the way of all flesh-第60节

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torments　that　the　mind　could　think　of；　before　he　could　bring　his
spiritual　pathology　engine　to　bear　upon　them？　　Why　might　he　not
stand　and　preach　as　he　saw　the　Dissenters　doing　sometimes　in
Lincoln's　Inn　Fields　and　other　thoroughfares？　　He　could　say　all　that
Mr　Hawke　had　said。　　Mr　Hawke　was　a　very　poor　creature　in　Ernest's
eyes　now；　for　he　was　a　Low　Churchman；　but　we　should　not　be　above
learning　from　any　one；　and　surely　he　could　affect　his　hearers　as
powerfully　as　Mr　Hawke　had　affected　him　if　he　only　had　the　courage
to　set　to　work。　　The　people　whom　he　saw　preaching　in　the　squares
sometimes　drew　large　audiences。　　He　could　at　any　rate　preach　better
than　they。

Ernest　broached　this　to　Pryer；　who　treated　it　as　something　too
outrageous　to　be　even　thought　of。　　Nothing；　he　said；　could　more　tend
to　lower　the　dignity　of　the　clergy　and　bring　the　Church　into
contempt。　　His　manner　was　brusque；　and　even　rude。

Ernest　ventured　a　little　mild　dissent；　he　admitted　it　was　not　usual；
but　something　at　any　rate　must　be　done；　and　that　quickly。　　This　was
how　Wesley　and　Whitfield　had　begun　that　great　movement　which　had
kindled　religious　life　in　the　minds　of　hundreds　of　thousands。　　This
was　no　time　to　be　standing　on　dignity。　　It　was　just　because　Wesley
and　Whitfield　had　done　what　the　Church　would　not　that　they　had　won
men　to　follow　them　whom　the　Church　had　now　lost。

Pryer　eyed　Ernest　searchingly；　and　after　a　pause　said；　〃I　don't　know
what　to　make　of　you；　Pontifex；　you　are　at　once　so　very　right　and　so
very　wrong。　　I　agree　with　you　heartily　that　something　should　be
done；　but　it　must　not　be　done　in　a　way　which　experience　has　shown
leads　to　nothing　but　fanaticism　and　dissent。　　Do　you　approve　of
these　Wesleyans？　　Do　you　hold　your　ordination　vows　so　cheaply　as　to
think　that　it　does　not　matter　whether　the　services　of　the　Church　are
performed　in　her　churches　and　with　all　due　ceremony　or　not？　　If　you
dothen；　frankly；　you　had　no　business　to　be　ordained；　if　you　do
not；　then　remember　that　one　of　the　first　duties　of　a　young　deacon　is
obedience　to　authority。　　Neither　the　Catholic　Church；　nor　yet　the
Church　of　England　allows　her　clergy　to　preach　in　the　streets　of
cities　where　there　is　no　lack　of　churches。〃

Ernest　felt　the　force　of　this；　and　Pryer　saw　that　he　wavered。

〃We　are　living；〃　he　continued　more　genially；　〃in　an　age　of
transition；　and　in　a　country　which；　though　it　has　gained　much　by　the
Reformation；　does　not　perceive　how　much　it　has　also　lost。　　You
cannot　and　must　not　hawk　Christ　about　in　the　streets　as　though　you
were　in　a　heathen　country　whose　inhabitants　had　never　heard　of　him。
The　people　here　in　London　have　had　ample　warning。　　Every　church　they
pass　is　a　protest　to　them　against　their　lives；　and　a　call　to　them　to
repent。　　Every　church…bell　they　hear　is　a　witness　against　them；
everyone　of　those　whom　they　meet　on　Sundays　going　to　or　coming　from
church　is　a　warning　voice　from　God。　　If　these　countless　influences
produce　no　effect　upon　them；　neither　will　the　few　transient　words
which　they　would　hear　from　you。　　You　are　like　Dives；　and　think　that
if　one　rose　from　the　dead　they　would　hear　him。　　Perhaps　they　might；
but　then　you　cannot　pretend　that　you　have　risen　from　the　dead。〃

Though　the　last　few　words　were　spoken　laughingly；　there　was　a　sub…
sneer　about　them　which　made　Ernest　wince；　but　he　was　quite　subdued；
and　so　the　conversation　ended。　　It　left　Ernest；　however；　not　for　the
first　time；　consciously　dissatisfied　with　Pryer；　and　inclined　to　set
his　friend's　opinion　on　one　sidenot　openly；　but　quietly；　and
without　telling　Pryer　anything　about　it。



CHAPTER　LVII



He　had　hardly　parted　from　Pryer　before　there　occurred　another
incident　which　strengthened　his　discontent。　　He　had　fallen；　as　I
have　shown；　among　a　gang　of　spiritual　thieves　or　coiners；　who　passed
the　basest　metal　upon　him　without　his　finding　it　out；　so　childish
and　inexperienced　was　he　in　the　ways　of　anything　but　those　back
eddies　of　the　world；　schools　and　universities。　　Among　the　bad
threepenny　pieces　which　had　been　passed　off　upon　him；　and　which　he
kept　for　small　hourly　disbursement；　was　a　remark　that　poor　people
were　much　nicer　than　the　richer　and　better　educated。　　Ernest　now
said　that　he　always　travelled　third　class　not　because　it　was
cheaper；　but　because　the　people　whom　he　met　in　third　class　carriages
were　so　much　pleasanter　and　better　behaved。　　As　for　the　young　men
who　attended　Ernest's　evening　classes；　they　were　pronounced　to　be
more　intelligent　and　better　ordered　generally　than　the　average　run
of　Oxford　and　Cambridge　men。　　Our　foolish　young　friend　having　heard
Pryer　talk　to　this　effect；　caught　up　all　he　said　and　reproduced　it
more　suo。

One　evening；　however；　about　this　time；　whom　should　he　see　coming
along　a　small　street　not　far　from　his　own　but；　of　all　persons　in　the
world；　Towneley；　looking　as　full　of　life　and　good　spirits　as　ever；
and　if　possible　even　handsomer　than　he　had　been　at　Cambridge。　　Much
as　Ernest　liked　him　he　found　himself　shrinking　from　speaking　to　him；
and　was　endeavouring　to　pass　him　without　doing　so　when　Towneley　saw
him　and　stopped　him　at　once；　being　pleased　to　see　an　old　Cambridge
face。　　He　seemed　for　the　moment　a　little　confused　at　being　seen　in
such　a　neighbourhood；　but　recovered　himself　so　soon　that　Ernest
hardly　noticed　it；　and　then　plunged　into　a　few　kindly　remarks　about
old　times。　　Ernest　felt　that　he　quailed　as　he　saw　Towneley's　eye
wander　to　his　white　necktie　and　saw　that　he　was　being　reckoned　up；
and　rather　disapprovingly　reckoned　up；　as　a　parson。　　It　was　the
merest　passing　shade　upon　Towneley's　face；　but　Ernest　had　felt　it。

Towneley　said　a　few　words　of　common　form　to　Ernest　about　his
profession　as　being　what　he　thought　would　be　most　likely　to　interest
him；　and　Ernest；　still　confused　and　shy；　gave　him　for　lack　of
something　better　to　say　his　little　threepenny…bit　about　poor　people
being　so　very　nice。　　Towneley　took　this　for　what　it　was　worth　and
nodded　assent；　whereon　Ernest　imprudently　went　further　and　said
〃Don't　you　like　poor　people　very　much　yourself？〃

Towneley　gave　his　face　a　comical　but　good…natured　screw；　and　said
quietly；　but　slowly　and　decidedly；　〃No；　no；　no；〃　and　escaped。

It　was　all　over　with　Ernest　from　that　moment。　　As　usual　he　did　not
know　it；　but　he　had　entered　none　the　less　upon　another　reaction。
Towneley　had　just　taken　Ernest's　threepenny…bit　into　his　hands；
looked　at　it　and　returned　it　to　him　as　a　bad　one。　　Why　did　he　see　in
a　moment　that　it　was　a　bad　one　now；　though　he　had　been　unable　to　see
it　when　he　had　taken　it　from　Pryer？　　Of　course　some　poor　people　were
very　nice；　and　always　would　be　so；　but　as　though　scales　had　fallen
suddenly　from　his　eyes　he　saw　that　no　one　was　nicer　for　being　poor；
and　that　between　the　upper　and　lower　classes　there　was　a　gulf　which
amounted　practically　to　an　impassable　barrier。

That　evening　he　reflected　a　good　deal。　　If　Towneley　was　right；　and
Ernest　felt　that　the　〃No〃　had　applied　not　to　the　remark　about　poor
people　only；　but　to　the　whole　scheme　and　scope　of　his　own　recently
adopted　ideas；　he　and　Pryer　must　surely　be　on　a　wrong　track。
Towneley　had　not　argued　with　him；　he　had　said　one　word　only；　and
that　one　of　the　shortest　in　the　language；　but　Ernest　was　in　a　fit
state　for　inoculation；　and　the　minute　particle　of　virus　set　about
working　immediately。

Which　did　he　now　think　was　most　likely　to　have　taken　the　juster　view
of　life　and　things；　and　whom　would　it　be　best　to　imitate；　Towneley
or　Pryer？　　His　heart　returned　answer　to　itself　without　a　moment's
hesitation。　　The　faces　of　men　like　Towneley　were　open　and　kindly；
they　looked　as　if　at　ease　themselves；　and　as　though　they　would　set
all　who　had　to　do　with　them　at　ease　as　far　as　might　be。　　The　faces
of　Pryer　and　his　friends　were　not　like　this。　　Why　had　he　felt
tacitly　rebuked　as　soon　as　he　had　met　Towneley？　　Was　he　not　a
Christian？　　Certainly；　he　believed　in　the　Church　of　England　as　a
matter　of　course。　　Then　how　could　he　be　himself　wrong　in　trying　to
act　up　to　the　faith　that　he　and　Towneley　held　in　common？　　He　was
trying　to　lead　a　quiet；　unobtrusive　life　of　self…devotion；　whereas
Towneley　was　not；　so　far　as　he　could　see；　trying　to　do　anything　of
the　kind；　he　was　only　trying　to　get　on　comfortably　in　the　world；　and
to　look　and　be　as　nice　as　possible。　　And　he　was　nice；　and　Ernest
knew　that　such　men　as　himself　and　Pryer　were　not　nice；　and　his　old
dejection　came　over　him。

Then　came　an　even　worse　reflection；　how　if　he　had　fallen　among
material　thieves　as　well　as　spiritual　ones？　　He　knew　very　little　of
how　his　money　was　going　on；　he　had　put　it　all　now　into　Pryer's
hands；　and　though　Pryer　gave　him　cash　to　spend　whenever　he　wanted
it；　he　seemed　impatient　of　being　questioned　as　to　what　was　being
done　with　the　principal。　　It　was　part　of　the　understanding；　he　said；
that　that　was　to　be　left　to　him；　and　Ernest　had　better　stick　to
this；　or　he；　Pryer；　would　throw　up　the　College　of　Spiritual
Pathology　altogether；　and　so　Ernest　was　cowed　into　acquiescence；　or
cajoled；　according　to　the　humour　in　which　Pryer　saw　him　to　be。
Ernest　thought　that　further　questions　would　look　as　if　he　doubted
Pryer's　word；　and　also　that　he　had　gone　too　far　to　be　able