the way of all flesh-第50节

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〃You　know；　my　dearest　boy；〃　she　said　to　him；　〃that　papa〃　（she　always
called　Theobald　〃papa〃　when　talking　to　Ernest）　〃is　so　anxious　you
should　not　go　into　the　Church　blindly；　and　without　fully　realising
the　difficulties　of　a　clergyman's　position。　　He　has　considered　all
of　them　himself；　and　has　been　shown　how　small　they　are；　when　they
are　faced　boldly；　but　he　wishes　you；　too；　to　feel　them　as　strongly
and　completely　as　possible　before　committing　yourself　to　irrevocable
vows；　so　that　you　may　never；　never　have　to　regret　the　step　you　will
have　taken。〃

This　was　the　first　time　Ernest　had　heard　that　there　were　any
difficulties；　and　he　not　unnaturally　enquired　in　a　vague　way　after
their　nature。

〃That；　my　dear　boy；〃　rejoined　Christina；　〃is　a　question　which　I　am
not　fitted　to　enter　upon　either　by　nature　or　education。　　I　might
easily　unsettle　your　mind　without　being　able　to　settle　it　again。
Oh；　no！　　Such　questions　are　far　better　avoided　by　women；　and；　I
should　have　thought；　by　men；　but　papa　wished　me　to　speak　to　you　upon
the　subject；　so　that　there　might　be　no　mistake　hereafter；　and　I　have
done　so。　　Now；　therefore；　you　know　all。〃

The　conversation　ended　here；　so　far　as　this　subject　was　concerned；
and　Ernest　thought　he　did　know　all。　　His　mother　would　not　have　told
him　he　knew　allnot　about　a　matter　of　that　sortunless　he　actually
did　know　it；　well；　it　did　not　come　to　very　much；　he　supposed　there
were　some　difficulties；　but　his　father；　who　at　any　rate　was　an
excellent　scholar　and　a　learned　man；　was　probably　quite　right　here；
and　he　need　not　trouble　himself　more　about　them。　　So　little
impression　did　the　conversation　make　on　him；　that　it　was　not　till
long　afterwards　that；　happening　to　remember　it；　he　saw　what　a　piece
of　sleight　of　hand　had　been　practised　upon　him。　　Theobald　and
Christina；　however；　were　satisfied　that　they　had　done　their　duty　by
opening　their　son's　eyes　to　the　difficulties　of　assenting　to　all　a
clergyman　must　assent　to。　　This　was　enough；　it　was　a　matter　for
rejoicing　that；　though　they　had　been　put　so　fully　and　candidly
before　him；　he　did　not　find　them　serious。　　It　was　not　in　vain　that
they　had　prayed　for　so　many　years　to　be　made　〃TRULY　honest　and
conscientious。〃

〃And　now；　my　dear；〃　resumed　Christina；　after　having　disposed　of　all
the　difficulties　that　might　stand　in　the　way　of　Ernest's　becoming　a
clergyman；　〃there　is　another　matter　on　which　I　should　like　to　have　a
talk　with　you。　　It　is　about　your　sister　Charlotte。　　You　know　how
clever　she　is；　and　what　a　dear；　kind　sister　she　has　been　and　always
will　be　to　yourself　and　Joey。　　I　wish；　my　dearest　Ernest；　that　I　saw
more　chance　of　her　finding　a　suitable　husband　than　I　do　at
Battersby；　and　I　sometimes　think　you　might　do　more　than　you　do　to
help　her。〃

Ernest　began　to　chafe　at　this；　for　he　had　heard　it　so　often；　but　he
said　nothing。

〃You　know；　my　dear；　a　brother　can　do　so　much　for　his　sister　if　he
lays　himself　out　to　do　it。　　A　mother　can　do　very　littleindeed；　it
is　hardly　a　mother's　place　to　seek　out　young　men；　it　is　a　brother's
place　to　find　a　suitable　partner　for　his　sister；　all　that　I　can　do
is　to　try　to　make　Battersby　as　attractive　as　possible　to　any　of　your
friends　whom　you　may　invite。　　And　in　that；〃　she　added；　with　a　little
toss　of　her　head；　〃I　do　not　think　I　have　been　deficient　hitherto。〃

Ernest　said　he　had　already　at　different　times　asked　several　of　his
friends。

〃Yes；　my　dear；　but　you　must　admit　that　they　were　none　of　them
exactly　the　kind　of　young　man　whom　Charlotte　could　be　expected　to
take　a　fancy　to。　　Indeed；　I　must　own　to　having　been　a　little
disappointed　that　you　should　have　yourself　chosen　any　of　these　as
your　intimate　friends。〃

Ernest　winced　again。

〃You　never　brought　down　Figgins　when　you　were　at　Roughborough；　now　I
should　have　thought　Figgins　would　have　been　just　the　kind　of　boy
whom　you　might　have　asked　to　come　and　see　us。〃

Figgins　had　been　gone　through　times　out　of　number　already。　　Ernest
had　hardly　known　him；　and　Figgins；　being　nearly　three　years　older
than　Ernest；　had　left　long　before　he　did。　　Besides　he　had　not　been　a
nice　boy；　and　had　made　himself　unpleasant　to　Ernest　in　many　ways。

〃Now；〃　continued　his　mother；　〃there's　Towneley。　　I　have　heard　you
speak　of　Towneley　as　having　rowed　with　you　in　a　boat　at　Cambridge。
I　wish；　my　dear；　you　would　cultivate　your　acquaintance　with
Towneley；　and　ask　him　to　pay　us　a　visit。　　The　name　has　an
aristocratic　sound；　and　I　think　I　have　heard　you　say　he　is　an　eldest
son。〃

Ernest　flushed　at　the　sound　of　Towneley's　name。

What　had　really　happened　in　respect　of　Ernest's　friends　was　briefly
this。　　His　mother　liked　to　get　hold　of　the　names　of　the　boys　and
especially　of　any　who　were　at　all　intimate　with　her　son；　the　more
she　heard；　the　more　she　wanted　to　know；　there　was　no　gorging　her　to
satiety；　she　was　like　a　ravenous　young　cuckoo　being　fed　upon　a　grass
plot　by　a　water　wag…tail；　she　would　swallow　all　that　Ernest　could
bring　her；　and　yet　be　as　hungry　as　before。　　And　she　always　went　to
Ernest　for　her　meals　rather　than　to　Joey；　for　Joey　was　either　more
stupid　or　more　impenetrableat　any　rate　she　could　pump　Ernest　much
the　better　of　the　two。

From　time　to　time　an　actual　live　boy　had　been　thrown　to　her；　either
by　being　caught　and　brought　to　Battersby；　or　by　being　asked　to　meet
her　if　at　any　time　she　came　to　Roughborough。　　She　had　generally　made
herself　agreeable；　or　fairly　agreeable；　as　long　as　the　boy　was
present；　but　as　soon　as　she　got　Ernest　to　herself　again　she　changed
her　note。　　Into　whatever　form　she　might　throw　her　criticisms　it　came
always　in　the　end　to　this；　that　his　friend　was　no　good；　that　Ernest
was　not　much　better；　and　that　he　should　have　brought　her　someone
else；　for　this　one　would　not　do　at　all。

The　more　intimate　the　boy　had　been　or　was　supposed　to　be　with　Ernest
the　more　he　was　declared　to　be　naught；　till　in　the　end　he　had　hit
upon　the　plan　of　saying；　concerning　any　boy　whom　he　particularly
liked；　that　he　was　not　one　of　his　especial　chums；　and　that　indeed　he
hardly　knew　why　he　had　asked　him；　but　he　found　he　only　fell　on
Scylla　in　trying　to　avoid　Charybdis；　for　though　the　boy　was　declared
to　be　more　successful　it　was　Ernest　who　was　naught　for　not　thinking
more　highly　of　him。

When　she　had　once　got　hold　of　a　name　she　never　forgot　it。　　〃And　how
is　So…and…so？〃　she　would　exclaim；　mentioning　some　former　friend　of
Ernest's　with　whom　he　had　either　now　quarrelled；　or　who　had　long
since　proved　to　be　a　mere　comet　and　no　fixed　star　at　all。　　How
Ernest　wished　he　had　never　mentioned　So…and…so's　name；　and　vowed　to
himself　that　he　would　never　talk　about　his　friends　in　future；　but　in
a　few　hours　he　would　forget　and　would　prattle　away　as　imprudently　as
ever；　then　his　mother　would　pounce　noiselessly　on　his　remarks　as　a
barn…owl　pounces　upon　a　mouse；　and　would　bring　them　up　in　a　pellet
six　months　afterwards　when　they　were　no　longer　in　harmony　with　their
surroundings。

Then　there　was　Theobald。　　If　a　boy　or　college　friend　had　been
invited　to　Battersby；　Theobald　would　lay　himself　out　at　first　to　be
agreeable。　　He　could　do　this　well　enough　when　he　liked；　and　as
regards　the　outside　world　he　generally　did　like。　　His　clerical
neighbours；　and　indeed　all　his　neighbours；　respected　him　yearly　more
and　more；　and　would　have　given　Ernest　sufficient　cause　to　regret　his
imprudence　if　he　had　dared　to　hint　that　he　had　anything；　however
little；　to　complain　of。　　Theobald's　mind　worked　in　this　way：　　〃Now；
I　know　Ernest　has　told　this　boy　what　a　disagreeable　person　I　am；　and
I　will　just　show　him　that　I　am　not　disagreeable　at　all；　but　a　good
old　fellow；　a　jolly　old　boy；　in　fact　a　regular　old　brick；　and　that
it　is　Ernest　who　is　in　fault　all　through。〃

So　he　would　behave　very　nicely　to　the　boy　at　first；　and　the　boy
would　be　delighted　with　him；　and　side　with　him　against　Ernest。　　Of
course　if　Ernest　had　got　the　boy　to　come　to　Battersby　he　wanted　him
to　enjoy　his　visit；　and　was　therefore　pleased　that　Theobald　should
behave　so　well；　but　at　the　same　time　he　stood　so　much　in　need　of
moral　support　that　it　was　painful　to　him　to　see　one　of　his　own
familiar　friends　go　over　to　the　enemy's　camp。　　For　no　matter　how
well　we　may　know　a　thinghow　clearly　we　may　see　a　certain　patch　of
colour；　for　example；　as　red；　it　shakes　us　and　knocks　us　about　to
find　another　see　it；　or　be　more　than　half　inclined　to　see　it；　as
green。

Theobald　had　generally　begun　to　get　a　little　impatient　before　the
end　of　the　visit；　but　the　impression　formed　during　the　earlier　part
was　the　one　which　the　visitor　had　carried　away　with　him。　　Theobald
never　discussed　any　of　the　boys　with　Ernest。　　It　was　Christina　who
did　this。　　Theobald　let　them　come；　because　Christina　in　a　quiet；
persistent　way　insisted　on　it；　when　they　did　come　he　behaved；　as　I
have　said；　civilly；　but　he　did　not　like　it；　whereas　Christina　did
like　it　very　much；　she　would　have　had　half　Roughborough　and　half
Cambridge　to　come　and　stay　at　Battersby　if　she　could　have　managed
it；　and　if　it　would　not　have　cost　so　much　money：　　she　liked　their
coming；　so　that　she　might　make　a　new　acquaintance；　and　she　liked
tearing　them　to　pieces　and　flinging　the　bits　over　Ernest　as　soon　as
she　had　had　enough　of　th