the way of all flesh-第31章

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from　the　one　which　he　so　fondly　imagined。

Could　it　be　expected　to　enter　into　the　head　of　such　a　man　as　this
that　in　reality　he　was　making　his　money　by　corrupting　youth；　that　it
was　his　paid　profession　to　make　the　worse　appear　the　better　reason
in　the　eyes　of　those　who　were　too　young　and　inexperienced　to　be　able
to　find　him　out；　that　he　kept　out　of　the　sight　of　those　whom　he
professed　to　teach　material　points　of　the　argument；　for　the
production　of　which　they　had　a　right　to　rely　upon　the　honour　of
anyone　who　made　professions　of　sincerity；　that　he　was　a　passionate
half…turkey…cock　half…gander　of　a　man　whose　sallow；　bilious　face　and
hobble…gobble　voice　could　scare　the　timid；　but　who　would　take　to　his
heels　readily　enough　if　he　were　met　firmly；　that　his　〃Meditations　on
St　Jude；〃　such　as　they　were；　were　cribbed　without　acknowledgment；
and　would　have　been　beneath　contempt　if　so　many　people　did　not
believe　them　to　have　been　written　honestly？　　Mrs　Skinner　might　have
perhaps　kept　him　a　little　more　in　his　proper　place　if　she　had
thought　it　worth　while　to　try；　but　she　had　enough　to　attend　to　in
looking　after　her　household　and　seeing　that　the　boys　were　well　fed
and；　if　they　were　ill；　properly　looked　afterwhich　she　took　good
care　they　were。



CHAPTER　XXVIII



Ernest　had　heard　awful　accounts　of　Dr　Skinner's　temper；　and　of　the
bullying　which　the　younger　boys　at　Roughborough　had　to　put　up　with
at　the　hands　of　the　bigger　ones。　　He　had　now　got　about　as　much　as　he
could　stand；　and　felt　as　though　it　must　go　hard　with　him　if　his
burdens　of　whatever　kind　were　to　be　increased。　　He　did　not　cry　on
leaving　home；　but　I　am　afraid　he　did　on　being　told　that　he　was
getting　near　Roughborough。　　His　father　and　mother　were　with　him；
having　posted　from　home　in　their　own　carriage；　Roughborough　had　as
yet　no　railway；　and　as　it　was　only　some　forty　miles　from　Battersby；
this　was　the　easiest　way　of　getting　there。

On　seeing　him　cry；　his　mother　felt　flattered　and　caressed　him。　　She
said　she　knew　he　must　feel　very　sad　at　leaving　such　a　happy　home；
and　going　among　people　who；　though　they　would　be　very　good　to　him；
could　never；　never　be　as　good　as　his　dear　papa　and　she　had　been；
still；　she　was　herself；　if　he　only　knew　it；　much　more　deserving　of
pity　than　he　was；　for　the　parting　was　more　painful　to　her　than　it
could　possibly　be　to　him；　etc。；　and　Ernest；　on　being　told　that　his
tears　were　for　grief　at　leaving　home；　took　it　all　on　trust；　and　did
not　trouble　to　investigate　the　real　cause　of　his　tears。　　As　they
approached　Roughborough　he　pulled　himself　together；　and　was　fairly
calm　by　the　time　he　reached　Dr　Skinner's。

On　their　arrival　they　had　luncheon　with　the　Doctor　and　his　wife；　and
then　Mrs　Skinner　took　Christina　over　the　bedrooms；　and　showed　her
where　her　dear　little　boy　was　to　sleep。

Whatever　men　may　think　about　the　study　of　man；　women　do　really
believe　the　noblest　study　for　womankind　to　be　woman；　and　Christina
was　too　much　engrossed　with　Mrs　Skinner　to　pay　much　attention　to
anything　else；　I　daresay　Mrs　Skinner；　too；　was　taking　pretty
accurate　stock　of　Christina。　　Christina　was　charmed；　as　indeed　she
generally　was　with　any　new　acquaintance；　for　she　found　in　them　（and
so　must　we　all）　something　of　the　nature　of　a　cross；　as　for　Mrs
Skinner；　I　imagine　she　had　seen　too　many　Christinas　to　find　much
regeneration　in　the　sample　now　before　her；　I　believe　her　private
opinion　echoed　the　dictum　of　a　well…known　head…master　who　declared
that　all　parents　were　fools；　but　more　especially　mothers；　she　was；
however；　all　smiles　and　sweetness；　and　Christina　devoured　these
graciously　as　tributes　paid　more　particularly　to　herself；　and　such
as　no　other　mother　would　have　been　at　all　likely　to　have　won。

In　the　meantime　Theobald　and　Ernest　were　with　Dr　Skinner　in　his
librarythe　room　where　new　boys　were　examined　and　old　ones　had　up
for　rebuke　or　chastisement。　　If　the　walls　of　that　room　could　speak；
what　an　amount　of　blundering　and　capricious　cruelty　would　they　not
bear　witness　to！

Like　all　houses；　Dr　Skinner's　had　its　peculiar　smell。　　In　this　case
the　prevailing　odour　was　one　of　Russia　leather；　but　along　with　it
there　was　a　subordinate　savour　as　of　a　chemist's　shop。　　This　came
from　a　small　laboratory　in　one　corner　of　the　roomthe　possession　of
which；　together　with　the　free　chattery　and　smattery　use　of　such
words　as　〃carbonate；〃　〃hyposulphite；〃　〃phosphate；〃　and　〃affinity；〃
were　enough　to　convince　even　the　most　sceptical　that　Dr　Skinner　had
a　profound　knowledge　of　chemistry。

I　may　say　in　passing　that　Dr　Skinner　had　dabbled　in　a　great　many
other　things　as　well　as　chemistry。　　He　was　a　man　of　many　small
knowledges；　and　each　of　them　dangerous。　　I　remember　Alethea　Pontifex
once　said　in　her　wicked　way　to　me；　that　Dr　Skinner　put　her　in　mind
of　the　Bourbon　princes　on　their　return　from　exile　after　the　battle
of　Waterloo；　only　that　he　was　their　exact　converse；　for　whereas　they
had　learned　nothing　and　forgotten　nothing；　Dr　Skinner　had　learned
everything　and　forgotten　everything。　　And　this　puts　me　in　mind　of
another　of　her　wicked　sayings　about　Dr　Skinner。　　She　told　me　one　day
that　he　had　the　harmlessness　of　the　serpent　and　the　wisdom　of　the
dove。

But　to　return　to　Dr　Skinner's　library；　over　the　chimney…piece　there
was　a　Bishop's　half　length　portrait　of　Dr　Skinner　himself；　painted
by　the　elder　Pickersgill；　whose　merit　Dr　Skinner　had　been　among　the
first　to　discern　and　foster。　　There　were　no　other　pictures　in　the
library；　but　in　the　dining…room　there　was　a　fine　collection；　which
the　doctor　had　got　together　with　his　usual　consummate　taste。　　He
added　to　it　largely　in　later　life；　and　when　it　came　to　the　hammer　at
Christie's；　as　it　did　not　long　since；　it　was　found　to　comprise　many
of　the　latest　and　most　matured　works　of　Solomon　Hart；　O'Neil；
Charles　Landseer；　and　more　of　our　recent　Academicians　than　I　can　at
the　moment　remember。　　There　were　thus　brought　together　and　exhibited
at　one　view　many　works　which　had　attracted　attention　at　the　Academy
Exhibitions；　and　as　to　whose　ultimate　destiny　there　had　been　some
curiosity。　　The　prices　realised　were　disappointing　to　the　executors；
but；　then；　these　things　are　so　much　a　matter　of　chance。　　An
unscrupulous　writer　in　a　well…known　weekly　paper　had　written　the
collection　down。　　Moreover　there　had　been　one　or　two　large　sales　a
short　time　before　Dr　Skinner's；　so　that　at　this　last　there　was
rather　a　panic；　and　a　reaction　against　the　high　prices　that　had
ruled　lately。

The　table　of　the　library　was　loaded　with　books　many　deep；　MSS。　of
all　kinds　were　confusedly　mixed　up　with　them；boys'　exercises；
probably；　and　examination　papersbut　all　littering　untidily　about。
The　room　in　fact　was　as　depressing　from　its　slatternliness　as　from
its　atmosphere　of　erudition。　　Theobald　and　Ernest　as　they　entered
it；　stumbled　over　a　large　hole　in　the　Turkey　carpet；　and　the　dust
that　rose　showed　how　long　it　was　since　it　had　been　taken　up　and
beaten。　　This；　I　should　say；　was　no　fault　of　Mrs　Skinner's　but　was
due　to　the　Doctor　himself；　who　declared　that　if　his　papers　were　once
disturbed　it　would　be　the　death　of　him。　　Near　the　window　was　a　green
cage　containing　a　pair　of　turtle　doves；　whose　plaintive　cooing　added
to　the　melancholy　of　the　place。　　The　walls　were　covered　with　book
shelves　from　floor　to　ceiling；　and　on　every　shelf　the　books　stood　in
double　rows。　　It　was　horrible。　　Prominent　among　the　most　prominent
upon　the　most　prominent　shelf　were　a　series　of　splendidly　bound
volumes　entitled　〃Skinner's　Works。〃

Boys　are　sadly　apt　to　rush　to　conclusions；　and　Ernest　believed　that
Dr　Skinner　knew　all　the　books　in　this　terrible　library；　and　that　he；
if　he　were　to　be　any　good；　should　have　to　learn　them　too。　　His　heart
fainted　within　him。

He　was　told　to　sit　on　a　chair　against　the　wall　and　did　so；　while　Dr
Skinner　talked　to　Theobald　upon　the　topics　of　the　day。　　He　talked
about　the　Hampden　Controversy　then　raging；　and　discoursed　learnedly
about　〃Praemunire〃；　then　he　talked　about　the　revolution　which　had
just　broken　out　in　Sicily；　and　rejoiced　that　the　Pope　had　refused　to
allow　foreign　troops　to　pass　through　his　dominions　in　order　to　crush
it。　　Dr　Skinner　and　the　other　masters　too