the way of all flesh-第35节

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showing　every　desire　to　befriend　you；　but　you　must　give　greater
proof　of　stability　and　steadiness　of　character　than　you　have　given
yet　if　this　organ　matter　is　not　to　prove　in　the　end　to　be　only　one
disappointment　the　more。

〃I　must　insist　on　two　things：　　firstly　that　this　new　iron　in　the
fire　does　not　distract　your　attention　from　your　Latin　and　Greek〃
（〃They　aren't　mine；〃　thought　Ernest；　〃and　never　have　been〃）〃and
secondly；　that　you　bring　no　smell　of　glue　or　shavings　into　the　house
here；　if　you　make　any　part　of　the　organ　during　your　holidays。〃

Ernest　was　still　too　young　to　know　how　unpleasant　a　letter　he　was
receiving。　　He　believed　the　innuendoes　contained　in　it　to　be
perfectly　just。　　He　knew　he　was　sadly　deficient　in　perseverance。　　He
liked　some　things　for　a　little　while；　and　then　found　he　did　not　like
them　any　moreand　this　was　as　bad　as　anything　well　could　be。　　His
father's　letter　gave　him　one　of　his　many　fits　of　melancholy　over　his
own　worthlessness；　but　the　thought　of　the　organ　consoled　him；　and　he
felt　sure　that　here　at　any　rate　was　something　to　which　he　could
apply　himself　steadily　without　growing　tired　of　it。

It　was　settled　that　the　organ　was　not　to　be　begun　before　the
Christmas　holidays　were　over；　and　that　till　then　Ernest　should　do　a
little　plain　carpentering；　so　as　to　get　to　know　how　to　use　his
tools。　　Miss　Pontifex　had　a　carpenter's　bench　set　up　in　an　outhouse
upon　her　own　premises；　and　made　terms　with　the　most　respectable
carpenter　in　Roughborough；　by　which　one　of　his　men　was　to　come　for　a
couple　of　hours　twice　a　week　and　set　Ernest　on　the　right　way；　then
she　discovered　she　wanted　this　or　that　simple　piece　of　work　done；
and　gave　the　boy　a　commission　to　do　it；　paying　him　handsomely　as
well　as　finding　him　in　tools　and　materials。　　She　never　gave　him　a
syllable　of　good　advice；　or　talked　to　him　about　everything's
depending　upon　his　own　exertions；　but　she　kissed　him　often；　and
would　come　into　the　workshop　and　act　the　part　of　one　who　took　an
interest　in　what　was　being　done　so　cleverly　as　ere　long　to　become
really　interested。

What　boy　would　not　take　kindly　to　almost　anything　with　such
assistance？　　All　boys　like　making　things；　the　exercise　of　sawing；
planing　and　hammering；　proved　exactly　what　his　aunt　had　wanted　to
findsomething　that　should　exercise；　but　not　too　much；　and　at　the
same　time　amuse　him；　when　Ernest's　sallow　face　was　flushed　with　his
work；　and　his　eyes　were　sparkling　with　pleasure；　he　looked　quite　a
different　boy　from　the　one　his　aunt　had　taken　in　hand　only　a　few
months　earlier。　　His　inner　self　never　told　him　that　this　was　humbug；
as　it　did　about　Latin　and　Greek。　　Making　stools　and　drawers　was
worth　living　for；　and　after　Christmas　there　loomed　the　organ；　which
was　scarcely　ever　absent　from　his　mind。

His　aunt　let　him　invite　his　friends；　encouraging　him　to　bring　those
whom　her　quick　sense　told　her　were　the　most　desirable。　　She
smartened　him　up　also　in　his　personal　appearance；　always　without
preaching　to　him。　　Indeed　she　worked　wonders　during　the　short　time
that　was　allowed　her；　and　if　her　life　had　been　spared　I　cannot　think
that　my　hero　would　have　come　under　the　shadow　of　that　cloud　which
cast　so　heavy　a　gloom　over　his　younger　manhood；　but　unfortunately
for　him　his　gleam　of　sunshine　was　too　hot　and　too　brilliant　to　last；
and　he　had　many　a　storm　yet　to　weather；　before　he　became　fairly
happy。　　For　the　present；　however；　he　was　supremely　so；　and　his　aunt
was　happy　and　grateful　for　his　happiness；　the　improvement　she　saw　in
him；　and　his　unrepressed　affection　for　herself。　　She　became　fonder
of　him　from　day　to　day　in　spite　of　his　many　faults　and　almost
incredible　foolishnesses。　　It　was　perhaps　on　account　of　these　very
things　that　she　saw　how　much　he　had　need　of　her；　but　at　any　rate；
from　whatever　cause；　she　became　strengthened　in　her　determination　to
be　to　him　in　the　place　of　parents；　and　to　find　in　him　a　son　rather
than　a　nephew。　　But　still　she　made　no　will。



CHAPTER　XXXV



All　went　well　for　the　first　part　of　the　following　half　year。　　Miss
Pontifex　spent　the　greater　part　of　her　holidays　in　London；　and　I
also　saw　her　at　Roughborough；　where　I　spent　a　few　days；　staying　at
the　〃Swan。〃　　I　heard　all　about　my　godson　in　whom；　however；　I　took
less　interest　than　I　said　I　did。　　I　took　more　interest　in　the　stage
at　that　time　than　in　anything　else；　and　as　for　Ernest；　I　found　him　a
nuisance　for　engrossing　so　much　of　his　aunt's　attention；　and　taking
her　so　much　from　London。　　The　organ　was　begun；　and　made　fair
progress　during　the　first　two　months　of　the　half　year。　　Ernest　was
happier　than　he　had　ever　been　before；　and　was　struggling　upwards。
The　best　boys　took　more　notice　of　him　for　his　aunt's　sake；　and　he
consorted　less　with　those　who　led　him　into　mischief。

But　much　as　Miss　Pontifex　had　done；　she　could　not　all　at　once　undo
the　effect　of　such　surroundings　as　the　boy　had　had　at　Battersby。
Much　as　he　feared　and　disliked　his　father　（though　he　still　knew　not
how　much　this　was）；　he　had　caught　much　from　him；　if　Theobald　had
been　kinder　Ernest　would　have　modelled　himself　upon　him　entirely；
and　ere　long　would　probably　have　become　as　thorough　a　little　prig　as
could　have　easily　been　found。

Fortunately　his　temper　had　come　to　him　from　his　mother；　who；　when
not　frightened；　and　when　there　was　nothing　on　the　horizon　which
might　cross　the　slightest　whim　of　her　husband；　was　an　amiable；　good…
natured　woman。　　If　it　was　not　such　an　awful　thing　to　say　of　anyone；
I　should　say　that　she　meant　well。

Ernest　had　also　inherited　his　mother's　love　of　building　castles　in
the　air；　andso　I　suppose　it　must　be　calledher　vanity。　　He　was
very　fond　of　showing　off；　and；　provided　he　could　attract　attention；
cared　little　from　whom　it　came；　nor　what　it　was　for。　　He　caught　up；
parrot…like；　whatever　jargon　he　heard　from　his　elders；　which　he
thought　was　the　correct　thing；　and　aired　it　in　season　and　out　of
season；　as　though　it　were　his　own。

Miss　Pontifex　was　old　enough　and　wise　enough　to　know　that　this　is
the　way　in　which　even　the　greatest　men　as　a　general　rule　begin　to
develop；　and　was　more　pleased　with　his　receptiveness　and
reproductiveness　than　alarmed　at　the　things　he　caught　and
reproduced。

She　saw　that　he　was　much　attached　to　herself；　and　trusted　to　this
rather　than　to　anything　else。　　She　saw　also　that　his　conceit　was　not
very　profound；　and　that　his　fits　of　self…abasement　were　as　extreme
as　his　exaltation　had　been。　　His　impulsiveness　and　sanguine
trustfulness　in　anyone　who　smiled　pleasantly　at　him；　or　indeed　was
not　absolutely　unkind　to　him；　made　her　more　anxious　about　him　than
any　other　point　in　his　character；　she　saw　clearly　that　he　would　have
to　find　himself　rudely　undeceived　many　a　time　and　oft；　before　he
would　learn　to　distinguish　friend　from　foe　within　reasonable　time。
It　was　her　perception　of　this　which　led　her　to　take　the　action　which
she　was　so　soon　called　upon　to　take。

Her　health　was　for　the　most　part　excellent；　and　she　had　never　had　a
serious　illness　in　her　life。　　One　morning；　however；　soon　after
Easter　1850；　she　awoke　feeling　seriously　unwell。　　For　some　little
time　there　had　been　a　talk　of　fever　in　the　neighbourhood；　but　in
those　days　the　precautions　that　ought　to　be　taken　against　the　spread
of　infection　were　not　so　well　understood　as　now；　and　nobody　did
anything。　　In　a　day　or　two　it　became　plain　that　Miss　Pontifex　had
got　an　attack　of　typhoid　fever　and　was　dangerously　ill。　　On　this　she
sent　off　a　messenger　to　town；　and　desired　him　not　to　return　without
her　lawyer　and　myself。

We　arrived　on　the　afternoon　of　the　day　on　which　we　had　been
summoned；　and　found　her　still　free　from　delirium：　　indeed；　the
cheery　way　in　which　she　received　us　made　it　difficult　to　think　she
could　be　in　danger。　　She　at　once　explained　her　wishes；　which　had
reference；　as　I　expected；　to　her　nephew；　and　repeated　the　substance
of　what　I　have　already　referred　to　as　her　main　source　of　uneasiness
concerning　him。　　Then　she　begged　me　by　our　long　and　close　intimacy；
by　the　suddenness　of　the　danger　that　had　fallen　on　her　and　her
powerlessness　to　avert　it；　to　undertake　what　she　said　she　well　knew；
if　she　died；　would　be　an　unpleasant　and　invidious　trust。

She　wanted　to　leave　the　bulk　of　her　money　ostensibly　to　me；　but　in
reality　to　her　nephew；　so　that　I　should　hold　it　in　trust　for　him
till　he　was　twenty…eight　years　old；　but　neither　he　nor　anyone　else；
except　her　lawyer　and　myself；　was　to　know　anything　about　it。　　She
would　leave　5000　pounds　in　other　legacies；　and　15；000　pounds　to
Ernestwhich　by　the　time　he　was　twenty…eight　would　have　accumulated
to；　say；　30；000　pounds。　　〃Sell　out　the　debentures；〃　she　said；　〃where
the　money　now　isand　put　it　into　Midland　Ordinary。〃

〃Let　him　make　his　mistakes；〃　she　said；　〃upon　the　money　his
grandfather　left　him。　　I　am　no　prophet；　but　even　I　can　see　that　it
will　take　that　boy　many　years　to　see　things　as　his　neighbours　see
them。　　He　will　get　no　help　from　his　father　and　mother；　who　would
never　forgive　him　for　his　good　luck　if　I　left　him　the　money
outright；　I　daresay　I　am　wrong；　but　I　think　he　will　have　to　lose　the
greater　part　or　all　of　what　he　has；　before　he　will　know　how　to　keep
what　he　will　get　from　me。〃

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