finale-第1章

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FINALE。





Every　limit　is　a　beginning　as　well　as　an　ending。　　Who　can　quit　young

lives　after　being　long　in　company　with　them；　and　not　desire　to　know

what　befell　them　in　their　after…years？　For　the　fragment　of　a　life；

however　typical；　is　not　the　sample　of　an　even　web：　　promises　may

not　be　kept；　and　an　ardent　outset　may　be　followed　by　declension；

latent　powers　may　find　their　long…waited　opportunity；　a　past　error

may　urge　a　grand　retrieval。



Marriage；　which　has　been　the　bourne　of　so　many　narratives；

is　still　a　great　beginning；　as　it　was　to　Adam　and　Eve；　who　kept

their　honeymoon　in　Eden；　but　had　their　first　little　one　among　the

thorns　and　thistles　of　the　wilderness。　　It　is　still　the　beginning

of　the　home　epicthe　gradual　conquest　or　irremediable　loss

of　that　complete　union　which　makes　the　advancing　years　a　climax；

and　age　the　harvest　of　sweet　memories　in　common。



Some　set　out；　like　Crusaders　of　old；　with　a　glorious　equipment

of　hope　and　enthusiasm　and　get　broken　by　the　way；　wanting　patience

with　each　other　and　the　world。



All　who　have　oared　for　Fred　Vincy　and　Mary　Garth　will　like　to

know　that　these　two　made　no　such　failure；　but　achieved　a　solid

mutual　happiness。　　Fred　surprised　his　neighbors　in　various　ways。　

He　became　rather　distinguished　in　his　side　of　the　county　as　a　theoretic

and　practical　farmer；　and　produced　a　work　on　the　〃Cultivation　of

Green　Crops　and　the　Economy　of　Cattle…Feeding〃　which　won　him　high

congratulations　at　agricultural　meetings。　　In　Middlemarch　admiration

was　more　reserved：　　most　persons　there　were　inclined　to　believe

that　the　merit　of　Fred's　authorship　was　due　to　his　wife；　since　they

had　never　expected　Fred　Vincy　to　write　on　turnips　and　mangel…wurzel。



But　when　Mary　wrote　a　little　book　for　her　boys；　called　〃Stories

of　Great　Men；　taken　from　Plutarch；〃　and　had　it　printed　and　published

by　Gripp　&　Co。；　Middlemarch；　every　one　in　the　town　was　willing

to　give　the　credit　of　this　work　to　Fred；　observing　that　he

had　been　to　the　University；　〃where　the　ancients　were　studied；〃

and　might　have　been　a　clergyman　if　he　had　chosen。



In　this　way　it　was　made　clear　that　Middlemarch　had　never　been　deceived；

and　that　there　was　no　need　to　praise　anybody　for　writing　a　book；

since　it　was　always　done　by　somebody　else。



Moreover；　Fred　remained　unswervingly　steady。　　Some　years　after

his　marriage　he　told　Mary　that　his　happiness　was　half　owing

to　Farebrother；　who　gave　him　a　strong　pull…up　at　the　right　moment。　

I　cannot　say　that　he　was　never　again　misled　by　his　hopefulness：　

the　yield　of　crops　or　the　profits　of　a　cattle　sale　usually　fell

below　his　estimate；　and　he　was　always　prone　to　believe　that　he

could　make　money　by　the　purchase　of　a　horse　which　turned　out　badly

though　this；　Mary　observed；　was　of　course　the　fault　of　the　horse；

not　of　Fred's　judgment。　　He　kept　his　love　of　horsemanship；　but　he　rarely

allowed　himself　a　day's　hunting；　and　when　he　did　so；　it　was　remarkable

that　he　submitted　to　be　laughed　at　for　cowardliness　at　the　fences；

seeming　to　see　Mary　and　the　boys　sitting　on　the　five…barred　gate；

or　showing　their　curly　heads　between　hedge　and　ditch。



There　were　three　boys：　　Mary　was　not　discontented　that　she　brought

forth　men…children　only；　and　when　Fred　wished　to　have　a　girl　like　her；

she　said；　laughingly；　〃that　would　be　too　great　a　trial　to　your　mother。〃　

Mrs。　Vincy　in　her　declining　years；　and　in　the　diminished　lustre　of

her　housekeeping；　was　much　comforted　by　her　perception　that　two　at　least

of　Fred's　boys　were　real　Vincys；　and　did　not　〃feature　the　Garths。〃　

But　Mary　secretly　rejoiced　that　the　youngest　of　the　three　was　very

much　what　her　father　must　have　been　when　he　wore　a　round　jacket；

and　showed　a　marvellous　nicety　of　aim　in　playing　at　marbles；

or　in　throwing　stones　to　bring　down　the　mellow　pears。



Ben　and　Letty　Garth；　who　were　uncle　and　aunt　before　they　were　well

in　their　teens；　disputed　much　as　to　whether　nephews　or　nieces　were

more　desirable；　Ben　contending　that　it　was　clear　girls　were　good

for　less　than　boys；　else　they　would　not　be　always　in　petticoats；

which　showed　how　little　they　were　meant　for；　whereupon　Letty；

who　argued　much　from　books；　got　angry　in　replying　that　God　made　coats

of　skins　for　both　Adam　and　Eve　alikealso　it　occurred　to　her　that

in　the　East　the　men　too　wore　petticoats。　　But　this　latter　argument；

obscuring　the　majesty　of　the　former；　was　one　too　many；　for　Ben

answered　contemptuously；　〃The　more　spooneys　they！〃　and　immediately

appealed　to　his　mother　whether　boys　were　not　better　than　girls。　

Mrs。　Garth　pronounced　that　both　were　alike　naughty；　but　that　boys

were　undoubtedly　stronger；　could　run　faster；　and　throw　with　more

precision　to　a　greater　distance。　　With　this　oracular　sentence　Ben　was

well　satisfied；　not　minding　the　naughtiness；　but　Letty　took　it　ill；

her　feeling　of　superiority　being　stronger　than　her　muscles。



Fred　never　became　richhis　hopefulness　had　not　led　him　to　expect　that；

but　he　gradually　saved　enough　to　become　owner　of　the　stock　and　furniture

at　Stone　Court；　and　the　work　which　Mr。　Garth　put　into　his　hands

carried　him　in　plenty　through　those　〃bad　times〃　which　are　always

present　with　farmers。　　Mary；　in　her　matronly　days；　became　as　solid

in　figure　as　her　mother；　but；　unlike　her；　gave　the　boys　little

formal　teaching；　so　that　Mrs。　Garth　was　alarmed　lest　they　should　never

be　well　grounded　in　grammar　and　geography。　　Nevertheless；　they　were

found　quite　forward　enough　when　they　went　to　school；　perhaps；

because　they　had　liked　nothing　so　well　as　being　with　their　mother。　

When　Fred　was　riding　home　on　winter　evenings　he　had　a　pleasant

vision　beforehand　of　the　bright　hearth　in　the　wainscoted　parlor；

and　was　sorry　for　other　men　who　could　not　have　Mary　for　their　wife；

especially　for　Mr。　Farebrother。　　〃He　was　ten　times　worthier　of　you

than　I　was；〃　Fred　could　now　say　to　her；　magnanimously。　　〃To　be　sure

he　was；〃　Mary　answered；　〃and　for　that　reason　he　could　do　better

without　me。　　But　youI　shudder　to　think　what　you　would　have　been

a　curate　in　debt　for　horse…hire　and　cambric　pocket…handkerchiefs！〃



On　inquiry　it　might　possibly　be　found　that　Fred　and　Mary　still

inhabit　Stone　Courtthat　the　creeping　plants　still　cast　the　foam

of　their　blossoms　over　the　fine　stone…wall　into　the　field　where　the

walnut…trees　stand　in　stately　rowand　that　on　sunny　days　the　two

lovers　who　were　first　engaged　with　the　umbrella…ring　may　be　seen

in　white…haired　placidity　at　the　open　window　from　which　Mary　Garth；

in　the　days　of　old　Peter　Featherstone；　had　often　been　ordered

to　look　out　for　Mr。　Lydgate。



Lydgate's　hair　never　became　white。　　He　died　when　he　was　only　fifty；

leaving　his　wife　and　children　provided　for　by　a　heavy　insurance

on　his　life。　　He　had　gained　an　excellent　practice；　alternating；

according　to　the　season；　between　London　and　a　Continental　bathing…place；

having　written　a　treatise　on　Gout；　a　disease　which　has　a　good　deal

of　wealth　on　its　side。　　His　skill　was　relied　on　by　many　paying　patients；

but　he　always　regarded　himself　as　a　failure：　　he　had　not　done　what　he

once　meant　to　do。　　His　acquaintances　thought　him　enviable　to　have

so　charming　a　wife；　and　nothing　happened　to　shake　their　opinion。　

Rosamond　never　committed　a　second　compromising　indiscretion。　　She　simply

continued　to　be　mild　in　her　temper；　inflexible　in　her　judgment；

disposed　to　admonish　her　husband；　and　able　to　frustrate　him

by　stratagem。　　As　the　years　went　on　he　opposed　her　less　and　less；

whence　Rosamond　concluded　that　he　had　learned　the　value　of　her　opinion；

on　the　other　hand；　she　had　a　more　thorough　conviction　of　his　talents

now　that　he　gained　a　good　income；　and　instead　of　the　threatened　cage

in　Bride　Street　provided　one　all　flowers　and　gilding；　fit　for　the

bird　of　paradise　that　she　resembled。　　In　brief；　Lydgate　was　what　is

called　a　successful　man。　　But　he　died　prematurely　of　diphtheria；

and　Rosamond　afterwards　married　an　elderly　and　wealthy　physician；

who　took　kindly　to　her　four　children