the way of all flesh-第94章

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before　he　is　born。　　It　is　then　he　insists　on　setting　up　a　separate
establishment；　when　this　has　been　once　agreed　to；　the　more　complete
the　separation　for　ever　after　the　better　for　both。〃　　Then　he　said
more　seriously：　　〃I　want　to　put　the　children　where　they　will　be　well
and　happy；　and　where　they　will　not　be　betrayed　into　the　misery　of
false　expectations。〃

In　the　end　he　remembered　that　on　his　Sunday　walks　he　had　more　than
once　seen　a　couple　who　lived　on　the　waterside　a　few　miles　below
Gravesend；　just　where　the　sea　was　beginning；　and　who　he　thought
would　do。　　They　had　a　family　of　their　own　fast　coming　on　and　the
children　seemed　to　thrive；　both　father　and　mother　indeed　were
comfortable　well　grown　folks；　in　whose　hands　young　people　would　be
likely　to　have　as　fair　a　chance　of　coming　to　a　good　development　as
in　those　of　any　whom　he　knew。

We　went　down　to　see　this　couple；　and　as　I　thought　no　less　well　of
them　than　Ernest　did；　we　offered　them　a　pound　a　week　to　take　the
children　and　bring　them　up　as　though　they　were　their　own。　　They
jumped　at　the　offer；　and　in　another　day　or　two　we　brought　the
children　down　and　left　them；　feeling　that　we　had　done　as　well　as　we
could　by　them；　at　any　rate　for　the　present。　　Then　Ernest　sent　his
small　stock　of　goods　to　Debenham's；　gave　up　the　house　he　had　taken
two　and　a　half　years　previously；　and　returned　to　civilisation。

I　had　expected　that　he　would　now　rapidly　recover；　and　was
disappointed　to　see　him　get　as　I　thought　decidedly　worse。　　Indeed；
before　long　I　thought　him　looking　so　ill　that　I　insisted　on　his
going　with　me　to　consult　one　of　the　most　eminent　doctors　in　London。
This　gentleman　said　there　was　no　acute　disease　but　that　my　young
friend　was　suffering　from　nervous　prostration；　the　result　of　long
and　severe　mental　suffering；　from　which　there　was　no　remedy　except
time；　prosperity　and　rest。

He　said　that　Ernest　must　have　broken　down　later　on；　but　that　he
might　have　gone　on　for　some　months　yet。　　It　was　the　suddenness　of
the　relief　from　tension　which　had　knocked　him　over　now。

〃Cross　him；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃at　once。　　Crossing　is　the　great
medical　discovery　of　the　age。　　Shake　him　out　of　himself　by　shaking
something　else　into　him。〃

I　had　not　told　him　that　money　was　no　object　to　us　and　I　think　he　had
reckoned　me　up　as　not　over　rich。　　He　continued：…

〃Seeing　is　a　mode　of　touching；　touching　is　a　mode　of　feeding；
feeding　is　a　mode　of　assimilation；　assimilation　is　a　mode　of
recreation　and　reproduction；　and　this　is　crossingshaking　yourself
into　something　else　and　something　else　into　you。〃

He　spoke　laughingly；　but　it　was　plain　he　was　serious。　　He
continued：…

〃People　are　always　coming　to　me　who　want　crossing；　or　change；　if　you
prefer　it；　and　who　I　know　have　not　money　enough　to　let　them　get　away
from　London。　　This　has　set　me　thinking　how　I　can　best　cross　them
even　if　they　cannot　leave　home；　and　I　have　made　a　list　of　cheap
London　amusements　which　I　recommend　to　my　patients；　none　of　them
cost　more　than　a　few　shillings　or　take　more　than　half　a　day　or　a
day。〃

I　explained　that　there　was　no　occasion　to　consider　money　in　this
case。

〃I　am　glad　of　it；〃　he　said；　still　laughing。　　〃The　homoeopathists　use
aurum　as　a　medicine；　but　they　do　not　give　it　in　large　doses　enough；
if　you　can　dose　your　young　friend　with　this　pretty　freely　you　will
soon　bring　him　round。　　However；　Mr　Pontifex　is　not　well　enough　to
stand　so　great　a　change　as　going　abroad　yet；　from　what　you　tell　me　I
should　think　he　had　had　as　much　change　lately　as　is　good　for　him。
If　he　were　to　go　abroad　now　he　would　probably　be　taken　seriously　ill
within　a　week。　　We　must　wait　till　he　has　recovered　tone　a　little
more。　　I　will　begin　by　ringing　my　London　changes　on　him。〃

He　thought　a　little　and　then　said：…

〃I　have　found　the　Zoological　Gardens　of　service　to　many　of　my
patients。　　I　should　prescribe　for　Mr　Pontifex　a　course　of　the　larger
mammals。　　Don't　let　him　think　he　is　taking　them　medicinally；　but　let
him　go　to　their　house　twice　a　week　for　a　fortnight；　and　stay　with
the　hippopotamus；　the　rhinoceros；　and　the　elephants；　till　they　begin
to　bore　him。　　I　find　these　beasts　do　my　patients　more　good　than　any
others。　　The　monkeys　are　not　a　wide　enough　cross；　they　do　not
stimulate　sufficiently。　　The　larger　carnivora　are　unsympathetic。
The　reptiles　are　worse　than　useless；　and　the　marsupials　are　not　much
better。　　Birds　again；　except　parrots；　are　not　very　beneficial；　he
may　look　at　them　now　and　again；　but　with　the　elephants　and　the　pig
tribe　generally　he　should　mix　just　now　as　freely　as　possible。

〃Then；　you　know；　to　prevent　monotony　I　should　send　him；　say；　to
morning　service　at　the　Abbey　before　he　goes。　　He　need　not　stay
longer　than　the　Te　Deum。　　I　don't　know　why；　but　Jubilates　are　seldom
satisfactory。　　Just　let　him　look　in　at　the　Abbey；　and　sit　quietly　in
Poets'　Corner　till　the　main　part　of　the　music　is　over。　　Let　him　do
this　two　or　three　times；　not　more；　before　he　goes　to　the　Zoo。

〃Then　next　day　send　him　down　to　Gravesend　by　boat。　　By　all　means　let
him　go　to　the　theatres　in　the　eveningsand　then　let　him　come　to　me
again　in　a　fortnight。〃

Had　the　doctor　been　less　eminent　in　his　profession　I　should　have
doubted　whether　he　was　in　earnest；　but　I　knew　him　to　be　a　man　of
business　who　would　neither　waste　his　own　time　nor　that　of　his
patients。　　As　soon　as　we　were　out　of　the　house　we　took　a　cab　to
Regent's　Park；　and　spent　a　couple　of　hours　in　sauntering　round　the
different　houses。　　Perhaps　it　was　on　account　of　what　the　doctor　had
told　me；　but　I　certainly　became　aware　of　a　feeling　I　had　never
experienced　before。　　I　mean　that　I　was　receiving　an　influx　of　new
life；　or　deriving　new　ways　of　looking　at　lifewhich　is　the　same
thingby　the　process。　　I　found　the　doctor　quite　right　in　his
estimate　of　the　larger　mammals　as　the　ones　which　on　the　whole　were
most　beneficial；　and　observed　that　Ernest；　who　had　heard　nothing　of
what　the　doctor　had　said　to　me；　lingered　instinctively　in　front　of
them。　　As　for　the　elephants；　especially　the　baby　elephant；　he　seemed
to　be　drinking　in　large　draughts　of　their　lives　to　the　re…creation
and　regeneration　of　his　own。

We　dined　in　the　gardens；　and　I　noticed　with　pleasure　that　Ernest's
appetite　was　already　improved。　　Since　this　time；　whenever　I　have
been　a　little　out　of　sorts　myself　I　have　at　once　gone　up　to　Regent's
Park；　and　have　invariably　been　benefited。　　I　mention　this　here　in
the　hope　that　some　one　or　other　of　my　readers　may　find　the　hint　a
useful　one。

At　the　end　of　his　fortnight　my　hero　was　much　better；　more　so　even
than　our　friend　the　doctor　had　expected。　　〃Now；〃　he　said；　〃Mr
Pontifex　may　go　abroad；　and　the　sooner　the　better。　　Let　him　stay　a
couple　of　months。〃

This　was　the　first　Ernest　had　heard　about　his　going　abroad；　and　he
talked　about　my　not　being　able　to　spare　him　for　so　long。　　I　soon
made　this　all　right。

〃It　is　now　the　beginning　of　April；〃　said　I；　〃go　down　to　Marseilles
at　once；　and　take　steamer　to　Nice。　　Then　saunter　down　the　Riviera　to
Genoafrom　Genoa　go　to　Florence；　Rome　and　Naples；　and　come　home　by
way　of　Venice　and　the　Italian　lakes。〃

〃And　won't　you　come　too？〃　said　he；　eagerly。

I　said　I　did　not　mind　if　I　did；　so　we　began　to　make　our　arrangements
next　morning；　and　completed　them　within　a　very　few　days。



CHAPTER　LXXX



We　left　by　the　night　mail；　crossing　from　Dover。　　The　night　was　soft；
and　there　was　a　bright　moon　upon　the　sea。　　〃Don't　you　love　the　smell
of　grease　about　the　engine　of　a　Channel　steamer？　　Isn't　there　a　lot
of　hope　in　it？〃　said　Ernest　to　me；　for　he　had　been　to　Normandy　one
summer　as　a　boy　with　his　father　and　mother；　and　the　smell　carried
him　back　to　days　before　those　in　which　he　had　begun　to　bruise
himself　against　the　great　outside　world。　　〃I　always　think　one　of　the
best　parts　of　going　abroad　is　the　first　thud　of　the　piston；　and　the
first　gurgling　of　the　water　when　the　paddle　begins　to　strike　it。〃

It　was　very　dreamy　getting　out　at　Calais；　and　trudging　about　with
luggage　in　a　foreign　town　at　an　hour　when　we　were　generally　both　of
us　in　bed　and　fast　asleep；　but　we　settled　down　to　sleep　as　soon　as
we　got　into　the　railway　carriage；　and　dozed　till　we　had　passed
Amiens。　　Then　wakin