the way of all flesh-第39节

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while　he　was　playing；　and　the　boy；　who　was　ready　to　make　friends
with　most　people；　soon　became　very　fond　of　her。　　He　was　not　as　a
general　rule　sensitive　to　the　charms　of　the　fair　sex；　indeed　he　had
hardly　been　thrown　in　with　any　women　except　his　Aunts　Allaby；　and
his　Aunt　Alethea；　his　mother；　his　sister　Charlotte　and　Mrs　Jay；
sometimes　also　he　had　had　to　take　off　his　hat　to　the　Miss　Skinners；
and　had　felt　as　if　he　should　sink　into　the　earth　on　doing　so；　but
his　shyness　had　worn　off　with　Ellen；　and　the　pair　had　become　fast
friends。

Perhaps　it　was　well　that　Ernest　was　not　at　home　for　very　long
together；　but　as　yet　his　affection　though　hearty　was　quite　Platonic。
He　was　not　only　innocent；　but　deplorablyI　might　even　say　guiltily…
…innocent。　　His　preference　was　based　upon　the　fact　that　Ellen　never
scolded　him；　but　was　always　smiling　and　good　tempered；　besides　she
used　to　like　to　hear　him　play；　and　this　gave　him　additional　zest　in
playing。　　The　morning　access　to　the　piano　was　indeed　the　one
distinct　advantage　which　the　holidays　had　in　Ernest's　eyes；　for　at
school　he　could　not　get　at　a　piano　except　quasi…surreptitiously　at
the　shop　of　Mr　Pearsall；　the　music…seller。

On　returning　this　midsummer　he　was　shocked　to　find　his　favourite
looking　pale　and　ill。　　All　her　good　spirits　had　left　her；　the　roses
had　fled　from　her　cheek；　and　she　seemed　on　the　point　of　going　into　a
decline。　　She　said　she　was　unhappy　about　her　mother；　whose　health
was　failing；　and　was　afraid　she　was　herself　not　long　for　this　world。
Christina；　of　course；　noticed　the　change。　　〃I　have　often　remarked；〃
she　said；　〃that　those　very　fresh…coloured；　healthy…looking　girls　are
the　first　to　break　up。　　I　have　given　her　calomel　and　James's　powders
repeatedly；　and　though　she　does　not　like　it；　I　think　I　must　show　her
to　Dr　Martin　when　he　next　comes　here。〃

〃Very　well；　my　dear；〃　said　Theobald；　and　so　next　time　Dr　Martin　came
Ellen　was　sent　for。　　Dr　Martin　soon　discovered　what　would　probably
have　been　apparent　to　Christina　herself　if　she　had　been　able　to
conceive　of　such　an　ailment　in　connection　with　a　servant　who　lived
under　the　same　roof　as　Theobald　and　herselfthe　purity　of　whose
married　life　should　have　preserved　all　unmarried　people　who　came
near　them　from　any　taint　of　mischief。

When　it　was　discovered　that　in　three　or　four　months　more　Ellen　would
become　a　mother；　Christina's　natural　good　nature　would　have　prompted
her　to　deal　as　leniently　with　the　case　as　she　could；　if　she　had　not
been　panic…stricken　lest　any　mercy　on　her　and　Theobald's　part　should
be　construed　into　toleration；　however　partial；　of　so　great　a　sin；
hereon　she　dashed　off　into　the　conviction　that　the　only　thing　to　do
was　to　pay　Ellen　her　wages；　and　pack　her　off　on　the　instant　bag　and
baggage　out　of　the　house　which　purity　had　more　especially　and
particularly　singled　out　for　its　abiding　city。　　When　she　thought　of
the　fearful　contamination　which　Ellen's　continued　presence　even　for
a　week　would　occasion；　she　could　not　hesitate。

Then　came　the　questionhorrid　thought！as　to　who　was　the　partner
of　Ellen's　guilt？　　Was　it；　could　it　be；　her　own　son；　her　darling
Ernest？　　Ernest　was　getting　a　big　boy　now。　　She　could　excuse　any
young　woman　for　taking　a　fancy　to　him；　as　for　himself；　why　she　was
sure　he　was　behind　no　young　man　of　his　age　in　appreciation　of　the
charms　of　a　nice…looking　young　woman。　　So　long　as　he　was　innocent
she　did　not　mind　this；　but　oh；　if　he　were　guilty！

She　could　not　bear　to　think　of　it；　and　yet　it　would　be　mere
cowardice　not　to　look　such　a　matter　in　the　faceher　hope　was　in　the
Lord；　and　she　was　ready　to　bear　cheerfully　and　make　the　best　of　any
suffering　He　might　think　fit　to　lay　upon　her。　　That　the　baby　must　be
either　a　boy　or　girlthis　much；　at　any　rate；　was　clear。　　No　less
clear　was　it　that　the　child；　if　a　boy；　would　resemble　Theobald；　and
if　a　girl；　herself。　　Resemblance；　whether　of　body　or　mind；　generally
leaped　over　a　generation。　　The　guilt　of　the　parents　must　not　be
shared　by　the　innocent　offspring　of　shameoh！　noand　such　a　child
as　this　would　be　。　。　。　She　was　off　in　one　of　her　reveries　at　once。

The　child　was　in　the　act　of　being　consecrated　Archbishop　of
Canterbury　when　Theobald　came　in　from　a　visit　in　the　parish；　and　was
told　of　the　shocking　discovery。

Christina　said　nothing　about　Ernest；　and　I　believe　was　more　than
half　angry　when　the　blame　was　laid　upon　other　shoulders。　　She　was
easily　consoled；　however；　and　fell　back　on　the　double　reflection；
firstly；　that　her　son　was　pure；　and　secondly；　that　she　was　quite
sure　he　would　not　have　been　so　had　it　not　been　for　his　religious
convictions　which　had　held　him　backas；　of　course；　it　was　only　to
be　expected　they　would。

Theobald　agreed　that　no　time　must　be　lost　in　paying　Ellen　her　wages
and　packing　her　off。　　So　this　was　done；　and　less　than　two　hours
after　Dr　Martin　had　entered　the　house　Ellen　was　sitting　beside　John
the　coachman；　with　her　face　muffled　up　so　that　it　could　not　be　seen；
weeping　bitterly　as　she　was　being　driven　to　the　station。



CHAPTER　XXXIX



Ernest　had　been　out　all　the　morning；　but　came　in　to　the　yard　of　the
Rectory　from　the　spinney　behind　the　house　just　as　Ellen's　things
were　being　put　into　the　carriage。　　He　thought　it　was　Ellen　whom　he
then　saw　get　into　the　carriage；　but　as　her　face　had　been　hidden　by
her　handkerchief　he　had　not　been　able　to　see　plainly　who　it　was；　and
dismissed　the　idea　as　improbable。

He　went　to　the　back…kitchen　window；　at　which　the　cook　was　standing
peeling　the　potatoes　for　dinner；　and　found　her　crying　bitterly。
Ernest　was　much　distressed；　for　he　liked　the　cook；　and；　of　course；
wanted　to　know　what　all　the　matter　was；　who　it　was　that　had　just
gone　off　in　the　pony　carriage；　and　why？　　The　cook　told　him　it　was
Ellen；　but　said　that　no　earthly　power　should　make　it　cross　her　lips
why　it　was　she　was　going　away；　when；　however；　Ernest　took　her　au
pied　de　la　lettre　and　asked　no　further　questions；　she　told　him　all
about　it　after　extorting　the　most　solemn　promises　of　secrecy。

It　took　Ernest　some　minutes　to　arrive　at　the　facts　of　the　case；　but
when　he　understood　them　he　leaned　against　the　pump；　which　stood　near
the　back…kitchen　window；　and　mingled　his　tears　with　the　cook's。

Then　his　blood　began　to　boil　within　him。　　He　did　not　see　that　after
all　his　father　and　mother　could　have　done　much　otherwise　than　they
actually　did。　　They　might　perhaps　have　been　less　precipitate；　and
tried　to　keep　the　matter　a　little　more　quiet；　but　this　would　not
have　been　easy；　nor　would　it　have　mended　things　very　materially。
The　bitter　fact　remains　that　if　a　girl　does　certain　things　she　must
do　them　at　her　peril；　no　matter　how　young　and　pretty　she　is　nor　to
what　temptation　she　has　succumbed。　　This　is　the　way　of　the　world；
and　as　yet　there　has　been　no　help　found　for　it。

Ernest　could　only　see　what　he　gathered　from　the　cook；　namely；　that
his　favourite；　Ellen；　was　being　turned　adrift　with　a　matter　of　three
pounds　in　her　pocket；　to　go　she　knew　not　where；　and　to　do　she　knew
not　what；　and　that　she　had　said　she　should　hang　or　drown　herself；
which　the　boy　implicitly　believed　she　would。

With　greater　promptitude　than　he　had　shown　yet；　he　reckoned　up　his
money　and　found　he　had　two　shillings　and　threepence　at　his　command；
there　was　his　knife　which　might　sell　for　a　shilling；　and　there　was
the　silver　watch　his　Aunt　Alethea　had　given　him　shortly　before　she
died。　　The　carriage　had　been　gone　now　a　full　quarter　of　an　hour；　and
it　must　have　got　some　distance　ahead；　but　he　would　do　his　best　to
catch　it　up；　and　there　were　short　cuts　which　would　perhaps　give　him
a　chance。　　He　was　off　at　once；　and　from　the　top　of　the　hill　just
past　the　Rectory　paddock　he　could　see　the　carriage；　looking　very
small；　on　a　bit　of　road　which　showed　perhaps　a　mile　and　a　half　in
front　of　him。

One　of　the　most　popular　amusements　at　Roughborough　was　an
institution　called　〃the　hounds〃more　commonly　known　elsewhere　as
〃hare　and　hounds；〃　but　in　this　case　the　hare　was　a　couple　of　boys
who　were　called　foxes；　and　boys　are　so　particular　about　correctness
of　nomenclature　where　their　sports　are　concerned　that　I　dare　not　say
they　played　〃hare　and　hounds〃；　these　were　〃the　hounds；〃　and　that　was
all。　　Ernest's　want　of　muscular　strength　did　not　tell　against　him
here；　there　was　no　jostling　up　against　boys　who；　though　neither
older　nor　taller　than　he；　were　yet　more　robustly　built；　if　it　came
to　mere　endurance　he　was　as　good　as　any　one　else；　so　when　his
carpentering　was　stopped　he　had　naturally　taken　to　〃the　hounds〃　as
his　favourite　amusement。　　His　lungs　thus　exercised　had　become
developed；　and　as　a　run　of　six　or　seven　miles　across　country　was　not
more　than　he　was　used　to；　he　did　not　despair　by　the　help　of　the
short　cuts　of　overtaking　the　carriage；　or　at　the　worst　of　catching
Ellen　at　the　station　before　the　train　left。　　So　he　ran　and　ran　and
ran　till　his　first　wind　was　gone　and　his　second　came；　and　he　could
breathe　more　easily。　　Never　with　〃the　hounds〃　had　he　run　so　fast　and
with　so　few　breaks　as　now；　but　with　all　his　efforts　and　the　help　of
the　short　cuts　he　did　not　catch　up　the　carriage；　and　would　probably
not　have　done　so　had　not　John　happened　to　turn　his　head　and　seen　him
r