the way of all flesh-第37节

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morning　I　followed　her　to　the　grave；　and　in　due　course　set　up　a
plain　upright　slab　to　her　memory　as　like　as　might　be　to　those　over
the　graves　of　her　grandmother　and　grandfather。　　I　gave　the　dates　and
places　of　her　birth　and　death；　but　added　nothing　except　that　this
stone　was　set　up　by　one　who　had　known　and　loved　her。　　Knowing　how
fond　she　had　been　of　music　I　had　been　half　inclined　at　one　time　to
inscribe　a　few　bars　of　music；　if　I　could　find　any　which　seemed
suitable　to　her　character；　but　I　knew　how　much　she　would　have
disliked　anything　singular　in　connection　with　her　tombstone　and　did
not　do　it。

Before；　however；　I　had　come　to　this　conclusion；　I　had　thought　that
Ernest　might　be　able　to　help　me　to　the　right　thing；　and　had　written
to　him　upon　the　subject。　　The　following　is　the　answer　I　received　…


〃Dear　Godpapa；I　send　you　the　best　bit　I　can　think　of；　it　is　the
subject　of　the　last　of　Handel's　six　grand　fugues　and　goes　thus：…

＇Music　score＇

It　would　do　better　for　a　man；　especially　for　an　old　man　who　was　very
sorry　for　things；　than　for　a　woman；　but　I　cannot　think　of　anything
better；　if　you　do　not　like　it　for　Aunt　Alethea　I　shall　keep　it　for
myself。Your　affectionate　Godson；　　ERNEST　PONTIFEX。〃


Was　this　the　little　lad　who　could　get　sweeties　for　two…pence　but　not
for　two…pence…halfpenny？　　Dear；　dear　me；　I　thought　to　myself；　how
these　babes　and　sucklings　do　give　us　the　go…by　surely。　　Choosing　his
own　epitaph　at　fifteen　as　for　a　man　who　〃had　been　very　sorry　for
things；〃　and　such　a　strain　as　thatwhy　it　might　have　done　for
Leonardo　da　Vinci　himself。　　Then　I　set　the　boy　down　as　a　conceited
young　jackanapes；　which　no　doubt　he　was；but　so　are　a　great　many
other　young　people　of　Ernest's　age。



CHAPTER　XXXVII



If　Theobald　and　Christina　had　not　been　too　well　pleased　when　Miss
Pontifex　first　took　Ernest　in　hand；　they　were　still　less　so　when　the
connection　between　the　two　was　interrupted　so　prematurely。　　They
said　they　had　made　sure　from　what　their　sister　had　said　that　she　was
going　to　make　Ernest　her　heir。　　I　do　not　think　she　had　given　them　so
much　as　a　hint　to　this　effect。　　Theobald　indeed　gave　Ernest　to
understand　that　she　had　done　so　in　a　letter　which　will　be　given
shortly；　but　if　Theobald　wanted　to　make　himself　disagreeable；　a
trifle　light　as　air　would　forthwith　assume　in　his　imagination
whatever　form　was　most　convenient　to　him。　　I　do　not　think　they　had
even　made　up　their　minds　what　Alethea　was　to　do　with　her　money
before　they　knew　of　her　being　at　the　point　of　death；　and　as　I　have
said　already；　if　they　had　thought　it　likely　that　Ernest　would　be
made　heir　over　their　own　heads　without　their　having　at　any　rate　a
life　interest　in　the　bequest；　they　would　have　soon　thrown　obstacles
in　the　way　of　further　intimacy　between　aunt　and　nephew。

This；　however；　did　not　bar　their　right　to　feeling　aggrieved　now　that
neither　they　nor　Ernest　had　taken　anything　at　all；　and　they　could
profess　disappointment　on　their　boy's　behalf　which　they　would　have
been　too　proud　to　admit　upon　their　own。　　In　fact；　it　was　only
amiable　of　them　to　be　disappointed　under　these　circumstances。

Christina　said　that　the　will　was　simply　fraudulent；　and　was
convinced　that　it　could　be　upset　if　she　and　Theobald　went　the　right
way　to　work。　　Theobald；　she　said；　should　go　before　the　Lord
Chancellor；　not　in　full　court　but　in　chambers；　where　he　could
explain　the　whole　matter；　or；　perhaps　it　would　be　even　better　if　she
were　to　go　herselfand　I　dare　not　trust　myself　to　describe　the
reverie　to　which　this　last　idea　gave　rise。　　I　believe　in　the　end
Theobald　died；　and　the　Lord　Chancellor　（who　had　become　a　widower　a
few　weeks　earlier）　made　her　an　offer；　which；　however；　she　firmly　but
not　ungratefully　declined；　she　should　ever；　she　said；　continue　to
think　of　him　as　a　friendat　this　point　the　cook　came　in；　saying　the
butcher　had　called；　and　what　would　she　please　to　order。

I　think　Theobald　must　have　had　an　idea　that　there　was　something
behind　the　bequest　to　me；　but　he　said　nothing　about　it　to　Christina。
He　was　angry　and　felt　wronged；　because　he　could　not　get　at　Alethea
to　give　her　a　piece　of　his　mind　any　more　than　he　had　been　able　to
get　at　his　father。　　〃It　is　so　mean　of　people；〃　he　exclaimed　to
himself；　〃to　inflict　an　injury　of　this　sort；　and　then　shirk　facing
those　whom　they　have　injured；　let　us　hope　that；　at　any　rate；　they
and　I　may　meet　in　Heaven。〃　　But　of　this　he　was　doubtful；　for　when
people　had　done　so　great　a　wrong　as　this；　it　was　hardly　to　be
supposed　that　they　would　go　to　Heaven　at　alland　as　for　his　meeting
them　in　another　place；　the　idea　never　so　much　as　entered　his　mind。

One　so　angry　and；　of　late；　so　little　used　to　contradiction　might　be
trusted；　however；　to　avenge　himself　upon　someone；　and　Theobald　had
long　since　developed　the　organ；　by　means　of　which　he　might　vent
spleen　with　least　risk　and　greatest　satisfaction　to　himself。　　This
organ；　it　may　be　guessed；　was　nothing　else　than　Ernest；　to　Ernest
therefore　he　proceeded　to　unburden　himself；　not　personally；　but　by
letter。

〃You　ought　to　know；〃　he　wrote；　〃that　your　Aunt　Alethea　had　given
your　mother　and　me　to　understand　that　it　was　her　wish　to　make　you
her　heirin　the　event；　of　course；　of　your　conducting　yourself　in
such　a　manner　as　to　give　her　confidence　in　you；　as　a　matter　of　fact；
however；　she　has　left　you　nothing；　and　the　whole　of　her　property　has
gone　to　your　godfather；　Mr　Overton。　　Your　mother　and　I　are　willing
to　hope　that　if　she　had　lived　longer　you　would　yet　have　succeeded　in
winning　her　good　opinion；　but　it　is　too　late　to　think　of　this　now。

〃The　carpentering　and　organ…building　must　at　once　be　discontinued。
I　never　believed　in　the　project；　and　have　seen　no　reason　to　alter　my
original　opinion。　　I　am　not　sorry　for　your　own　sake；　that　it　is　to
be　at　an　end；　nor；　I　am　sure；　will　you　regret　it　yourself　in　after
years。

〃A　few　words　more　as　regards　your　own　prospects。　　You　have；　as　I
believe　you　know；　a　small　inheritance；　which　is　yours　legally　under
your　grandfather's　will。　　This　bequest　was　made　inadvertently；　and；
I　believe；　entirely　through　a　misunderstanding　on　the　lawyer's　part。
The　bequest　was　probably　intended　not　to　take　effect　till　after　the
death　of　your　mother　and　myself；　nevertheless；　as　the　will　is
actually　worded；　it　will　now　be　at　your　command　if　you　live　to　be
twenty…one　years　old。　　From　this；　however；　large　deductions　must　be
made。　　There　will　be　legacy　duty；　and　I　do　not　know　whether　I　am　not
entitled　to　deduct　the　expenses　of　your　education　and　maintenance
from　birth　to　your　coming　of　age；　I　shall　not　in　all　likelihood
insist　on　this　right　to　the　full；　if　you　conduct　yourself　properly；
but　a　considerable　sum　should　certainly　be　deducted；　there　will
therefore　remain　very　littlesay　1000　pounds　or　2000　pounds　at　the
outside；　as　what　will　be　actually　yoursbut　the　strictest　account
shall　be　rendered　you　in　due　time。

〃This；　let　me　warn　you　most　seriously；　is　all　that　you　must　expect
from　me　（even　Ernest　saw　that　it　was　not　from　Theobald　at　all）　at
any　rate　till　after　my　death；　which　for　aught　any　of　us　know　may　be
yet　many　years　distant。　　It　is　not　a　large　sum；　but　it　is　sufficient
if　supplemented　by　steadiness　and　earnestness　of　purpose。　　Your
mother　and　I　gave　you　the　name　Ernest；　hoping　that　it　would　remind
you　continually　of〃　but　I　really　cannot　copy　more　of　this
effusion。　　It　was　all　the　same　old　will…shaking　game　and　came
practically　to　this；　that　Ernest　was　no　good；　and　that　if　he　went　on
as　he　was　going　on　now；　he　would　probably　have　to　go　about　the
streets　begging　without　any　shoes　or　stockings　soon　after　he　had
left　school；　or　at　any　rate；　college；　and　that　he；　Theobald；　and
Christina　were　almost　too　good　for　this　world　altogether。

After　he　had　written　this　Theobald　felt　quite　good…natured；　and　sent
to　the　Mrs　Thompson　of　the　moment　even　more　soup　and　wine　than　her
usual　not　illiberal　allowance。

Ernest　was　deeply；　passionately　upset　by　his　father's　letter；　to
think　that　even　his　dear　aunt；　the　one　person　of　his　relations　whom
he　really　loved；　should　have　turned　against　him　and　thought　badly　of
him　after　all。　　This　was　the　unkindest　cut　of　all。　　In　the　hurry　of
her　illness　Miss　Pontifex；　while　thinking　only　of　his　welfare；　had
omitted　to　make　such　small　present　mention　of　him　as　would　have　made
his　father's　innuendoes　stingless；　and　her　illness　being　infectious；
she　had　not　seen　him　after　its　nature　was　known。　　I　myself　did　not
know　of　Theobald's　letter；　nor　think　enough　about　my　godson　to　guess
what　might　easily　be　his　state。　　It　was　not　till　many　years
afterwards　that　I　found　Theobald's　letter　in　the　pocket　of　an　old
portfolio　which　Ernest　had　used　at　school；　and　in　which　other　old
letters　and　school　documents　were　collected　which　I　have　used　in
this　book。　　He　had　forgotten　that　he　had　it；　but　told　me　when　he　saw
it　that　he　remembered　it　as　the　first　thing　that　made　him　begin　to
rise　against　his　father　in　a　rebellion　which　he　recognised　as
righteous；　though　he　dared　not　openly　avow　it。　　Not　the　least
serious　thing　was　that　it　would；　he　feared；　be　his　duty　to　give　up
the　legacy　his　grandfather　had　left　him；　for　if　it　was　his　only
through　a　mistake；　how　could