the way of all flesh-第3章

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London　was　under　fifty　miles　and　there　was　a　direct　coach；　so　that
the　journey　was　easy；　there　was　not　time；　therefore；　for　the　novelty
to　wear　off　either　on　the　part　of　the　young　man　or　of　his　parents。
George　liked　the　fresh　country　air　and　green　fields　after　the
darkness　to　which　he　had　been　so　long　accustomed　in　Paternoster　Row；
which　then；　as　now；　was　a　narrow　gloomy　lane　rather　than　a　street。
Independently　of　the　pleasure　of　seeing　the　familiar　faces　of　the
farmers　and　villagers；　he　liked　also　being　seen　and　being
congratulated　on　growing　up　such　a　fine…looking　and　fortunate　young
fellow；　for　he　was　not　the　youth　to　hide　his　light　under　a　bushel。
His　uncle　had　had　him　taught　Latin　and　Greek　of　an　evening；　he　had
taken　kindly　to　these　languages　and　had　rapidly　and　easily　mastered
what　many　boys　take　years　in　acquiring。　　I　suppose　his　knowledge
gave　him　a　self…confidence　which　made　itself　felt　whether　he
intended　it　or　not；　at　any　rate；　he　soon　began　to　pose　as　a　judge　of
literature；　and　from　this　to　being　a　judge　of　art；　architecture；
music　and　everything　else；　the　path　was　easy。　　Like　his　father；　he
knew　the　value　of　money；　but　he　was　at　once　more　ostentatious　and
less　liberal　than　his　father；　while　yet　a　boy　he　was　a　thorough
little　man　of　the　world；　and　did　well　rather　upon　principles　which
he　had　tested　by　personal　experiment；　and　recognised　as　principles；
than　from　those　profounder　convictions　which　in　his　father　were　so
instinctive　that　he　could　give　no　account　concerning　them。

His　father；　as　I　have　said；　wondered　at　him　and　let　him　alone。　　His
son　had　fairly　distanced　him；　and　in　an　inarticulate　way　the　father
knew　it　perfectly　well。　　After　a　few　years　he　took　to　wearing　his
best　clothes　whenever　his　son　came　to　stay　with　him；　nor　would　he
discard　them　for　his　ordinary　ones　till　the　young　man　had　returned
to　London。　　I　believe　old　Mr　Pontifex；　along　with　his　pride　and
affection；　felt　also　a　certain　fear　of　his　son；　as　though　of
something　which　he　could　not　thoroughly　understand；　and　whose　ways；
notwithstanding　outward　agreement；　were　nevertheless　not　as　his
ways。　　Mrs　Pontifex　felt　nothing　of　this；　to　her　George　was　pure　and
absolute　perfection；　and　she　saw；　or　thought　she　saw；　with　pleasure；
that　he　resembled　her　and　her　family　in　feature　as　well　as　in
disposition　rather　than　her　husband　and　his。

When　George　was　about　twenty…five　years　old　his　uncle　took　him　into
partnership　on　very　liberal　terms。　　He　had　little　cause　to　regret
this　step。　　The　young　man　infused　fresh　vigour　into　a　concern　that
was　already　vigorous；　and　by　the　time　he　was　thirty　found　himself　in
the　receipt　of　not　less　than　1500　pounds　a　year　as　his　share　of　the
profits。　　Two　years　later　he　married　a　lady　about　seven　years
younger　than　himself；　who　brought　him　a　handsome　dowry。　　She　died　in
1805；　when　her　youngest　child　Alethea　was　born；　and　her　husband　did
not　marry　again。



CHAPTER　III



In　the　early　years　of　the　century　five　little　children　and　a　couple
of　nurses　began　to　make　periodical　visits　to　Paleham。　　It　is
needless　to　say　they　were　a　rising　generation　of　Pontifexes；　towards
whom　the　old　couple；　their　grandparents；　were　as　tenderly
deferential　as　they　would　have　been　to　the　children　of　the　Lord
Lieutenant　of　the　County。　　Their　names　were　Eliza；　Maria；　John；
Theobald　（who　like　myself　was　born　in　1802）；　and　Alethea。　　Mr
Pontifex　always　put　the　prefix　〃master〃　or　〃miss〃　before　the　names
of　his　grandchildren；　except　in　the　case　of　Alethea；　who　was　his
favourite。　　To　have　resisted　his　grandchildren　would　have　been　as
impossible　for　him　as　to　have　resisted　his　wife；　even　old　Mrs
Pontifex　yielded　before　her　son's　children；　and　gave　them　all　manner
of　licence　which　she　would　never　have　allowed　even　to　my　sisters　and
myself；　who　stood　next　in　her　regard。　　Two　regulations　only　they
must　attend　to；　they　must　wipe　their　shoes　well　on　coming　into　the
house；　and　they　must　not　overfeed　Mr　Pontifex's　organ　with　wind；　nor
take　the　pipes　out。

By　us　at　the　Rectory　there　was　no　time　so　much　looked　forward　to　as
the　annual　visit　of　the　little　Pontifexes　to　Paleham。　　We　came　in
for　some　of　the　prevailing　licence；　we　went　to　tea　with　Mrs　Pontifex
to　meet　her　grandchildren；　and　then　our　young　friends　were　asked　to
the　Rectory　to　have　tea　with　us；　and　we　had　what　we　considered　great
times。　　I　fell　desperately　in　love　with　Alethea；　indeed　we　all　fell
in　love　with　each　other；　plurality　and　exchange　whether　of　wives　or
husbands　being　openly　and　unblushingly　advocated　in　the　very
presence　of　our　nurses。　　We　were　very　merry；　but　it　is　so　long　ago
that　I　have　forgotten　nearly　everything　save　that　we　WERE　very
merry。　　Almost　the　only　thing　that　remains　with　me　as　a　permanent
impression　was　the　fact　that　Theobald　one　day　beat　his　nurse　and
teased　her；　and　when　she　said　she　should　go　away　cried　out；　〃You
shan't　go　awayI'll　keep　you　on　purpose　to　torment　you。〃

One　winter's　morning；　however；　in　the　year　1811；　we　heard　the　church
bell　tolling　while　we　were　dressing　in　the　back　nursery　and　were
told　it　was　for　old　Mrs　Pontifex。　　Our　manservant　John　told　us　and
added　with　grim　levity　that　they　were　ringing　the　bell　to　come　and
take　her　away。　　She　had　had　a　fit　of　paralysis　which　had　carried　her
off　quite　suddenly。　　It　was　very　shocking；　the　more　so　because　our
nurse　assured　us　that　if　God　chose　we　might　all　have　fits　of
paralysis　ourselves　that　very　day　and　be　taken　straight　off　to　the
Day　of　Judgement。　　The　Day　of　Judgement　indeed；　according　to　the
opinion　of　those　who　were　most　likely　to　know；　would　not　under　any
circumstances　be　delayed　more　than　a　few　years　longer；　and　then　the
whole　world　would　be　burned；　and　we　ourselves　be　consigned　to　an
eternity　of　torture；　unless　we　mended　our　ways　more　than　we　at
present　seemed　at　all　likely　to　do。　　All　this　was　so　alarming　that
we　fell　to　screaming　and　made　such　a　hullabaloo　that　the　nurse　was
obliged　for　her　own　peace　to　reassure　us。　　Then　we　wept；　but　more
composedly；　as　we　remembered　that　there　would　be　no　more　tea　and
cakes　for　us　now　at　old　Mrs　Pontifex's。

On　the　day　of　the　funeral；　however；　we　had　a　great　excitement；　old
Mr　Pontifex　sent　round　a　penny　loaf　to　every　inhabitant　of　the
village　according　to　a　custom　still　not　uncommon　at　the　beginning　of
the　century；　the　loaf　was　called　a　dole。　　We　had　never　heard　of　this
custom　before；　besides；　though　we　had　often　heard　of　penny　loaves；
we　had　never　before　seen　one；　moreover；　they　were　presents　to　us　as
inhabitants　of　the　village；　and　we　were　treated　as　grown　up　people；
for　our　father　and　mother　and　the　servants　had　each　one　loaf　sent
them；　but　only　one。　　We　had　never　yet　suspected　that　we　were
inhabitants　at　all；　finally；　the　little　loaves　were　new；　and　we　were
passionately　fond　of　new　bread；　which　we　were　seldom　or　never
allowed　to　have；　as　it　was　supposed　not　to　be　good　for　us。　　Our
affection；　therefore；　for　our　old　friend　had　to　stand　against　the
combined　attacks　of　archaeological　interest；　the　rights　of
citizenship　and　property；　the　pleasantness　to　the　eye　and　goodness
for　food　of　the　little　loaves　themselves；　and　the　sense　of
importance　which　was　given　us　by　our　having　been　intimate　with
someone　who　had　actually　died。　　It　seemed　upon　further　inquiry　that
there　was　little　reason　to　anticipate　an　early　death　for　anyone　of
ourselves；　and　this　being　so；　we　rather　liked　the　idea　of　someone
else's　being　put　away　into　the　churchyard；　we　passed；　therefore；　in
a　short　time　from　extreme　depression　to　a　no　less　extreme
exultation；　a　new　heaven　and　a　new　earth　had　been　revealed　to　us　in
our　perception　of　the　possibility　of　benefiting　by　the　death　of　our
friends；　and　I　fear　that　for　some　time　we　took　an　interest　in　the
health　of　everyone　in　the　village　whose　position　rendered　a
repetition　of　the　dole　in　the　least　likely。

Those　were　the　days　in　which　all　great　things　seemed　far　off；　and　we
were　astonished　to　find　that　Napoleon　Buonaparte　was　an　actually
living　person。　　We　had　thought　such　a　great　man　could　only　have
lived　a　very　long　time　ago；　and　here　he　was　after　all　almost　as　it
were　at　our　own　doors。　　This　lent　colour　to　the　view　that　the　Day　of
Ju