the way of all flesh-第40节

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not　have　done　so　had　not　John　happened　to　turn　his　head　and　seen　him
running　and　making　signs　for　the　carriage　to　stop　a　quarter　of　a
mile　off。　　He　was　now　about　five　miles　from　home；　and　was　nearly
done　up。

He　was　crimson　with　his　exertion；　covered　with　dust；　and　with　his
trousers　and　coat　sleeves　a　trifle　short　for　him　he　cut　a　poor
figure　enough　as　he　thrust　on　Ellen　his　watch；　his　knife；　and　the
little　money　he　had。　　The　one　thing　he　implored　of　her　was　not　to　do
those　dreadful　things　which　she　threatenedfor　his　sake　if　for　no
other　reason。

Ellen　at　first　would　not　hear　of　taking　anything　from　him；　but　the
coachman；　who　was　from　the　north　country；　sided　with　Ernest。　　〃Take
it；　my　lass；〃　he　said　kindly；　〃take　what　thou　canst　get　whiles　thou
canst　get　it；　as　for　Master　Ernest　herehe　has　run　well　after　thee；
therefore　let　him　give　thee　what　he　is　minded。〃

Ellen　did　what　she　was　told；　and　the　two　parted　with　many　tears；　the
girl's　last　words　being　that　she　should　never　forget　him；　and　that
they　should　meet　again　hereafter；　she　was　sure　they　should；　and　then
she　would　repay　him。

Then　Ernest　got　into　a　field　by　the　roadside；　flung　himself　on　the
grass；　and　waited　under　the　shadow　of　a　hedge　till　the　carriage
should　pass　on　its　return　from　the　station　and　pick　him　up；　for　he
was　dead　beat。　　Thoughts　which　had　already　occurred　to　him　with　some
force　now　came　more　strongly　before　him；　and　he　saw　that　he　had　got
himself　into　one　messor　rather　into　half…a…dozen　messesthe　more。

In　the　first　place　he　should　be　late　for　dinner；　and　this　was　one　of
the　offences　on　which　Theobald　had　no　mercy。　　Also　he　should　have　to
say　where　he　had　been；　and　there　was　a　danger　of　being　found　out　if
he　did　not　speak　the　truth。　　Not　only　this；　but　sooner　or　later　it
must　come　out　that　he　was　no　longer　possessed　of　the　beautiful　watch
which　his　dear　aunt　had　given　himand　what；　pray；　had　he　done　with
it；　or　how　had　he　lost　it？　　The　reader　will　know　very　well　what　he
ought　to　have　done。　　He　should　have　gone　straight　home；　and　if
questioned　should　have　said；　〃I　have　been　running　after　the　carriage
to　catch　our　housemaid　Ellen；　whom　I　am　very　fond　of；　I　have　given
her　my　watch；　my　knife　and　all　my　pocket　money；　so　that　I　have　now
no　pocket　money　at　all　and　shall　probably　ask　you　for　some　more
sooner　than　I　otherwise　might　have　done；　and　you　will　also　have　to
buy　me　a　new　watch　and　a　knife。〃　　But　then　fancy　the　consternation
which　such　an　announcement　would　have　occasioned！　　Fancy　the　scowl
and　flashing　eyes　of　the　infuriated　Theobald！　　〃You　unprincipled
young　scoundrel；〃　he　would　exclaim；　〃do　you　mean　to　vilify　your　own
parents　by　implying　that　they　have　dealt　harshly　by　one　whose
profligacy　has　disgraced　their　house？〃

Or　he　might　take　it　with　one　of　those　sallies　of　sarcastic　calm；　of
which　he　believed　himself　to　be　a　master。

〃Very　well；　Ernest；　very　well：　　I　shall　say　nothing；　you　can　please
yourself；　you　are　not　yet　twenty…one；　but　pray　act　as　if　you　were
your　own　master；　your　poor　aunt　doubtless　gave　you　the　watch　that
you　might　fling　it　away　upon　the　first　improper　character　you　came
across；　I　think　I　can　now　understand；　however；　why　she　did　not　leave
you　her　money；　and；　after　all；　your　godfather　may　just　as　well　have
it　as　the　kind　of　people　on　whom　you　would　lavish　it　if　it　were
yours。〃

Then　his　mother　would　burst　into　tears　and　implore　him　to　repent　and
seek　the　things　belonging　to　his　peace　while　there　was　yet　time；　by
falling　on　his　knees　to　Theobald　and　assuring　him　of　his　unfailing
love　for　him　as　the　kindest　and　tenderest　father　in　the　universe。
Ernest　could　do　all　this　just　as　well　as　they　could；　and　now；　as　he
lay　on　the　grass；　speeches；　some　one　or　other　of　which　was　as
certain　to　come　as　the　sun　to　set；　kept　running　in　his　head　till
they　confuted　the　idea　of　telling　the　truth　by　reducing　it　to　an
absurdity。　　Truth　might　be　heroic；　but　it　was　not　within　the　range
of　practical　domestic　politics。

Having　settled　then　that　he　was　to　tell　a　lie；　what　lie　should　he
tell？　　Should　he　say　he　had　been　robbed？　　He　had　enough　imagination
to　know　that　he　had　not　enough　imagination　to　carry　him　out　here。
Young　as　he　was；　his　instinct　told　him　that　the　best　liar　is　he　who
makes　the　smallest　amount　of　lying　go　the　longest　waywho　husbands
it　too　carefully　to　waste　it　where　it　can　be　dispensed　with。　　The
simplest　course　would　be　to　say　that　he　had　lost　the　watch；　and　was
late　for　dinner　because　he　had　been　looking　for　it。　　He　had　been　out
for　a　long　walkhe　chose　the　line　across　the　fields　that　he　had
actually　takenand　the　weather　being　very　hot；　he　had　taken　off　his
coat　and　waistcoat；　in　carrying　them　over　his　arm　his　watch；　his
money；　and　his　knife　had　dropped　out　of　them。　　He　had　got　nearly
home　when　he　found　out　his　loss；　and　had　run　back　as　fast　as　he
could；　looking　along　the　line　he　had　followed；　till　at　last　he　had
given　it　up；　seeing　the　carriage　coming　back　from　the　station；　he
had　let　it　pick　him　up　and　bring　him　home。

This　covered　everything；　the　running　and　all；　for　his　face　still
showed　that　he　must　have　been　running　hard；　the　only　question　was
whether　he　had　been　seen　about　the　Rectory　by　any　but　the　servants
for　a　couple　of　hours　or　so　before　Ellen　had　gone；　and　this　he　was
happy　to　believe　was　not　the　case；　for　he　had　been　out　except　during
his　few　minutes'　interview　with　the　cook。　　His　father　had　been　out
in　the　parish；　his　mother　had　certainly　not　come　across　him；　and　his
brother　and　sister　had　also　been　out　with　the　governess。　　He　knew　he
could　depend　upon　the　cook　and　the　other　servantsthe　coachman
would　see　to　this；　on　the　whole；　therefore；　both　he　and　the　coachman
thought　the　story　as　proposed　by　Ernest　would　about　meet　the
requirements　of　the　case。



CHAPTER　XL



When　Ernest　got　home　and　sneaked　in　through　the　back　door；　he　heard
his　father's　voice　in　its　angriest　tones；　inquiring　whether　Master
Ernest　had　already　returned。　　He　felt　as　Jack　must　have　felt　in　the
story　of　Jack　and　the　Bean　Stalk；　when　from　the　oven　in　which　he　was
hidden　he　heard　the　ogre　ask　his　wife　what　young　children　she　had
got　for　his　supper。　　With　much　courage；　and；　as　the　event　proved；
with　not　less　courage　than　discretion；　he　took　the　bull　by　the
horns；　and　announced　himself　at　once　as　having　just　come　in　after
having　met　with　a　terrible　misfortune。　　Little　by　little　he　told　his
story；　and　though　Theobald　stormed　somewhat　at　his　〃incredible　folly
and　carelessness；〃　he　got　off　better　than　he　expected。　　Theobald　and
Christina　had　indeed　at　first　been　inclined　to　connect　his　absence
from　dinner　with　Ellen's　dismissal；　but　on　finding　it　clear；　as
Theobald　saideverything　was　always　clear　with　Theobaldthat
Ernest　had　not　been　in　the　house　all　the　morning；　and　could
therefore　have　known　nothing　of　what　had　happened；　he　was　acquitted
on　this　account　for　once　in　a　way；　without　a　stain　upon　his
character。　　Perhaps　Theobald　was　in　a　good　temper；　he　may　have　seen
from　the　paper　that　morning　that　his　stocks　had　been　rising；　it　may
have　been　this　or　twenty　other　things；　but　whatever　it　was；　he　did
not　scold　so　much　as　Ernest　had　expected；　and；　seeing　the　boy　look
exhausted　and　believing　him　to　be　much　grieved　at　the　loss　of　his
watch；　Theobald　actually　prescribed　a　glass　of　wine　after　his
dinner；　which；　strange　to　say；　did　not　choke　him；　but　made　him　see
things　more　cheerfully　than　was　usual　with　him。

That　night　when　he　said　his　prayers；　he　inserted　a　few　paragraphs　to
the　effect　that　he　might　not　be　discovered；　and　that　things　might　go
well　with　Ellen；　but　he　was　anxious　and　ill　at　ease。　　His　guilty
conscience　pointed　out　to　him　a　score　of　weak　places　in　his　story；
through　any　one　of　which　detection　might　even　yet　easily　enter。
Next　day　and　for　many　days　afterwards　he　fled　when　no　man　was
pursuing；　and　trembled　each　time　he　heard　his　father's　voice　calling
for　him。　　He　had　already　so　many　causes　of　anxiety　that　he　could
stand　little　more；　and　in　spite　of　all　his　endeavours　to　look
cheerful；　even　his　mother　could　see　that　something　was　preying　upon
his　mind。　　Then　the　idea　returned　to　her　that；　after　all；　her　son
might　not　be　innocent　in　the　Ellen　matterand　this　was　so
interesting　that　she　felt　bound　to　get　as　near　the　truth　as　she
could。

〃Come　here；　my　poor；　pale…faced；　heavy…eyed　boy；〃　she　said　to　him
one　day　in　her　kindest　manner；　〃come　and　sit　down　by　me；　and　we　will
have　a　little　quiet　confidential　talk　together；　will　we　not？〃

The　boy　went　mechanically　to　the　sofa。　　Whenever　his　mother　wanted
what　she　called　a　confidential　talk　with　him　she　always　selected　the
sofa　as　the　most　suitable　ground　on　which　to　open　her　campaign。　　All
mothers　do　this；　the　sofa　is　to　them　what　the　dining…room　is　to
fathers。　　In　the　present　case　the　sofa　was　particularly　well　adapted
for　a　strategic　purpose；　being　an　old…fashioned　one　with　a　high
back；　mattress；　bolsters　and　cushions。　　Once　safely　penned　into　one
of　its　deep　corners；　it　was　like　a　dentist's　chair；　not　too　easy　to
get　out　of　again。　　Here　she　could　get　at　him　better　to　pull　him
about；　if　this　should　seem　desirable；　or　if　she　thought　fit　to　cry
she　could　bury　her　head　in