the way of all flesh-第88节

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he　had　sent　his　telegram　so　immediately　on　receiving　his　father's
letter；　and　had　followed　it　so　promptly　that　it　would　not　have　been
easy　to　do　so　even　if　he　had　thought　of　it。　　He　put　out　his　hand　and
said　laughingly；　〃Oh；　it's　all　paid　forI　am　afraid　you　do　not　know
that　Mr　Overton　has　handed　over　to　me　Aunt　Alethea's　money。〃

Theobald　flushed　scarlet。　　〃But　why；〃　he　said；　and　these　were　the
first　words　that　actually　crossed　his　lips〃if　the　money　was　not
his　to　keep；　did　he　not　hand　it　over　to　my　brother　John　and　me？〃　　He
stammered　a　good　deal　and　looked　sheepish；　but　he　got　the　words　out。

〃Because；　my　dear　father；〃　said　Ernest　still　laughing；　〃my　aunt　left
it　to　him　in　trust　for　me；　not　in　trust　either　for　you　or　for　my
Uncle　Johnand　it　has　accumulated　till　it　is　now　over　70；000
pounds。　　But　tell　me　how　is　my　mother？〃

〃No；　Ernest；〃　said　Theobald　excitedly；　〃the　matter　cannot　rest　here；
I　must　know　that　this　is　all　open　and　above　board。〃

This　had　the　true　Theobald　ring　and　instantly　brought　the　whole
train　of　ideas　which　in　Ernest's　mind　were　connected　with　his
father。　　The　surroundings　were　the　old　familiar　ones；　but　the
surrounded　were　changed　almost　beyond　power　of　recognition。　　He
turned　sharply　on　Theobald　in　a　moment。　　I　will　not　repeat　the　words
he　used；　for　they　came　out　before　he　had　time　to　consider　them；　and
they　might　strike　some　of　my　readers　as　disrespectful；　there　were
not　many　of　them；　but　they　were　effectual。　　Theobald　said　nothing；
but　turned　almost　of　an　ashen　colour；　he　never　again　spoke　to　his
son　in　such　a　way　as　to　make　it　necessary　for　him　to　repeat　what　he
had　said　on　this　occasion。　　Ernest　quickly　recovered　his　temper　and
again　asked　after　his　mother。　　Theobald　was　glad　enough　to　take　this
opening　now；　and　replied　at　once　in　the　tone　he　would　have　assumed
towards　one　he　most　particularly　desired　to　conciliate；　that　she　was
getting　rapidly　worse　in　spite　of　all　he　had　been　able　to　do　for
her；　and　concluded　by　saying　she　had　been　the　comfort　and　mainstay
of　his　life　for　more　than　thirty　years；　but　that　he　could　not　wish
it　prolonged。

The　pair　then　went　upstairs　to　Christina's　room；　the　one　in　which
Ernest　had　been　born。　　His　father　went　before　him　and　prepared　her
for　her　son's　approach。　　The　poor　woman　raised　herself　in　bed　as　he
came　towards　her；　and　weeping　as　she　flung　her　arms　around　him；
cried：　　〃Oh；　I　knew　he　would　come；　I　knew；　I　knew　he　could　come。〃

Ernest　broke　down　and　wept　as　he　had　not　done　for　years。

〃Oh；　my　boy；　my　boy；〃　she　said　as　soon　as　she　could　recover　her
voice。　　〃Have　you　never　really　been　near　us　for　all　these　years？
Ah；　you　do　not　know　how　we　have　loved　you　and　mourned　over　you；　papa
just　as　much　as　I　have。　　You　know　he　shows　his　feelings　less；　but　I
can　never　tell　you　how　very；　very　deeply　he　has　felt　for　you。
Sometimes　at　night　I　have　thought　I　have　heard　footsteps　in　the
garden；　and　have　got　quietly　out　of　bed　lest　I　should　wake　him；　and
gone　to　the　window　to　look　out；　but　there　has　been　only　dark　or　the
greyness　of　the　morning；　and　I　have　gone　crying　back　to　bed　again。
Still　I　think　you　have　been　near　us　though　you　were　too　proud　to　let
us　knowand　now　at　last　I　have　you　in　my　arms　once　more；　my
dearest；　dearest　boy。〃

How　cruel；　how　infamously　unfeeling　Ernest　thought　he　had　been。

〃Mother；〃　he　said；　〃forgive　methe　fault　was　mine；　I　ought　not　to
have　been　so　hard；　I　was　wrong；　very　wrong〃；　the　poor　blubbering
fellow　meant　what　he　said；　and　his　heart　yearned　to　his　mother　as　he
had　never　thought　that　it　could　yearn　again。　　〃But　have　you　never；〃
she　continued；　〃come　although　it　was　in　the　dark　and　we　did　not　know
itoh；　let　me　think　that　you　have　not　been　so　cruel　as　we　have
thought　you。　　Tell　me　that　you　came　if　only　to　comfort　me　and　make
me　happier。〃

Ernest　was　ready。　　〃I　had　no　money　to　come　with；　mother；　till　just
lately。〃

This　was　an　excuse　Christina　could　understand　and　make　allowance
for；　〃Oh；　then　you　would　have　come；　and　I　will　take　the　will　for　the
deedand　now　that　I　have　you　safe　again；　say　that　you　will　never；
never　leave　menot　tillnot　tilloh；　my　boy；　have　they　told　you　I
am　dying？〃　　She　wept　bitterly；　and　buried　her　head　in　her　pillow。



CHAPTER　LXXXIII



Joey　and　Charlotte　were　in　the　room。　　Joey　was　now　ordained；　and　was
curate　to　Theobald。　　He　and　Ernest　had　never　been　sympathetic；　and
Ernest　saw　at　a　glance　that　there　was　no　chance　of　a　rapprochement
between　them。　　He　was　a　little　startled　at　seeing　Joey　dressed　as　a
clergyman；　and　looking　so　like　what　he　had　looked　himself　a　few
years　earlier；　for　there　was　a　good　deal　of　family　likeness　between
the　pair；　but　Joey's　face　was　cold　and　was　illumined　with　no　spark
of　Bohemianism；　he　was　a　clergyman　and　was　going　to　do　as　other
clergymen　did；　neither　better　nor　worse。　　He　greeted　Ernest　rather
de　haut　en　bas；　that　is　to　say　he　began　by　trying　to　do　so；　but　the
affair　tailed　off　unsatisfactorily。

His　sister　presented　her　cheek　to　him　to　be　kissed。　　How　he　hated
it；　he　had　been　dreading　it　for　the　last　three　hours。　　She；　too；　was
distant　and　reproachful　in　her　manner；　as　such　a　superior　person　was
sure　to　be。　　She　had　a　grievance　against　him　inasmuch　as　she　was
still　unmarried。　　She　laid　the　blame　of　this　at　Ernest's　door；　it
was　his　misconduct　she　maintained　in　secret；　which　had　prevented
young　men　from　making　offers　to　her；　and　she　ran　him　up　a　heavy　bill
for　consequential　damages。　　She　and　Joey　had　from　the　first
developed　an　instinct　for　hunting　with　the　hounds；　and　now　these　two
had　fairly　identified　themselves　with　the　older　generationthat　is
to　say　as　against　Ernest。　　On　this　head　there　was　an　offensive　and
defensive　alliance　between　them；　but　between　themselves　there　was
subdued　but　internecine　warfare。

This　at　least　was　what　Ernest　gathered；　partly　from　his
recollections　of　the　parties　concerned；　and　partly　from　his
observation　of　their　little　ways　during　the　first　half…hour　after
his　arrival；　while　they　were　all　together　in　his　mother's　bedroom
for　as　yet　of　course　they　did　not　know　that　he　had　money。　　He　could
see　that　they　eyed　him　from　time　to　time　with　a　surprise　not　unmixed
with　indignation；　and　knew　very　well　what　they　were　thinking。

Christina　saw　the　change　which　had　come　over　himhow　much　firmer
and　more　vigorous　both　in　mind　and　body　he　seemed　than　when　she　had
last　seen　him。　　She　saw　too　how　well　he　was　dressed；　and；　like　the
others；　in　spite　of　the　return　of　all　her　affection　for　her　first…
born；　was　a　little　alarmed　about　Theobald's　pocket；　which　she
supposed　would　have　to　be　mulcted　for　all　this　magnificence。
Perceiving　this；　Ernest　relieved　her　mind　and　told　her　all　about　his
aunt's　bequest；　and　how　I　had　husbanded　it；　in　the　presence　of　his
brother　and　sisterwho；　however；　pretended　not　to　notice；　or　at　any
rate　to　notice　as　a　matter　in　which　they　could　hardly　be　expected　to
take　an　interest。

His　mother　kicked　a　little　at　first　against　the　money's　having　gone
to　him　as　she　said　〃over　his　papa's　head。〃　　〃Why；　my　dear；〃　she　said
in　a　deprecating　tone；　〃this　is　more　than　ever　your　papa　has　had〃；
but　Ernest　calmed　her　by　suggesting　that　if　Miss　Pontifex　had　known
how　large　the　sum　would　become　she　would　have　left　the　greater　part
of　it　to　Theobald。　　This　compromise　was　accepted　by　Christina　who
forthwith；　ill　as　she　was；　entered　with　ardour　into　the　new
position；　and　taking　it　as　a　fresh　point　of　departure；　began
spending　Ernest's　money　for　him。

I　may　say　in　passing　that　Christina　was　right　in　saying　that
Theobald　had　never　had　so　much　money　as　his　son　was　now　possessed
of。　　In　the　first　place　he　had　not　had　a　fourteen　years'　minority
with　no　outgoings　to　prevent　the　accumulation　of　the　money；　and　in
the　second　he；　like　myself　and　almost　everyone　else；　had　suffered
somewhat　in　the　1846　timesnot　enough　to　cripple　him　or　even
seriously　to　hurt　him；　but　enough　to　give　him　a　scare　and　make　him
stick　to　debentures　for　the　rest　of　his　life。　　It　was　the　fact　of
his　son's　being　the　richer　man　of　the　two；　and　of　his　being　rich　so
young；　which　rankled　with　Theobald　even　more　than　the　fact　of　his
having　money　at　all。　　If　he　had　had　to　wait　till　he　was　sixty　or
sixty…five；　and　become　broken　down　from　long　failure　in　the
meantime；　why　then　perhaps　he　might　have　been　allowed　to　have
whatever　sum　should　suffice　to　keep　him　out　of　the　workhouse　and　pay
his　death…bed　expenses；　but　that　he　should　come　in　to　70；000　pounds
at　eight　and　twenty；　and　have　no　wife　and　only　two　childrenit　was
intolerable。　　Christina　was　too　ill　and　in　too　great　a　hurry　to
spend　the　money　to　care　much　about　such　details　as　the　foregoing；
and　she　was　naturally　much　more　good…natured　than　Theobald。

〃This　piece　of　good　fortune〃she　saw　it　at　a　glance〃quite　wiped
out　the　disgrace　of　his　having　been　imprisoned。　　There　should　be　no
more　nonsense　about　that。　　The　whole　thing　was　a　mistake；　an
unfortunate　mistake；　true；　but　the　less　said　about　it　now　the
better。　　Of　course　Ernest　would　come　back　and　live　at　Battersby
until　he　was　married；　and　he　would　pay　his　father　handsomely　for
board　and　lodging。　　In　fact　it　would　be　only　right　that　Theobald
should　make　a　profit；　nor　would