a simpleton-第27节

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〃Who　can　go　on　forever　saying　'No；'　to　the　only　creature　he
loves？〃and　caved。　　In　forty…eight　hours　more　a　brougham　waited　at
Mrs。　Staines's　door。　　The　servant　engaged　to　drive　it　was　Andrew
Pearman；　a　bachelor；　and；　hitherto；　an　under…groom。　　He　readily
consented　to　be　coachman；　and　to　do　certain　domestic　work　as　well。
So　Mrs。　Staines　had　a　man…servant　as　well　as　a　carriage。

Ere　long；　three　or　four　patients　called；　or　wrote；　one　after　the
other。　　These　Rosa　set　down　to　brougham；　and　crowed；　she　even
crowed　to　Lady　Cicely　Treherne；　to　whose　influence；　and　not　to
brougham's；　every　one　of　these　patients　was　owing。　　Lady　Cicely
kissed　her；　and　demurely　enjoyed　the　poor　soul's　self…satisfaction。

Staines　himself；　while　he　drove　to　or　from　these　patients；　felt
more　sanguine；　and　buoyed　as　he　was　by　the　consciousness　of
ability；　began　to　hope　he　had　turned　the　corner。

He　sent　an　account　of　Lord　Ayscough's　case　to　a　medical　magazine：
and　so　full　is　the　world　of　flunkeyism；　that　this　article；　though
he　withheld　the　name；　retaining　only　the　title；　got　the　literary
wedge　in　for　him　at　once：　and　in　due　course　he　became　a　paid
contributor　to　two　medical　organs；　and　used　to　study　and　write
more；　and　indent　the　little　stone　yard　less　than　heretofore。

It　was　about　this　time　circumstances　made　him　acquainted　with
Phoebe　Dale。　　Her　intermediate　history　I　will　dispose　of　in　fewer
words　than　it　deserves。　　Her　ruin；　Mr。　Reginald　Falcon；　was
dismissed　from　his　club；　for　marking　high　cards　on　the　back　with
his　nail。　　This　stopped　his　remaining　resourceborrowing：　so　he
got　more　and　more　out　at　elbows；　till　at　last　he　came　down　to
hanging　about　billiard…rooms；　and　making　a　little　money　by
concealing　his　game；　from　that；　however；　he　rose　to　be　a　marker。

Having　culminated　to　that；　he　wrote　and　proposed　marriage　to　Miss
Dale；　in　a　charming　letter：　she　showed　it　to　her　father　with　pride。

Now；　if　his　vanity；　his　disloyalty；　his　falsehood；　his　ingratitude；
and　his　other　virtues　had　not　stood　in　the　way；　he　would　have　done
this　three　years　ago；　and　been　jumped　at。

But　the　offer　came　too　late；　not　for　Phoebeshe　would　have　taken
him　in　a　momentbut　for　her　friends。　　A　baited　hook　is　one　thing；
a　bare　hook　is　another。　　Farmer　Dale　had　long　discovered　where
Phoebe's　money　went：　he　said　not　a　word　to　her；　but　went　up　to　town
like　a　shot；　found　Falcon　out；　and　told　him　he　mustn't　think　to　eat
his　daughter's　bread。　　She　should　marry　a　man　that　could　make　a
decent　livelihood；　and　if　she　was　to　run　away　with　HIM；　why　they'd
starve　together。　　The　farmer　was　resolute；　and　spoke　very　loud；
like　one　that　expects　opposition；　and　comes　prepared　to　quarrel。
Instead　of　that；　this　artful　rogue　addressed　him　with　deep　respect
and　an　affected　veneration；　that　quite　puzzled　the　old　man；
acquiesced　in　every　word；　expressed　contrition　for　his　past
misdeeds；　and　told　the　farmer　he　had　quite　determined　to　labor　with
his　hands。　　〃You　know；　farmer；〃　said　he；　〃I　am　not　the　only
gentleman　who　has　come　to　that　in　the　present　day。　　Now；　all　my
friends　that　have　seen　my　sketches；　assure　me　I　am　a　born　painter；
and　a　painter　I'll　befor　love　of　Phoebe。〃

The　farmer　made　a　wry　face。　　〃Painter！　that　is　a　sorry　sort　of　a
trade。〃

〃You　are　mistaken。　　It's　the　best　trade　going。　　There　are　gentlemen
making　their　thousands　a　year　by　it。〃

〃Not　in　our　parts；　there　bain't。　　Stop　a　bit。　　What　be　ye　going　to
paint；　sir？　　Housen；　or　folk？〃

〃Oh；　hang　it；　not　houses。　　Figures；　landscapes。〃

〃Well；　ye　might　just　make　shift　to　live　at　it；　I　suppose；　with　here
and　there　a　signboard。　　They　are　the　best　paid；　our　way：　but；　Lord
bless　ye；　THEY　wants　headpiece。　　Well；　sir；　let　me　see　your　work。
Then　we'll　talk　further。〃

〃I'll　go　to　work　this　afternoon；〃　said　Falcon　eagerly；　then　with
affected　surprise；　〃Bless　me；　I　forgot。　　I　have　no　palette；　no
canvas；　no　colors。　　You　couldn't　lend　me　a　couple　of　sovereigns　to
buy　them；　could　you？〃

〃Ay；　sir；　I　could。　　But　I　woan't。　　I'll　lend　ye　the　things；　though；
if　you　have　a　mind　to　go　with　me　and　buy　'em。〃

Falcon　agreed；　with　a　lofty　smile；　and　the　purchases　were　made。

Mr。　Falcon　painted　a　landscape　or　two　out　of　his　imagination。　　The
dealers　to　whom　he　took　them　declined　them；　one　advised　the
gentleman　painter　to　color　tea…boards。　　〃That's　your　line；〃　said
he。

〃The　world　has　no　taste；〃　said　the　gentleman　painter：　〃but　it　has
got　lots　of　vanity：　I'll　paint　portraits。〃

He　did；　and　formidable　ones：　his　portraits　were　amazingly　like　the
people；　and　yet　unlike　men　and　women；　especially　about　the　face。
One　thing；　he　didn't　trouble　with　lights　and　shades；　but　went　slap
at　the　features。

His　brush　would　never　have　kept　him；　but　he　carried　an　instrument；
in　the　use　of　which　he　was　really　an　artist；　viz。；　his　tongue。　　By
wheedling　and　undersellingfor　he　only　charged　a　pound　for　the
painted　canvashe　contrived　to　live；　then　he　aspired　to　dress　as
well　as　live。　　With　this　second　object　in　view；　he　hit　upon　a
characteristic　expedient。

He　used　to　prowl　about；　and　when　he　saw　a　young　woman　sweeping　the
afternoon　streets　with　a　long　silk　train；　and；　in　short；　dressed　to
ride　in　the　park；　yet　parading　the　streets；　he　would　take　his　hat
off　to　her；　with　an　air　of　profound　respect；　and　ask　permission　to
take　her　portrait。　　Generally　he　met　a　prompt　rebuff；　but　if　the
fair　was　so　unlucky　as　to　hesitate　a　single　moment；　he　told　her　a
melting　tale；　he　had　once　driven　his　four…in…hand；　but　by　indorsing
his　friends'　bills；　was　reduced　to　painting　likeness；　admirable
likenesses　in　oil；　only　a　guinea　each。

His　piteous　tale　provoked　more　gibes　than　pity；　but　as　he　had　no
shame；　the　rebuffs　went　for　nothing：　he　actually　did　get　a　few
sitters　by　his　audacity：　and　some　of　the　sitters　actually　took　the
pictures；　and　paid　for　them；　others　declined　them　with　fury　as　soon
as　they　were　finished。　　These　he　took　back　with　a　piteous　sigh；
that　sometimes　extracted　half　a　crown。　　Then　he　painted　over　the
rejected　one　and　let　it　dry；　so　that　sometimes　a　paid　portrait
would　present　a　beauty　enthroned　on　the　debris　of　two　or　three
rivals；　and　that　is　where　few　beauties　would　object　to　sit。

All　this　time　he　wrote　nice　letters　to　Phoebe；　and　adopted　the　tone
of　the　struggling　artist；　and　the　true　lover；　who　wins　his　bride　by
patience；　perseverance；　and　indomitable　industry；　a　babbled　of
〃Self　Help。〃

Meantime；　Phoebe　was　not　idle：　an　excellent　business　woman；　she
took　immediate　advantage　of　a　new　station　that　was　built　near　the
farm；　to　send　up　milk；　butter；　and　eggs　to　London。　　Being　genuine；
they　sold　like　wildfire。　　Observing　that；　she　extended　her
operations；　by　buying　of　other　farmers；　and　forwarding　to　London：
and　then；　having　of　course　an　eye　to　her　struggling　artist；　she
told　her　father　she　must　have　a　shop　in　London；　and　somebody　in　it
she　could　depend　upon。

〃With　all　my　heart；　wench；〃　said　he；　〃but　it　must　not　be　thou。　　I
can't　spare　thee。〃

〃May　I　have　Dick；　father？〃

〃Dick！　he　is　rather　young。〃

〃But　he　is　very　quick；　father；　and　minds　every　word　I　tell　him。〃

〃Ay；　he　is　as　fond　of　thee　as　ever　a　cow　was　of　a　calf。　　Well；　you
can　try　him。〃

So　the　love…sick　woman　of　business　set　up　a　little　shop；　and　put
her　brother　Dick　in　it；　and　all　to　see　more　of　her　struggling
artist。　　She　stayed　several　days；　to　open　the　little　shop；　and
start　the　business。　　She　advertised　pure　milk；　and　challenged
scientific　analysis　of　everything　she　sold。　　This　came　of　her　being
a　reader；　she　knew；　by　the　journals；　that　we　live　in　a　sinful　and
adulterating　generation；　and　anything　pure　must　be　a　godsend　to　the
poor　poisoned　public。

Now；　Dr。　Staines；　though　known　to　the　profession　as　a　diagnost；　was
also　an　analyst；　and　this　challenge　brought　him　down　on　Phoebe
Dale。　　He　told　her　he　was　a　physician；　and　in　search　of　pure　food
for　his　own　familywould　she　really　submit　the　milk　to　analysis？

Phoebe　smiled　an　honest　country　smile；　and　said；　〃Surely；　sir。〃
She　gave　him　every　facility；　and　he　applied　those　simple　tests
which　are　commonly　used　in　France；　though　hardly　known　in　England。

He　found　it　perfectly　pure；　and　told　her　so；　and　gazed　at　Phoebe
for　a　moment；　as　a　phenomenon。

She　smiled　again　at　that；　her　broad　country　smile。　　〃That　is　a
wonder　in　London；　I　dare　say。　　It's　my　belief　half　the　children
that　die　here　are　perished　with　watered　milk。　　Well；　sir；　we　shan't
have　that　on　our　souls；　father　and　I；　he　is　a　farmer　in　Essex。
This　comes　a　many　miles；　this　milk。〃

Staines　looked　in　her　face；　with　kindly　approval　marked　on　his　own
eloquent　features。　　She　blushed　a　little　at　so　fixed　a　regard。
Then　he　asked　her　if　she　would　supply　him　with　milk；　butter；　and
eggs。

〃Why；　if　you　mean　sell　you　them；　yes；　sir；　with　pleasure。　　But　for
sending　them　home　to　you　in　this　big　town；　as　some　do；　I　can't；　for
there's　only　brother　Dick　and　me：　it　is　an　experiment　like。〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　Staines：　〃I　will　send　for　them。〃

〃Thank　you　kindly；　sir。　　I　hope　you　won't　be　offended；　sir；　but　we
only　sell　for　ready　money。〃

〃All　the　better：　my　order　at　home　is；　no　bills。〃

When　he　was　gone；　Phoebe；　assuming　vast　experience；　though　this　was
only　her　third　d