the way of all flesh-第84节

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day。〃

I　explained　that　there　was　no　occasion　to　consider　money　in　this
case。

〃I　am　glad　of　it；〃　he　said；　still　laughing。　　〃The　homoeopathists　use
aurum　as　a　medicine；　but　they　do　not　give　it　in　large　doses　enough；
if　you　can　dose　your　young　friend　with　this　pretty　freely　you　will
soon　bring　him　round。　　However；　Mr　Pontifex　is　not　well　enough　to
stand　so　great　a　change　as　going　abroad　yet；　from　what　you　tell　me　I
should　think　he　had　had　as　much　change　lately　as　is　good　for　him。
If　he　were　to　go　abroad　now　he　would　probably　be　taken　seriously　ill
within　a　week。　　We　must　wait　till　he　has　recovered　tone　a　little
more。　　I　will　begin　by　ringing　my　London　changes　on　him。〃

He　thought　a　little　and　then　said：…

〃I　have　found　the　Zoological　Gardens　of　service　to　many　of　my
patients。　　I　should　prescribe　for　Mr　Pontifex　a　course　of　the　larger
mammals。　　Don't　let　him　think　he　is　taking　them　medicinally；　but　let
him　go　to　their　house　twice　a　week　for　a　fortnight；　and　stay　with
the　hippopotamus；　the　rhinoceros；　and　the　elephants；　till　they　begin
to　bore　him。　　I　find　these　beasts　do　my　patients　more　good　than　any
others。　　The　monkeys　are　not　a　wide　enough　cross；　they　do　not
stimulate　sufficiently。　　The　larger　carnivora　are　unsympathetic。
The　reptiles　are　worse　than　useless；　and　the　marsupials　are　not　much
better。　　Birds　again；　except　parrots；　are　not　very　beneficial；　he
may　look　at　them　now　and　again；　but　with　the　elephants　and　the　pig
tribe　generally　he　should　mix　just　now　as　freely　as　possible。

〃Then；　you　know；　to　prevent　monotony　I　should　send　him；　say；　to
morning　service　at　the　Abbey　before　he　goes。　　He　need　not　stay
longer　than　the　Te　Deum。　　I　don't　know　why；　but　Jubilates　are　seldom
satisfactory。　　Just　let　him　look　in　at　the　Abbey；　and　sit　quietly　in
Poets'　Corner　till　the　main　part　of　the　music　is　over。　　Let　him　do
this　two　or　three　times；　not　more；　before　he　goes　to　the　Zoo。

〃Then　next　day　send　him　down　to　Gravesend　by　boat。　　By　all　means　let
him　go　to　the　theatres　in　the　eveningsand　then　let　him　come　to　me
again　in　a　fortnight。〃

Had　the　doctor　been　less　eminent　in　his　profession　I　should　have
doubted　whether　he　was　in　earnest；　but　I　knew　him　to　be　a　man　of
business　who　would　neither　waste　his　own　time　nor　that　of　his
patients。　　As　soon　as　we　were　out　of　the　house　we　took　a　cab　to
Regent's　Park；　and　spent　a　couple　of　hours　in　sauntering　round　the
different　houses。　　Perhaps　it　was　on　account　of　what　the　doctor　had
told　me；　but　I　certainly　became　aware　of　a　feeling　I　had　never
experienced　before。　　I　mean　that　I　was　receiving　an　influx　of　new
life；　or　deriving　new　ways　of　looking　at　lifewhich　is　the　same
thingby　the　process。　　I　found　the　doctor　quite　right　in　his
estimate　of　the　larger　mammals　as　the　ones　which　on　the　whole　were
most　beneficial；　and　observed　that　Ernest；　who　had　heard　nothing　of
what　the　doctor　had　said　to　me；　lingered　instinctively　in　front　of
them。　　As　for　the　elephants；　especially　the　baby　elephant；　he　seemed
to　be　drinking　in　large　draughts　of　their　lives　to　the　re…creation
and　regeneration　of　his　own。

We　dined　in　the　gardens；　and　I　noticed　with　pleasure　that　Ernest's
appetite　was　already　improved。　　Since　this　time；　whenever　I　have
been　a　little　out　of　sorts　myself　I　have　at　once　gone　up　to　Regent's
Park；　and　have　invariably　been　benefited。　　I　mention　this　here　in
the　hope　that　some　one　or　other　of　my　readers　may　find　the　hint　a
useful　one。

At　the　end　of　his　fortnight　my　hero　was　much　better；　more　so　even
than　our　friend　the　doctor　had　expected。　　〃Now；〃　he　said；　〃Mr
Pontifex　may　go　abroad；　and　the　sooner　the　better。　　Let　him　stay　a
couple　of　months。〃

This　was　the　first　Ernest　had　heard　about　his　going　abroad；　and　he
talked　about　my　not　being　able　to　spare　him　for　so　long。　　I　soon
made　this　all　right。

〃It　is　now　the　beginning　of　April；〃　said　I；　〃go　down　to　Marseilles
at　once；　and　take　steamer　to　Nice。　　Then　saunter　down　the　Riviera　to
Genoafrom　Genoa　go　to　Florence；　Rome　and　Naples；　and　come　home　by
way　of　Venice　and　the　Italian　lakes。〃

〃And　won't　you　come　too？〃　said　he；　eagerly。

I　said　I　did　not　mind　if　I　did；　so　we　began　to　make　our　arrangements
next　morning；　and　completed　them　within　a　very　few　days。



CHAPTER　LXXX



We　left　by　the　night　mail；　crossing　from　Dover。　　The　night　was　soft；
and　there　was　a　bright　moon　upon　the　sea。　　〃Don't　you　love　the　smell
of　grease　about　the　engine　of　a　Channel　steamer？　　Isn't　there　a　lot
of　hope　in　it？〃　said　Ernest　to　me；　for　he　had　been　to　Normandy　one
summer　as　a　boy　with　his　father　and　mother；　and　the　smell　carried
him　back　to　days　before　those　in　which　he　had　begun　to　bruise
himself　against　the　great　outside　world。　　〃I　always　think　one　of　the
best　parts　of　going　abroad　is　the　first　thud　of　the　piston；　and　the
first　gurgling　of　the　water　when　the　paddle　begins　to　strike　it。〃

It　was　very　dreamy　getting　out　at　Calais；　and　trudging　about　with
luggage　in　a　foreign　town　at　an　hour　when　we　were　generally　both　of
us　in　bed　and　fast　asleep；　but　we　settled　down　to　sleep　as　soon　as
we　got　into　the　railway　carriage；　and　dozed　till　we　had　passed
Amiens。　　Then　waking　when　the　first　signs　of　morning　crispness　were
beginning　to　show　themselves；　I　saw　that　Ernest　was　already
devouring　every　object　we　passed　with　quick　sympathetic　curiousness。
There　was　not　a　peasant　in　a　blouse　driving　his　cart　betimes　along
the　road　to　market；　not　a　signalman's　wife　in　her　husband's　hat　and
coat　waving　a　green　flag；　not　a　shepherd　taking　out　his　sheep　to　the
dewy　pastures；　not　a　bank　of　opening　cowslips　as　we　passed　through
the　railway　cuttings；　but　he　was　drinking　it　all　in　with　an
enjoyment　too　deep　for　words。　　The　name　of　the　engine　that　drew　us
was　Mozart；　and　Ernest　liked　this　too。

We　reached　Paris　by　six；　and　had　just　time　to　get　across　the　town
and　take　a　morning　express　train　to　Marseilles；　but　before　noon　my
young　friend　was　tired　out　and　had　resigned　himself　to　a　series　of
sleeps　which　were　seldom　intermitted　for　more　than　an　hour　or　so
together。　　He　fought　against　this　for　a　time；　but　in　the　end
consoled　himself　by　saying　it　was　so　nice　to　have　so　much　pleasure
that　he　could　afford　to　throw　a　lot　of　it　away。　　Having　found　a
theory　on　which　to　justify　himself；　he　slept　in　peace。

At　Marseilles　we　rested；　and　there　the　excitement　of　the　change
proved；　as　I　had　half　feared　it　would；　too　much　for　my　godson's
still　enfeebled　state。　　For　a　few　days　he　was　really　ill；　but　after
this　he　righted。　　For　my　own　part　I　reckon　being　ill　as　one　of　the
great　pleasures　of　life；　provided　one　is　not　too　ill　and　is　not
obliged　to　work　till　one　is　better。　　I　remember　being　ill　once　in　a
foreign　hotel　myself　and　how　much　I　enjoyed　it。　　To　lie　there
careless　of　everything；　quiet　and　warm；　and　with　no　weight　upon　the
mind；　to　hear　the　clinking　of　the　plates　in　the　far…off　kitchen　as
the　scullion　rinsed　them　and　put　them　by；　to　watch　the　soft　shadows
come　and　go　upon　the　ceiling　as　the　sun　came　out　or　went　behind　a
cloud；　to　listen　to　the　pleasant　murmuring　of　the　fountain　in　the
court　below；　and　the　shaking　of　the　bells　on　the　horses'　collars　and
the　clink　of　their　hoofs　upon　the　ground　as　the　flies　plagued　them；
not　only　to　be　a　lotus…eater　but　to　know　that　it　was　one's　duty　to
be　a　lotus…eater。　　〃Oh；〃　I　thought　to　myself；　〃if　I　could　only　now；
having　so　forgotten　care；　drop　off　to　sleep　for　ever；　would　not　this
be　a　better　piece　of　fortune　than　any　I　can　ever　hope　for？〃

Of　course　it　would；　but　we　would　not　take　it　though　it　were　offered
us。　　No　matter　what　evil　may　befall　us；　we　will　mostly　abide　by　it
and　see　it　out。

I　could　see　that　Ernest　felt　much　as　I　had　felt　myself。　　He　said
little；　but　noted　everything。　　Once　only　did　he　frighten　me。　　He
called　me　to　his　bedside　just　as　it　was　getting　dusk　and　said　in　a
grave；　quiet　manner　that　he　should　like　to　speak　to　me。

〃I　have　been　thinking；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　may　perhaps　never　recover
from　this　illness；　and　in　case　I　do　not　I　should　like　you　to　know
that　there　is　only　one　thing　which　weighs　upon　me。　　I　refer；〃　he
continued　after　a　slight　pause；　〃to　my　conduct　towards　my　father　and
mother。　　I　have　been　much　too　good　to　them。　　I　treated　them　much　too
considerately；〃　on　which　he　broke　into　a　smile　which　assured　me　that
there　was　nothing　seriously　amiss　with　him。

On　the　walls　of　his　bedroom　were　a　series　of　French　Revolution
prints　representing　events　in　the　life　of　Lycurgus。　　There　was
〃Grandeur　d'ame　de　Lycurgue；〃　and　〃Lycurgue　consulte　l'oracle；〃　and
then　there　was　〃Calciope　a　la　Cour。〃　　Under　this　was　written　in
French　and　Spanish：　　〃Modele　de　grace　et　de　beaute；　la　jeune
Calciope　non　moins　sage　que　belle　avait　merite　l'estime　et
l'attachement　du　vertueux　Lycurgue。　　Vivement　epris　de　tant　de
charmes；　l'illustre　philosophe　la　conduisait　dans　le　temple　de
Junon；　ou　ils　s'unirent　par　un　serment　sacre。　　Apres　cette　auguste
ceremonie；　Lycurgue　s'empressa　de　conduire　sa　jeune　epouse　au　palais
de　son　frere　Polydecte；　Roi　de　Lacedemon。　　Seigneur；　lui　dit…il；　la
vertueuse　Calciope　vient　de　recevoir　mes　voeux　aux　pieds　des　autels；
j'ose　vous　prier　d'approuver　cette　union。　　Le　Roi　temoigna　d'abord
quelque　surp