the way of all flesh-第77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！


fortunes　of　matterimony；　for　there　ain't　no　other　word　for　it。〃

In　the　course　of　the　afternoon　the　furniture　arrived　at　Ernest's　new
abode。　　In　the　first　floor　we　placed　the　piano；　table；　pictures；
bookshelves；　a　couple　of　arm…chairs；　and　all　the　little　household
gods　which　he　had　brought　from　Cambridge。　　The　back　room　was
furnished　exactly　as　his　bedroom　at　Ashpit　Place　had　beennew
things　being　got　for　the　bridal　apartment　downstairs。　　These　two
first…floor　rooms　I　insisted　on　retaining　as　my　own；　but　Ernest　was
to　use　them　whenever　he　pleased；　he　was　never　to　sublet　even　the
bedroom；　but　was　to　keep　it　for　himself　in　case　his　wife　should　be
ill　at　any　time；　or　in　case　he　might　be　ill　himself。

In　less　than　a　fortnight　from　the　time　of　his　leaving　prison　all
these　arrangements　had　been　completed；　and　Ernest　felt　that　he　had
again　linked　himself　on　to　the　life　which　he　had　led　before　his
imprisonmentwith　a　few　important　differences；　however；　which　were
greatly　to　his　advantage。　　He　was　no　longer　a　clergyman；　he　was
about　to　marry　a　woman　to　whom　he　was　much　attached；　and　he　had
parted　company　for　ever　with　his　father　and　mother。

True；　he　had　lost　all　his　money；　his　reputation；　and　his　position　as
a　gentleman；　he　had；　in　fact；　had　to　burn　his　house　down　in　order　to
get　his　roast　sucking　pig；　but　if　asked　whether　he　would　rather　be
as　he　was　now　or　as　he　was　on　the　day　before　his　arrest；　he　would
not　have　had　a　moment's　hesitation　in　preferring　his　present　to　his
past。　　If　his　present　could　only　have　been　purchased　at　the　expense
of　all　that　he　had　gone　through；　it　was　still　worth　purchasing　at
the　price；　and　he　would　go　through　it　all　again　if　necessary。　　The
loss　of　the　money　was　the　worst；　but　Ellen　said　she　was　sure　they
would　get　on；　and　she　knew　all　about　it。　　As　for　the　loss　of
reputationconsidering　that　he　had　Ellen　and　me　left；　it　did　not
come　to　much。

I　saw　the　house　on　the　afternoon　of　the　day　on　which　all　was
finished；　and　there　remained　nothing　but　to　buy　some　stock　and　begin
selling。　　When　I　was　gone；　after　he　had　had　his　tea；　he　stole　up　to
his　castlethe　first　floor　front。　　He　lit　his　pipe　and　sat　down　to
the　piano。　　He　played　Handel　for　an　hour　or　so；　and　then　set　himself
to　the　table　to　read　and　write。　　He　took　all　his　sermons　and　all　the
theological　works　he　had　begun　to　compose　during　the　time　he　had
been　a　clergyman　and　put　them　in　the　fire；　as　he　saw　them　consume　he
felt　as　though　he　had　got　rid　of　another　incubus。　　Then　he　took　up
some　of　the　little　pieces　he　had　begun　to　write　during　the　latter
part　of　his　undergraduate　life　at　Cambridge；　and　began　to　cut　them
about　and　re…write　them。　　As　he　worked　quietly　at　these　till　he
heard　the　clock　strike　ten　and　it　was　time　to　go　to　bed；　he　felt
that　he　was　now　not　only　happy　but　supremely　happy。

Next　day　Ellen　took　him　to　Debenham's　auction　rooms；　and　they
surveyed　the　lots　of　clothes　which　were　hung　up　all　round　the
auction　room　to　be　viewed。　　Ellen　had　had　sufficient　experience　to
know　about　how　much　each　lot　ought　to　fetch；　she　overhauled　lot
after　lot；　and　valued　it；　in　a　very　short　time　Ernest　himself　began
to　have　a　pretty　fair　idea　what　each　lot　should　go　for；　and　before
the　morning　was　over　valued　a　dozen　lots　running　at　prices　about
which　Ellen　said　he　would　not　hurt　if　he　could　get　them　for　that。

So　far　from　disliking　this　work　or　finding　it　tedious；　he　liked　it
very　much；　indeed　he　would　have　liked　anything　which　did　not　overtax
his　physical　strength；　and　which　held　out　a　prospect　of　bringing　him
in　money。　　Ellen　would　not　let　him　buy　anything　on　the　occasion　of
this　sale；　she　said　he　had　better　see　one　sale　first　and　watch　how
prices　actually　went。　　So　at　twelve　o'clock　when　the　sale　began；　he
saw　the　lots　sold　which　he　and　Ellen　had　marked；　and　by　the　time　the
sale　was　over　he　knew　enough　to　be　able　to　bid　with　safety　whenever
he　should　actually　want　to　buy。　　Knowledge　of　this　sort　is　very
easily　acquired　by　anyone　who　is　in　bona　fide　want　of　it。

But　Ellen　did　not　want　him　to　buy　at　auctionsnot　much　at　least　at
present。　　Private　dealing；　she　said；　was　best。　　If　I；　for　example；
had　any　cast…off　clothes；　he　was　to　buy　them　from　my　laundress；　and
get　a　connection　with　other　laundresses；　to　whom　he　might　give　a
trifle　more　than　they　got　at　present　for　whatever　clothes　their
masters　might　give　them；　and　yet　make　a　good　profit。　　If　gentlemen
sold　their　things；　he　was　to　try　and　get　them　to　sell　to　him。　　He
flinched　at　nothing；　perhaps　he　would　have　flinched　if　he　had　had
any　idea　how　outre　his　proceedings　were；　but　the　very　ignorance　of
the　world　which　had　ruined　him　up　till　now；　by　a　happy　irony　began
to　work　its　own　cure。　　If　some　malignant　fairy　had　meant　to　curse
him　in　this　respect；　she　had　overdone　her　malice。　　He　did　not　know
he　was　doing　anything　strange。　　He　only　knew　that　he　had　no　money；
and　must　provide　for　himself；　a　wife；　and　a　possible　family。　　More
than　this；　he　wanted　to　have　some　leisure　in　an　evening；　so　that　he
might　read　and　write　and　keep　up　his　music。　　If　anyone　would　show
him　how　he　could　do　better　than　he　was　doing；　he　should　be　much
obliged　to　them；　but　to　himself　it　seemed　that　he　was　doing
sufficiently　well；　for　at　the　end　of　the　first　week　the　pair　found
they　had　made　a　clear　profit　of　3　pounds。　　In　a　few　weeks　this　had
increased　to　4　pounds；　and　by　the　New　Year　they　had　made　a　profit　of
5　pounds　in　one　week。

Ernest　had　by　this　time　been　married　some　two　months；　for　he　had
stuck　to　his　original　plan　of　marrying　Ellen　on　the　first　day　he
could　legally　do　so。　　This　date　was　a　little　delayed　by　the　change
of　abode　from　Laystall　Street　to　Blackfriars；　but　on　the　first　day
that　it　could　be　done　it　was　done。　　He　had　never　had　more　than　250
pounds　a　year；　even　in　the　times　of　his　affluence；　so　that　a　profit
of　5　pounds　a　week；　if　it　could　be　maintained　steadily；　would　place
him　where　he　had　been　as　far　as　income　went；　and；　though　he　should
have　to　feed　two　mouths　instead　of　one；　yet　his　expenses　in　other
ways　were　so　much　curtailed　by　his　changed　social　position；　that；
take　it　all　round；　his　income　was　practically　what　it　had　been　a
twelvemonth　before。　　The　next　thing　to　do　was　to　increase　it；　and
put　by　money。

Prosperity　depends；　as　we　all　know；　in　great　measure　upon　energy　and
good　sense；　but　it　also　depends　not　a　little　upon　pure　luckthat　is
to　say；　upon　connections　which　are　in　such　a　tangle　that　it　is　more
easy　to　say　that　they　do　not　exist；　than　to　try　to　trace　them。　　A
neighbourhood　may　have　an　excellent　reputation　as　being　likely　to　be
a　rising　one；　and　yet　may　become　suddenly　eclipsed　by　another；　which
no　one　would　have　thought　so　promising。　　A　fever　hospital　may　divert
the　stream　of　business；　or　a　new　station　attract　it；　so　little；
indeed；　can　be　certainly　known；　that　it　is　better　not　to　try　to　know
more　than　is　in　everybody's　mouth；　and　to　leave　the　rest　to　chance。

Luck；　which　certainly　had　not　been　too　kind　to　my　hero　hitherto；　now
seemed　to　have　taken　him　under　her　protection。　　The　neighbourhood
prospered；　and　he　with　it。　　It　seemed　as　though　he　no　sooner　bought
a　thing　and　put　it　into　his　shop；　than　it　sold　with　a　profit　of　from
thirty　to　fifty　per　cent。　　He　learned　book…keeping；　and　watched　his
accounts　carefully；　following　up　any　success　immediately；　he　began
to　buy　other　things　besides　clothessuch　as　books；　music；　odds　and
ends　of　furniture；　etc。　　Whether　it　was　luck　or　business　aptitude；
or　energy；　or　the　politeness　with　which　he　treated　all　his
customers；　I　cannot　saybut　to　the　surprise　of　no　one　more　than
himself；　he　went　ahead　faster　than　he　had　anticipated；　even　in　his
wildest　dreams；　and　by　Easter　was　established　in　a　strong　position
as　the　owner　of　a　business　which　was　bringing　him　in　between　four
and　five　hundred　a　year；　and　which　he　understood　how　to　extend。



CHAPTER　LXXIII



Ellen　and　he　got　on　capitally；　all　the　better；　perhaps；　because　the
disparity　between　them　was　so　great；　that　neither　did　Ellen　want　to
be　elevated；　nor　did　Ernest　want　to　elevate　her。　　He　was　very　fond
of　her；　and　very　kind　to　her；　they　had　interests　which　they　could
serve　in　common；　they　had　antecedents　with　a　good　part　of　which　each
was　familiar；　they　had　each　of　them　excellent　tempers；　and　this　was
enough。　　Ellen　did　not　seem　jealous　at　Ernest's　preferring　to　sit
the　greater　part　of　his　time　after　the　day's　work　was　done　in　the
first　floor　front　where　I　occasionally　visited　him。　　She　might　have
come　and　sat　with　him　if　she　had　liked；　but；　somehow　or　other；　she
generally　found　enough　to　occupy　her　down　below。　　She　had　the　tact
also　to　encourage　him　to　go　out　of　an　evening　whenever　he　had　a
mind；　without　in　the　least　caring　that　he　should　take　her　tooand
this　suited　Ernest　very　well。　　He　was；　I　should　say；　much　happier　in
his　married　life　than　people　generally　are。

At　first　it　had　been　very　painful　to　him　to　meet　any　of　his　old
friends；　as　he　sometimes　accidentally　did；　but　this　soon　passed；
either　they　cut　him；　or　he　cut　them；　it　was　not　nice　being　cut　for
the　first　time　or　two；　but　after　that；　it　became　rather　pleasant
than　not；　and　when　he　began　to　see　that　he　was　going　ahead；