the way of all flesh-第68节

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advantageously　upon　the　viler　soul　of　the　prison　chaplain。　　It　was
only　those　who　took　the　first　and　most　obvious　step　in　their　power
who　ever　did　great　things　in　the　end；　so　one　day；　when　Mr　Hughes
for　this　was　the　chaplain's　namewas　talking　with　him；　Ernest
introduced　the　question　of　Christian　evidences；　and　tried　to　raise　a
discussion　upon　them。　　Mr　Hughes　had　been　very　kind　to　him；　but　he
was　more　than　twice　my　hero's　age；　and　had　long　taken　the　measure　of
such　objections　as　Ernest　tried　to　put　before　him。　　I　do　not　suppose
he　believed　in　the　actual　objective　truth　of　the　stories　about
Christ's　Resurrection　and　Ascension　any　more　than　Ernest　did；　but　he
knew　that　this　was　a　small　matter；　and　that　the　real　issue　lay　much
deeper　than　this。

Mr　Hughes　was　a　man　who　had　been　in　authority　for　many　years；　and　he
brushed　Ernest　on　one　side　as　if　he　had　been　a　fly。　　He　did　it　so
well　that　my　hero　never　ventured　to　tackle　him　again；　and　confined
his　conversation　with　him　for　the　future　to　such　matters　as　what　he
had　better　do　when　he　got　out　of　prison；　and　here　Mr　Hughes　was　ever
ready　to　listen　to　him　with　sympathy　and　kindness。



CHAPTER　LXVI



Ernest　was　now　so　far　convalescent　as　to　be　able　to　sit　up　for　the
greater　part　of　the　day。　　He　had　been　three　months　in　prison；　and；
though　not　strong　enough　to　leave　the　infirmary；　was　beyond　all　fear
of　a　relapse。　　He　was　talking　one　day　with　Mr　Hughes　about　his
future；　and　again　expressed　his　intention　of　emigrating　to　Australia
or　New　Zealand　with　the　money　he　should　recover　from　Pryer。
Whenever　he　spoke　of　this　he　noticed　that　Mr　Hughes　looked　grave　and
was　silent：　　he　had　thought　that　perhaps　the　chaplain　wanted　him　to
return　to　his　profession；　and　disapproved　of　his　evident　anxiety　to
turn　to　something　else；　now；　however；　he　asked　Mr　Hughes　point　blank
why　it　was　that　he　disapproved　of　his　idea　of　emigrating。

Mr　Hughes　endeavoured　to　evade　him；　but　Ernest　was　not　to　be　put
off。　　There　was　something　in　the　chaplain's　manner　which　suggested
that　he　knew　more　than　Ernest　did；　but　did　not　like　to　say　it。　　This
alarmed　him　so　much　that　he　begged　him　not　to　keep　him　in　suspense；
after　a　little　hesitation　Mr　Hughes；　thinking　him　now　strong　enough
to　stand　it；　broke　the　news　as　gently　as　he　could　that　the　whole　of
Ernest's　money　had　disappeared。

The　day　after　my　return　from　Battersby　I　called　on　my　solicitor；　and
was　told　that　he　had　written　to　Pryer；　requiring　him　to　refund　the
monies　for　which　he　had　given　his　I。O。U。's。　　Pryer　replied　that　he
had　given　orders　to　his　broker　to　close　his　operations；　which
unfortunately　had　resulted　so　far　in　heavy　loss；　and　that　the
balance　should　be　paid　to　my　solicitor　on　the　following　settling
day；　then　about　a　week　distant。　　When　the　time　came；　we　heard
nothing　from　Pryer；　and　going　to　his　lodgings　found　that　he　had　left
with　his　few　effects　on　the　very　day　after　he　had　heard　from　us；　and
had　not　been　seen　since。

I　had　heard　from　Ernest　the　name　of　the　broker　who　had　been
employed；　and　went　at　once　to　see　him。　　He　told　me　Pryer　had　closed
all　his　accounts　for　cash　on　the　day　that　Ernest　had　been　sentenced；
and　had　received　2315　pounds；　which　was　all　that　remained　of
Ernest's　original　5000　pounds。　　With　this　he　had　decamped；　nor　had
we　enough　clue　as　to　his　whereabouts　to　be　able　to　take　any　steps　to
recover　the　money。　　There　was　in　fact　nothing　to　be　done　but　to
consider　the　whole　as　lost。　　I　may　say　here　that　neither　I　nor
Ernest　ever　heard　of　Pryer　again；　nor　have　any　idea　what　became　of
him。

This　placed　me　in　a　difficult　position。　　I　knew；　of　course；　that　in
a　few　years　Ernest　would　have　many　times　over　as　much　money　as　he
had　lost；　but　I　knew　also　that　he　did　not　know　this；　and　feared　that
the　supposed　loss　of　all　he　had　in　the　world　might　be　more　than　he
could　stand　when　coupled　with　his　other　misfortunes。

The　prison　authorities　had　found　Theobald's　address　from　a　letter　in
Ernest's　pocket；　and　had　communicated　with　him　more　than　once
concerning　his　son's　illness；　but　Theobald　had　not　written　to　me；
and　I　supposed　my　godson　to　be　in　good　health。　　He　would　be　just
twenty…four　years　old　when　he　left　prison；　and　if　I　followed　out　his
aunt's　instructions；　would　have　to　battle　with　fortune　for　another
four　years　as　well　as　he　could。　　The　question　before　me　was　whether
it　was　right　to　let　him　run　so　much　risk；　or　whether　I　should　not　to
some　extent　transgress　my　instructionswhich　there　was　nothing　to
prevent　my　doing　if　I　thought　Miss　Pontifex　would　have　wished　it
and　let　him　have　the　same　sum　that　he　would　have　recovered　from
Pryer。

If　my　godson　had　been　an　older　man；　and　more　fixed　in　any　definite
groove；　this　is　what　I　should　have　done；　but　he　was　still　very
young；　and　more　than　commonly　unformed　for　his　age。　　If；　again；　I
had　known　of　his　illness　I　should　not　have　dared　to　lay　any　heavier
burden　on　his　back　than　he　had　to　bear　already；　but　not　being　uneasy
about　his　health；　I　thought　a　few　years　of　roughing　it　and　of
experience　concerning　the　importance　of　not　playing　tricks　with
money　would　do　him　no　harm。　　So　I　decided　to　keep　a　sharp　eye　upon
him　as　soon　as　he　came　out　of　prison；　and　to　let　him　splash　about　in
deep　water　as　best　he　could　till　I　saw　whether　he　was　able　to　swim；
or　was　about　to　sink。　　In　the　first　case　I　would　let　him　go　on
swimming　till　he　was　nearly　eight…and…twenty；　when　I　would　prepare
him　gradually　for　the　good　fortune　that　awaited　him；　in　the　second　I
would　hurry　up　to　the　rescue。　　So　I　wrote　to　say　that　Pryer　had
absconded；　and　that　he　could　have　100　pounds　from　his　father　when　he
came　out　of　prison。　　I　then　waited　to　see　what　effect　these　tidings
would　have；　not　expecting　to　receive　an　answer　for　three　months；　for
I　had　been　told　on　enquiry　that　no　letter　could　be　received　by　a
prisoner　till　after　he　had　been　three　months　in　gaol。　　I　also　wrote
to　Theobald　and　told　him　of　Pryer's　disappearance。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　when　my　letter　arrived　the　governor　of　the　gaol
read　it；　and　in　a　case　of　such　importance　would　have　relaxed　the
rules　if　Ernest's　state　had　allowed　it；　his　illness　prevented　this；
and　the　governor　left　it　to　the　chaplain　and　the　doctor　to　break　the
news　to　him　when　they　thought　him　strong　enough　to　bear　it；　which
was　now　the　case。　　In　the　meantime　I　received　a　formal　official
document　saying　that　my　letter　had　been　received　and　would　be
communicated　to　the　prisoner　in　due　course；　I　believe　it　was　simply
through　a　mistake　on　the　part　of　a　clerk　that　I　was　not　informed　of
Ernest's　illness；　but　I　heard　nothing　of　it　till　I　saw　him　by　his
own　desire　a　few　days　after　the　chaplin　had　broken　to　him　the
substance　of　what　I　had　written。

Ernest　was　terribly　shocked　when　he　heard　of　the　loss　of　his　money；
but　his　ignorance　of　the　world　prevented　him　from　seeing　the　full
extent　of　the　mischief。　　He　had　never　been　in　serious　want　of　money
yet；　and　did　not　know　what　it　meant。　　In　reality；　money　losses　are
the　hardest　to　bear　of　any　by　those　who　are　old　enough　to　comprehend
them。

A　man　can　stand　being　told　that　he　must　submit　to　a　severe　surgical
operation；　or　that　he　has　some　disease　which　will　shortly　kill　him；
or　that　he　will　be　a　cripple　or　blind　for　the　rest　of　his　life；
dreadful　as　such　tidings　must　be；　we　do　not　find　that　they　unnerve
the　greater　number　of　mankind；　most　men；　indeed；　go　coolly　enough
even　to　be　hanged；　but　the　strongest　quail　before　financial　ruin；
and　the　better　men　they　are；　the　more　complete；　as　a　general　rule；
is　their　prostration。　　Suicide　is　a　common　consequence　of　money
losses；　it　is　rarely　sought　as　a　means　of　escape　from　bodily
suffering。　　If　we　feel　that　we　have　a　competence　at　our　backs；　so
that　we　can　die　warm　and　quietly　in　our　beds；　with　no　need　to　worry
about　expense；　we　live　our　lives　out　to　the　dregs；　no　matter　how
excruciating　our　torments。　　Job　probably　felt　the　loss　of　his　flocks
and　herds　more　than　that　of　his　wife　and　family；　for　he　could　enjoy
his　flocks　and　herds　without　his　family；　but　not　his　familynot　for
longif　he　had　lost　all　his　money。　　Loss　of　money　indeed　is　not
only　the　worst　pain　in　itself；　but　it　is　the　parent　of　all　others。
Let　a　man　have　been　brought　up　to　a　moderate　competence；　and　have　no
specially；　then　let　his　money　be　suddenly　taken　from　him；　and　how
long　is　his　health　likely　to　survive　the　change　in　all　his　little
ways　which　loss　of　money　will　entail？　　How　long　again　is　the　esteem
and　sympathy　of　friends　likely　to　survive　ruin？　　People　may　be　very
sorry　for　us；　but　their　attitude　towards　us　hitherto　has　been　based
upon　the　supposition　that　we　were　situated　thus　or　thus　in　money
matters；　when　this　breaks　down　there　must　be　a　restatement　of　the
social　problem　so　far　as　we　are　concerned；　we　have　been　obtaining
esteem　under　false　pretences。　　Granted；　then；　that　the　three　most
serious　losses　which　a　man　can　suffer　are　those　affecting　money；
health　and　reputation。　　Loss　of　money　is　far　the　worst；　then　comes
ill…health；　and　then　loss　of　reputation；　loss　of　reputation　is　a　bad
third；　for；　if　a　man　keeps　health　and　money　unimpaired；　it　will　be
generally　found　that　his　loss　of　reputation　is　due　to　breaches　of
parven