the way of all flesh-第23章

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virtue　is　notorious；　we　call　this　hypocrisy；　there　should　be　a　word
found　for　the　homage　which　virtue　not　unfrequently　pays；　or　at　any
rate　would　be　wise　in　paying；　to　vice。

I　grant　that　some　men　will　find　happiness　in　having　what　we　all　feel
to　be　a　higher　moral　standard　than　others。　　If　they　go　in　for　this；
however；　they　must　be　content　with　virtue　as　her　own　reward；　and　not
grumble　if　they　find　lofty　Quixotism　an　expensive　luxury；　whose
rewards　belong　to　a　kingdom　that　is　not　of　this　world。　　They　must
not　wonder　if　they　cut　a　poor　figure　in　trying　to　make　the　most　of
both　worlds。　　Disbelieve　as　we　may　the　details　of　the　accounts　which
record　the　growth　of　the　Christian　religion；　yet　a　great　part　of
Christian　teaching　will　remain　as　true　as　though　we　accepted　the
details。　　We　cannot　serve　God　and　Mammon；　strait　is　the　way　and
narrow　is　the　gate　which　leads　to　what　those　who　live　by　faith　hold
to　be　best　worth　having；　and　there　is　no　way　of　saying　this　better
than　the　Bible　has　done。　　It　is　well　there　should　be　some　who　think
thus；　as　it　is　well　there　should　be　speculators　in　commerce；　who
will　often　burn　their　fingersbut　it　is　not　well　that　the　majority
should　leave　the　〃mean〃　and　beaten　path。

For　most　men；　and　most　circumstances；　pleasuretangible　material
prosperity　in　this　worldis　the　safest　test　of　virtue。　　Progress
has　ever　been　through　the　pleasures　rather　than　through　the　extreme
sharp　virtues；　and　the　most　virtuous　have　leaned　to　excess　rather
than　to　asceticism。　　To　use　a　commercial　metaphor；　competition　is　so
keen；　and　the　margin　of　profits　has　been　cut　down　so　closely　that
virtue　cannot　afford　to　throw　any　bona　fide　chance　away；　and　must
base　her　action　rather　on　the　actual　moneying　out　of　conduct　than　on
a　flattering　prospectus。　　She　will　not　therefore　neglectas　some　do
who　are　prudent　and　economical　enough　in　other　mattersthe
important　factor　of　our　chance　of　escaping　detection；　or　at　any　rate
of　our　dying　first。　　A　reasonable　virtue　will　give　this　chance　its
due　value；　neither　more　nor　less。

Pleasure；　after　all；　is　a　safer　guide　than　either　right　or　duty。
For　hard　as　it　is　to　know　what　gives　us　pleasure；　right　and　duty　are
often　still　harder　to　distinguish　and；　if　we　go　wrong　with　them；
will　lead　us　into　just　as　sorry　a　plight　as　a　mistaken　opinion
concerning　pleasure。　　When　men　burn　their　fingers　through　following
after　pleasure　they　find　out　their　mistake　and　get　to　see　where　they
have　gone　wrong　more　easily　than　when　they　have　burnt　them　through
following　after　a　fancied　duty；　or　a　fancied　idea　concerning　right
virtue。　　The　devil；　in　fact；　when　he　dresses　himself　in　angel's
clothes；　can　only　be　detected　by　experts　of　exceptional　skill；　and
so　often　does　he　adopt　this　disguise　that　it　is　hardly　safe　to　be
seen　talking　to　an　angel　at　all；　and　prudent　people　will　follow
after　pleasure　as　a　more　homely　but　more　respectable　and　on　the
whole　much　more　trustworthy　guide。

Returning　to　Mr　Pontifex；　over　and　above　his　having　lived　long　and
prosperously；　he　left　numerous　offspring；　to　all　of　whom　he
communicated　not　only　his　physical　and　mental　characteristics；　with
no　more　than　the　usual　amount　of　modification；　but　also　no　small
share　of　characteristics　which　are　less　easily　transmittedI　mean
his　pecuniary　characteristics。　　It　may　be　said　that　he　acquired
these　by　sitting　still　and　letting　money　run；　as　it　were；　right　up
against　him；　but　against　how　many　does　not　money　run　who　do　not　take
it　when　it　does；　or　who；　even　if　they　hold　it　for　a　little　while；
cannot　so　incorporate　it　with　themselves　that　it　shall　descend
through　them　to　their　offspring？　　Mr　Pontifex　did　this。　　He　kept
what　he　may　be　said　to　have　made；　and　money　is　like　a　reputation　for
abilitymore　easily　made　than　kept。

Take　him；　then；　for　all　in　all；　I　am　not　inclined　to　be　so　severe
upon　him　as　my　father　was。　　Judge　him　according　to　any　very　lofty
standard；　and　he　is　nowhere。　　Judge　him　according　to　a　fair　average
standard；　and　there　is　not　much　fault　to　be　found　with　him。　　I　have
said　what　I　have　said　in　the　foregoing　chapter　once　for　all；　and
shall　not　break　my　thread　to　repeat　it。　　It　should　go　without　saying
in　modification　of　the　verdict　which　the　reader　may　be　inclined　to
pass　too　hastily；　not　only　upon　Mr　George　Pontifex；　but　also　upon
Theobald　and　Christina。　　And　now　I　will　continue　my　story。



CHAPTER　XX



The　birth　of　his　son　opened　Theobald's　eyes　to　a　good　deal　which　he
had　but　faintly　realised　hitherto。　　He　had　had　no　idea　how　great　a
nuisance　a　baby　was。　　Babies　come　into　the　world　so　suddenly　at　the
end；　and　upset　everything　so　terribly　when　they　do　come：　　why　cannot
they　steal　in　upon　us　with　less　of　a　shock　to　the　domestic　system？
His　wife；　too；　did　not　recover　rapidly　from　her　confinement；　she
remained　an　invalid　for　months；　here　was　another　nuisance　and　an
expensive　one；　which　interfered　with　the　amount　which　Theobald　liked
to　put　by　out　of　his　income　against；　as　he　said；　a　rainy　day；　or　to
make　provision　for　his　family　if　he　should　have　one。　　Now　he　was
getting　a　family；　so　that　it　became　all　the　more　necessary　to　put
money　by；　and　here　was　the　baby　hindering　him。　　Theorists　may　say
what　they　like　about　a　man's　children　being　a　continuation　of　his
own　identity；　but　it　will　generally　be　found　that　those　who　talk　in
this　way　have　no　children　of　their　own。　　Practical　family　men　know
better。

About　twelve　months　after　the　birth　of　Ernest　there　came　a　second；
also　a　boy；　who　was　christened　Joseph；　and　in　less　than　twelve
months　afterwards；　a　girl；　to　whom　was　given　the　name　of　Charlotte。
A　few　months　before　this　girl　was　born　Christina　paid　a　visit　to　the
John　Pontifexes　in　London；　and；　knowing　her　condition；　passed　a　good
deal　of　time　at　the　Royal　Academy　exhibition　looking　at　the　types　of
female　beauty　portrayed　by　the　Academicians；　for　she　had　made　up　her
mind　that　the　child　this　time　was　to　be　a　girl。　　Alethea　warned　her
not　to　do　this；　but　she　persisted；　and　certainly　the　child　turned
out　plain；　but　whether　the　pictures　caused　this　or　no　I　cannot　say。

Theobald　had　never　liked　children。　　He　had　always　got　away　from　them
as　soon　as　he　could；　and　so　had　they　from　him；　oh；　why；　he　was
inclined　to　ask　himself；　could　not　children　be　born　into　the　world
grown　up？　　If　Christina　could　have　given　birth　to　a　few　full…grown
clergymen　in　priest's　ordersof　moderate　views；　but　inclining
rather　to　Evangelicalism；　with　comfortable　livings　and　in　all
respects　facsimiles　of　Theobald　himselfwhy；　there　might　have　been
more　sense　in　it；　or　if　people　could　buy　ready…made　children　at　a
shop　of　whatever　age　and　sex　they　liked；　instead　of　always　having　to
make　them　at　home　and　to　begin　at　the　beginning　with　themthat
might　do　better；　but　as　it　was　he　did　not　like　it。　　He　felt　as　he
had　felt　when　he　had　been　required　to　come　and　be　married　to
Christinathat　he　had　been　going　on　for　a　long　time　quite　nicely；
and　would　much　rather　continue　things　on　their　present　footing。　　In
the　matter　of　getting　married　he　had　been　obliged　to　pretend　he
liked　it；　but　times　were　changed；　and　if　he　did　not　like　a　thing
now；　he　could　find　a　hundred　unexceptionable　ways　of　making　his
dislike　apparent。

It　might　have　been　better　if　Theobald　in　his　younger　days　had　kicked
more　against　his　father：　　the　fact　that　he　had　not　done　so
encouraged　him　to　expect　the　most　implicit　obedience　from　his　own
children。　　He　could　trust　himself；　he　said　（and　so　did　Christina）；
to　be　more　lenient　than　perhaps　his　father　had　been　to　himself；　his
danger；　he　said　（and　so　again　did　Christina）；　would　be　rather　in　the
direction　of　being　too　indulgent；　he　must　be　on　his　guard　against
this；　for　no　duty　could　be　more　important　than　that　of　teaching　a
child　to　obey　its　parents　in　all　things。

He　had　read　not　long　since　of　an　Eastern　traveller；　who；　while
exploring　somewhere　in　the　more　remote　parts　of　Arabia　and　Asia
Minor；　had　come　upon　a　remarkably　hardy；　sober；　industrious　little
Christian　communityall　of　them　in　the　best　of　healthwho　had
turned　out　to　be　the　actual　living　descendants　of　Jonadab；　the　son
of　Rechab；　and　two　men　in　European　costume；　indeed；　but　speaking
Eng