father and son-第39节

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bed　the　Crystal　Palace。　She　was；　of　course；　in　a　state　of　unbridled　hysteria；　but　such　physical　explanations　were　not　encouraged　amongst　us；　and　the　case　of　Susan　Flood　awakened　a　great　deal　of　sympathy。

There　was　held　a　meeting　of　the　elders　in　our　drawing…room　to　discuss　it；　and　I　contrived　to　be　present；　though　out　of　observation。　My　Father；　while　he　recognized　the　purity　of　Susan　Flood's　zeal；　questioned　its　wisdom。　He　noted　that　the　statuary　was　not　her　property；　but　that　of　the　Crystal　Palace。　Of　the　other　communicants；　none；　I　think；　had　the　very　slightest　notion　what　the　objects　were　that　Susan　had　smashed；　or　tried　to　smash；　and　frankly　maintained　that　they　thought　her　conduct　magnificent。　As　for　me；　I　had　gathered　by　persistent　inquiry　enough　information　to　know　that　what　her　sacrilegious　parasol　had　attacked　were　bodies　of　my　mysterious　friends；　the　Greek　gods；　and　if　all　the　rest　of　the　village　applauded　iconoclastic　Susan；　I　at　least　would　be　ardent　on　the　other　side。

But　I　was　conscious　that　there　was　nobody　in　the　world　to　whom　I　could　go　for　sympathy。　If　I　had　ever　read　'Hellas'　I　should　have　murmured

Apollo；　Pan　and　Love；　And　even　Olympian　Jove；　Grew　weak；　when　killing　Susan　glared　on　them。

On　the　day　in　question；　I　was　unable　to　endure　the　drawing…room　meeting　to　its　close；　but；　clutching　my　volume　of　the　Funereal　Poets；　I　made　a　dash　for　the　garden。　In　the　midst　of　a　mass　of　laurels；　a　clearing　had　been　hollowed　out；　where　ferns　were　grown　and　a　garden…seat　was　placed。　There　was　no　regular　path　to　this　asylum；　one　dived　under　the　snakelike　boughs　of　the　laurel　and　came　up　again　in　absolute　seclusion。

Into　this　haunt　I　now　fled　to　meditate　about　the　savage　godliness　of　that　vandal；　Susan　Flood。　So　extremely　ignorant　was　I　that　I　supposed　her　to　have　destroyed　the　originals　of　the　statues；　marble　and　unique。　I　knew　nothing　about　plaster　casts；　and　I　thought　the　damage　（it　is　possible　that　there　had　really　been　no　damage　whatever）　was　of　an　irreparable　character。　I　sank　into　the　seat；　with　the　great　wall　of　laurels　whispering　around　me；　and　I　burst　into　tears。　There　was　something；　surely；　quaint　and　pathetic　in　the　figure　of　a　little　Plymouth　Brother　sitting　in　that　advanced　year　of　grace；　weeping　bitterly　for　indignities　done　to　Hermes　and　to　Aphrodite。　Then　I　opened　my　book　for　consolation；　and　I　read　a　great　block　of　pompous　verse　out　of　'The　Deity'；　in　the　midst　of　which　exercise；　yielding　to　the　softness　of　the　hot　and　aromatic　air；　I　fell　fast　asleep。

Among　those　who　applauded　the　zeal　of　Susan　Flood's　parasol；　the　Pagets　were　prominent。　These　were　a　retired　Baptist　minister　and　his　wife；　from　Exmouth；　who　had　lately　settled　amongst　us；　and　joined　in　the　breaking　of　bread。　Mr。　Paget　was　a　fat　old　man；　whose　round　pale　face　was　clean…shaven；　and　who　carried　a　full　crop　of　loose　white　hair　above　it；　his　large　lips　were　always　moving；　whether　he　spoke　or　not。　He　resembled；　as　I　now　perceive；　the　portraits　of　S。　T。　Coleridge　in　age；　but　with　all　the　intellect　left　out　of　them。　He　lived　in　a　sort　of　trance　of　solemn　religious　despondency。　He　had　thrown　up　his　cure　of　souls；　because　he　became　convinced　that　be　had　committed　the　Sin　against　the　Holy　Ghost。　His　wife　was　younger　than　he；　very　small；　very　tight；　very　active；　with　black　eyes　like　pin…pricks　at　the　base　of　an　extremely　high　and　narrow　forehead；　bordered　with　glossy　ringlets。　He　was　very　cross　to　her；　and　it　was　murmured　that　'dear　Mrs。　Paget　had　often　had　to　pass　through　the　waters　of　affliction'。　They　were　very　poor；　but　rigidly　genteel；　and　she　was　careful；　so　far　as　she　could；　to　conceal　from　the　world　the　caprices　of　her　poor　lunatic　husband。

In　our　circle；　it　was　never　for　a　moment　admitted　that　Mr。　Paget　was　a　lunatic。　It　was　said　that　he　had　gravely　sinned；　and　was　under　the　Lord's　displeasure；　prayers　were　abundantly　offered　up　that　he　might　be　led　back　into　the　pathway　of　light；　and　that　the　Smiling　Face　might　be　drawn　forth　for　him　from　behind　the　Frowning　Providence。　When　the　man　had　an　epileptic　seizure　in　the　High　Street；　he　was　not　taken　to　a　hospital；　but　we　repeated　to　one　another；　with　shaken　heads；　that　Satan；　that　crooked　Serpent；　had　been　unloosed　for　a　season。　Mr。　Paget　was　fond　of　talking；　in　private　and　in　public；　of　his　dreadful　spiritual　condition　and　he　would　drop　his　voice　while　he　spoke　of　having　committed　the　Unpardonable　Sin；　with　a　sort　of　shuddering　exultation；　such　as　people　sometimes　feel　in　the　possession　of　a　very　unusual　disease。

It　might　be　thought　that　the　position　held　in　any　community　by　persons　so　afflicted　and　eccentric　as　the　Pagets　would　be　very　precarious。　But　it　was　not　so　with　us；　on　the　contrary；　they　took　a　prominent　place　at　once。　Mr。　Paget；　in　spite　of　his　spiritual　bankruptcy；　was　only　too　anxious　to　help　my　Father　in　his　ministrations；　and　used　to　beg　to　be　allowed　to　pray　and　exhort。　In　the　latter　case　he　took　the　tone　of　a　wounded　veteran；　who；　though　fallen　on　the　bloody　field　himself；　could　still　encourage　younger　warriors　to　march　forward　to　victory。　Everybody　longed　to　know　what　the　exact　nature　had　been　of　that　sin　against　the　Holy　Ghost　which　had　deprived　Mr。　Paget　of　every　glimmer　of　hope　for　time　or　for　eternity。　It　was　whispered　that　even　my　Father　himself　was　not　precisely　acquainted　with　the　character　of　it。

This　mysterious　disability　clothed　Mr　Paget　for　us　with　a　kind　of　romance。　We　watched　him　as　the　women　watched　Dante　in　Verona；　whispering：

　　　　　　　　　　　Behold　him　how　Hell's　reek　Has　crisped　his　hair　and　singed　his　cheek！

His　person　lacked；　it　is　true；　something　of　the　dignity　of　Dante's；　for　it　was　his　caprice　to　walk　up　and　down　the　High　Street　at　noonday　with　one　of　those　cascades　of　coloured　paper　which　were　known　as　'ornaments　for　your　fireplace'　slung　over　the　back　and　another　over　the　front　of　his　body。　These　he　manufactured　for　sale；　and　he　adopted　the　quaint　practice　of　wearing　the　exuberant　objects　as　a　means　for　their　advertisement。

Mrs。　Paget　had　been　accustomed　to　rule　in　the　little　ministry　from　which　Mr。　Paget's　celebrated　Sin　had　banished　them；　and　she　was　inclined　to　clutch　at　the　sceptre　now。　She　was　the　only　person　I　ever　met　with　who　was　not　afraid　of　the　displeasure　of　my　Father。　She　would　fix　her　viper…coloured　eyes　on　his；　and　say　with　a　kind　of　gimlet　firmness；　'I　hardly　think　that　is　the　true　interpretation；　Brother　G。'；　or；　'But　let　us　turn　to　Colossians；　and　see　what　the　Holy　Ghost　says　there　upon　this　matter。'　She　fascinated　my　Father；　who　was　not　accustomed　to　this　kind　of　interruption；　and　as　she　was　not　to　be　softened　by　any　flattery　（such　as：'Marvellous　indeed；　Sister；　is　your　acquaintance　with　the　means　of　grace！'）　she　became　almost　a　terror　to　him。

She　abused　her　powers　by　taking　great　liberties；　which　culminated　in　her　drawing　his　attention　to　the　fact　that　my　poor　stepmother　displayed　'an　overweening　love　of　dress'。　The　accusation　was　perfectly　false；　my　stepmother　was；　if　rather　richly；　always；　plainly　dressed；　in　the　sober　Quaker　mode；　almost　her　only　ornament　was　a　large　carnelian　brooch；　set　in　flowered　flat　gold。　To　this　the　envenomed　Paget　drew　my　Father's　attention　as　'likely　to　lead　〃the　little　ones　of　the　flock〃　into　temptation'。　My　poor　Father　felt　it　his　duty；　thus　directly　admonished；　to　speak　to　my　mother。　'Do　you　not　think；　my　Love；　that　you　should；　as　one　who　sets　an　example　to　others；　discard　the　wearing　of　that　gaudy　brooch？〃　One　must　fasten　one　s　collar　with　something；　I　suppose？'　'Well；　but　how　does　Sister　Paget　fasten　her　collar？'　'Sister　Paget；'　replied　my　Mother；　stung　at　last　into　rejoinder；　'fastens　her　collar　with　a　pin；and　that　is　a　thing　which　I　would　rather　die　than　do！'

Nor　did　I　escape　the　attentions　of　this　zealous　reformer。　Mrs。　Paget　was　good　enough　to　take　a　great　interest　in　me；　and　she　was　not　satisfied　with　the　way　in　which　I　was　being　brought　up。　Her　presence　seemed　to　pervade　the　village；　and　I　could　neither　come　in　nor　go　out　without　seeing　her　hard　bonnet　and　her　pursed…up　lips。　She　would　hasten　to　report　to　my　Father　that　she　saw　me　laughing　and　talking　'with　a　lot　of　unconverted　boys'；　these　being　the　companions　with　whom　I　had　full　permission　to　bathe　and　boat。　She　urged　my　Father　to　complete　my　holy　vocation　by　some　definite　step；　by　which　he　would　dedicate　me　completely　to　the　Lord's　service。　Further　schooling　she　thought　needless；　and　merely　likely　to　foster　intellectual　pride。　Mr。　Paget；　she　remarked；　had　troubled　very　little　in　his　youth　about　worldly　knowledge；　and　yet　how　blessed　he　had　been　in　the　conversion　of　souls　until　he　had　incurred　the　displeasure　of　the　Holy　Ghost！

I　do　not　know　exactly　what　she　wanted　my　Father　to　do　with　me；　perhaps　she　did　not　know　herself；　she　was　meddlesome；　ignorant　and　fanatical；　and　she　liked　to　fancy　that　she　was　exercising　influence。　But　the　wonderful；　the　inexplicable　thing　is　that　my　Father；who；　with　all　his　limitations；　was　so　distinguished　and　high…minded；should　listen　to　her　for　a　moment；　and　still　more　wonderful　is　it　that　he　really　allowed　her；　grim　vixen　that　she　was；　to　disturb　his　plans　and　retard　his　purposes。　I　think　the　explanation　lay　in　the　perfectly　logical　position　she　took　up。　My　Father　found　himself　brought　fa