the way of all flesh-第93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！


nothing　should　be　said　to　the　children；　so　these　paid　no　more
attention　to　us　than　they　would　have　done　to　any　other　stranger；　who
happened　to　visit　a　spot　so　unfrequented　except　by　sea…faring　folk；
which　we　plainly　were　not。　　The　interest；　however；　in　us　was　much
quickened　when　it　was　discovered　that　we　had　got　our　pockets　full　of
oranges　and　sweeties；　to　an　extent　greater　than　it　had　entered　into
their　small　imaginations　to　conceive　as　possible。　　At　first　we　had
great　difficulty　in　making　them　come　near　us。　　They　were　like　a　lot
of　wild　young　colts；　very　inquisitive；　but　very　coy　and　not　to　be
cajoled　easily。　　The　children　were　nine　in　allfive　boys　and　two
girls　belonging　to　Mr　and　Mrs　Rollings；　and　two　to　Ernest。　　I　never
saw　a　finer　lot　of　children　than　the　young　Rollings；　the　boys　were
hardy；　robust；　fearless　little　fellows　with　eyes　as　clear　as　hawks；
the　elder　girl　was　exquisitely　pretty；　but　the　younger　one　was　a
mere　baby。　　I　felt　as　I　looked　at　them；　that　if　I　had　had　children
of　my　own　I　could　have　wished　no　better　home　for　them；　nor　better
companions。

Georgie　and　Alice；　Ernest's　two　children；　were　evidently　quite　as
one　family　with　the　others；　and　called　Mr　and　Mrs　Rollings　uncle　and
aunt。　　They　had　been　so　young　when　they　were　first　brought　to　the
house　that　they　had　been　looked　upon　in　the　light　of　new　babies　who
had　been　born　into　the　family。　　They　knew　nothing　about　Mr　and　Mrs
Rollings　being　paid　so　much　a　week　to　look　after　them。　　Ernest　asked
them　all　what　they　wanted　to　be。　　They　had　only　one　idea；　one　and
all；　Georgie　among　the　rest；　wanted　to　be　bargemen。　　Young　ducks
could　hardly　have　a　more　evident　hankering　after　the　water。

〃And　what　do　you　want；　Alice？〃　said　Ernest。

〃Oh；〃　she　said；　〃I'm　going　to　marry　Jack　here；　and　be　a　bargeman's
wife。〃

Jack　was　the　eldest　boy；　now　nearly　twelve；　a　sturdy　little　fellow；
the　image　of　what　Mr　Rollings　must　have　been　at　his　age。　　As　we
looked　at　him；　so　straight　and　well　grown　and　well　done　all　round；　I
could　see　it　was　in　Ernest's　mind　as　much　as　in　mine　that　she　could
hardly　do　much　better。

〃Come　here；　Jack；　my　boy；〃　said　Ernest；　〃here's　a　shilling　for　you。〃
The　boy　blushed　and　could　hardly　be　got　to　come　in　spite　of　our
previous　blandishments；　he　had　had　pennies　given　him　before；　but
shillings　never。　　His　father　caught　him　good…naturedly　by　the　ear
and　lugged　him　to　us。

〃He's　a　good　boy；　Jack　is；〃　said　Ernest　to　Mr　Rollings；　〃I'm　sure　of
that。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Mr　Rollings；　〃he's　a　werry　good　boy；　only　that　I　can't
get　him　to　learn　his　reading　and　writing。　　He　don't　like　going　to
school；　that's　the　only　complaint　I　have　against　him。　　I　don't　know
what's　the　matter　with　all　my　children；　and　yours；　Mr　Pontifex；　is
just　as　bad；　but　they　none　of　'em　likes　book　learning；　though　they
learn　anything　else　fast　enough。　　Why；　as　for　Jack　here；　he's　almost
as　good　a　bargeman　as　I　am。〃　　And　he　looked　fondly　and　patronisingly
towards　his　offspring。

〃I　think；〃　said　Ernest　to　Mr　Rollings；　〃if　he　wants　to　marry　Alice
when　he　gets　older　he　had　better　do　so；　and　he　shall　have　as　many
barges　as　he　likes。　　In　the　meantime；　Mr　Rollings；　say　in　what　way
money　can　be　of　use　to　you；　and　whatever　you　can　make　useful　is　at
your　disposal。〃

I　need　hardly　say　that　Ernest　made　matters　easy　for　this　good
couple；　one　stipulation；　however；　he　insisted　on；　namely；　there　was
to　be　no　more　smuggling；　and　that　the　young　people　were　to　be　kept
out　of　this；　for　a　little　bird　had　told　Ernest　that　smuggling　in　a
quiet　way　was　one　of　the　resources　of　the　Rollings　family。　　Mr
Rollings　was　not　sorry　to　assent　to　this；　and　I　believe　it　is　now
many　years　since　the　coastguard　people　have　suspected　any　of　the
Rollings　family　as　offenders　against　the　revenue　law。

〃Why　should　I　take　them　from　where　they　are；〃　said　Ernest　to　me　in
the　train　as　we　went　home；　〃to　send　them　to　schools　where　they　will
not　be　one　half　so　happy；　and　where　their　illegitimacy　will　very
likely　be　a　worry　to　them？　　Georgie　wants　to　be　a　bargeman；　let　him
begin　as　one；　the　sooner　the　better；　he　may　as　well　begin　with　this
as　with　anything　else；　then　if　he　shows　developments　I　can　be　on　the
look…out　to　encourage　them　and　make　things　easy　for　him；　while　if　he
shows　no　desire　to　go　ahead；　what　on　earth　is　the　good　of　trying　to
shove　him　forward？〃

Ernest；　I　believe；　went　on　with　a　homily　upon　education　generally；
and　upon　the　way　in　which　young　people　should　go　through　the
embryonic　stages　with　their　money　as　much　as　with　their　limbs；
beginning　life　in　a　much　lower　social　position　than　that　in　which
their　parents　were；　and　a　lot　more；　which　he　has　since　published；
but　I　was　getting　on　in　years；　and　the　walk　and　the　bracing　air　had
made　me　sleepy；　so　ere　we　had　got　past　Greenhithe　Station　on　our
return　journey　I　had　sunk　into　a　refreshing　sleep。



CHAPTER　LXXXV



Ernest　being　about　two　and　thirty　years　old　and　having　had　his　fling
for　the　last　three　or　four　years；　now　settled　down　in　London；　and
began　to　write　steadily。　　Up　to　this　time　he　had　given　abundant
promise；　but　had　produced　nothing；　nor　indeed　did　he　come　before　the
public　for　another　three　or　four　years　yet。

He　lived　as　I　have　said　very　quietly；　seeing　hardly　anyone　but
myself；　and　the　three　or　four　old　friends　with　whom　I　had　been
intimate　for　years。　　Ernest　and　we　formed　our　little　set；　and
outside　of　this　my　godson　was　hardly　known　at　all。

His　main　expense　was　travelling；　which　he　indulged　in　at　frequent
intervals；　but　for　short　times　only。　　Do　what　he　would　he　could　not
get　through　more　than　about　fifteen　hundred　a　year；　the　rest　of　his
income　he　gave　away　if　he　happened　to　find　a　case　where　he　thought
money　would　be　well　bestowed；　or　put　by　until　some　opportunity　arose
of　getting　rid　of　it　with　advantage。

I　knew　he　was　writing；　but　we　had　had　so　many　little　differences　of
opinion　upon　this　head　that　by　a　tacit　understanding　the　subject　was
seldom　referred　to　between　us；　and　I　did　not　know　that　he　was
actually　publishing　till　one　day　he　brought　me　a　book　and　told　me
flat　it　was　his　own。　　I　opened　it　and　found　it　to　he　a　series　of
semi…theological；　semi…social　essays；　purporting　to　have　been
written　by　six　or　seven　different　people；　and　viewing　the　same　class
of　subjects　from　different　standpoints。

People　had　not　yet　forgotten　the　famous　〃Essays　and　Reviews；〃　and
Ernest　had　wickedly　given　a　few　touches　to　at　least　two　of　the
essays　which　suggested　vaguely　that　they　had　been　written　by　a
bishop。　　The　essays　were　all　of　them　in　support　of　the　Church　of
England；　and　appeared　both　by　internal　suggestion；　and　their　prima
facie　purport　to　be　the　work　of　some　half…dozen　men　of　experience
and　high　position　who　had　determined　to　face　the　difficult　questions
of　the　day　no　less　boldly　from　within　the　bosom　of　the　Church　than
the　Church's　enemies　had　faced　them　from　without　her　pale。

There　was　an　essay　on　the　external　evidences　of　the　Resurrection；
another　on　the　marriage　laws　of　the　most　eminent　nations　of　the
world　in　times　past　and　present；　another　was　devoted　to　a
consideration　of　the　many　questions　which　must　be　reopened　and
reconsidered　on　their　merits　if　the　teaching　of　the　Church　of
England　were　to　cease　to　carry　moral　authority　with　it；　another
dealt　with　the　more　purely　social　subject　of　middle　class
destitution；　another　with　the　authenticity　or　rather　the
unauthenticity　of　the　fourth　gospelanother　was　headed　〃Irrational
Rationalism；〃　and　there　were　two　or　three　more。

They　were　all　written　vigorously　and　fearlessly　as　though　by　people
used　to　authority；　all　granted　that　the　Church　professed　to　enjoin
belief　in　much　which　no　one　could　accept　who　had　been　accustomed　to
weigh　evidence；　but　it　was　contended　that　so　much　valuable　truth　had
got　so　closely　mixed　up　with　these　mistakes；　that　the　mistakes　had
better　not　be　meddled　with。　　To　lay　great　stress　on　these　was　like
cavilling　at　the　Queen's　right　to　reign；　on　the　ground　that　William
the　Conqueror　was　illegitimate。

One　article　maintained　that　though　it　would　be　inconvenient　to
change　the　words　of　our　prayer　book　and　articles；　it　would　not　be
inconvenient　to　change　in　a　quiet　way　the　meanings　which　we　put　upon
those　words。　　This；　it　was　argued；　was　what　was　actually　done　in　the
case　of　law；　this　had　been　the　law's　mode　of　growth　and　adaptation；
and　had　in　all　ages　been　found　a　righteous　and　convenient　method　of
effecting　change。　　It　was　suggested　that　the　Church　should　adopt　it。

In　another　essay　it　was　boldly　denied　that　the　Church　rested　upon
reason。　　It　was　proved　incontestably　that　its　ultimate　foundation
was　and　ought　to　be　faith；　there　being　indeed　no　other　ultimate
foundation　than　this　for　any　of　man's　beliefs。　　If　so；　the　writer
claimed　that　the　Church　could　not　be　upset　by　reason。　　It　was
founded；　like　everything　else；　on　initial　assumptions；　that　is　to
say　on　faith；　and　if　it　was　to　be　upset　it　was　to　be　upset　by　faith；
by　the　faith　of　those　who　in　their　lives　appeared　more　graceful；
more　lovable；　better　bred；　in　fact；　and　better　able　to　overcome
difficulties。　　Any　sect　which　showed　its　superiority　in　these
respects　might　carry　all　before　it；　but　none　other