the way of all flesh-第44节

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would　have　let　their　tongues　be　cut　out　of　them　before　information
could　have　been　wrung　from　any　word　of　theirs。　　But　Ernest　was　not
an　ideal　boy；　and　he　was　not　strong　enough　for　his　surroundings；　I
doubt　how　far　any　boy　could　withstand　the　moral　pressure　which　was
brought　to　bear　upon　him；　at　any　rate　he　could　not　do　so；　and　after
a　little　more　writhing　he　yielded　himself　a　passive　prey　to　the
enemy。　　He　consoled　himself　with　the　reflection　that　his　papa　had
not　played　the　confidence　trick　on　him　quite　as　often　as　his　mamma
had；　and　that　probably　it　was　better　he　should　tell　his　father；　than
that　his　father　should　insist　on　Dr　Skinner's　making　an　inquiry。
His　papa's　conscience　〃jabbered〃　a　good　deal；　but　not　as　much　as　his
mamma's。　　The　little　fool　forgot　that　he　had　not　given　his　father　as
many　chances　of　betraying　him　as　he　had　given　to　Christina。

Then　it　all　came　out。　　He　owed　this　at　Mrs　Cross's；　and　this　to　Mrs
Jones；　and　this　at　the　〃Swan　and　Bottle〃　public　house；　to　say
nothing　of　another　shilling　or　sixpence　or　two　in　other　quarters。
Nevertheless；　Theobald　and　Christina　were　not　satiated；　but　rather
the　more　they　discovered　the　greater　grew　their　appetite　for
discovery；　it　was　their　obvious　duty　to　find　out　everything；　for
though　they　might　rescue　their　own　darling　from　this　hotbed　of
iniquity　without　getting　to　know　more　than　they　knew　at　present；
were　there　not　other　papas　and　mammas　with　darlings　whom　also　they
were　bound　to　rescue　if　it　were　yet　possible？　　What　boys；　then；　owed
money　to　these　harpies　as　well　as　Ernest？

Here；　again；　there　was　a　feeble　show　of　resistance；　but　the
thumbscrews　were　instantly　applied；　and　Ernest；　demoralised　as　he
already　was；　recanted　and　submitted　himself　to　the　powers　that　were。
He　told　only　a　little　less　than　he　knew　or　thought　he　knew。　　He　was
examined；　re…examined；　cross…examined；　sent　to　the　retirement　of　his
own　bedroom　and　cross…examined　again；　the　smoking　in　Mrs　Jones'
kitchen　all　came　out；　which　boys　smoked　and　which　did　not；　which
boys　owed　money　and；　roughly；　how　much　and　where；　which　boys　swore
and　used　bad　language。　　Theobald　was　resolved　that　this　time　Ernest
should；　as　he　called　it；　take　him　into　his　confidence　without
reserve；　so　the　school　list　which　went　with　Dr　Skinner's　half…yearly
bills　was　brought　out；　and　the　most　secret　character　of　each　boy　was
gone　through　seriatim　by　Mr　and　Mrs　Pontifex；　so　far　as　it　was　in
Ernest's　power　to　give　information　concerning　it；　and　yet　Theobald
had　on　the　preceding　Sunday　preached　a　less　feeble　sermon　than　he
commonly　preached；　upon　the　horrors　of　the　Inquisition。　　No　matter
how　awful　was　the　depravity　revealed　to　them；　the　pair　never
flinched；　but　probed　and　probed；　till　they　were　on　the　point　of
reaching　subjects　more　delicate　than　they　had　yet　touched　upon。
Here　Ernest's　unconscious　self　took　the　matter　up　and　made　a
resistance　to　which　his　conscious　self　was　unequal；　by　tumbling　him
off　his　chair　in　a　fit　of　fainting。

Dr　Martin　was　sent　for　and　pronounced　the　boy　to　be　seriously
unwell；　at　the　same　time　he　prescribed　absolute　rest　and　absence
from　nervous　excitement。　　So　the　anxious　parents　were　unwillingly
compelled　to　be　content　with　what　they　had　got　alreadybeing
frightened　into　leading　him　a　quiet　life　for　the　short　remainder　of
the　holidays。　　They　were　not　idle；　but　Satan　can　find　as　much
mischief　for　busy　hands　as　for　idle　ones；　so　he　sent　a　little　job　in
the　direction　of　Battersby　which　Theobald　and　Christina　undertook
immediately。　　It　would　be　a　pity；　they　reasoned；　that　Ernest　should
leave　Roughborough；　now　that　he　had　been　there　three　years；　it　would
be　difficult　to　find　another　school　for　him；　and　to　explain　why　he
had　left　Roughborough。　　Besides；　Dr　Skinner　and　Theobald　were
supposed　to　be　old　friends；　and　it　would　be　unpleasant　to　offend
him；　these　were　all　valid　reasons　for　not　removing　the　boy。　　The
proper　thing　to　do；　then；　would　be　to　warn　Dr　Skinner　confidentially
of　the　state　of　his　school；　and　to　furnish　him　with　a　school　list
annotated　with　the　remarks　extracted　from　Ernest；　which　should　be
appended　to　the　name　of　each　boy。

Theobald　was　the　perfection　of　neatness；　while　his　son　was　ill
upstairs；　he　copied　out　the　school　list　so　that　he　could　throw　his
comments　into　a　tabular　form；　which　assumed　the　following　shape
only　that　of　course　I　have　changed　the　names。　　One　cross　in　each
square　was　to　indicate　occasional　offence；　two　stood　for　frequent；
and　three　for　habitual　delinquency。

　　　　　　　　　　Smoking　　　　　Drinking　beer　　　　Swearing　　　　　　Notes
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　at　the　〃Swan　　　　　and　Obscene
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　and　Bottle。〃　　　　　Language。
Smith　　　　　　　　O　　　　　　　　　　　　O　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XX　　　　　　　　　　Will　smoke
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　next　half
Brown　　　　　　　XXX　　　　　　　　　　　O　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　X
Jones　　　　　　　　X　　　　　　　　　　　　XX　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XXX
Robinson　　　　XX　　　　　　　　　　　　XX　　　　　　　　　　　　　　X

And　thus　through　the　whole　school。

Of　course；　in　justice　to　Ernest；　Dr　Skinner　would　be　bound　over　to
secrecy　before　a　word　was　said　to　him；　but；　Ernest　being　thus
protected；　he　could　not　be　furnished　with　the　facts　too　completely。



CHAPTER　XLIII



So　important　did　Theobald　consider　this　matter　that　he　made　a
special　journey　to　Roughborough　before　the　half　year　began。　　It　was
a　relief　to　have　him　out　of　the　house；　but　though　his　destination
was　not　mentioned；　Ernest　guessed　where　he　had　gone。

To　this　day　he　considers　his　conduct　at　this　crisis　to　have　been　one
of　the　most　serious　laches　of　his　lifeone　which　he　can　never　think
of　without　shame　and　indignation。　　He　says　he　ought　to　have　run　away
from　home。　　But　what　good　could　he　have　done　if　he　had？　　He　would
have　been　caught；　brought　back　and　examined　two　days　later　instead
of　two　days　earlier。　　A　boy　of　barely　sixteen　cannot　stand　against
the　moral　pressure　of　a　father　and　mother　who　have　always　oppressed
him　any　more　than　he　can　cope　physically　with　a　powerful　full…grown
man。　　True；　he　may　allow　himself　to　be　killed　rather　than　yield；　but
this　is　being　so　morbidly　heroic　as　to　come　close　round　again　to
cowardice；　for　it　is　little　else　than　suicide；　which　is　universally
condemned　as　cowardly。

On　the　re…assembling　of　the　school　it　became　apparent　that　something
had　gone　wrong。　　Dr　Skinner　called　the　boys　together；　and　with　much
pomp　excommunicated　Mrs　Cross　and　Mrs　Jones；　by　declaring　their
shops　to　be　out　of　bounds。　　The　street　in　which　the　〃Swan　and
Bottle〃　stood　was　also　forbidden。　　The　vices　of　drinking　and
smoking；　therefore；　were　clearly　aimed　at；　and　before　prayers　Dr
Skinner　spoke　a　few　impressive　words　about　the　abominable　sin　of
using　bad　language。　　Ernest's　feelings　can　be　imagined。

Next　day　at　the　hour　when　the　daily　punishments　were　read　out；
though　there　had　not　yet　been　time　for　him　to　have　offended；　Ernest
Pontifex　was　declared　to　have　incurred　every　punishment　which　the
school　provided　for　evil…doers。　　He　was　placed　on　the　idle　list　for
the　whole　half　year；　and　on　perpetual　detentions；　his　bounds　were
curtailed；　he　was　to　attend　junior　callings…over；　in　fact　he　was　so
hemmed　in　with　punishments　upon　ever　side　that　it　was　hardly
possible　for　him　to　go　outside　the　school　gates。　　This　unparalleled
list　of　punishments　inflicted　on　the　first　day　of　the　half　year；　and
intended　to　last　till　the　ensuing　Christmas　holidays；　was　not
connected　with　any　specified　offence。　　It　required　no　great
penetration　therefore；　on　the　part　of　the　boys　to　connect　Ernest
with　the　putting　Mrs　Cross's　and　Mrs　Jones's　shops　out　of　bounds。

Great　indeed　was　the　indignation　about　Mrs　Cross　who；　it　was　known；
remembered　Dr　Skinner　himself　as　a　small　boy　only　just　got　into
jackets；　and　had　doubtless　let　him　have　many　a　sausage　and　mashed
potatoes　upon　deferred　payment。　　The　head　boys　assembled　in　conclave
to　consider　what　steps　should　be　taken；　but　hardly　had　they　done　so
before　Ernest　knocked　timidly　at　the　head…room　door　and　took　the
bull　by　the　horns　by　explaining　the　facts　as　far　as　he　could　bring
himself　to　do　so。　　He　made　a　clean　breast　of　everything　except　about
the　school　list　and　the　remarks　he　had　made　about　each　boy's
character。　　This　infamy　was　more　than　he　could　own　to；　and　he　kept
his　counsel　concerning　it。　　Fortunately　he　was　safe　in　doing　so；　for
Dr　Skinner；　pedant　and　more　than　pedant　though　he　was；　had　still
just　sense　enough　to　turn　on　Theobald　in　the　matter　of　the　school
list。　　Whether　he　resented　being　told　that　he　did　not　know　the
characters　of　his　own　boys；　or　whether　he　dreaded　a　scandal　about
the　school　I　know　not；　but　when　Theobald　had　handed　him　the　list；
over　which　he　had　expended　so　much　pains；　Dr　Skinner　had　cut　him
uncommonly　short；　and　had　then　and　there；　with　more　suavity　than　was
usual　with　him；　committed　it　to　the　flames　before　Theobald's　own
eyes。

Ernest　got　off　with　the　head　boys　easier　than　he　expected。　　It　was
admitted　that　the　offence；　heinous　though　it　was；　had　been　committed
under　extenuating　circumstances；　the　frankness　with　which　the
culprit　had　confessed　all；　his　evidently　unfeigned　remorse；　and　the
fury　with　which　Dr　Skinner　was　pursuing　him　tended　to　bring　about　a
reaction