the way of all flesh-第73节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


on　the　following　day　I　thought　he　had　shaped　well。　　I　had　liked　him
also　during　our　interview　in　prison；　and　wanted　to　see　more　of　him；
so　that　I　might　make　up　my　mind　about　him。　　I　had　lived　long　enough
to　know　that　some　men　who　do　great　things　in　the　end　are　not　very
wise　when　they　are　young；　knowing　that　he　would　leave　prison　on　the
30th；　I　had　expected　him；　and；　as　I　had　a　spare　bedroom；　pressed　him
to　stay　with　me；　till　he　could　make　up　his　mind　what　he　would　do。

Being　so　much　older　than　he　was；　I　anticipated　no　trouble　in　getting
my　own　way；　but　he　would　not　hear　of　it。　　The　utmost　he　would　assent
to　was　that　he　should　be　my　guest　till　he　could　find　a　room　for
himself；　which　he　would　set　about　doing　at　once。

He　was　still　much　agitated；　but　grew　better　as　he　ate　a　breakfast；
not　of　prison　fare　and　in　a　comfortable　room。　　It　pleased　me　to　see
the　delight　he　took　in　all　about　him；　the　fireplace　with　a　fire　in
it；　the　easy　chairs；　the　Times；　my　cat；　the　red　geraniums　in　the
window；　to　say　nothing　of　coffee；　bread　and　butter；　sausages；
marmalade；　etc。　　Everything　was　pregnant　with　the　most　exquisite
pleasure　to　him。　　The　plane　trees　were　full　of　leaf　still；　he　kept
rising　from　the　breakfast　table　to　admire　them；　never　till　now；　he
said；　had　he　known　what　the　enjoyment　of　these　things　really　was。
He　ate；　looked；　laughed　and　cried　by　turns；　with　an　emotion　which　I
can　neither　forget　nor　describe。

He　told　me　how　his　father　and　mother　had　lain　in　wait　for　him；　as　he
was　about　to　leave　prison。　　I　was　furious；　and　applauded　him
heartily　for　what　he　had　done。　　He　was　very　grateful　to　me　for　this。
Other　people；　he　said；　would　tell　him　he　ought　to　think　of　his
father　and　mother　rather　than　of　himself；　and　it　was　such　a　comfort
to　find　someone　who　saw　things　as　he　saw　them　himself。　　Even　if　I
had　differed　from　him　I　should　not　have　said　so；　but　I　was　of　his
opinion；　and　was　almost　as　much　obliged　to　him　for　seeing　things　as
I　saw　them；　as　he　to　me　for　doing　the　same　kind　office　by　himself。
Cordially　as　I　disliked　Theobald　and　Christina；　I　was　in　such　a
hopeless　minority　in　the　opinion　I　had　formed　concerning　them　that
it　was　pleasant　to　find　someone　who　agreed　with　me。

Then　there　came　an　awful　moment　for　both　of　us。

A　knock；　as　of　a　visitor　and　not　a　postman；　was　heard　at　my　door。

〃Goodness　gracious；〃　I　exclaimed；　〃why　didn't　we　sport　the　oak？
Perhaps　it　is　your　father。　　But　surely　he　would　hardly　come　at　this
time　of　day！　　Go　at　once　into　my　bedroom。〃

I　went　to　the　door；　and；　sure　enough；　there　were　both　Theobald　and
Christina。　　I　could　not　refuse　to　let　them　in　and　was　obliged　to
listen　to　their　version　of　the　story；　which　agreed　substantially
with　Ernest's。　　Christina　cried　bitterlyTheobald　stormed。　　After
about　ten　minutes；　during　which　I　assured　them　that　I　had　not　the
faintest　conception　where　their　son　was；　I　dismissed　them　both。　　I
saw　they　looked　suspiciously　upon　the　manifest　signs　that　someone
was　breakfasting　with　me；　and　parted　from　me　more　or　less　defiantly；
but　I　got　rid　of　them；　and　poor　Ernest　came　out　again；　looking
white；　frightened　and　upset。　　He　had　heard　voices；　but　no　more；　and
did　not　feel　sure　that　the　enemy　might　not　be　gaining　over　me。　　We
sported　the　oak　now；　and　before　long　he　began　to　recover。

After　breakfast；　we　discussed　the　situation。　　I　had　taken　away　his
wardrobe　and　books　from　Mrs　Jupp's；　but　had　left　his　furniture；
pictures　and　piano；　giving　Mrs　Jupp　the　use　of　these；　so　that　she
might　let　her　room　furnished；　in　lieu　of　charge　for　taking　care　of
the　furniture。　　As　soon　as　Ernest　heard　that　his　wardrobe　was　at
hand；　he　got　out　a　suit　of　clothes　he　had　had　before　he　had　been
ordained；　and　put　it　on　at　once；　much；　as　I　thought；　to　the
improvement　of　his　personal　appearance。

Then　we　went　into　the　subject　of　his　finances。　　He　had　had　ten
pounds　from　Pryer　only　a　day　or　two　before　he　was　apprehended；　of
which　between　seven　and　eight　were　in　his　purse　when　he　entered　the
prison。　　This　money　was　restored　to　him　on　leaving。　　He　had　always
paid　cash　for　whatever　he　bought；　so　that　there　was　nothing　to　be
deducted　for　debts。　　Besides　this；　he　had　his　clothes；　books　and
furniture。　　He　could；　as　I　have　said；　have　had　100　pounds　from　his
father　if　he　had　chosen　to　emigrate；　but　this　both　Ernest　and　I　（for
he　brought　me　round　to　his　opinion）　agreed　it　would　be　better　to
decline。　　This　was　all　he　knew　of　as　belonging　to　him。

He　said　he　proposed　at　once　taking　an　unfurnished　top　back　attic　in
as　quiet　a　house　as　he　could　find；　say　at　three　or　four　shillings　a
week；　and　looking　out　for　work　as　a　tailor。　　I　did　not　think　it　much
mattered　what　he　began　with；　for　I　felt　pretty　sure　he　would　ere
long　find　his　way　to　something　that　suited　him；　if　he　could　get　a
start　with　anything　at　all。　　The　difficulty　was　how　to　get　him
started。　　It　was　not　enough　that　he　should　be　able　to　cut　out　and
make　clothesthat　he　should　have　the　organs；　so　to　speak；　of　a
tailor；　he　must　be　put　into　a　tailor's　shop　and　guided　for　a　little
while　by　someone　who　knew　how　and　where　to　help　him。

The　rest　of　the　day　he　spent　in　looking　for　a　room；　which　he　soon
found；　and　in　familiarising　himself　with　liberty。　　In　the　evening　I
took　him　to　the　Olympic；　where　Robson　was　then　acting　in　a　burlesque
on　Macbeth；　Mrs　Keeley；　if　I　remember　rightly；　taking　the　part　of
Lady　Macbeth。　　In　the　scene　before　the　murder；　Macbeth　had　said　he
could　not　kill　Duncan　when　he　saw　his　boots　upon　the　landing。　　Lady
Macbeth　put　a　stop　to　her　husband's　hesitation　by　whipping　him　up
under　her　arm；　and　carrying　him　off　the　stage；　kicking　and
screaming。　　Ernest　laughed　till　he　cried。　　〃What　rot　Shakespeare　is
after　this；〃　he　exclaimed；　involuntarily。　　I　remembered　his　essay　on
the　Greek　tragedians；　and　was　more　I　epris　with　him　than　ever。

Next　day　he　set　about　looking　for　employment；　and　I　did　not　see　him
till　about　five　o'clock；　when　he　came　and　said　that　he　had　had　no
success。　　The　same　thing　happened　the　next　day　and　the　day　after
that。　　Wherever　he　went　he　was　invariably　refused　and　often　ordered
point　blank　out　of　the　shop；　I　could　see　by　the　expression　of　his
face；　though　he　said　nothing；　that　he　was　getting　frightened；　and
began　to　think　I　should　have　to　come　to　the　rescue。　　He　said　he　had
made　a　great　many　enquiries　and　had　always　been　told　the　same　story。
He　found　that　it　was　easy　to　keep　on　in　an　old　line；　but　very　hard
to　strike　out　into　a　new　one。

He　talked　to　the　fishmonger　in　Leather　Lane；　where　he　went　to　buy　a
bloater　for　his　tea；　casually　as　though　from　curiosity　and　without
any　interested　motive。　　〃Sell；〃　said　the　master　of　the　shop；　〃Why
nobody　wouldn't　believe　what　can　be　sold　by　penn'orths　and
twopenn'orths　if　you　go　the　right　way　to　work。　　Look　at　whelks；　for
instance。　　Last　Saturday　night　me　and　my　little　Emma　here；　we　sold　7
pounds　worth　of　whelks　between　eight　and　half　past　eleven　o'clock
and　almost　all　in　penn'orths　and　twopenn'orthsa　few；　hap'orths；
but　not　many。　　It　was　the　steam　that　did　it。　　We　kept　a…boiling　of
'em　hot　and　hot；　and　whenever　the　steam　came　strong　up　from　the
cellar　on　to　the　pavement；　the　people　bought；　but　whenever　the　steam
went　down　they　left　off　buying；　so　we　boiled　them　over　and　over
again　till　they　was　all　sold。　　That's　just　where　it　is；　if　you　know
your　business　you　can　sell；　if　you　don't　you'll　soon　make　a　mess　of
it。　　Why；　but　for　the　steam；　I　should　not　have　sold　10s。　worth　of
whelks　all　the　night　through。〃

This；　and　many　another　yarn　of　kindred　substance　which　he　heard　from
other　people　determined　Ernest　more　than　ever　to　stake　on　tailoring
as　the　one　trade　about　which　he　knew　anything　at　all；　nevertheless；
here　were　three　or　four　days　gone　by　and　employment　seemed　as　far
off　as　ever。

I　now　did　what　I　ought　to　have　done　before；　that　is　to　say；　I　called
on　my　own　tailor　whom　I　had　dealt　with　for　over　a　quarter　of　a
century　and　asked　his　advice。　　He　declared　Ernest's　plan　to　be
hopeless。　　〃If；〃　said　Mr　Larkins；　for　this　was　my　tailor's　name；　〃he
had　begun　at　fourteen；　it　might　have　done；　but　no　man　of　twenty…four
could　stand　being　turned　to　work　into　a　workshop　full　of　tailors；　he
would　not　get　on　with　the　men；　nor　the　men　with　him；　you　could　not
expect　him　to　be　'hail　fellow；　well　met'　with　them；　and　you　could
not　expect　his　fellow…workmen　to　like　him　if　he　was　not。　　A　man　must
have　sunk　low　through　drink　or　natural　taste　for　low　company；　before
he　could　get　on　with　those　who　have　had　such　a　different　training
from　his　own。〃

Mr　Larkins　said　a　great　deal　more　and　wound　up　by　taking　me　to　see
the　place　where　his　own　men　worked。　　〃This　is　a　paradise；〃　he　said；
〃compared　to　most　workshops。　　What　gentleman　could　stand　this　air；
think　you；　for　a　fortnight？〃

I　was　glad　enough　to　get　out　of　the　hot；　fetid　atmosphere　in　five
minutes；　and　saw　that　there　was　no　brick　of　Ernest's　prison　to　be
loosened　by　going　and　working　among　tailors　in　a　workshop。

Mr　Larkins　wound　up　by　saying　that　even　if　my　protege　were　a　much
better　workman　than　he　probably　was；　no　master　would　give　him
employment；　for　fear　of　creating　a　bother　among　the　men。

I　left；　feeling　that　I　ought　to　have