brother jacob-第6章

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had　lost　all　interest　in　the　〃bulbul；〃　openly　preferred　discussing

the　nature　of　spavin　with　a　coarse　neighbour；　and　was　angry　if　the

pudding　turned　out　wateryindeed；　was　simply　a　top…booted　〃vet。〃；

who　came　in　hungry　at　dinner…time；　and　not　in　the　least　like　a

nobleman　turned　Corsair　out　of　pure　scorn　for　his　race；　or　like　a

renegade　with　a　turban　and　crescent；　unless　it　were　in　the

irritability　of　his　temper。　　And　scorn　is　such　a　very　different

thing　in　top…boots！



This　brutal　man　had　invited　a　supper…party　for　Christmas　eve；　when

he　would　expect　to　see　mince…pies　on　the　table。　　Mrs。　Steene　had

prepared　her　mince…meat；　and　had　devoted　much　butter；　fine　flour；

and　labour；　to　the　making　of　a　batch　of　pies　in　the　morning；　but

they　proved　to　be　so　very　heavy　when　they　came　out　of　the　oven；　that

she　could　only　think　with　trembling　of　the　moment　when　her　husband

should　catch　sight　of　them　on　the　supper…table。　　He　would　storm　at

her；　she　was　certain；　and　before　all　the　company；　and　then　she

should　never　help　crying：　　it　was　so　dreadful　to　think　she　had　come

to　that；　after　the　bulbul　and　everything！　　Suddenly　the　thought

darted　through　her　mind　that　THIS　ONCE　she　might　send　for　a　dish　of

mince…pies　from　Freely's：　　she　knew　he　had　some。　　But　what　was　to

become　of　the　eighteen　heavy　mince…pies？　　Oh；　it　was　of　no　use

thinking　about　that；　it　was　very　expensiveindeed；　making　mince…

pies　at　all　was　a　great　expense；　when　they　were　not　sure　to　turn　out

well：　　it　would　be　much　better　to　buy　them　ready…made。　　You　paid　a

little　more　for　them；　but　there　was　no　risk　of　waste。



Such　was　the　sophistry　with　which　this　misguided　young　woman

enough。　　Mrs。　Steene　sent　for　the　mince…pies；　and；　I　am　grieved　to

add；　garbled　her　household　accounts　in　order　to　conceal　the　fact

from　her　husband。　　This　was　the　second　step　in　a　downward　course；

all　owing　to　a　young　woman's　being　out　of　harmony　with　her

circumstances；　yearning　after　renegades　and　bulbuls；　and　being

subject　to　claims　from　a　veterinary　surgeon　fond　of　mince…pies。　　The

third　step　was　to　harden　herself　by　telling　the　fact　of　the　bought

mince…pies　to　her　intimate　friend　Mrs。　Mole；　who　had　already　guessed

it；　and　who　subsequently　encouraged　herself　in　buying　a　mould　of

jelly；　instead　of　exerting　her　own　skill；　by　the　reflection　that

〃other　people〃　did　the　same　sort　of　thing。　　The　infection　spread；

soon　there　was　a　party　or　clique　in　Grimworth　on　the　side　of　〃buying

at　Freely's〃；　and　many　husbands；　kept　for　some　time　in　the　dark　on

this　point；　innocently　swallowed　at　two　mouthfuls　a　tart　on　which

they　were　paying　a　profit　of　a　hundred　per　cent。；　and　as　innocently

encouraged　a　fatal　disingenuousness　in　the　partners　of　their　bosoms

by　praising　the　pastry。　　Others；　more　keen…sighted；　winked　at　the

too　frequent　presentation　on　washing…days；　and　at　impromptu　suppers；

of　superior　spiced…beef；　which　flattered　their　palates　more　than　the

cold　remnants　they　had　formerly　been　contented　with。　　Every

housewife　who　had　once　〃bought　at　Freely's〃　felt　a　secret　joy　when

she　detected　a　similar　perversion　in　her　neighbour's　practice；　and

soon　only　two　or　three　old…fashioned　mistresses　of　families　held　out

in　the　protest　against　the　growing　demoralization；　saying　to　their

neighbours　who　came　to　sup　with　them；　〃I　can't　offer　you　Freely's

beef；　or　Freely's　cheesecakes；　everything　in　our　house　is　home…made；

I'm　afraid　you'll　hardly　have　any　appetite　for　our　plain　pastry。〃

The　doctor；　whose　cook　was　not　satisfactory；　the　curate；　who　kept　no

cook；　and　the　mining　agent；　who　was　a　great　bon　vivant；　even　began

to　rely　on　Freely　for　the　greater　part　of　their　dinner；　when　they

wished　to　give　an　entertainment　of　some　brilliancy。　　In　short；　the

business　of　manufacturing　the　more　fanciful　viands　was　fast　passing

out　of　the　hinds　of　maids　and　matrons　in　private　families；　and　was

becoming　the　work　of　a　special　commercial　organ。



I　am　not　ignorant　that　this　sort　of　thing　is　called　the　inevitable

course　of　civilization；　division　of　labour；　and　so　forth；　and　that

the　maids　and　matrons　may　be　said　to　have　had　their　hands　set　free

from　cookery　to　add　to　the　wealth　of　society　in　some　other　way。

Only　it　happened　at　Grimworth；　which；　to　be　sure；　was　a　low　place；

that　the　maids　and　matrons　could　do　nothing　with　their　hands　at　all

better　than　cooking：　　not　even　those　who　had　always　made　heavy　cakes

and　leathery　pastry。　　And　so　it　came　to　pass；　that　the　progress　of

civilization　at　Grimworth　was　not　otherwise　apparent　than　in　the

impoverishment　of　men；　the　gossiping　idleness　of　women；　and　the

heightening　prosperity　of　Mr。　Edward　Freely。



The　Yellow　Coat　School　was　a　double　source　of　profit　to　the

calculating　confectioner；　for　he　opened　an　eating…room　for　the

superior　workmen　employed　on　the　new　school；　and　he　accommodated　the

pupils　at　the　old　school　by　giving　great　attention　to　the　fancy…

sugar　department。　　When　I　think　of　the　sweet…tasted　swans　and　other

ingenious　white　shapes　crunched　by　the　small　teeth　of　that　rising

generation；　I　am　glad　to　remember　that　a　certain　amount　of

calcareous　food　has　been　held　good　for　young　creatures　whose　bones

are　not　quite　formed；　for　I　have　observed　these　delicacies　to　have

an　inorganic　flavour　which　would　have　recommended　them　greatly　to

that　young　lady　of　the　Spectator's　acquaintance　who　habitually　made

her　dessert　on　the　stems　of　tobacco…pipes。



As　for　the　confectioner　himself；　he　made　his　way　gradually　into

Grimworth　homes；　as　his　commodities　did；　in　spite　of　some　initial

repugnance。　　Somehow　or　other；　his　reception　as　a　guest　seemed　a

thing　that　required　justifying；　like　the　purchasing　of　his　pastry。

In　the　first　place；　he　was　a　stranger；　and　therefore　open　to

suspicion；　secondly；　the　confectionery　business　was　so　entirely　new

at　Grimworth；　that　its　place　in　the　scale　of　rank　had　not　been

distinctly　ascertained。　　There　was　no　doubt　about　drapers　and

grocers；　when　they　came　of　good　old　Grimworth　families；　like　Mr。

Luff　and　Mr。　Prettyman：　　they　visited　with　the　Palfreys；　who　farmed

their　own　land；　played　many　a　game　at　whist　with　the　doctor；　and

condescended　a　little　towards　the　timber…merchant；　who　had　lately

taken　to　the　coal…trade　also；　and　had　got　new　furniture；　but　whether

a　confectioner　should　be　admitted　to　this　higher　level　of

respectability；　or　should　be　understood　to　find　his　associates　among

butchers　and　bakers；　was　a　new　question　on　which　tradition　threw　no

light。　　His　being　a　bachelor　was　in　his　favour；　and　would　perhaps

have　been　enough　to　turn　the　scale；　even　if　Mr。　Edward　Freely's

other　personal　pretensions　had　been　of　an　entirely　insignificant

cast。　　But　so　far　from　this；　it　very　soon　appeared　that　he　was　a

remarkable　young　man；　who　had　been　in　the　West　Indies；　and　had　seen

many　wonders　by　sea　and　land；　so　that　he　could　charm　the　ears　of

Grimworth　Desdemonas　with　stories　of　strange　fishes；　especially

sharks；　which　he　had　stabbed　in　the　nick　of　time　by　bravely　plunging

overboard　just　as　the　monster　was　turning　on　his　side　to　devour　the

cook's　mate；　of　terrible　fevers　which　he　had　undergone　in　a　land

where　the　wind　blows　from　all　quarters　at　once；　of　rounds　of　toast

cut　straight　from　the　breadfruit　trees；　of　toes　bitten　off　by　land…

crabs；　of　large　honours　that　had　been　offered　to　him　as　a　man　who

knew　what　was　what；　and　was　therefore　particularly　needed　in　a

tropical　climate；　and　of　a　Creole　heiress　who　had　wept　bitterly　at

his　departure。　　Such　conversational　talents　as　these；　we　know；　will

overcome　disadvantages　of　complexion；　and　young　Towers；　whose　cheeks

were　of　the　finest　pink；　set　off　by　a　fringe　of　dark　whisker；　was

quite　eclipsed　by　the　presence　of　the　sallow　Mr。　Freely。　　So

exceptional　a　confectioner　elevated　the　business；　and　might　well

begin　to　make　disengaged　hearts　flutter　a　little。



Fathers　and　mothers　were　naturally　more　slow　and　cautious　in　their

recognition　of　the　new…comer's　merits。



〃He's　an　amusin