brother jacob-第5节

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and　I　think　even　Punch；　setting　up　his　tabernacle　in　the　market…

place；　would　not　have　succeeded　in　drawing　them　away　from　those

shop…windows；　where　they　stood　according　to　gradations　of　size　and

strength；　the　biggest　and　strongest　being　nearest　the　window；　and

the　little　ones　in　the　outermost　rows　lifting　wide…open　eyes　and

mouths　towards　the　upper　tier　of　jars；　like　small　birds　at　meal…

time。



The　elder　inhabitants　pished　and　pshawed　a　little　at　the　folly　of

the　new　shopkeeper　in　venturing　on　such　an　outlay　in　goods　that

would　not　keep；　to　be　sure；　Christmas　was　coming；　but　what　housewife

in　Grimworth　would　not　think　shame　to　furnish　forth　her　table　with

articles　that　were　not　home…cooked？　　No；　no。　　Mr。　Edward　Freely；　as

he　called　himself；　was　deceived；　if　he　thought　Grimworth　money　was

to　flow　into　his　pockets　on　such　terms。



Edward　Freely　was　the　name　that　shone　in　gilt　letters　on　a　mazarine

ground　over　the　doorplace　of　the　new　shopa　generous…sounding　name；

that　might　have　belonged　to　the　open…hearted；　improvident　hero　of　an

old　comedy；　who　would　have　delighted　in　raining　sugared　almonds；

like　a　new　manna…gift；　among　that　small　generation　outside　the

windows。　　But　Mr。　Edward　Freely　was　a　man　whose　impulses　were　kept

in　due　subordination：　　he　held　that　the　desire　for　sweets　and　pastry

must　only　be　satisfied　in　a　direct　ratio　with　the　power　of　paying

for　them。　　If　the　smallest　child　in　Grimworth　would　go　to　him　with　a

halfpenny　in　its　tiny　fist；　he　would；　after　ringing　the　halfpenny；

deliver　a　just　equivalent　in　〃rock。〃　　He　was　not　a　man　to　cheat　even

the　smallest　childhe　often　said　so；　observing　at　the　same　time

that　he　loved　honesty；　and　also　that　he　was　very　tender…hearted；

though　he　didn't　show　his　feelings　as　some　people　did。



Either　in　reward　of　such　virtue；　or　according　to　some　more　hidden

law　of　sequence；　Mr。　Freely's　business；　in　spite　of　prejudice；

started　under　favourable　auspices。　　For　Mrs。　Chaloner；　the　rector's

wife；　was　among　the　earliest　customers　at　the　shop；　thinking　it　only

right　to　encourage　a　new　parishioner　who　had　made　a　decorous

appearance　at　church；　and　she　found　Mr。　Freely　a　most　civil；

obliging　young　man；　and　intelligent　to　a　surprising　degree　for　a

confectioner；　well…principled；　too；　for　in　giving　her　useful　hints

about　choosing　sugars　he　had　thrown　much　light　on　the　dishonesty　of

other　tradesmen。　　Moreover；　he　had　been　in　the　West　Indies；　and　had

seen　the　very　estate　which　had　been　her　poor　grandfather's　property；

and　he　said　the　missionaries　were　the　only　cause　of　the　negro's

discontentan　observing　young　man；　evidently。　　Mrs。　Chaloner

ordered　wine…biscuits　and　olives；　and　gave　Mr。　Freely　to　understand

that　she　should　find　his　shop　a　great　convenience。　　So　did　the

doctor's　wife；　and　so　did　Mrs。　Gate；　at　the　large　carding…mill；　who；

having　high　connexions　frequently　visiting　her；　might　be　expected　to

have　a　large　consumption　of　ratafias　and　macaroons。



The　less　aristocratic　matrons　of　Grimworth　seemed　likely　at　first　to

justify　their　husbands'　confidence　that　they　would　never　pay　a

percentage　of　profits　on　drop…cakes；　instead　of　making　their　own；　or

get　up　a　hollow　show　of　liberal　housekeeping　by　purchasing　slices　of

collared　meat　when　a　neighbour　came　in　for　supper。　　But　it　is　my

task　to　narrate　the　gradual　corruption　of　Grimworth　manners　from

their　primitive　simplicitya　melancholy　task；　if　it　were　not

cheered　by　the　prospect　of　the　fine　peripateia　or　downfall　by　which

the　progress　of　the　corruption　was　ultimately　checked。



It　was　young　Mrs。　Steene；　the　veterinary　surgeons　wife；　who　first

gave　way　to　temptation。　　I　fear　she　had　been　rather　over…educated

for　her　station　in　life；　for　she　knew　by　heart　many　passages　in

Lalla　Rookh；　the　Corsair；　and　the　Siege　of　Corinth；　which　had　given

her　a　distaste　for　domestic　occupations；　and　caused　her　a　withering

disappointment　at　the　discovery　that　Mr。　Steene；　since　his　marriage；

had　lost　all　interest　in　the　〃bulbul；〃　openly　preferred　discussing

the　nature　of　spavin　with　a　coarse　neighbour；　and　was　angry　if　the

pudding　turned　out　wateryindeed；　was　simply　a　top…booted　〃vet。〃；

who　came　in　hungry　at　dinner…time；　and　not　in　the　least　like　a

nobleman　turned　Corsair　out　of　pure　scorn　for　his　race；　or　like　a

renegade　with　a　turban　and　crescent；　unless　it　were　in　the

irritability　of　his　temper。　　And　scorn　is　such　a　very　different

thing　in　top…boots！



This　brutal　man　had　invited　a　supper…party　for　Christmas　eve；　when

he　would　expect　to　see　mince…pies　on　the　table。　　Mrs。　Steene　had

prepared　her　mince…meat；　and　had　devoted　much　butter；　fine　flour；

and　labour；　to　the　making　of　a　batch　of　pies　in　the　morning；　but

they　proved　to　be　so　very　heavy　when　they　came　out　of　the　oven；　that

she　could　only　think　with　trembling　of　the　moment　when　her　husband

should　catch　sight　of　them　on　the　supper…table。　　He　would　storm　at

her；　she　was　certain；　and　before　all　the　company；　and　then　she

should　never　help　crying：　　it　was　so　dreadful　to　think　she　had　come

to　that；　after　the　bulbul　and　everything！　　Suddenly　the　thought

darted　through　her　mind　that　THIS　ONCE　she　might　send　for　a　dish　of

mince…pies　from　Freely's：　　she　knew　he　had　some。　　But　what　was　to

become　of　the　eighteen　heavy　mince…pies？　　Oh；　it　was　of　no　use

thinking　about　that；　it　was　very　expensiveindeed；　making　mince…

pies　at　all　was　a　great　expense；　when　they　were　not　sure　to　turn　out

well：　　it　would　be　much　better　to　buy　them　ready…made。　　You　paid　a

little　more　for　them；　but　there　was　no　risk　of　waste。



Such　was　the　sophistry　with　which　this　misguided　young　woman

enough。　　Mrs。　Steene　sent　for　the　mince…pies；　and；　I　am　grieved　to

add；　garbled　her　household　accounts　in　order　to　conceal　the　fact

from　her　husband。　　This　was　the　second　step　in　a　downward　course；

all　owing　to　a　young　woman's　being　out　of　harmony　with　her

circumstances；　yearning　after　renegades　and　bulbuls；　and　being

subject　to　claims　from　a　veterinary　surgeon　fond　of　mince…pies。　　The

third　step　was　to　harden　herself　by　telling　the　fact　of　the　bought

mince…pies　to　her　intimate　friend　Mrs。　Mole；　who　had　already　guessed

it；　and　who　subsequently　encouraged　herself　in　buying　a　mould　of

jelly；　instead　of　exerting　her　own　skill；　by　the　reflection　that

〃other　people〃　did　the　same　sort　of　thing。　　The　infection　spread；

soon　there　was　a　party　or　clique　in　Grimworth　on　the　side　of　〃buying

at　Freely's〃；　and　many　husbands；　kept　for　some　time　in　the　dark　on

this　point；　innocently　swallowed　at　two　mouthfuls　a　tart　on　which

they　were　paying　a　profit　of　a　hundred　per　cent。；　and　as　innocently

encouraged　a　fatal　disingenuousness　in　the　partners　of　their　bosoms

by　praising　the　pastry。　　Others；　more　keen…sighted；　winked　at　the

too　frequent　presentation　on　washing…days；　and　at　impromptu　suppers；

of　superior　spiced…beef；　which　flattered　their　palates　more　than　the

cold　remnants　they　had　formerly　been　contented　with。　　Every

housewife　who　had　once　〃bought　at　Freely's〃　felt　a　secret　joy　when

she　detected　a　similar　perversion　in　her　neighbour's　practice；　and

soon　only　two　or　three　old…fashioned　mistresses　of　families　held　out

in　the　protest　against　the　growing　demoralization；　saying　to　their

neighbours　who　came　to　sup　with　them；　〃I　can't　offer　you　Freely's

beef；　or　Freely's　cheesecakes；　everything　in　our　house　is　home…made；

I'm　afraid　you'll　hardly　have　any　appetite　for　our　plain　pastry。〃

The　doctor；　whose　cook　was　not　satisfactory；　the　curate；　who　kept　no

cook；　and　the　mining　agent；　who　was　a　great　bon　vivant；　even　began

to　rely　on　Freely　for　the　greater　part　of　their　dinner；　when　they

wished　to　give　an　entertainment　of　some　brilliancy。　　In　short；　the

business　of　manufacturing　the　more　fanciful　viands　was　fast　passing

out　of　the　hinds　of　maids　and　matrons　in　private　families；　and　was

becoming　the　work　of　a　special　commercial　organ。



I　am　not　ignorant　that　this　sort　of　thing　is　called　the　inevitable

course　of　civilization；　division　of　labour；　and　so　forth；　and　that

the　maids　and　matrons　may　be　said　to　have　had　their　hands　set　free

from　cookery　to　add　to　the　wealth　of　society　in　some　other　way。

Only　it　happened　at　Grimworth；　which；　to　be　sure；　was　a　low　place；

that　the　maids　and　matrons　could　do　nothing　with　their　hands　at　all

better　than　cooking：　　not　even　those　who　had　always　made　heavy　cakes

and　leathery　pastry。　　And　so　it　came　to　pass；　that　the　progress　of

civilization　at　Grimworth　was　not　otherwise　apparent　than　in　the

impoverishment　of　men；　the　gossiping　idleness　of　women；　and　the

heightening　prosperity　of　Mr。　Edward　Freely。



The　Yellow　Coat　School　was　a　double　source　of　profit　to　the

calculating　confectioner；　for　he　opened　an　eating…room　for　the

superior　workmen　employed　on　the　new　school；　and　he　accommodated　the

pupils　at　the　old　school　by　giving　great　attention　to　the　fancy…

sugar　department。　　When　I　think　of　the　sweet…tasted　swans　and　other

ingenious　white　shapes　cru