the way of all flesh-第65节

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even　had　the　obstacles　been　fewer；　your　parents　probably　took　care
that　your　means　should　not　admit　of　your　throwing　money　away　upon
abandoned　characters。　　At　night　proctors　patrolled　the　street　and
dogged　your　steps　if　you　tried　to　go　into　any　haunt　where　the
presence　of　vice　was　suspected。　　By　day　the　females　who　were
admitted　within　the　college　walls　were　selected　mainly　on　the　score
of　age　and　ugliness。　　It　is　hard　to　see　what　more　can　be　done　for
any　young　man　than　this。　　For　the　last　four　or　five　months　you　have
been　a　clergyman；　and　if　a　single　impure　thought　had　still　remained
within　your　mind；　ordination　should　have　removed　it：　　nevertheless；
not　only　does　it　appear　that　your　mind　is　as　impure　as　though　none
of　the　influences　to　which　I　have　referred　had　been　brought　to　bear
upon　it；　but　it　seems　as　though　their　only　result　had　been　this
that　you　have　not　even　the　common　sense　to　be　able　to　distinguish
between　a　respectable　girl　and　a　prostitute。

〃If　I　were　to　take　a　strict　view　of　my　duty　I　should　commit　you　for
trial；　but　in　consideration　of　this　being　your　first　offence；　I
shall　deal　leniently　with　you　and　sentence　you　to　imprisonment　with
hard　labour　for　six　calendar　months。〃

Towneley　and　I　both　thought　there　was　a　touch　of　irony　in　the
magistrate's　speech；　and　that　he　could　have　given　a　lighter　sentence
if　he　would；　but　that　was　neither　here　nor　there。　　We　obtained　leave
to　see　Ernest　for　a　few　minutes　before　he　was　removed　to　Coldbath
Fields；　where　he　was　to　serve　his　term；　and　found　him　so　thankful　to
have　been　summarily　dealt　with　that　he　hardly　seemed　to　care　about
the　miserable　plight　in　which　he　was　to　pass　the　next　six　months。
When　he　came　out；　he　said；　he　would　take　what　remained　of　his　money；
go　off　to　America　or　Australia　and　never　be　heard　of　more。

We　left　him　full　of　this　resolve；　I；　to　write　to　Theobald；　and　also
to　instruct　my　solicitor　to　get　Ernest's　money　out　of　Pryer's　hands；
and　Towneley　to　see　the　reporters　and　keep　the　case　out　of　the
newspapers。　　He　was　successful　as　regards　all　the　higher…class
papers。　　There　was　only　one　journal；　and　that　of　the　lowest　class；
which　was　incorruptible。



CHAPTER　LXIII



I　saw　my　solicitor　at　once；　but　when　I　tried　to　write　to　Theobald；　I
found　it　better　to　say　I　would　run　down　and　see　him。　　I　therefore
proposed　this；　asking　him　to　meet　me　at　the　station；　and　hinting
that　I　must　bring　bad　news　about　his　son。　　I　knew　he　would　not　get
my　letter　more　than　a　couple　of　hours　before　I　should　see　him；　and
thought　the　short　interval　of　suspense　might　break　the　shock　of　what
I　had　to　say。

Never　do　I　remember　to　have　halted　more　between　two　opinions　than　on
my　journey　to　Battersby　upon　this　unhappy　errand。　　When　I　thought　of
the　little　sallow…faced　lad　whom　I　had　remembered　years　before；　of
the　long　and　savage　cruelty　with　which　he　had　been　treated　in
childhoodcruelty　none　the　less　real　for　having　been　due　to
ignorance　and　stupidity　rather　than　to　deliberate　malice；　of　the
atmosphere　of　lying　and　self…laudatory　hallucination　in　which　he　had
been　brought　up；　of　the　readiness　the　boy　had　shown　to　love　anything
that　would　be　good　enough　to　let　him；　and　of　how　affection　for　his
parents；　unless　I　am　much　mistaken；　had　only　died　in　him　because　it
had　been　killed　anew；　again　and　again　and　again；　each　time　that　it
had　tried　to　spring。　　When　I　thought　of　all　this　I　felt　as　though；
if　the　matter　had　rested　with　me；　I　would　have　sentenced　Theobald
and　Christina　to　mental　suffering　even　more　severe　than　that　which
was　about　to　fall　upon　them。　　But　on　the　other　hand；　when　I　thought
of　Theobald's　own　childhood；　of　that　dreadful　old　George　Pontifex
his　father；　of　John　and　Mrs　John；　and　of　his　two　sisters；　when　again
I　thought　of　Christina's　long　years　of　hope　deferred　that　maketh　the
heart　sick；　before　she　was　married；　of　the　life　she　must　have　led　at
Crampsford；　and　of　the　surroundings　in　the　midst　of　which　she　and
her　husband　both　lived　at　Battersby；　I　felt　as　though　the　wonder　was
that　misfortunes　so　persistent　had　not　been　followed　by　even　graver
retribution。

Poor　people！　　They　had　tried　to　keep　their　ignorance　of　the　world
from　themselves　by　calling　it　the　pursuit　of　heavenly　things；　and
then　shutting　their　eyes　to　anything　that　might　give　them　trouble。
A　son　having　been　born　to　them　they　had　shut　his　eyes　also　as　far　as
was　practicable。　　Who　could　blame　them？　　They　had　chapter　and　verse
for　everything　they　had　either　done　or　left　undone；　there　is　no
better　thumbed　precedent　than　that　for　being　a　clergyman　and　a
clergyman's　wife。　　In　what　respect　had　they　differed　from　their
neighbours？　　How　did　their　household　differ　from　that　of　any　other
clergyman　of　the　better　sort　from　one　end　of　England　to　the　other？
Why　then　should　it　have　been　upon　them；　of　all　people　in　the　world；
that　this　tower　of　Siloam　had　fallen？

Surely　it　was　the　tower　of　Siloam　that　was　naught　rather　than　those
who　stood　under　it；　it　was　the　system　rather　than　the　people　that
was　at　fault。　　If　Theobald　and　his　wife　had　but　known　more　of　the
world　and　of　the　things　that　are　therein；　they　would　have　done
little　harm　to　anyone。　　Selfish　they　would　have　always　been；　but　not
more　so　than　may　very　well　be　pardoned；　and　not　more　than　other
people　would　be。　　As　it　was；　the　case　was　hopeless；　it　would　be　no
use　their　even　entering　into　their　mothers'　wombs　and　being　born
again。　　They　must　not　only　be　born　again　but　they　must　be　born　again
each　one　of　them　of　a　new　father　and　of　a　new　mother　and　of　a
different　line　of　ancestry　for　many　generations　before　their　minds
could　become　supple　enough　to　learn　anew。　　The　only　thing　to　do　with
them　was　to　humour　them　and　make　the　best　of　them　till　they　died
and　be　thankful　when　they　did　so。

Theobald　got　my　letter　as　I　had　expected；　and　met　me　at　the　station
nearest　to　Battersby。　　As　I　walked　back　with　him　towards　his　own
house　I　broke　the　news　to　him　as　gently　as　I　could。　　I　pretended
that　the　whole　thing　was　in　great　measure　a　mistake；　and　that　though
Ernest　no　doubt　had　had　intentions　which　he　ought　to　have　resisted；
he　had　not　meant　going　anything　like　the　length　which　Miss　Maitland
supposed。　　I　said　we　had　felt　how　much　appearances　were　against　him；
and　had　not　dared　to　set　up　this　defence　before　the　magistrate；
though　we　had　no　doubt　about　its　being　the　true　one。

Theobald　acted　with　a　readier　and　acuter　moral　sense　than　I　had
given　him　credit　for。

〃I　will　have　nothing　more　to　do　with　him；〃　he　exclaimed　promptly；　〃I
will　never　see　his　face　again；　do　not　let　him　write　either　to　me　or
to　his　mother；　we　know　of　no　such　person。　　Tell　him　you　have　seen
me；　and　that　from　this　day　forward　I　shall　put　him　out　of　my　mind　as
though　he　had　never　been　born。　　I　have　been　a　good　father　to　him；
and　his　mother　idolised　him；　selfishness　and　ingratitude　have　been
the　only　return　we　have　ever　had　from　him；　my　hope　henceforth　must
be　in　my　remaining　children。〃

I　told　him　how　Ernest's　fellow　curate　had　got　hold　of　his　money；　and
hinted　that　he　might　very　likely　be　penniless；　or　nearly　so；　on
leaving　prison。　　Theobald　did　not　seem　displeased　at　this；　but　added
soon　afterwards：　　〃If　this　proves　to　be　the　case；　tell　him　from　me
that　I　will　give　him　a　hundred　pounds　if　he　will　tell　me　through　you
when　he　will　have　it　paid；　but　tell　him　not　to　write　and　thank　me；
and　say　that　if　he　attempts　to　open　up　direct　communication　either
with　his　mother　or　myself；　he　shall　not　have　a　penny　of　the　money。〃

Knowing　what　I　knew；　and　having　determined　on　violating　Miss
Pontifex's　instructions　should　the　occasion　arise；　I　did　not　think
Ernest　would　be　any　the　worse　for　a　complete　estrangement　from　his
family；　so　I　acquiesced　more　readily　in　what　Theobald　had　proposed
than　that　gentleman　may　have　expected。

Thinking　it　better　that　I　should　not　see　Christina；　I　left　Theobald
near　Battersby　and　walked　back　to　the　station。　　On　my　way　I　was
pleased　to　reflect　that　Ernest's　father　was　less　of　a　fool　than　I
had　taken　him　to　be；　and　had　the　greater　hopes；　therefore；　that　his
son's　blunders　might　be　due　to　postnatal；　rather　than　congenital
misfortunes。　　Accidents　which　happen　to　a　man　before　he　is　born；　in
the　persons　of　his　ancestors；　will；　if　he　remembers　them　at　all；
leave　an　indelible　impression　on　him；　they　will　have　moulded　his
character　so　that；　do　what　he　will；　it　is　hardly　possible　for　him　to
escape　their　consequences。　　If　a　man　is　to　enter　into　the　Kingdom　of
Heaven；　he　must　do　so；　not　only　as　a　little　child；　but　as　a　little
embryo；　or　rather　as　a　little　zoospermand　not　only　this；　but　as
one　that　has　come　of　zoosperms　which　have　entered　into　the　Kingdom
of　Heaven　before　him　for　many　generations。　　Accidents　which　occur
for　the　first　time；　and　belong　to　the　period　since　a　man's　last
birth；　are　not；　as　a　general　rule；　so　permanent　in　their　effects；
though　of　course　they　may　sometimes　be　so。　　At　any　rate；　I　was　not
displeased　at　the　view　which　Ernest's　father　took　of　the　situation。



CHAPTER　LXIV



After　Ernest　had　been　sentenced；　he　was　taken　back　to　the　cells　to
wait　for　the　van　which　should　take　him　to　Coldbath　Fields；　where　he
was　to　serve　his　term。