would　not　use　it。　　I　suppose　they
will　make　him　a　clergyman；　or　try　to　do　soperhaps　it　is　the　best
thing　to　do　with　him；　for　he　could　buy　a　living　with　the　money　his
grandfather　left　him；　but　there　is　no　knowing　what　the　boy　will
think　of　it　when　the　time　comes；　and　for　aught　we　know　he　may　insist
on　going　to　the　backwoods　of　America；　as　so　many　other　young　men　are
doing　now。〃　　。　。　。　But；　anyway；　he　would　like　making　an　organ；　and
this　could　do　him　no　harm；　so　the　sooner　he　began　the　better。

Alethea　thought　it　would　save　trouble　in　the　end　if　she　told　her
brother　and　sister…in…law　of　this　scheme。　　〃I　do　not　suppose；〃　she
wrote；　〃that　Dr　Skinner　will　approve　very　cordially　of　my　attempt　to
introduce　organ…building　into　the　curriculum　of　Roughborough；　but　I
will　see　what　I　can　do　with　him；　for　I　have　set　my　heart　on　owning
an　organ　built　by　Ernest's　own　hands；　which　he　may　play　on　as　much
as　he　likes　while　it　remains　in　my　house　and　which　I　will　lend　him
permanently　as　soon　as　he　gets　one　of　his　own；　but　which　is　to　be　my
property　for　the　present；　inasmuch　as　I　mean　to　pay　for　it。〃　　This
was　put　in　to　make　it　plain　to　Theobald　and　Christina　that　they
should　not　be　out　of　pocket　in　the　matter。

If　Alethea　had　been　as　poor　as　the　Misses　Allaby；　the　reader　may
guess　what　Ernest's　papa　and　mamma　would　have　said　to　this　proposal；
but　then；　if　she　had　been　as　poor　as　they；　she　would　never　have　made
it。　　They　did　not　like　Ernest's　getting　more　and　more　into　his
aunt's　good　books；　still　it　was　perhaps　better　that　he　should　do　so
than　that　she　should　be　driven　back　upon　the　John　Pontifexes。　　The
only　thing；　said　Theobald；　which　made　him　hesitate；　was　that　the　boy
might　be　thrown　with　low　associates　later　on　if　he　were　to　be
encouraged　in　his　taste　for　musica　taste　which　Theobald　had　always
disliked。　　He　had　observed　with　regret　that　Ernest　had　ere　now　shown
rather　a　hankering　after　low　company；　and　he　might　make　acquaintance
with　those　who　would　corrupt　his　innocence。　　Christina　shuddered　at
this；　but　when　they　had　aired　their　scruples　sufficiently　they　felt
（and　when　people　begin　to　〃feel；〃　they　are　invariably　going　to　take
what　they　believe　to　be　the　more　worldly　course）　that　to　oppose
Alethea's　proposal　would　be　injuring　their　son's　prospects　more　than
was　right；　so　they　consented；　but　not　too　graciously。

After　a　time；　however；　Christina　got　used　to　the　idea；　and　then
considerations　occurred　to　her　which　made　her　throw　herself　into　it
with　characteristic　ardour。　　If　Miss　Pontifex　had　been　a　railway
stock　she　might　have　been　said　to　have　been　buoyant　in　the　Battersby
market　for　some　few　days；　buoyant　for　long　together　she　could　never
be；　still　for　a　time　there　really　was　an　upward　movement。
Christina's　mind　wandered　to　the　organ　itself；　she　seemed　to　have
made　it　with　her　own　hands；　there　would　be　no　other　in　England　to
compare　with　it　for　combined　sweetness　and　power。　　She　already　heard
the　famous　Dr　Walmisley　of　Cambridge　mistaking　it　for　a　Father
Smith。　　It　would　come；　no　doubt；　in　reality　to　Battersby　Church；
which　wanted　an　organ；　for　it　must　be　all　nonsense　about　Alethea's
wishing　to　keep　it；　and　Ernest　would　not　have　a　house　of　his　own　for
ever　so　many　years；　and　they　could　never　have　it　at　the　Rectory。
Oh；　no！　　Battersby　Church　was　the　only　proper　place　for　it。

Of　course；　they　would　have　a　grand　opening；　and　the　Bishop　would
come　down；　and　perhaps　young　Figgins　might　be　on　a　visit　to　them
she　must　ask　Ernest　if　young　Figgins　had　yet　left　Roughboroughhe
might　even　persuade　his　grandfather　Lord　Lonsford　to　be　present。
Lord　Lonsford　and　the　Bishop　and　everyone　else　would　then　compliment
her；　and　Dr　Wesley　or　Dr　Walmisley；　who　should　preside　（it　did　not
much　matter　which）；　would　say　to　her；　〃My　dear　Mrs　Pontifex；　I　never
yet　played　upon　so　remarkable　an　instrument。〃　　Then　she　would　give
him　one　of　her　very　sweetest　smiles　and　say　she　feared　he　was
flattering　her；　on　which　he　would　rejoin　with　some　pleasant　little
trifle　about　remarkable　men　（the　remarkable　man　being　for　the　moment
Ernest）　having　invariably　had　remarkable　women　for　their　mothers
and　so　on　and　so　on。　　The　advantage　of　doing　one's　praising　for
oneself　is　that　one　can　lay　it　on　so　thick　and　exactly　in　the　right
places。

Theobald　wrote　Ernest　a　short　and　surly　letter　a　propos　of　his
aunt's　intentions　in　this　matter。

〃I　will　not　commit　myself；〃　he　said；　〃to　an　opinion　whether　anything
will　come　of　it；　this　will　depend　entirely　upon　your　own　exertions；
you　have　had　singular　advantages　hitherto；　and　your　kind　aunt　is
showing　every　desire　to　befriend　you；　but　you　must　give　greater
proof　of　stability　and　steadiness　of　charact