the way of all flesh-第91节

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sung　they　were　to　old…fashioned　double　chants　by　Lord　Mornington　and
Dr　Dupuis　and　others。　　Theobald　did　not　like　it；　but　he　did　it；　or
allowed　it　to　be　done。

Then　Christina　said：　　〃My　dear；　do　you　know；　I　really　think〃
（Christina　always　〃really〃　thought）　〃that　the　people　like　the
chanting　very　much；　and　that　it　will　be　a　means　of　bringing　many　to
church　who　have　stayed　away　hitherto。　　I　was　talking　about　it　to　Mrs
Goodhew　and　to　old　Miss　Wright　only　yesterday；　and　they　QUITE　agreed
with　me；　but　they　all　said　that　we　ought　to　chant　the　'Glory　be　to
the　Father'　at　the　end　of　each　of　the　psalms　instead　of　saying　it。〃

Theobald　looked　blackhe　felt　the　waters　of　chanting　rising　higher
and　higher　upon　him　inch　by　inch；　but　he　felt　also；　he　knew　not　why；
that　he　had　better　yield　than　fight。　　So　he　ordered　the　〃Glory　be　to
the　Father〃　to　be　chanted　in　future；　but　he　did　not　like　it。

〃Really；　mamma　dear；〃　said　Charlotte；　when　the　battle　was　won；　〃you
should　not　call　it　the　'Glory　be　to　the　Father'　you　should　say
'Gloria。'〃

〃Of　course；　my　dear；〃　said　Christina；　and　she　said　〃Gloria〃　for　ever
after。　　Then　she　thought　what　a　wonderfully　clever　girl　Charlotte
was；　and　how　she　ought　to　marry　no　one　lower　than　a　bishop。　　By…and…
by　when　Theobald　went　away　for　an　unusually　long　holiday　one　summer；
he　could　find　no　one　but　a　rather　high…church　clergyman　to　take　his
duty。　　This　gentleman　was　a　man　of　weight　in　the　neighbourhood；
having　considerable　private　means；　but　without　preferment。　　In　the
summer　he　would　often　help　his　brother　clergymen；　and　it　was　through
his　being　willing　to　take　the　duty　at　Battersby　for　a　few　Sundays
that　Theobald　had　been　able　to　get　away　for　so　long。　　On　his　return；
however；　he　found　that　the　whole　psalms　were　being　chanted　as　well
as　the　Glorias。　　The　influential　clergyman；　Christina；　and　Charlotte
took　the　bull　by　the　horns　as　soon　as　Theobald　returned；　and　laughed
it　all　off；　and　the　clergyman　laughed　and　bounced；　and　Christina
laughed　and　coaxed；　and　Charlotte　uttered　unexceptionable
sentiments；　and　the　thing　was　done　now；　and　could　not　be　undone；　and
it　was　no　use　grieving　over　spilt　milk；　so　henceforth　the　psalms
were　to　be　chanted；　but　Theobald　grisled　over　it　in　his　heart；　and
he　did　not　like　it。

During　this　same　absence　what　had　Mrs　Goodhew　and　old　Miss　Wright
taken　to　doing　but　turning　towards　the　east　while　repeating　the
Belief？　　Theobald　disliked　this　even　worse　than　chanting。　　When　he
said　something　about　it　in　a　timid　way　at　dinner　after　service；
Charlotte　said；　〃Really；　papa　dear；　you　MUST　take　to　calling　it　the
'Creed'　and　not　the　'Belief'〃；　and　Theobald　winced　impatiently　and
snorted　meek　defiance；　but　the　spirit　of　her　aunts　Jane　and　Eliza
was　strong　in　Charlotte；　and　the　thing　was　too　small　to　fight　about；
and　he　turned　it　off　with　a　laugh。　　〃As　for　Charlotte；〃　thought
Christina；　〃I　believe　she　knows　EVERYTHING。〃　　So　Mrs　Goodhew　and　old
Miss　Wright　continued　to　turn　to　the　east　during　the　time　the　Creed
was　said；　and　by…and…by　others　followed　their　example；　and　ere　long
the　few　who　had　stood　out　yielded　and　turned　eastward　too；　and　then
Theobald　made　as　though　he　had　thought　it　all　very　right　and　proper
from　the　first；　but　like　it　he　did　not。　　By…and…by　Charlotte　tried
to　make　him　say　〃Alleluia〃　instead　of　〃Hallelujah；〃　but　this　was
going　too　far；　and　Theobald　turned；　and　she　got　frightened　and　ran
away。

And　they　changed　the　double　chants　for　single　ones；　and　altered　them
psalm　by　psalm；　and　in　the　middle　of　psalms；　just　where　a　cursory
reader　would　see　no　reason　why　they　should　do　so；　they　changed　from
major　to　minor　and　from　minor　back　to　major；　and　then　they　got
〃Hymns　Ancient　and　Modern；〃　and；　as　I　have　said；　they　robbed　him　of
his　beloved　bands；　and　they　made　him　preach　in　a　surplice；　and　he
must　have　celebration　of　the　Holy　Communion　once　a　month　instead　of
only　five　times　in　the　year　as　heretofore；　and　he　struggled　in　vain
against　the　unseen　influence　which　he　felt　to　be　working　in　season
and　out　of　season　against　all　that　he　had　been　accustomed　to
consider　most　distinctive　of　his　party。　　Where　it　was；　or　what　it
was；　he　knew　not；　nor　exactly　what　it　would　do　next；　but　he　knew
exceedingly　well　that　go　where　he　would　it　was　undermining　him；　that
it　was　too　persistent　for　him；　that　Christina　and　Charlotte　liked　it
a　great　deal　better　than　he　did；　and　that　it　could　end　in　nothing
but　Rome。　　Easter　decorations　indeed！　　Christmas　decorationsin
reasonwere　proper　enough；　but　Easter　decorations！　well；　it　might
last　his　time。

This　was　the　course　things　had　taken　in　the　Church　of　England　during
the　last　forty　years。　　The　set　has　been　steadily　in　one　direction。
A　few　men　who　knew　what　they　wanted　made　cats'　paws　of　the　Christmas
and　the　Charlottes；　and　the　Christmas　and　the　Charlottes　made　cats'
paws　of　the　Mrs　Goodhews　and　the　old　Miss　Wrights；　and　Mrs　Goodhews
and　old　Miss　Wrights　told　the　Mr　Goodhews　and　young　Miss　Wrights
what　they　should　do；　and　when　the　Mr　Goodhews　and　the　young　Miss
Wrights　did　it　the　little　Goodhews　and　the　rest　of　the　spiritual
flock　did　as　they　did；　and　the　Theobalds　went　for　nothing；　step　by
step；　day　by　day；　year　by　year；　parish　by　parish；　diocese　by　diocese
this　was　how　it　was　done。　　And　yet　the　Church　of　England　looks　with
no　friendly　eyes　upon　the　theory　of　Evolution　or　Descent　with
Modification。

My　hero　thought　over　these　things；　and　remembered　many　a　ruse　on　the
part　of　Christina　and　Charlotte；　and　many　a　detail　of　the　struggle
which　I　cannot　further　interrupt　my　story　to　refer　to；　and　he
remembered　his　father's　favourite　retort　that　it　could　only　end　in
Rome。　　When　he　was　a　boy　he　had　firmly　believed　this；　but　he　smiled
now　as　he　thought　of　another　alternative　clear　enough　to　himself；
but　so　horrible　that　it　had　not　even　occurred　to　TheobaldI　mean
the　toppling　over　of　the　whole　system。　　At　that　time　he　welcomed　the
hope　that　the　absurdities　and　unrealities　of　the　Church　would　end　in
her　downfall。　　Since　then　he　has　come　to　think　very　differently；　not
as　believing　in　the　cow　jumping　over　the　moon　more　than　he　used　to；
or　more；　probably；　than　nine…tenths　of　the　clergy　themselveswho
know　as　well　as　he　does　that　their　outward　and　visible　symbols　are
out　of　datebut　because　he　knows　the　baffling　complexity　of　the
problem　when　it　comes　to　deciding　what　is　actually　to　be　done。
Also；　now　that　he　has　seen　them　more　closely；　he　knows　better　the
nature　of　those　wolves　in　sheep's　clothing；　who　are　thirsting　for
the　blood　of　their　victim；　and　exulting　so　clamorously　over　its
anticipated　early　fall　into　their　clutches。　　The　spirit　behind　the
Church　is　true；　though　her　lettertrue　onceis　now　true　no　longer。
The　spirit　behind　the　High　Priests　of　Science　is　as　lying　as　its
letter。　　The　Theobalds；　who　do　what　they　do　because　it　seems　to　be
the　correct　thing；　but　who　in　their　hearts　neither　like　it　nor
believe　in　it；　are　in　reality　the　least　dangerous　of　all　classes　to
the　peace　and　liberties　of　mankind。　　The　man　to　fear　is　he　who　goes
at　things　with　the　cocksureness　of　pushing　vulgarity　and　self…
conceit。　　These　are　not　vices　which　can　be　justly　laid　to　the　charge
of　the　English　clergy。

Many　of　the　farmers　came　up　to　Ernest　when　service　was　over；　and
shook　hands　with　him。　　He　found　every　one　knew　of　his　having　come
into　a　fortune。　　The　fact　was　that　Theobald　had　immediately　told　two
or　three　of　the　greatest　gossips　in　the　village；　and　the　story　was
not　long　in　spreading。　　〃It　simplified　matters；〃　he　had　said　to
himself；　〃a　good　deal。〃　　Ernest　was　civil　to　Mrs　Goodhew　for　her
husband's　sake；　but　he　gave　Miss　Wright　the　cut　direct；　for　he　knew
that　she　was　only　Charlotte　in　disguise。

A　week　passed　slowly　away。　　Two　or　three　times　the　family　took　the
sacrament　together　round　Christina's　death…bed。　　Theobald's
impatience　became　more　and　more　transparent　daily；　but　fortunately
Christina　（who　even　if　she　had　been　well　would　have　been　ready　to
shut　her　eyes　to　it）　became　weaker　and　less　coherent　in　mind　also；
so　that　she　hardly；　if　at　all；　perceived　it。　　After　Ernest　had　been
in　the　house　about　a　week　his　mother　fell　into　a　comatose　state
which　lasted　a　couple　of　days；　and　in　the　end　went　away　so
peacefully　that　it　was　like　the　blending　of　sea　and　sky　in　mid…ocean
upon　a　soft　hazy　day　when　none　can　say　where　the　earth　ends　and　the
heavens　begin。　　Indeed　she　died　to　the　realities　of　life　with　less
pain　than　she　had　waked　from　many　of　its　illusions。

〃She　has　been　the　comfort　and　mainstay　of　my　life　for　more　than
thirty　years；〃　said　Theobald　as　soon　as　all　was　over；　〃but　one　could
not　wish　it　prolonged；〃　and　he　buried　his　face　in　his　handkerchief
to　conceal　his　want　of　emotion。

Ernest　came　back　to　town　the　day　after　his　mother's　death；　and
returned　to　the　funeral　accompanied　by　myself。　　He　wanted　me　to　see
his　father　in　order　to　prevent　any　possible　misapprehension　about
Miss　Pontifex's　intentions；　and　I　was　such　an　old　friend　of　the
family　that　my　presence　at　Christina's　funeral　would　surprise　no
one。　　With　all　her　faults　I　had　always　rather　liked　Christina。　　She
would　have　chopped　Ernest　or　any　one　else　into　little　pieces　of
mincemeat　to　gra