the way of all flesh-第97节

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impossible　to　think　of　anything　else；〃　but　he　immediately　corrected
himself　and　substituted　the　words；　〃next　to　impossible　to　entertain
irrelevant　ideas；〃　after　which　he　seemed　to　feel　a　good　deal　more
comfortable。　　Ernest　saw　the　familiar　volumes　of　Dr　Skinner's　works
upon　the　book…shelves　in　the　Deanery　dining…room；　but　he　saw　no　copy
of　〃Rome　or　the　BibleWhich？〃

〃And　are　you　still　as　fond　of　music　as　ever；　Mr　Pontifex？〃　said　Miss
Skinner　to　Ernest　during　the　course　of　lunch。

〃Of　some　kinds　of　music；　yes；　Miss　Skinner；　but　you　know　I　never　did
like　modern　music。〃

〃Isn't　that　rather　dreadful？Don't　you　think　you　rather〃she　was
going　to　have　added；　〃ought　to？〃　but　she　left　it　unsaid；　feeling
doubtless　that　she　had　sufficiently　conveyed　her　meaning。

〃I　would　like　modern　music；　if　I　could；　I　have　been　trying　all　my
life　to　like　it；　but　I　succeed　less　and　less　the　older　I　grow。〃

〃And　pray；　where　do　you　consider　modern　music　to　begin？〃

〃With　Sebastian　Bach。〃

〃And　don't　you　like　Beethoven？〃

〃No；　I　used　to　think　I　did；　when　I　was　younger；　but　I　know　now　that
I　never　really　liked　him。〃

〃Ah！　how　can　you　say　so？　　You　cannot　understand　him；　you　never　could
say　this　if　you　understood　him。　　For　me　a　simple　chord　of　Beethoven
is　enough。　　This　is　happiness。〃

Ernest　was　amused　at　her　strong　family　likeness　to　her　fathera
likeness　which　had　grown　upon　her　as　she　had　become　older；　and　which
extended　even　to　voice　and　manner　of　speaking。　　He　remembered　how　he
had　heard　me　describe　the　game　of　chess　I　had　played　with　the　doctor
in　days　gone　by；　and　with　his　mind's　ear　seemed　to　hear　Miss　Skinner
saying；　as　though　it　were　an　epitaph：…


〃Stay：
I　may　presently　take
A　simple　chord　of　Beethoven；
Or　a　small　semiquaver
From　one　of　Mendelssohn's　Songs　without　Words。〃


After　luncheon　when　Ernest　was　left　alone　for　half　an　hour　or　so
with　the　Dean　he　plied　him　so　well　with　compliments　that　the　old
gentleman　was　pleased　and　flattered　beyond　his　wont。　　He　rose　and
bowed。　　〃These　expressions；〃　he　said；　voce　sua；　〃are　very　valuable
to　me。〃　　〃They　are　but　a　small　part；　Sir；〃　rejoined　Ernest；　〃of　what
anyone　of　your　old　pupils　must　feel　towards　you；〃　and　the　pair
danced　as　it　were　a　minuet　at　the　end　of　the　dining…room　table　in
front　of　the　old　bay　window　that　looked　upon　the　smooth　shaven　lawn。
On　this　Ernest　departed；　but　a　few　days　afterwards；　the　Doctor　wrote
him　a　letter　and　told　him　that　his　critics　were　a　＇Greek　text＇；　and
at　the　same　time　＇Greek　text＇。　　Ernest　remembered　＇Greek　text＇；　and
knew　that　the　other　words　were　something　of　like　nature；　so　it　was
all　right。　　A　month　or　two　afterwards；　Dr　Skinner　was　gathered　to
his　fathers。

〃He　was　an　old　fool；　Ernest；〃　said　I；　〃and　you　should　not　relent
towards　him。〃

〃I　could　not　help　it；〃　he　replied；　〃he　was　so　old　that　it　was　almost
like　playing　with　a　child。〃

Sometimes；　like　all　whose　minds　are　active；　Ernest　overworks
himself；　and　then　occasionally　he　has　fierce　and　reproachful
encounters　with　Dr　Skinner　or　Theobald　in　his　sleepbut　beyond　this
neither　of　these　two　worthies　can　now　molest　him　further。

To　myself　he　has　been　a　son　and　more　than　a　son；　at　times　I　am　half
afraidas　for　example　when　I　talk　to　him　about　his　booksthat　I
may　have　been　to　him　more　like　a　father　than　I　ought；　if　I　have；　I
trust　he　has　forgiven　me。　　His　books　are　the　only　bone　of　contention
between　us。　　I　want　him　to　write　like　other　people；　and　not　to
offend　so　many　of　his　readers；　he　says　he　can　no　more　change　his
manner　of　writing　than　the　colour　of　his　hair；　and　that　he　must
write　as　he　does　or　not　at　all。

With　the　public　generally　he　is　not　a　favourite。　　He　is　admitted　to
have　talent；　but　it　is　considered　generally　to　be　of　a　queer
unpractical　kind；　and　no　matter　how　serious　he　is；　he　is　always
accused　of　being　in　jest。　　His　first　book　was　a　success　for　reasons
which　I　have　already　explained；　but　none　of　his　others　have　been
more　than　creditable　failures。　　He　is　one　of　those　unfortunate　men；
each　one　of　whose　books　is　sneered　at　by　literary　critics　as　soon　as
it　comes　out；　but　becomes　〃excellent　reading〃　as　soon　as　it　has　been
followed　by　a　later　work　which　may　in　its　turn　be　condemned。

He　never　asked　a　reviewer　to　dinner　in　his　life。　　I　have　told　him
over　and　over　again　that　this　is　madness；　and　find　that　this　is　the
only　thing　I　can　say　to　him　which　makes　him　angry　with　me。

〃What　can　it　matter　to　me；〃　he　says；　〃whether　people　read　my　books
or　not？　　It　may　matter　to　thembut　I　have　too　much　money　to　want
more；　and　if　the　books　have　any　stuff　in　them　it　will　work　by…and…
by。　　I　do　not　know　nor　greatly　care　whether　they　are　good　or　not。
What　opinion　can　any　sane　man　form　about　his　own　work？　　Some　people
must　write　stupid　books　just　as　there　must　be　junior　ops　and　third
class　poll　men。　　Why　should　I　complain　of　being　among　the
mediocrities？　　If　a　man　is　not　absolutely　below　mediocrity　let　him
be　thankfulbesides；　the　books　will　have　to　stand　by　themselves
some　day；　so　the　sooner　they　begin　the　better。〃

I　spoke　to　his　publisher　about　him　not　long　since。　　〃Mr　Pontifex；〃
he　said；　〃is　a　homo　unius　libri；　but　it　doesn't　do　to　tell　him　so。〃

I　could　see　the　publisher；　who　ought　to　know；　had　lost　all　faith　in
Ernest's　literary　position；　and　looked　upon　him　as　a　man　whose
failure　was　all　the　more　hopeless　for　the　fact　of　his　having　once
made　a　coup。　　〃He　is　in　a　very　solitary　position；　Mr　Overton；〃
continued　the　publisher。　　〃He　has　formed　no　alliances；　and　has　made
enemies　not　only　of　the　religious　world　but　of　the　literary　and
scientific　brotherhood　as　well。　　This　will　not　do　nowadays。　　If　a
man　wishes　to　get　on　he　must　belong　to　a　set；　and　Mr　Pontifex
belongs　to　no　setnot　even　to　a　club。〃

I　replied；　〃Mr　Pontifex　is　the　exact　likeness　of　Othello；　but　with　a
differencehe　hates　not　wisely　but　too　well。　　He　would　dislike　the
literary　and　scientific　swells　if　he　were　to　come　to　know　them　and
they　him；　there　is　no　natural　solidarity　between　him　and　them；　and
if　he　were　brought　into　contact　with　them　his　last　state　would　be
worse　than　his　first。　　His　instinct　tells　him　this；　so　he　keeps
clear　of　them；　and　attacks　them　whenever　he　thinks　they　deserve　it
in　the　hope；　perhaps；　that　a　younger　generation　will　listen　to　him
more　willingly　than　the　present。〃

〃Can　anything；〃'　said　the　publisher；　〃be　conceived　more
impracticable　and　imprudent？〃

To　all　this　Ernest　replies　with　one　word　only〃Wait。〃

Such　is　my　friend's　latest　development。　　He　would　not；　it　is　true；
run　much　chance　at　present　of　trying　to　found　a　College　of　Spiritual
Pathology；　but　I　must　leave　the　reader　to　determine　whether　there　is
not　a　strong　family　likeness　between　the　Ernest　of　the　College　of
Spiritual　Pathology　and　the　Ernest　who　will　insist　on　addressing　the
next　generation　rather　than　his　own。　　He　says　he　trusts　that　there
is　not；　and　takes　the　sacrament　duly　once　a　year　as　a　sop　to　Nemesis
lest　he　should　again　feel　strongly　upon　any　subject。　　It　rather
fatigues　him；　but　〃no　man's　opinions；〃　he　sometimes　says；　〃can　be
worth　holding　unless　he　knows　how　to　deny　them　easily　and　gracefully
upon　occasion　in　the　cause　of　charity。〃　　In　politics　he　is　a
Conservative　so　far　as　his　vote　and　interest　are　concerned。
In　all　other　respects　he　is　an　advanced　Radical。　　His　father　and
grandfather　could　probably　no　more　understand　his　state　of　mind　than
they　could　understand　Chinese；　but　those　who　know　him　intimately　do
not　know　that　they　wish　him　greatly　different　from　what　he　actually　is。






End