the way of all flesh-第89节

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board　and　lodging。　　In　fact　it　would　be　only　right　that　Theobald
should　make　a　profit；　nor　would　Ernest　himself　wish　it　to　be　other
than　a　handsome　one；　this　was　far　the　best　and　simplest　arrangement；
and　he　could　take　his　sister　out　more　than　Theobald　or　Joey　cared　to
do；　and　would　also　doubtless　entertain　very　handsomely　at　Battersby。

〃Of　course　he　would　buy　Joey　a　living；　and　make　large　presents
yearly　to　his　sisterwas　there　anything　else？　　Oh！　yeshe　would
become　a　county　magnate　now；　a　man　with　nearly　4000　pounds　a　year
should　certainly　become　a　county　magnate。　　He　might　even　go　into
Parliament。　　He　had　very　fair　abilities；　nothing　indeed　approaching
such　genius　as　Dr　Skinner's；　nor　even　as　Theobald's；　still　he　was
not　deficient　and　if　he　got　into　Parliamentso　young　toothere　was
nothing　to　hinder　his　being　Prime　Minister　before　he　died；　and　if
so；　of　course；　he　would　become　a　peer。　　Oh！　why　did　he　not　set　about
it　all　at　once；　so　that　she　might　live　to　hear　people　call　her　son
'my　lord'Lord　Battersby　she　thought　would　do　very　nicely；　and　if
she　was　well　enough　to　sit　he　must　certainly　have　her　portrait
painted　at　full　length　for　one　end　of　his　large　dining…hall。　　It
should　be　exhibited　at　the　Royal　Academy：　　'Portrait　of　Lord
Battersby's　mother；'　she　said　to　herself；　and　her　heart　fluttered
with　all　its　wonted　vivacity。　　If　she　could　not　sit；　happily；　she
had　been　photographed　not　so　very　long　ago；　and　the　portrait　had
been　as　successful　as　any　photograph　could　be　of　a　face　which
depended　so　entirely　upon　its　expression　as　her　own。　　Perhaps　the
painter　could　take　the　portrait　sufficiently　from　this。　　It　was
better　after　all　that　Ernest　had　given　up　the　Churchhow　far　more
wisely　God　arranges　matters　for　us　than　ever　we　can　do　for
ourselves！　　She　saw　it　all　nowit　was　Joey　who　would　become
Archbishop　of　Canterbury　and　Ernest　would　remain　a　layman　and　become
Prime　Minister〃　。　。　。　and　so　on　till　her　daughter　told　her　it　was
time　to　take　her　medicine。

I　suppose　this　reverie；　which　is　a　mere　fragment　of　what　actually
ran　through　Christina's　brain；　occupied　about　a　minute　and　a　half；
but　it；　or　the　presence　of　her　son；　seemed　to　revive　her　spirits
wonderfully。　　Ill；　dying　indeed；　and　suffering　as　she　was；　she
brightened　up　so　as　to　laugh　once　or　twice　quite　merrily　during　the
course　of　the　afternoon。　　Next　day　Dr　Martin　said　she　was　so　much
better　that　he　almost　began　to　have　hopes　of　her　recovery　again。
Theobald；　whenever　this　was　touched　upon　as　possible；　would　shake
his　head　and　say：　　〃We　can't　wish　it　prolonged；〃　and　then　Charlotte
caught　Ernest　unawares　and　said：　　〃You　know；　dear　Ernest；　that　these
ups　and　downs　of　talk　are　terribly　agitating　to　papa；　he　could　stand
whatever　comes；　but　it　is　quite　too　wearing　to　him　to　think　half…a…
dozen　different　things　backwards　and　forwards；　up　and　down　in　the
same　twenty…four　hours；　and　it　would　be　kinder　of　you　not　to　do　it
I　mean　not　to　say　anything　to　him　even　though　Dr　Martin　does　hold
out　hopes。〃

Charlotte　had　meant　to　imply　that　it　was　Ernest　who　was　at　the
bottom　of　all　the　inconvenience　felt　by　Theobald；　herself；　Joey　and
everyone　else；　and　she　had　actually　got　words　out　which　should
convey　this；　true；　she　had　not　dared　to　stick　to　them　and　had　turned
them　off；　but　she　had　made　them　hers　at　any　rate　for　one　brief
moment；　and　this　was　better　than　nothing。　　Ernest　noticed　throughout
his　mother's　illness；　that　Charlotte　found　immediate　occasion　to
make　herself　disagreeable　to　him　whenever　either　doctor　or　nurse
pronounced　her　mother　to　be　a　little　better。　　When　she　wrote　to
Crampsford　to　desire　the　prayers　of　the　congregation　（she　was　sure
her　mother　would　wish　it；　and　that　the　Crampsford　people　would　be
pleased　at　her　remembrance　of　them）；　she　was　sending　another　letter
on　some　quite　different　subject　at　the　same　time；　and　put　the　two
letters　into　the　wrong　envelopes。　　Ernest　was　asked　to　take　these
letters　to　the　village　post…office；　and　imprudently　did　so；　when　the
error　came　to　be　discovered　Christina　happened　to　have　rallied　a
little。　　Charlotte　flew　at　Ernest　immediately；　and　laid　all　the
blame　of　the　blunder　upon　his　shoulders。

Except　that　Joey　and　Charlotte　were　more　fully　developed；　the　house
and　its　inmates；　organic　and　inorganic；　were　little　changed　since
Ernest　had　last　seen　them。　　The　furniture　and　the　ornaments　on　the
chimney…piece　were　just　as　they　had　been　ever　since　he　could
remember　anything　at　all。　　In　the　drawing…room；　on　either　side　of
the　fireplace　there　hung　the　Carlo　Dolci　and　the　Sassoferrato　as　in
old　times；　there　was　the　water　colour　of　a　scene　on　the　Lago
Maggiore；　copied　by　Charlotte　from　an　original　lent　her　by　her
drawing　master；　and　finished　under　his　direction。　　This　was　the
picture　of　which　one　of　the　servants　had　said　that　it　must　be　good；
for　Mr　Pontifex　had　given　ten　shillings　for　the　frame。　　The　paper　on
the　walls　was　unchanged；　the　roses　were　still　waiting　for　the　bees；
and　the　whole　family　still　prayed　night　and　morning　to　be　made
〃truly　honest　and　conscientious。〃

One　picture　only　was　removeda　photograph　of　himself　which　had　hung
under　one　of　his　father　and　between　those　of　his　brother　and　sister。
Ernest　noticed　this　at　prayer　time；　while　his　father　was　reading
about　Noah's　ark　and　how　they　daubed　it　with　slime；　which；　as　it
happened；　had　been　Ernest's　favourite　text　when　he　was　a　boy。　　Next
morning；　however；　the　photograph　had　found　its　way　back　again；　a
little　dusty　and　with　a　bit　of　the　gilding　chipped　off　from　one
corner　of　the　frame；　but　there　sure　enough　it　was。　　I　suppose　they
put　it　back　when　they　found　how　rich　he　had　become。

In　the　dining…room　the　ravens　were　still　trying　to　feed　Elijah　over
the　fireplace；　what　a　crowd　of　reminiscences　did　not　this　picture
bring　back！　　Looking　out　of　the　window；　there　were　the　flower　beds
in　the　front　garden　exactly　as　they　had　been；　and　Ernest　found
himself　looking　hard　against　the　blue　door　at　the　bottom　of　the
garden　to　see　if　there　was　rain　falling；　as　he　had　been　used　to　look
when　he　was　a　child　doing　lessons　with　his　father。

After　their　early　dinner；　when　Joey　and　Ernest　and　their　father　were
left　alone；　Theobald　rose　and　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　hearthrug
under　the　Elijah　picture；　and　began　to　whistle　in　his　old　absent
way。　　He　had　two　tunes　only；　one　was　〃In　my　Cottage　near　a　Wood；〃
and　the　other　was　the　Easter　Hymn；　he　had　been　trying　to　whistle
them　all　his　life；　but　had　never　succeeded；　he　whistled　them　as　a
clever　bullfinch　might　whistle　themhe　had　got　them；　but　he　had　not
got　them　right；　he　would　be　a　semitone　out　in　every　third　note　as
though　reverting　to　some　remote　musical　progenitor；　who　had　known
none　but　the　Lydian　or　the　Phrygian　mode；　or　whatever　would　enable
him　to　go　most　wrong　while　still　keeping　the　tune　near　enough　to　be
recognised。　　Theobald　stood　before　the　middle　of　the　fire　and
whistled　his　two　tunes　softly　in　his　own　old　way　till　Ernest　left
the　room；　the　unchangedness　of　the　external　and　changedness　of　the
internal　he　felt　were　likely　to　throw　him　completely　off　his
balance。

He　strolled　out　of　doors　into　the　sodden　spinney　behind　the　house；
and　solaced　himself　with　a　pipe。　　Ere　long　he　found　himself　at　the
door　of　the　cottage　of　his　father's　coachman；　who　had　married　an　old
lady's　maid　of　his　mother's；　to　whom　Ernest　had　been　always　much
attached　as　she　also　to　him；　for　she　had　known　him　ever　since　he　had
been　five　or　six　years　old。　　Her　name　was　Susan。　　He　sat　down　in　the
rocking…chair　before　her　fire；　and　Susan　went　on　ironing　at　the
table　in　front　of　the　window；　and　a　smell　of　hot　flannel　pervaded
the　kitchen。

Susan　had　been　retained　too　securely　by　Christina　to　be　likely　to
side　with　Ernest　all　in　a　moment。　　He　knew　this　very　well；　and　did
not　call　on　her　for　the　sake　of　support；　moral　or　otherwise。　　He　had
called　because　he　liked　her；　and　also　because　he　knew　that　he　should
gather　much　in　a　chat　with　her　that　he　should　not　be　able　to　arrive
at　in　any　other　way。

〃Oh；　Master　Ernest；〃　said　Susan；　〃why　did　you　not　come　back　when
your　poor　papa　and　mamma　wanted　you？　　I'm　sure　your　ma　has　said　to
me　a　hundred　times　over　if　she　has　said　it　once　that　all　should　be
exactly　as　it　had　been　before。〃

Ernest　smiled　to　himself。　　It　was　no　use　explaining　to　Susan　why　he
smiled；　so　he　said　nothing。

〃For　the　first　day　or　two　I　thought　she　never　would　get　over　it；　she
said　it　was　a　judgement　upon　her；　and　went　on　about　things　as　she
had　said　and　done　many　years　ago；　before　your　pa　knew　her；　and　I
don't　know　what　she　didn't　say　or　wouldn't　have　said　only　I　stopped
her；　she　seemed　out　of　her　mind　like；　and　said　that　none　of　the
neighbours　would　ever　speak　to　her　again；　but　the　next　day　Mrs
Bushby　（her　that　was　Miss　Cowey；　you　know）　called；　and　your　ma
always　was　so　fond　of　her；　and　it　seemed　to　do　her　a　power　o'　good；
for　the　next　day　she　went　through　all　her　dresses；　and　we　settled
how　she　should　have　them　altered；　and　then　all　the　neighbours　called
for　miles　and　miles　round；　and　your　ma　came　in　here；　and　said　she
had　been　going　through　the　waters　of　misery；　and　the　Lord　had　turned
them　to　a　well。

〃'Oh　yes；　Susan；'　said　she；