the way of all flesh-第32章

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allow　foreign　troops　to　pass　through　his　dominions　in　order　to　crush
it。　　Dr　Skinner　and　the　other　masters　took　in　the　Times　among　them；
and　Dr　Skinner　echoed　the　Times'　leaders。　　In　those　days　there　were
no　penny　papers　and　Theobald　only　took　in　the　Spectatorfor　he　was
at　that　time　on　the　Whig　side　in　politics；　besides　this　he　used　to
receive　the　Ecclesiastical　Gazette　once　a　month；　but　he　saw　no　other
papers；　and　was　amazed　at　the　ease　and　fluency　with　which　Dr　Skinner
ran　from　subject　to　subject。

The　Pope's　action　in　the　matter　of　the　Sicilian　revolution　naturally
led　the　Doctor　to　the　reforms　which　his　Holiness　had　introduced　into
his　dominions；　and　he　laughed　consumedly　over　the　joke　which　had　not
long　since　appeared　in　Punch；　to　the　effect　that　Pio　〃No；　No；〃
should　rather　have　been　named　Pio　〃Yes；　Yes；〃　because；　as　the　doctor
explained；　he　granted　everything　his　subjects　asked　for。　　Anything
like　a　pun　went　straight　to　Dr　Skinner's　heart。

Then　he　went　on　to　the　matter　of　these　reforms　themselves。　　They
opened　up　a　new　era　in　the　history　of　Christendom；　and　would　have
such　momentous　and　far…reaching　consequences；　that　they　might　even
lead　to　a　reconciliation　between　the　Churches　of　England　and　Rome。
Dr　Skinner　had　lately　published　a　pamphlet　upon　this　subject；　which
had　shown　great　learning；　and　had　attacked　the　Church　of　Rome　in　a
way　which　did　not　promise　much　hope　of　reconciliation。　　He　had
grounded　his　attack　upon　the　letters　A。M。D。G。；　which　he　had　seen
outside　a　Roman　Catholic　chapel；　and　which　of　course　stood　for　Ad
Mariam　Dei　Genetricem。　　Could　anything　be　more　idolatrous？

I　am　told；　by　the　way；　that　I　must　have　let　my　memory　play　me　one　of
the　tricks　it　often　does　play　me；　when　I　said　the　Doctor　proposed　Ad
Mariam　Dei　Genetricem　as　the　full　harmonies；　so　to　speak；　which
should　be　constructed　upon　the　bass　A。M。D。G。；　for　that　this　is　bad
Latin；　and　that　the　doctor　really　harmonised　the　letters　thus：　　Ave
Maria　Dei　Genetrix。　　No　doubt　the　doctor　did　what　was　right　in　the
matter　of　LatinityI　have　forgotten　the　little　Latin　I　ever　knew；
and　am　not　going　to　look　the　matter　up；　but　I　believe　the　doctor
said　Ad　Mariam　Dei　Genetricem；　and　if　so　we　may　be　sure　that　Ad
Mariam　Dei　Genetricem；　is　good　enough　Latin　at　any　rate　for
ecclesiastical　purposes。

The　reply　of　the　local　priest　had　not　yet　appeared；　and　Dr　Skinner
was　jubilant；　but　when　the　answer　appeared；　and　it　was　solemnly
declared　that　A。M。D。G。　stood　for　nothing　more　dangerous　than　Ad
Majorem　Dei　Gloriam；　it　was　felt　that　though　this　subterfuge　would
not　succeed　with　any　intelligent　Englishman；　still　it　was　a　pity　Dr
Skinner　had　selected　this　particular　point　for　his　attack；　for　he
had　to　leave　his　enemy　in　possession　of　the　field。　　When　people　are
left　in　possession　of　the　field；　spectators　have　an　awkward　habit　of
thinking　that　their　adversary　does　not　dare　to　come　to　the　scratch。

Dr　Skinner　was　telling　Theobald　all　about　his　pamphlet；　and　I　doubt
whether　this　gentleman　was　much　more　comfortable　than　Ernest
himself。　　He　was　bored；　for　in　his　heart　he　hated　Liberalism；　though
he　was　ashamed　to　say　so；　and；　as　I　have　said；　professed　to　be　on
the　Whig　side。　　He　did　not　want　to　be　reconciled　to　the　Church　of
Rome；　he　wanted　to　make　all　Roman　Catholics　turn　Protestants；　and
could　never　understand　why　they　would　not　do　so；　but　the　Doctor
talked　in　such　a　truly　liberal　spirit；　and　shut　him　up　so　sharply
when　he　tried　to　edge　in　a　word　or　two；　that　he　had　to　let　him　have
it　all　his　own　way；　and　this　was　not　what　he　was　accustomed　to。　　He
was　wondering　how　he　could　bring　it　to　an　end；　when　a　diversion　was
created　by　the　discovery　that　Ernest　had　begun　to　crydoubtless
through　an　intense　but　inarticulate　sense　of　a　boredom　greater　than
he　could　bear。　　He　was　evidently　in　a　highly　nervous　state；　and　a
good　deal　upset　by　the　excitement　of　the　morning；　Mrs　Skinner
therefore；　who　came　in　with　Christina　at　this　juncture；　proposed
that　he　should　spend　the　afternoon　with　Mrs　Jay；　the　matron；　and　not
be　introduced　to　his　young　companions　until　the　following　morning。
His　father　and　mother　now　bade　him　an　affectionate　farewell；　and　the
lad　was　handed　over　to　Mrs　Jay。

O　schoolmastersif　any　of　you　read　this　bookbear　in　mind　when　any
particularly　timid　drivelling　urchin　is　brought　by　his　papa　into
your　study；　and　you　treat　him　with　the　contempt　which　he　deserves；
and　afterwards　make　his　life　a　burden　to　him　for　yearsbear　in　mind
that　it　is　exactly　in　the　disguise　of　such　a　boy　as　this　that　your
future　chronicler　will　appear。　　Never　see　a　wretched　little　heavy…
eyed　mite　sitting　on　the　edge　of　a　chair　against　your　study　wall
without　saying　to　yourselves；　〃perhaps　this　boy　is　he　who；　if　I　am
not　careful；　will　one　day　tell　the　world　what　manner　of　man　I　was。〃
If　even　two　or　three　schoolmasters　learn　this　lesson　and　remember
it；　the　preceding　chapters　will　not　have　been　written　in　vain。



CHAPTER　XXIX



Soon　after　his　father　and　mother　had　left　him　Ernest　dropped　asleep
over　a　book　which　Mrs　Jay　had　given　him；　and　he　did　not　awake　till
dusk。　　Then　he　sat　down　on　a　stool　in　front　of　the　fire；　which
showed　pleasantly　in　the　late　January　twilight；　and　began　to　muse。
He　felt　weak；　feeble；　ill　at　ease　and　unable　to　see　his　way　out　of
the　innumerable　troubles　that　were　before　him。　　Perhaps；　he　said　to
himself；　he　might　even　die；　but　this；　far　from　being　an　end　of　his
troubles；　would　prove　the　beginning　of　new　ones；　for　at　the　best　he
would　only　go　to　Grandpapa　Pontifex　and　Grandmamma　Allaby；　and
though　they　would　perhaps　be　more　easy　to　get　on　with　than　Papa　and
Mamma；　yet　they　were　undoubtedly　not　so　really　good；　and　were　more
worldly；　moreover　they　were　grown…up　peopleespecially　Grandpapa
Pontifex；　who　so　far　as　he　could　understand　had　been　very　much
grown…up；　and　he　did　not　know　why；　but　there　was　always　something
that　kept　him　from　loving　any　grown…up　people　very　muchexcept　one
or　two　of　the　servants；　who　had　indeed　been　as　nice　as　anything　that
he　could　imagine。　　Besides　even　if　he　were　to　die　and　go　to　Heaven
he　supposed　he　should　have　to　complete　his　education　somewhere。

In　the　meantime　his　father　and　mother　were　rolling　along　the　muddy
roads；　each　in　his　or　her　own　corner　of　the　carriage；　and　each
revolving　many　things　which　were　and　were　not　to　come　to　pass。
Times　have　changed　since　I　last　showed　them　to　the　reader　as　sitting
together　silently　in　a　carriage；　but　except　as　regards　their　mutual
relations；　they　have　altered　singularly　little。　　When　I　was　younger
I　used　to　think　the　Prayer　Book　was　wrong　in　requiring　us　to　say　the
General　Confession　twice　a　week　from　childhood　to　old　age；　without
making　provision　for　our　not　being　quite　such　great　sinners　at
seventy　as　we　had　been　at　seven；　granted　that　we　should　go　to　the
wash　like　table…cloths　at　least　once　a　week；　still　I　used　to　think　a
day　ought　to　come　when　we　should　want　rather　less　rubbing　and
scrubbing　at。　　Now　that　I　have　grown　older　myself　I　have　seen　that
the　Church　has　estimated　probabilities　better　than　I　had　done。

The　pair　said　not　a　word　to　one　another；　but　watched　the　fading
light　and　naked　trees；　the　brown　fields　with　here　and　there　a
melancholy　cottage　by　the　road　side；　and　the　rain　that　fell　fast
upon　the　carriage　windows。　　It　was　a　kind　of　afternoon　on　which　nice
people　for　the　most　part　like　to　be　snug　at　home；　and　Theobald　was　a
little　snappish　at　reflecting　how　many　miles　he　had　to　post　before
he　could　be　at　his　own　fireside　again。　　However　there　was　nothing
for　it；　so　the　pair　sat　quietly　and　watched　the　roadside　objects
flit　by　them；　and　get　greyer　and　grimmer　as　the　light　faded。

Though　they　spoke　not　to　one　another；　there　was　one　nearer　to　each
of　them　with　whom　they　could　converse　freely。　　〃I　hope；〃　said
Theobald　to　himself；　〃I　hope　he'll　workor　else　that　Skinner　will
make　him。　　I　don't　like　Skinner；　I　never　did　like　him；　but　he　is
unquestionably　a　man　of　genius；　and　no　one　turns　out　so　many　pupils
who　succeed　at　Oxford　and　Cambridge；　and　that　is　the　best　test。　　I
have　done　my　share　towards　starting　him　well。　　Skinner　said　he　had
been　well　grounded　and　was　very　forward。　　I　s