the way of all flesh-第87章

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But　Ellen　did　not　want　him　to　buy　at　auctionsnot　much　at　least　at
present。　　Private　dealing；　she　said；　was　best。　　If　I；　for　example；
had　any　cast…off　clothes；　he　was　to　buy　them　from　my　laundress；　and
get　a　connection　with　other　laundresses；　to　whom　he　might　give　a
trifle　more　than　they　got　at　present　for　whatever　clothes　their
masters　might　give　them；　and　yet　make　a　good　profit。　　If　gentlemen
sold　their　things；　he　was　to　try　and　get　them　to　sell　to　him。　　He
flinched　at　nothing；　perhaps　he　would　have　flinched　if　he　had　had
any　idea　how　outre　his　proceedings　were；　but　the　very　ignorance　of
the　world　which　had　ruined　him　up　till　now；　by　a　happy　irony　began
to　work　its　own　cure。　　If　some　malignant　fairy　had　meant　to　curse
him　in　this　respect；　she　had　overdone　her　malice。　　He　did　not　know
he　was　doing　anything　strange。　　He　only　knew　that　he　had　no　money；
and　must　provide　for　himself；　a　wife；　and　a　possible　family。　　More
than　this；　he　wanted　to　have　some　leisure　in　an　evening；　so　that　he
might　read　and　write　and　keep　up　his　music。　　If　anyone　would　show
him　how　he　could　do　better　than　he　was　doing；　he　should　be　much
obliged　to　them；　but　to　himself　it　seemed　that　he　was　doing
sufficiently　well；　for　at　the　end　of　the　first　week　the　pair　found
they　had　made　a　clear　profit　of　3　pounds。　　In　a　few　weeks　this　had
increased　to　4　pounds；　and　by　the　New　Year　they　had　made　a　profit　of
5　pounds　in　one　week。

Ernest　had　by　this　time　been　married　some　two　months；　for　he　had
stuck　to　his　original　plan　of　marrying　Ellen　on　the　first　day　he
could　legally　do　so。　　This　date　was　a　little　delayed　by　the　change
of　abode　from　Laystall　Street　to　Blackfriars；　but　on　the　first　day
that　it　could　be　done　it　was　done。　　He　had　never　had　more　than　250
pounds　a　year；　even　in　the　times　of　his　affluence；　so　that　a　profit
of　5　pounds　a　week；　if　it　could　be　maintained　steadily；　would　place
him　where　he　had　been　as　far　as　income　went；　and；　though　he　should
have　to　feed　two　mouths　instead　of　one；　yet　his　expenses　in　other
ways　were　so　much　curtailed　by　his　changed　social　position；　that；
take　it　all　round；　his　income　was　practically　what　it　had　been　a
twelvemonth　before。　　The　next　thing　to　do　was　to　increase　it；　and
put　by　money。

Prosperity　depends；　as　we　all　know；　in　great　measure　upon　energy　and
good　sense；　but　it　also　depends　not　a　little　upon　pure　luckthat　is
to　say；　upon　connections　which　are　in　such　a　tangle　that　it　is　more
easy　to　say　that　they　do　not　exist；　than　to　try　to　trace　them。　　A
neighbourhood　may　have　an　excellent　reputation　as　being　likely　to　be
a　rising　one；　and　yet　may　become　suddenly　eclipsed　by　another；　which
no　one　would　have　thought　so　promising。　　A　fever　hospital　may　divert
the　stream　of　business；　or　a　new　station　attract　it；　so　little；
indeed；　can　be　certainly　known；　that　it　is　better　not　to　try　to　know
more　than　is　in　everybody's　mouth；　and　to　leave　the　rest　to　chance。

Luck；　which　certainly　had　not　been　too　kind　to　my　hero　hitherto；　now
seemed　to　have　taken　him　under　her　protection。　　The　neighbourhood
prospered；　and　he　with　it。　　It　seemed　as　though　he　no　sooner　bought
a　thing　and　put　it　into　his　shop；　than　it　sold　with　a　profit　of　from
thirty　to　fifty　per　cent。　　He　learned　book…keeping；　and　watched　his
accounts　carefully；　following　up　any　success　immediately；　he　began
to　buy　other　things　besides　clothessuch　as　books；　music；　odds　and
ends　of　furniture；　etc。　　Whether　it　was　luck　or　business　aptitude；
or　energy；　or　the　politeness　with　which　he　treated　all　his
customers；　I　cannot　saybut　to　the　surprise　of　no　one　more　than
himself；　he　went　ahead　faster　than　he　had　anticipated；　even　in　his
wildest　dreams；　and　by　Easter　was　established　in　a　strong　position
as　the　owner　of　a　business　which　was　bringing　him　in　between　four
and　five　hundred　a　year；　and　which　he　understood　how　to　extend。



CHAPTER　LXXIII



Ellen　and　he　got　on　capitally；　all　the　better；　perhaps；　because　the
disparity　between　them　was　so　great；　that　neither　did　Ellen　want　to
be　elevated；　nor　did　Ernest　want　to　elevate　her。　　He　was　very　fond
of　her；　and　very　kind　to　her；　they　had　interests　which　they　could
serve　in　common；　they　had　antecedents　with　a　good　part　of　which　each
was　familiar；　they　had　each　of　them　excellent　tempers；　and　this　was
enough。　　Ellen　did　not　seem　jealous　at　Ernest's　preferring　to　sit
the　greater　part　of　his　time　after　the　day's　work　was　done　in　the
first　floor　front　where　I　occasionally　visited　him。　　She　might　have
come　and　sat　with　him　if　she　had　liked；　but；　somehow　or　other；　she
generally　found　enough　to　occupy　her　down　below。　　She　had　the　tact
also　to　encourage　him　to　go　out　of　an　evening　whenever　he　had　a
mind；　without　in　the　least　caring　that　he　should　take　her　tooand
this　suited　Ernest　very　well。　　He　was；　I　should　say；　much　happier　in
his　married　life　than　people　generally　are。

At　first　it　had　been　very　painful　to　him　to　meet　any　of　his　old
friends；　as　he　sometimes　accidentally　did；　but　this　soon　passed；
either　they　cut　him；　or　he　cut　them；　it　was　not　nice　being　cut　for
the　first　time　or　two；　but　after　that；　it　became　rather　pleasant
than　not；　and　when　he　began　to　see　that　he　was　going　ahead；　he　cared
very　little　what　people　might　say　about　his　antecedents。　　The　ordeal
is　a　painful　one；　but　if　a　man's　moral　and　intellectual　constitution
are　naturally　sound；　there　is　nothing　which　will　give　him　so　much
strength　of　character　as　having　been　well　cut。

It　was　easy　for　him　to　keep　his　expenditure　down；　for　his　tastes
were　not　luxurious。　　He　liked　theatres；　outings　into　the　country　on
a　Sunday；　and　tobacco；　but　he　did　not　care　for　much　else；　except
writing　and　music。　　As　for　the　usual　run　of　concerts；　he　hated　them。
He　worshipped　Handel；　he　liked　Offenbach；　and　the　airs　that　went
about　the　streets；　but　he　cared　for　nothing　between　these　two
extremes。　　Music；　therefore；　cost　him　little。　　As　for　theatres；　I
got　him　and　Ellen　as　many　orders　as　they　liked；　so　these　cost　them
nothing。　　The　Sunday　outings　were　a　small　item；　for　a　shilling　or
two　he　could　get　a　return　ticket　to　some　place　far　enough　out　of
town　to　give　him　a　good　walk　and　a　thorough　change　for　the　day。
Ellen　went　with　him　the　first　few　times；　but　she　said　she　found　it
too　much　for　her；　there　were　a　few　of　her　old　friends　whom　she
should　sometimes　like　to　see；　and　they　and　he；　she　said；　would　not
hit　it　off　perhaps　too　well；　so　it　would　be　better　for　him　to　go
alone。　　This　seemed　so　sensible；　and　suited　Ernest　so　exactly　that
he　readily　fell　into　it；　nor　did　he　suspect　dangers　which　were
apparent　enough　to　me　when　I　heard　how　she　had　treated　the　matter。
I　kept　silence；　however；　and　for　a　time　all　continued　to　go　well。
As　I　have　said；　one　of　his　chief　pleasures　was　in　writing。　　If　a　man
carries　with　him　a　little　sketch　book　and　is　continually　jotting
down　sketches；　he　has　the　artistic　instinct；　a　hundred　things　may
hinder　his　due　development；　but　the　instinct　is　there。　　The　literary
instinct　may　be　known　by　a　man's　keeping　a　small　note…book　in　his
waistcoat　pocket；　into　which　he　jots　down　anything　that　strikes　him；
or　any　good　thing　that　he　hears　said；　or　a　reference　to　any　passage
which　he　thinks　will　come　in　useful　to　him。　　Ernest　had　such　a　note…
book　always　with　him。　　Even　when　he　was　at　Cambridge　he　had　begun
the　practice　without　anyone's　having　suggested　it　to　him。　　These
notes　he　copied　out　from　time　to　time　into　a　book；　which　as　they
accumulated；　he　was　driven　into　indexing　approximately；　as　he　went
along。　　When　I　found　out　this；　I　knew　that　he　had　the　literary
instinct；　and　when　I　saw　his　notes　I　began　to　hope　great　things　of
him。

For　a　long　time　I　was　disappointed。　　He　was　kept　back　by　the　nature
of　the　subjects　he　chosewhich　were　generally　metaphysical。　　In
vain　I　tried　to　get　him　away　from　these　to　matters　which　had　a
greater　interest　for　the　general　public。　　When　I　begged　him　to　try
his　hand　at　some　pretty；　graceful；　little　story　which　should　be　full
of　whatever　people　knew　and　liked　best；　he　would　immediately　set　to
work　upon　a　treatise　to　show　the　grounds　on　which　all　belief　rested。

〃You　are　stirring　mud；〃　said　I；　〃or　poking　at　a　sleeping　dog。　　You
are　trying　t