the way of all flesh-第62节

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pocket　a　copy　of　Archbishop　Whateley's　〃Historic　Doubts。〃　　Then　he
descended　the　dark　rotten　old　stairs　and　knocked　at　the　tinker's
door。　　Mr　Shaw　was　very　civil；　he　said　he　was　rather　throng　just
now；　but　if　Ernest　did　not　mind　the　sound　of　hammering　he　should　be
very　glad　of　a　talk　with　him。　　Our　hero；　assenting　to　this；　ere　long
led　the　conversation　to　Whateley's　〃Historic　Doubts〃a　work　which；
as　the　reader　may　know；　pretends　to　show　that　there　never　was　any
such　person　as　Napoleon　Buonaparte；　and　thus　satirises　the　arguments
of　those　who　have　attacked　the　Christian　miracles。

Mr　Shaw　said　he　knew　〃Historic　Doubts〃　very　well。

〃And　what　you　think　of　it？〃　said　Ernest；　who　regarded　the　pamphlet
as　a　masterpiece　of　wit　and　cogency。

〃If　you　really　want　to　know；〃　said　Mr　Shaw；　with　a　sly　twinkle；　〃I
think　that　he　who　was　so　willing　and　able　to　prove　that　what　was　was
not；　would　be　equally　able　and　willing　to　make　a　case　for　thinking
that　what　was　not　was；　if　it　suited　his　purpose。〃　　Ernest　was　very
much　taken　aback。　　How　was　it　that　all　the　clever　people　of
Cambridge　had　never　put　him　up　to　this　simple　rejoinder？　　The　answer
is　easy：　　they　did　not　develop　it　for　the　same　reason　that　a　hen　had
never　developed　webbed　feetthat　is　to　say；　because　they　did　not
want　to　do　so；　but　this　was　before　the　days　of　Evolution；　and　Ernest
could　not　as　yet　know　anything　of　the　great　principle　that　underlies
it。

〃You　see；〃　continued　Mr　Shaw；　〃these　writers　all　get　their　living　by
writing　in　a　certain　way；　and　the　more　they　write　in　that　way；　the
more　they　are　likely　to　get　on。　　You　should　not　call　them　dishonest
for　this　any　more　than　a　judge　should　call　a　barrister　dishonest　for
earning　his　living　by　defending　one　in　whose　innocence　he　does　not
seriously　believe；　but　you　should　hear　the　barrister　on　the　other
side　before　you　decide　upon　the　case。〃

This　was　another　facer。　　Ernest　could　only　stammer　that　he　had
endeavoured　to　examine　these　questions　as　carefully　as　he　could。

〃You　think　you　have；〃　said　Mr　Shaw；　〃you　Oxford　and　Cambridge
gentlemen　think　you　have　examined　everything。　　I　have　examined　very
little　myself　except　the　bottoms　of　old　kettles　and　saucepans；　but
if　you　will　answer　me　a　few　questions；　I　will　tell　you　whether　or　no
you　have　examined　much　more　than　I　have。〃

Ernest　expressed　his　readiness　to　be　questioned。

〃Then；〃　said　the　tinker；　〃give　me　the　story　of　the　Resurrection　of
Jesus　Christ　as　told　in　St　John's　gospel。〃

I　am　sorry　to　say　that　Ernest　mixed　up　the　four　accounts　in　a
deplorable　manner；　he　even　made　the　angel　come　down　and　roll　away
the　stone　and　sit　upon　it。　　He　was　covered　with　confusion　when　the
tinker　first　told　him　without　the　book　of　some　of　his　many
inaccuracies；　and　then　verified　his　criticisms　by　referring　to　the
New　Testament　itself。

〃Now；〃　said　Mr　Shaw　good　naturedly；　〃I　am　an　old　man　and　you　are　a
young　one；　so　perhaps　you'll　not　mind　my　giving　you　a　piece　of
advice。　　I　like　you；　for　I　believe　you　mean　well；　but　you've　been
real　bad　brought　up；　and　I　don't　think　you　have　ever　had　so　much　as
a　chance　yet。　　You　know　nothing　of　our　side　of　the　question；　and　I
have　just　shown　you　that　you　do　not　know　much　more　of　your　own；　but
I　think　you　will　make　a　kind　of　Carlyle　sort　of　a　man　some　day。　　Now
go　upstairs　and　read　the　accounts　of　the　Resurrection　correctly
without　mixing　them　up；　and　have　a　clear　idea　of　what　it　is　that
each　writer　tells　us；　then　if　you　feel　inclined　to　pay　me　another
visit　I　shall　be　glad　to　see　you；　for　I　shall　know　you　have　made　a
good　beginning　and　mean　business。　　Till　then；　Sir；　I　must　wish　you　a
very　good　morning。〃

Ernest　retreated　abashed。　　An　hour　sufficed　him　to　perform　the　task
enjoined　upon　him　by　Mr　Shaw；　and　at　the　end　of　that　hour　the　〃No；
no；　no；〃　which　still　sounded　in　his　ears　as　he　heard　it　from
Towneley；　came　ringing　up　more　loudly　still　from　the　very　pages　of
the　Bible　itself；　and　in　respect　of　the　most　important　of　all　the
events　which　are　recorded　in　it。　　Surely　Ernest's　first　day's
attempt　at　more　promiscuous　visiting；　and　at　carrying　out　his
principles　more　thoroughly；　had　not　been　unfruitful。　　But　he　must　go
and　have　a　talk　with　Pryer。　　He　therefore　got　his　lunch　and　went　to
Pryer's　lodgings。　　Pryer　not　being　at　home；　he　lounged　to　the
British　Museum　Reading　Room；　then　recently　opened；　sent　for　the
〃Vestiges　of　Creation；〃　which　he　had　never　yet　seen；　and　spent　the
rest　of　the　afternoon　in　reading　it。

Ernest　did　not　see　Pryer　on　the　day　of　his　conversation　with　Mr
Shaw；　but　he　did　so　next　morning　and　found　him　in　a　good　temper；
which　of　late　he　had　rarely　been。　　Sometimes；　indeed；　he　had　behaved
to　Ernest　in　a　way　which　did　not　bode　well　for　the　harmony　with
which　the　College　of　Spiritual　Pathology　would　work　when　it　had　once
been　founded。　　It　almost　seemed　as　though　he　were　trying　to　get　a
complete　moral　ascendency　over　him；　so　as　to　make　him　a　creature　of
his　own。

He　did　not　think　it　possible　that　he　could　go　too　far；　and　indeed；
when　I　reflect　upon　my　hero's　folly　and　inexperience；　there　is　much
to　be　said　in　excuse　for　the　conclusion　which　Pryer　came　to。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　however；　it　was　not　so。　　Ernest's　faith　in
Pryer　had　been　too　great　to　be　shaken　down　all　in　a　moment；　but　it
had　been　weakened　lately　more　than　once。　　Ernest　had　fought　hard
against　allowing　himself　to　see　this；　nevertheless　any　third　person
who　knew　the　pair　would　have　been　able　to　see　that　the　connection
between　the　two　might　end　at　any　moment；　for　when　the　time　for　one
of　Ernest's　snipe…like　changes　of　flight　came；　he　was　quick　in
making　it；　the　time；　however；　was　not　yet　come；　and　the　intimacy
between　the　two　was　apparently　all　that　it　had　ever　been。　　It　was
only　that　horrid　money　business　（so　said　Ernest　to　himself）　that
caused　any　unpleasantness　between　them；　and　no　doubt　Pryer　was
right；　and　he；　Ernest；　much　too　nervous。　　However；　that　might　stand
over　for　the　present。

In　like　manner；　though　he　had　received　a　shock　by　reason　of　his
conversation　with　Mr　Shaw；　and　by　looking　at　the　〃Vestiges；〃　he　was
as　yet　too　much　stunned　to　realise　the　change　which　was　coming　over
him。　　In　each　case　the　momentum　of　old　habits　carried　him　forward　in
the　old　direction。　　He　therefore　called　on　Pryer；　and　spent　an　hour
and　more　with　him。

He　did　not　say　that　he　had　been　visiting　among　his　neighbours；　this
to　Pryer　would　have　been　like　a　red　rag　to　a　bull。　　He　only　talked
in　much　his　usual　vein　about　the　proposed　College；　the　lamentable
want　of　interest　in　spiritual　things　which　was　characteristic　of
modern　society；　and　other　kindred　matters；　he　concluded　by　saying
that　for　the　present　he　feared　Pryer　was　indeed　right；　and　that
nothing　could　be　done。

〃As　regards　the　laity；〃　said　Pryer；　〃nothing；　not　until　we　have　a
discipline　which　we　can　enforce　with　pains　and　penalties。　　How　can　a
sheep　dog　work　a　flock　of　sheep　unless　he　can　bite　occasionally　as
well　as　bark？　　But　as　regards　ourselves　we　can　do　much。〃

Pryer's　manner　was　strange　throughout　the　conversation；　as　though　he
were　thinking　all　the　time　of　something　else。　　His　eyes　wandered
curiously　over　Ernest；　as　Ernest　had　often　noticed　them　wander
before：　　the　words　were　about　Church　discipline；　but　somehow　or
other　the　discipline　part　of　the　story　had　a　knack　of　dropping　out
after　having　been　again　and　again　emphatically　declared　to　apply　to
the　laity　and　not　to　the　clergy：　　once　indeed　Pryer　had　pettishly
exclaimed：　　〃Oh；　bother　the　College　of　Spiritual　Pathology。〃　　As
regards　the　clergy；　glimpses　of　a　pretty　large　cloven　hoof　kept
peeping　out　from　under　the　saintly　robe　of　Pryer's　conversation；　to
the　effect；　that　so　long　as　they　were　theoretically　perfect；
practical　peccadilloesor　even　peccadaccios；　if　there　is　such　a
word；　were　of　less　importance。　　He　was　restless；　as　though　wanting
to　approach　a　subject　which　he　did　not　quite　venture　to　touch　upon；
and　kept　harping　（he　did　this　about　every　third　day）　on　the　wretched
lack　of　definition　concerning　the　limits　of　vice　and　virtue；　and　the
way　in　which　half　the　vices　wanted　regulating　rather　than
prohibiting。　　He　dwelt　also　on　the　advantages　of　complete　unreserve；
and　hinted　that　there　were　mysteries　into　which　Ernest　had　not　yet
been　initiated；　but　which　would　enlighten　him　when　he　got　to　know
them；　as　he　would　be　allowed　to　do　when　his　friends　saw　that　he　was
strong　enough。

Pryer　had　often　been　like　this　before；　but　never　so　nearly；　as　it
seemed　to　Ernest；　coming　to　a　pointthough　what　the　point　was　he
could　not　fully　understand。　　His　inquietude　was　communicating　itself
to　Ernest；　who　would　probably　ere　long　have　come　to　know　as　much　as
Pryer　could　tell　him；　but　the　conversation　was　abruptly　interrupted
by　the　appearance　of　a　visitor。　　We　shall　never　know　how　it　would
have　ended；　for　this　was　the　very　last　time　that　Ernest　ever　saw
Pryer。　　Perhaps　Pryer　was　going　to　break　to　him　some　bad　news　about
his　speculations。



CHAPTER　LX



Ernest　now　went　home　and　occupied　himself　till　luncheon　with
studying　Dean　Alford's　notes　upon　the　various　Evangelistic　records
of　the　Resurrection；　doing　as　Mr　Shaw　had　told　him；　and　trying　to
find　out　not