david elginbrod-第71节

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purse；　and　not　by　what　he　had　been　used　to　of　late；　seemed
sumptuous。　　He　said　at　once：

〃It　is　needless　for　me　to　trouble　you　further。　　I　see　your　rooms
will　not　suit　me。〃

The　old　lady　looked　annoyed。

〃Will　you　see　the　drawing…room　apartments；　then？〃　she　said；
crustily。

〃No；　thank　you。　　It　would　be　giving　you　quite　unnecessary　trouble。〃

〃My　apartments　have　always　given　satisfaction；　I　assure　you；　sir。〃

〃Indeed；　I　have　no　reason　to　doubt　it。　　I　wish　I　could　afford　to
take　them；〃　said　Hugh；　thinking　it　better　to　be　open　than　to　hurt
her　feelings。　〃I　am　sure　I　should　be　very　comfortable。　　But　a
poor〃

He　did　not　know　what　to　call　himself。

〃O…oh！〃　said　the　landlady。　　Then；　after　a　pause〃Well？〃
interrogatively。

〃Well；　I　was　a　tutor　last；　but　I　don't　know　what　I　may　be　next。〃

She　kept　looking　at　him。　　Once　or　twice　she　looked　at　him　from　head
to　foot。

〃You　are　respectable？〃

〃I　hope　so；〃　said　Hugh；　laughing。

〃Well！〃this　time　not　interrogatively。

〃How　many　rooms　would　you　like？〃

〃The　fewer　the　better。　　Half　a　one；　if　there　were　nobody　in　the
other　half。〃

〃Well！and　you　wouldn't　give　much　trouble；　I　daresay。〃

〃Only　for　coals　and　water　to　wash　and　drink。〃

〃And　you　wouldn't　dine　at　home？〃

〃Nonor　anywhere　else；〃　said　Hugh；　but　the　second　and　larger　clause
was　sotto　voce。

〃And　you　wouldn't　smoke　in…doors？〃

〃No。〃

〃And　you　would　wipe　your　boots　clean　before　you　went　up…stairs？〃

〃Yes；　certainly。〃　　Hugh　was　beginning　to　be　exceedingly　amused；　but
he　kept　his　gravity　wonderfully。

〃Have　you　any　money？〃

〃Yes；　plenty　for　the　meantime。　　But　when　I　shall　get　more；　I　don't
know；　you　see。〃

〃Well；　I've　a　room　at　the　top　of　the　house；　which　I'll　make
comfortable　for　you；　and　you　may　stay　as　long　as　you　like　to　behave
yourself。〃

〃But　what　is　the　rent？〃

〃Four　shillings　a　weekto　you。　　Would　you　like　to　see　it？〃

〃Yes；　if　you　please。〃

She　conducted　him　up　to　the　third　floor；　and　showed　him　a　good…sized
room；　rather　bare；　but　clean。

〃This　will　do　delightfully；〃　said　Hugh。

〃I　will　make　it　a　little　more　comfortable　for　you；　you　know。〃

〃Thank　you　very　much。　　Shall　I　pay　you　a　month　in　advance？〃

〃No；　no；〃　she　answered；　with　a　grim　smile。　〃I　might　want　to　get　rid
of　you；　you　know。　　It　must　be　a　week's　warning；　no　more。〃

〃Very　well。　　I　have　no　objection。　　I　will　go　and　fetch　my　luggage。
I　suppose　I　may　come　in　at　once？〃

〃The　sooner　the　better；　young　man；　in　a　place　like　London。　　The
sooner　you　come　home　the　better　pleased　I　shall　be。　　There　now！〃

So　saying；　she　walked　solemnly　down…stairs　before　him；　and　let　him
out。　　Hugh　hurried　away　to　fetch　his　luggage；　delighted　that　he　had
so　soon　succeeded　in　finding　just　what　he　wanted。　　As　he　went；　he
speculated　on　the　nature　of　his　landlady；　trying　to　account　for　her
odd　rough　manner；　and　the　real　kindness　of　her　rude　words。　　He　came
to　the　conclusion　that　she　was　naturally　kind　to　profusion；　and　that
this　kindness　had；　some　time　or　other；　perhaps　repeatedly；　been
taken　shameful　advantage　of；　that　at　last　she　had　come　to　the
resolution　to　defend　herself　by　means　of　a　general　misanthropy；　and
supposed　that　she　had　succeeded；　when　she　had　got　no　further　than　to
have　so　often　imitated　the　tone　of　her　own　behaviour　when　at　its
crossest；　as　to　have　made　it　habitual　by　repetition。

In　all　probability　some　unknown　sympathy　had　drawn　her　to　Hugh。　She
might　have　had　a　son　about　his　age；　who　had　run　away　thirty　years
ago。　　Or　rather；　for　she　seemed　an　old　maid；　she　had　been　jilted
some　time　by　a　youth　about　the　same　size　as　Hugh；　and　therefore　she
loved　him　the　moment　she　saw　him。　　Or；　in　short；　a　thousand　things。
Certainly　seldom　have　lodgings　been　let　so　oddly　or　so　cheaply。
But　some　impulse　or　other　of　the　whimsical　old　human　heart；　which
will　have　its　way；　was　satisfied　therein。

When　he　returned　in　a　couple　of　hours；　with　his　boxes　on　the　top　of
a　cab；　the　door　was　opened；　before　he　knocked；　by　a　tidy　maid；　who；
without　being　the　least　like　her　mistress；　yet　resembled　her
excessively。　　She　helped　him　to　carry　his　boxes　up…stairs；　and　when
he　reached　his　room；　he　found　a　fire　burning　cheerily；　a　muffin　down
before　it；　a　tea…kettle　singing　on　the　hob；　and　the　tea…tray　set
upon　a　nice　white　cloth　on　a　table　right　in　front　of　the　fire；　with
an　old…fashioned　high…backed　easy…chair　by　its　sidethe　very　chair
to　go　to　sleep　in　over　a　novel。　　The　old　lady　soon　made　her
appearance；　with　the　teapot　in　one　hand；　and　a　plate　of　butter　in
the　other。

〃Oh！　thank　you；〃　said　Hugh。　〃This　is　comfortable！〃

She　answered　only　by　compressing　her　lips　till　her　mouth　vanished
altogether；　and　nodding　her　head　as　much　as　to　say：　〃I　know　it　is。
I　intended　it　should　be。〃　　She　then　poured　water　into　the　teapot；
set　it　down　by　the　fire；　and　vanished。

Hugh　sat　down　in　the　easy…chair；　and　resolved　to　be　comfortable；　at
least　till　he　had　had　his　tea；　after　which　he　would　think　what　he
was　to　do　next。　　A　knock　at　the　doorand　his　landlady　entered；　laid
a　penny　newspaper　on　the　table；　and　went　away。　　This　was　just　what
he　wanted　to　complete　his　comfort。　　He　took　it　up；　and　read　while　he
consumed　his　bread　and　butter。　　When　he　had　had　enough　of　tea　and
newspaper；　he　said　to　himself：

〃Now；　what　am　I　to　do　next？〃

It　is　a　happy　thing　for　us　that　this　is　really　all　we　have　to
concern　ourselves　aboutwhat　to　do　next。　　No　man　can　do　the　second
thing。　　He　can　do　the　first。　　If　he　omits　it；　the　wheels　of　the
social　Juggernaut　roll　over　him；　and　leave　him　more　or　less　crushed
behind。　　If　he　does　it；　he　keeps　in　front；　and　finds　room　to　do　the
next　again；　and　so　he　is　sure　to　arrive　at　something；　for　the　onward
march　will　carry　him　with　it。　　There　is　no　saying　to　what　perfection
of　success　a　man　may　come；　who　begins　with　what　he　can　do；　and　uses
the　means　at　his　hand。　　He　makes　a　vortex　of　action；　however　slight；
towards　which　all　the　means　instantly　begin　to　gravitate。　　Let　a　man
but　lay　hold　of　somethinganything；　and　he　is　in　the　high　road　to
successthough　it　may　be　very　long　before　he　can　walk　comfortably
in　it。It　is　true　the　success　may　be　measured　out　according　to　a
standard　very　different　from　his。

But　in　Hugh's　case；　the　difficulty　was　to　grasp　anythingto　make　a
beginning　anywhere。　　He　knew　nobody；　and　the　globe　of　society　seemed
like　a　mass　of　adamant；　on　which　he　could　not　gain　the　slightest
hold；　or　make　the　slightest　impression。　　Who　would　introduce　him　to
pupils？　　Nobody。　　He　had　the　testimonials　of　his　professors；　but　who
would　ask　to　see　them？His　eye　fell　on　the　paper。　　He　would
advertise。




CHAPTER　II。

LETTERS　FOR　THE　POST。

Nothing　but　drought　and　dearth；　but　bush　and　brake；
　　Which　way　soe'er　I　look；　I　see。
Some　may　dream　merrily；　but　when　they　wake；
　　They　dress　themselves；　and　come　to　thee。

GEORGE　HERBERT。Home。


He　got　his　writing　materials；　and　wrote　to　the　effect；　that　a
graduate　of　a　Scotch　university　was　prepared　to　give　private　lessons
in　the　classics　and　mathematics；　or　even　in　any　of　the　inferior
branches　of　education；　&c。；　&c。　　This　he　would　take　to　the　Times
next　day。

As　soon　as　he　had　done　this；　Duty　lifted　up　her　head；　and　called
him。　　He　obeyed；　and　wrote　to　his　mother。　　Duty　called　again；　and　he
wrote；　though　with　much　trepidation　and　humiliation；　to　David
Elginbrod。

It　was　a　good　beginning。　　He　had　commenced　his　London　life　in　doing
what　he　knew　he　ought　to　do。　　His　trepidation　in　writing　to　David；
arose　in　part；　it　must　be　confessed；　from　the　strange　result　of　one
of　the　experiments　at　Arnstead。

This　was　his　letter。　　But　he　sat　and　meditated　a　long　time　before　he
began　it。

〃MY　DEAR　FRIEND；If　I　did　not　think　you　would　forgive　me；　I　should
feel；　now　that　I　have　once　allowed　my　mind　to　rest　upon　my　conduct
to　you；　as　if　I　could　never　hold　up　my　head　again。　　After　much
occupation　of　thought　and　feeling　with　other　things；　a　season　of
silence　has　come；　and　my　sins　look　me　in　the　face。　　First　of　them
all　is　my　neglect　of　you；　to　whom　I　owe　more　than　to　any　man　else；
except；　perhaps；　my　father。　　Forgive　me；　for　forgiveness'　sake。　　You
know　it　takes　a　long　time　for　a　child　to　know　its　mother。　　It　takes
everything　as　a　matter　of　course；　till　suddenly　one　day　it　lifts　up
its　eyes；　and　knows　that　a　face　is　looking　at　it。　　I　have　been　like
the　child　towards　you；　but　I　am　beginning　to　feel　what　you　have　been
to　me。　　I　want　to　be　good。　　I　am　very　lonely　now　in　great　noisy
London。　　Write　to　me；　if　you　please；　and　comfort　me。　　I　wish　I　were
as　good　as　you。　　Then　everything　would　go　right　with　me。　　Do　not
suppose　that　I　am　in　great　trouble　of　any　kind。　　As　yet　I　am　very
comfortable；　as　far　as　external　circumstances　go。　　But　I　have　a　kind
of　aching　inside　me。　　Something　is　not　right；　and　I　want　your　help。
You　will　know　what　I　mean。　　What　am　I　to　do？　　Please　to　remember　me
in　the　kindest；　most　grateful　manner　to　Mrs。　Elginbrod　and　Margaret。
It　is　more　than　I　deserve；　but　I　hope　they　have　not　forgotten　me　as
I　have　seemed　to　forget　them。

〃I　am；　my　dear　Mr。　Elginbrod；

〃Your　old　friend；

〃HUGH　SUTHERLAND。〃

I　may　as　well　insert　here　another　letter；　which　arrived　at
Turriepuffit；　likewise　addressed　to