the way of all flesh-第30部分

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and　sisters　whom　she　had　never　liked。　　She　knew　the　power　and　value
of　money　exceedingly　well；　and　how　many　lovable　people　suffer　and
die　yearly　for　the　want　of　it；　she　was　little　likely　to　leave　it
without　being　satisfied　that　her　legatees　were　square；　lovable；　and
more　or　less　hard　up。　　She　wanted　those　to　have　it　who　would　be　most
likely　to　use　it　genially　and　sensibly；　and　whom　it　would　thus　be
likely　to　make　most　happy；　if　she　could　find　one　such　among　her
nephews　and　nieces；　so　much　the　better；　it　was　worth　taking　a　great
deal　of　pains　to　see　whether　she　could　or　could　not；　but　if　she
failed；　she　must　find　an　heir　who　was　not　related　to　her　by　blood。

〃Of　course；〃　she　had　said　to　me；　more　than　once；　〃I　shall　make　a
mess　of　it。　　I　shall　choose　some　nice…looking；　well…dressed　screw；
with　gentlemanly　manners　which　will　take　me　in；　and　he　will　go　and
paint　Academy　pictures；　or　write　for　the　Times；　or　do　something　just
as　horrid　the　moment　the　breath　is　out　of　my　body。〃

As　yet；　however；　she　had　made　no　will　at　all；　and　this　was　one　of
the　few　things　that　troubled　her。　　I　believe　she　would　have　left
most　of　her　money　to　me　if　I　had　not　stopped　her。　　My　father　left　me
abundantly　well　off；　and　my　mode　of　life　has　been　always　simple；　so
that　I　have　never　known　uneasiness　about　money；　moreover　I　was
especially　anxious　that　there　should　be　no　occasion　given　for　ill…
natured　talk；　she　knew　well；　therefore；　that　her　leaving　her　money
to　me　would　be　of　all　things　the　most　likely　to　weaken　the　ties　that
existed　between　us；　provided　that　I　was　aware　of　it；　but　I　did　not
mind　her　talking　about　whom　she　should　make　her　heir；　so　long　as　it
was　well　understood　that　I　was　not　to　be　the　person。

Ernest　had　satisfied　her　as　having　enough　in　him　to　tempt　her
strongly　to　take　him　up；　but　it　was　not　till　after　many　days'
reflection　that　she　gravitated　towards　actually　doing　so；　with　all
the　break　in　her　daily　ways　that　this　would　entail。　　At　least；　she
said　it　took　her　some　days；　and　certainly　it　appeared　to　do　so；　but
from　the　moment　she　had　begun　to　broach　the　subject；　I　had　guessed
how　things　were　going　to　end。

It　was　now　arranged　she　should　take　a　house　at　Roughborough；　and　go
and　live　there　for　a　couple　of　years。　　As　a　compromise；　however；　to
meet　some　of　my　objections；　it　was　also　arranged　that　she　should
keep　her　rooms　in　Gower　Street；　and　come　to　town　for　a　week　once　in
each　month；　of　course；　also；　she　would　leave　Roughborough　for　the
greater　part　of　the　holidays。　　After　two　years；　the　thing　was　to
come　to　an　end；　unless　it　proved　a　great　success。　　She　should　by
that　time；　at　any　rate；　have　made　up　her　mind　what　the　boy's
character　was；　and　would　then　act　as　circumstances　might　determine。

The　pretext　she　put　forward　ostensibly　was　that　her　doctor　said　she
ought　to　be　a　year　or　two　in　the　country　after　so　many　years　of
London　life；　and　had　recommended　Roughborough　on　account　of　the
purity　of　its　air；　and　its　easy　access　to　and　from　Londonfor　by
this　time　the　railway　had　reached　it。　　She　was　anxious　not　to　give
her　brother　and　sister　any　right　to　complain；　if　on　seeing　more　of
her　nephew　she　found　she　could　not　get　on　with　him；　and　she　was　also
anxious　not　to　raise　false　hopes　of　any　kind　in　the　boy's　own　mind。

Having　settled　how　everything　was　to　be；　she　wrote　to　Theobald　and
said　she　meant　to　take　a　house　in　Roughborough　from　the　Michaelmas
then　approaching；　and　mentioned；　as　though　casually；　that　one　of　the
attractions　of　the　place　would　be　that　her　nephew　was　at　school
there　and　she　should　hope　to　see　more　of　him　than　she　had　done
hitherto。

Theobald　and　Christina　knew　how　dearly　Alethea　loved　London；　and
thought　it　very　odd　that　she　should　want　to　go　and　live　at
Roughborough；　but　they　did　not　suspect　that　she　was　going　there
solely　on　her　nephew's　account；　much　less　that　she　had　thought　of
making　Ernest　her　heir。　　If　they　had　guessed　this；　they　would　have
been　so　jealous　that　I　half　believe　they　would　have　asked　her　to　go
and　live　somewhere　else。　　Alethea　however；　was　two　or　three　years
younger　than　Theobald；　she　was　still　some　years　short　of　fifty；　and
might　very　well　live　to　eighty…five　or　ninety；　her　money；　therefore；
was　not　worth　taking　much　trouble　about；　and　her　brother　and　sister…
in…law　had　dismissed　it；　so　to　speak；　from　their　minds　with　costs；
assuming；　however；　that　if　anything　did　happen　to　her　while　they
were　still　alive；　the　money　would；　as　a　matter　of　course；　come　to
them。

The　prospect　of　Alethea　seeing　much　of　Ernest　was　a　serious　matter。
Christina　smelt　mischief　from　afar；　as　indeed　she　often　did。
Alethea　was　worldlyas　worldly；　that　is　to　say；　as　a　sister　of
Theobald's　could　be。　　In　her　letter　to　Theobald　she　had　said　she
knew　how　much　of　his　and　Christina's　thoughts　were　taken　up　with
anxiety　for　the　boy's　welfare。　　Alethea　had　thought　this　handsome
enough；　but　Christina　had　wanted　something　better　and　stronger。
〃How　can　she　know　how　much　we　think　of　our　darling？〃　she　had
exclaimed；　when　Theobald　showed　her　his　sister's　letter。　　〃I　think；
my　dear；　Alethea　would　understand　these　things　better　if　she　had
children　of　her　own。〃　　The　least　that　would　have　satisfied　Christina
was　to　have　been　told　that　there　never　yet　had　been　any　parents
comparable　to　Theobald　and　herself。　　She　did　not　feel　easy　that　an
alliance　of　some　kind　would　not　grow　up　between　aunt　and　nephew；　and
neither　she　nor　Theobald　wanted　Ernest　to　have　any　allies。　　Joey　and
Charlotte　were　quite　as　many　allies　as　were　good　for　him。　　After
all；　however；　if　Alethea　chose　to　go　and　live　at　Roughborough；　they
could　not　well　stop　her；　and　must　make　the　best　of　it。

In　a　few　weeks'　time　Alethea　did　choose　to　go　and　live　at
Roughborough。　　A　house　was　found　with　a　field　and　a　nice　little
garden　which　suited　her　very　well。　　〃At　any　rate；〃　she　said　to
herself；　〃I　will　have　fresh　eggs　and　flowers。〃　　She　even　considered
the　question　of　keeping　a　cow；　but　in　the　end　decided　not　to　do　so。
She　furnished　her　house　throughout　anew；　taking　nothing　whatever
from　her　establishment　in　Gower　Street；　and　by　Michaelmasfor　the
house　was　empty　when　she　took　itshe　was　settled　comfortably；　and
had　begun　to　make　herself　at　home。

One　of　Miss　Pontifex's　first　moves　was　to　ask　a　dozen　of　the
smartest　and　most　gentlemanly　boys　to　breakfast　with　her。　　From　her
seat　in　church　she　could　see　the　faces　of　the　upper…form　boys；　and
soon　made　up　her　mind　which　of　them　it　would　be　best　to　cultivate。
Miss　Pontifex；　sitting　opposite　the　boys　in　church；　and　reckoning
them　up　with　her　keen　eyes　from　under　her　veil　by　all　a　woman's
criteria；　came　to　a　truer　conclusion　about　the　greater　number　of
those　she　scrutinized　than　even　Dr　Skinner　had　done。　　She　fell　in
love　with　one　boy　from　seeing　him　put　on　his　gloves。

Miss　Pontifex；　as　I　have　said；　got　hold　of　some　of　these　youngsters
through　Ernest；　and　fed　them　well。　　No　boy　can　resist　being　fed　well
by　a　good…natured　and　still　handsome　woman。　　Boys　are　very　like　nice
dogs　in　this　respectgive　them　a　bone　and　they　will　like　you　at
once。　　Alethea　employed　every　other　little　artifice　which　she
thought　likely　to　win　their　allegiance　to　herself；　and　through　this
their　countenance　for　her　nephew。　　She　found　the　football　club　in　a
slight　money　difficulty　and　at　once　gave　half　a　sovereign　towards
its　removal。　　The　boys　had　no　chance　against　her；　she　shot　them　down
one　after　another　as　easily　as　though　they　had　been　roosting
pheasants。　　Nor　did　she　escape　scathless　herself；　for；　as　she　wrote
to　me；　she　quite　lost　her　heart　to　half　a　dozen　of　them。　　〃How　much
nicer　they　are；〃　she　said；　〃and　how　much　more　they　know　than　those
who　profess　to　teach　them！〃

I　believe　it　has　been　lately　maintained　that　it　is　the　young　and
fair　who　are　the　truly　old　and　truly　experienced；　inasmuch　as　it　is
they　who　alone　have　a　living　memory　to　guide　them；　〃the　whole
charm；〃　it　has　been　said；　〃of　youth　lies　in　its　advantage　over　age
in　respect　of　experience；　and　when　this　has　for　some　reason　failed
or　been　misapplied；　the　charm　is　broken。　　When　we　say　that　we　are
getting　old；　we　should　say　rather　that　we　are　getting　new　or　young；
and　are　suffering　from　inexperience；　trying　to　do　things　which　we
have　never　done　before；　and　failing　worse　and　worse；　till　in　the　end
we　are　landed　in　the　utter　impotence　of　death。〃

Miss　Pontifex　died　many　a　long　year　before　the　above　passage　was
written；　but　she　had　arrived　independently　at　much　the　same
conclusion。

She　first；　therefore；　squared　the　boys。　　Dr　Skinner　was　even　more
easily　dealt　with。　　He　and　Mrs　Skinner　called；　as　a　matter　of
course；　as　soon　as　Miss　Pontifex　was　settled。　　She　fooled　him　to　the
top　of　his　bent；　and　obtained　the　promise　of　a　MS。　copy　of　one　of
his　minor　poems　（for　Dr　Skinner　had　the　reputation　of　being　quite
one　of　our　most　facile　and　elegant　minor　poets）　on　the　occasion　of
his　first　visit。　　The　other　masters　and　masters'　wives　were　not
forgotten。　　Alethea　laid　herself　out　to　please；　as　indeed　she　did
wherever　she　went；　and　if　any　woman　lays　herself　out　to　do　this；　she
generally　succeeds。



CHAPTER　XXXIV



Miss　Pontifex　soon　found　out　that　Ernest　did　not　like　games；　but　she
saw　also　that　he　could　hardly　be　expected　to　like　them。　　He　was
perfectly　well　shaped　but　unusually　devoid　of　physical　strength。　　He
got　a　fair　share　of　this　in　after　life；　but　it　came　much　later　with
him　than　with　other　boys；　and　at　the　time　of　which　I　am　writing　he
was　a　mere　little　skeleton。　　He　wanted　something　to　develop　his　arms
and　chest　without　knocking　him　about　as　much　as　the　school　games
did。　　To　supply　this　want　by　some　means　which　should　add　also　to　his
pleasure　was　Alethea's　first　anxiety。　　Rowing　would　have　answered
every　purpose；　but　unfortunately　there　was　no　river　at　Roughborough。

Whatever　it　was　to　be；　it　must　be　something　which　he　should　like　as
much　as　other　boys　liked　cricket　or　football；　and　he　must　think　the
wish　for　it　to　have　come　originally　from　himself；　it　was　not　very
easy　to　find　anything　that　would　do；　but　ere　long　it　occurred　to　her
that　she　might　enlist　his　love　of　music　on　her　side；　and　asked　him
one　day　when　he　was　spending　a　half…holiday　at　her　house　whet