the way of all flesh-第83部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

father　took　it　away　again；　increment　and　allas　he　was　pleased　to
say；　in　self　defence。

I　had　made　my　own　mistakes　with　money　about　the　year　1846；　when
everyone　else　was　making　them。　　For　a　few　years　I　had　been　so　scared
and　had　suffered　so　severely；　that　when　（owing　to　the　good　advice　of
the　broker　who　had　advised　my　father　and　grandfather　before　me）　I
came　out　in　the　end　a　winner　and　not　a　loser；　I　played　no　more
pranks；　but　kept　henceforward　as　nearly　in　the　middle　of　the　middle
rut　as　I　could。　　I　tried　in　fact　to　keep　my　money　rather　than　to
make　more　of　it。　　I　had　done　with　Ernest's　money　as　with　my　own
that　is　to　say　I　had　let　it　alone　after　investing　it　in　Midland
ordinary　stock　according　to　Miss　Pontifex's　instructions。　　No　amount
of　trouble　would　have　been　likely　to　have　increased　my　godson's
estate　one　half　so　much　as　it　had　increased　without　my　taking　any
trouble　at　all。

Midland　stock　at　the　end　of　August　1850；　when　I　sold　out　Miss
Pontifex's　debentures；　stood　at　32　pounds　per　100　pounds。　　I
invested　the　whole　of　Ernest's　15；000　pounds　at　this　price；　and　did
not　change　the　investment　till　a　few　months　before　the　time　of　which
I　have　been　writing　latelythat　is　to　say　until　September　1861。　　I
then　sold　at　129　pounds　per　share　and　invested　in　London　and　North…
Western　ordinary　stock；　which　I　was　advised　was　more　likely　to　rise
than　Midlands　now　were。　　I　bought　the　London　and　North…Western　stock
at　93　pounds　per　100　pounds；　and　my　godson　now　in　1882　still　holds
it。

The　original　15；000　pounds　had　increased　in　eleven　years　to　over
60；000　pounds；　the　accumulated　interest；　which；　of　course；　I　had　re…
invested；　had　come　to　about　10；000　pounds　more；　so　that　Ernest　was
then　worth　over　70；000　pounds。　　At　present　he　is　worth　nearly　double
that　sum；　and　all　as　the　result　of　leaving　well　alone。

Large　as　his　property　now　was；　it　ought　to　be　increased　still
further　during　the　year　and　a　half　that　remained　of　his　minority；　so
that　on　coming　of　age　he　ought　to　have　an　income　of　at　least　3500
pounds　a　year。

I　wished　him　to　understand　book…keeping　by　double　entry。　　I　had
myself　as　a　young　man　been　compelled　to　master　this　not　very
difficult　art；　having　acquired　it；　I　have　become　enamoured　of　it；
and　consider　it　the　most　necessary　branch　of　any　young　man's
education　after　reading　and　writing。　　I　was　determined；　therefore；
that　Ernest　should　master　it；　and　proposed　that　he　should　become　my
steward；　book…keeper；　and　the　manager　of　my　hoardings；　for　so　I
called　the　sum　which　my　ledger　showed　to　have　accumulated　from
15；000　pounds　to　70；000　pounds。　　I　told　him　I　was　going　to　begin　to
spend　the　income　as　soon　as　it　had　amounted　up　to　80；000　pounds。

A　few　days　after　Ernest's　discovery　that　he　was　still　a　bachelor；
while　he　was　still　at　the　very　beginning　of　the　honeymoon；　as　it
were；　of　his　renewed　unmarried　life；　I　broached　my　scheme；　desired
him　to　give　up　his　shop；　and　offered　him　300　pounds　a　year　for
managing　（so　far　indeed　as　it　required　any　managing）　his　own
property。　　This　300　pounds　a　year；　I　need　hardly　say；　I　made　him
charge　to　the　estate。

If　anything　had　been　wanting　to　complete　his　happiness　it　was　this。
Here；　within　three　or　four　days　he　found　himself　freed　from　one　of
the　most　hideous；　hopeless　liaisons　imaginable；　and　at　the　same　time
raised　from　a　life　of　almost　squalor　to　the　enjoyment　of　what　would
to　him　be　a　handsome　income。

〃A　pound　a　week；〃　he　thought；　〃for　Ellen；　and　the　rest　for　myself。〃

〃No；〃　said　I；　〃we　will　charge　Ellen's　pound　a　week　to　the　estate
also。　　You　must　have　a　clear　300　pounds　for　yourself。〃

I　fixed　upon　this　sum；　because　it　was　the　one　which　Mr　Disraeli　gave
Coningsby　when　Coningsby　was　at　the　lowest　ebb　of　his　fortunes。　　Mr
Disraeli　evidently　thought　300　pounds　a　year　the　smallest　sum　on
which　Coningsby　could　be　expected　to　live；　and　make　the　two　ends
meet；　with　this；　however；　he　thought　his　hero　could　manage　to　get
along　for　a　year　or　two。　　In　1862；　of　which　I　am　now　writing；　prices
had　risen；　though　not　so　much　as　they　have　since　done；　on　the　other
hand　Ernest　had　had　less　expensive　antecedents　than　Coningsby；　so　on
the　whole　I　thought　300　pounds　a　year　would　be　about　the　right　thing
for　him。



CHAPTER　LXXIX



The　question　now　arose　what　was　to　be　done　with　the　children。　　I
explained　to　Ernest　that　their　expenses　must　be　charged　to　the
estate；　and　showed　him　how　small　a　hole　all　the　various　items　I
proposed　to　charge　would　make　in　the　income　at　my　disposal。　　He　was
beginning　to　make　difficulties；　when　I　quieted　him　by　pointing　out
that　the　money　had　all　come　to　me　from　his　aunt；　over　his　own　head；
and　reminded　him　there　had　been　an　understanding　between　her　and　me
that　I　should　do　much　as　I　was　doing；　if　occasion　should　arise。

He　wanted　his　children　to　be　brought　up　in　the　fresh　pure　air；　and
among　other　children　who　were　happy　and　contented；　but　being　still
ignorant　of　the　fortune　that　awaited　him；　he　insisted　that　they
should　pass　their　earlier　years　among　the　poor　rather　than　the　rich。
I　remonstrated；　but　he　was　very　decided　about　it；　and　when　I
reflected　that　they　were　illegitimate；　I　was　not　sure　but　that　what
Ernest　proposed　might　be　as　well　for　everyone　in　the　end。　　They　were
still　so　young　that　it　did　not　much　matter　where　they　were；　so　long
as　they　were　with　kindly　decent　people；　and　in　a　healthy
neighbourhood。

〃I　shall　be　just　as　unkind　to　my　children；〃　he　said；　〃as　my
grandfather　was　to　my　father；　or　my　father　to　me。　　If　they　did　not
succeed　in　making　their　children　love　them；　neither　shall　I。　　I　say
to　myself　that　I　should　like　to　do　so；　but　so　did　they。　　I　can　make
sure　that　they　shall　not　know　how　much　they　would　have　hated　me　if
they　had　had　much　to　do　with　me；　but　this　is　all　I　can　do。　　If　I
must　ruin　their　prospects；　let　me　do　so　at　a　reasonable　time　before
they　are　old　enough　to　feel　it。〃

He　mused　a　little　and　added　with　a　laugh：…

〃A　man　first　quarrels　with　his　father　about　three…quarters　of　a　year
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