the way of all flesh-第106章

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highest　good；　towards　this　all　government；　all　social　conventions；
all　art；　literature　and　science　should　directly　or　indirectly　tend。
Holy　men　and　holy　women　are　those　who　keep　this　unconsciously　in
view　at　all　times　whether　of　work　or　pastime。〃

If　Ernest　had　published　this　work　in　his　own　name　I　should　think　it
would　have　fallen　stillborn　from　the　press；　but　the　form　he　had
chosen　was　calculated　at　that　time　to　arouse　curiosity；　and　as　I
have　said　he　had　wickedly　dropped　a　few　hints　which　the　reviewers
did　not　think　anyone　would　have　been　impudent　enough　to　do　if　he
were　not　a　bishop；　or　at　any　rate　some　one　in　authority。　　A　well…
known　judge　was　spoken　of　as　being　another　of　the　writers；　and　the
idea　spread　ere　long　that　six　or　seven　of　the　leading　bishops　and
judges　had　laid　their　heads　together　to　produce　a　volume；　which
should　at　once　outbid　〃Essays　and　Reviews〃　and　counteract　the
influence　of　that　then　still　famous　work。

Reviewers　are　men　of　like　passions　with　ourselves；　and　with　them　as
with　everyone　else　omne　ignotum　pro　magnifico。　　The　book　was　really
an　able　one　and　abounded　with　humour；　just　satire；　and　good　sense。
It　struck　a　new　note　and　the　speculation　which　for　some　time　was
rife　concerning　its　authorship　made　many　turn　to　it　who　would　never
have　looked　at　it　otherwise。　　One　of　the　most　gushing　weeklies　had　a
fit　over　it；　and　declared　it　to　be　the　finest　thing　that　had　been
done　since　the　〃Provincial　Letters〃　of　Pascal。　　Once　a　month　or　so
that　weekly　always　found　some　picture　which　was　the　finest　that　had
been　done　since　the　old　masters；　or　some　satire　that　was　the　finest
that　had　appeared　since　Swift　or　some　something　which　was
incomparably　the　finest　that　had　appeared　since　something　else。　　If
Ernest　had　put　his　name　to　the　book；　and　the　writer　had　known　that
it　was　by　a　nobody；　he　would　doubtless　have　written　in　a　very
different　strain。　　Reviewers　like　to　think　that　for　aught　they　know
they　are　patting　a　Duke　or　even　a　Prince　of　the　blood　upon　the　back；
and　lay　it　on　thick　till　they　find　they　have　been　only　praising
Brown；　Jones　or　Robinson。　　Then　they　are　disappointed；　and　as　a
general　rule　will　pay　Brown；　Jones　or　Robinson　out。

Ernest　was　not　so　much　up　to　the　ropes　of　the　literary　world　as　I
was；　and　I　am　afraid　his　head　was　a　little　turned　when　he　woke　up
one　morning　to　find　himself　famous。　　He　was　Christina's　son；　and
perhaps　would　not　have　been　able　to　do　what　he　had　done　if　he　was
not　capable　of　occasional　undue　elation。　　Ere　long；　however；　he
found　out　all　about　it；　and　settled　quietly　down　to　write　a　series
of　books；　in　which　he　insisted　on　saying　things　which　no　one　else
would　say　even　if　they　could；　or　could　even　if　they　would。

He　has　got　himself　a　bad　literary　character。　　I　said　to　him
laughingly　one　day　that　he　was　like　the　man　in　the　last　century　of
whom　it　was　said　that　nothing　but　such　a　character　could　keep　down
such　parts。

He　laughed　and　said　he　would　rather　be　like　that　than　like　a　modern
writer　or　two　whom　he　could　name；　whose　parts　were　so　poor　that　they
could　be　kept　up　by　nothing　but　by　such　a　character。

I　remember　soon　after　one　of　these　books　was　published　I　happened　to
meet　Mrs　Jupp　to　whom；　by　the　way；　Ernest　made　a　small　weekly
allowance。　　It　was　at　Ernest's　chambers；　and　for　some　reason　we　were
left　alone　for　a　few　minutes。　　I　said　to　her：　　〃Mr　Pontifex　has
written　another　book；　Mrs　Jupp。〃

〃Lor'　now；〃　said　she；　〃has　he　really？　　Dear　gentleman！　　Is　it　about
love？〃　　And　the　old　sinner　threw　up　a　wicked　sheep's　eye　glance　at
me　from　under　her　aged　eyelids。　　I　forget　what　there　was　in　my　reply
which　provoked　itprobably　nothingbut　she　went　rattling　on　at
full　speed　to　the　effect　that　Bell　had　given　her　a　ticket　for　the
opera；　〃So；　of　course；〃　she　said；　〃I　went。　　I　didn't　understand　one
word　of　it；　for　it　was　all　French；　but　I　saw　their　legs。　　Oh　dear；
oh　dear！　　I'm　afraid　I　shan't　be　here　much　longer；　and　when　dear　Mr
Pontifex　sees　me　in　my　coffin　he'll　say；　'Poor　old　Jupp；　she'll
never　talk　broad　any　more'；　but　bless　you　I'm　not　so　old　as　all
that；　and　I'm　taking　lessons　in　dancing。〃

At　this　moment　Ernest　came　in　and　the　conversation　was　changed。　　Mrs
Jupp　asked　if　he　was　still　going　on　writing　more　books　now　that　this
one　was　done。　　〃Of　course　I　am；〃　he　answered；　〃I'm　always　writing
books；　here　is　the　manuscript　of　my　next；〃　and　he　showed　her　a　heap
of　paper。

〃Well　now；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃dear；　dear　me；　and　is　that　manuscript？
I've　often　heard　talk　about　manuscripts；　but　I　never　thought　I
should　live　to　see　some　myself。　　Well！　well！　　So　that　is　really
manuscript？〃

There　were　a　few　geraniums　in　the　window　and　they　did　not　look　well。
Ernest　asked　Mrs　Jupp　if　she　understood　flowers。　　〃I　understand　the
language　of　flowers；〃　she　said；　with　one　of　her　most　bewitching
leers；　and　on　this　we　sent　her　off　till　she　should　choose　to　honour
us　with　another　visit；　which　she　knows　she　is　privileged　from　time
to　time　to　do；　for　Ernest　likes　her。



CHAPTER　LXXXVI



And　now　I　must　bring　my　story　to　a　close。

The　preceding　chapter　was　written　soon　after　the　events　it　records
that　is　to　say　in　the　spring　of　1867。　　By　that　time　my　story　had
been　written　up　to　this　point；　but　it　has　been　altered　here　and
there　from　time　to　time　occasionally。　　It　is　now　the　autumn　of　1882；
and　if　I　am　to　say　more　I　should　do　so　quickly；　for　I　am　eighty
years　old　and　though　well　in　health　cannot　conceal　from　myself　that
I　am　no　longer　young。　　Ernest　himself　is　forty…seven；　though　he
hardly　looks　it。

He　is　richer　than　ever；　for　he　has　never　married　and　his　London　and
North…Western　shares　have　nearly　doubled　themselves。　　Through　sheer
inability　to　spend　his　income　he　has　been　obliged　to　hoard　in　self…
defence。　　He　still　lives　in　the　Temple　in　the　same　rooms　I　took　for
him　when　he　gave　up　his　shop；　for　no　one　has　been　able　to　induce　him
to　take　a　house。　　His　house；　he　says；　is　wherever　there　is　a　good
hotel。　　When　he　is　in　town　he　likes　to　work　and　to　be　quiet。　　When
out　of　town　he　feels　that　he　has　left　little　behind　him　that　can　go
wrong；　and　he　would　not　like　to　be　tied　to　a　single　locality。　　〃I
know　no　exception；〃　he　says；　〃to　the　rule　that　it　is　cheaper　to　buy
milk　than　to　keep　a　cow。〃

As　I　have　mentioned　Mrs　Jupp；　I　may　as　well　say　here　the　little　that
remains　to　be　said　about　her。　　She　is　a　very　old　woman　now；　but　no
one　now　living；　as　she　says　triumphantly；　can　say　how　old；　for　the
woman　in　the　Old　Kent　Road　is　dead；　and　presumably　has　carried　her
secret　to　the　grave。　　Old；　however；　though　she　is；　she　lives　in　the
same　house；　and　finds　it　hard　work　to　make　the　two　ends　meet；　but　I
do　not　know　that　she　minds　this　very　much；　and　it　has　prevented　her
from　getting　more　to　drink　than　would　be　good　for　her。　　It　is　no　use
trying　to　do　anything　for　her　beyond　paying　her　allowance　weekly；
and　absolutely　refusing　to　let　her　anticipate　it。　　She　pawns　her
flat　iron　every　Saturday　for　4d。；　and　takes　it　out　every　Monday
morning　for　4。5d。　when　she　gets　her　allowance；　and　has　done　this　for
the　last　ten　years　as　regularly　as　the　week　comes　round。　　As　long　as
she　does　not　let　the　flat　iron　actually　go　we　know　that　she　can
still　worry　out　her　financial　problems　in　her　own　hugger…mugger　way
and　had　better　be　left　to　do　so。　　If　the　flat　iron　were　to　go　beyond
redemption；　we　should　know　that　it　was　time　to　interfere。　　I　do　not
know　why；　but　there　is　something　about　her　which　always　reminds　me
of　a　woman　who　was　as　unlike　her　as　one　person　can　be　to　anotherI
mean　Ernest's　mother。

The　last　time　I　had　a　long　gossip　with　her　was　about　two　years　ago
when　she　came　to　me　instead　of　to　Ernest。　　She　said　she　had　seen　a
cab　drive　up　just　as　she　was　going　to　enter　the　staircase；　and　had
seen　Mr　Pontifex's　pa　put　his　Beelzebub　old　head　out　of　the　window；
so　she　had　come　on　to　me；　for　she　hadn't　greased　her　sides　for　no
curtsey；　not　for　the　likes　of　him。　　She　professed　to　be　very　much
down　on　her　luck。　　Her　lodgers　did　use　her　so　dreadful；　going　away
without　paying　and　leaving　not　so　much　as　a　stick　behind；　but　to…day
she　was　as　pleased　as　a　penny　carrot。　　She　had　had　such　a　lovely
dinnera　cushion　o