the way of all flesh-第41章

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them。　　It　was　known　that　she　had　sent　for　me　on　being　taken　ill；　and
that　I　remained　at　Roughborough；　and　I　own　I　was　angered　by　the
mingled　air　of　suspicion；　defiance　and　inquisitiveness；　with　which
they　regarded　me。　　They　would　all；　except　Theobald；　I　believe　have
cut　me　downright　if　they　had　not　believed　me　to　know　something　they
wanted　to　know　themselves；　and　might　have　some　chance　of　learning
from　mefor　it　was　plain　I　had　been　in　some　way　concerned　with　the
making　of　their　sister's　will。　　None　of　them　suspected　what　the
ostensible　nature　of　this　would　be；　but　I　think　they　feared　Miss
Pontifex　was　about　to　leave　money　for　public　uses。　　John　said　to　me
in　his　blandest　manner　that　he　fancied　he　remembered　to　have　heard
his　sister　say　that　she　thought　of　leaving　money　to　found　a　college
for　the　relief　of　dramatic　authors　in　distress；　to　this　I　made　no
rejoinder；　and　I　have　no　doubt　his　suspicions　were　deepened。

When　the　end　came；　I　got　Miss　Pontifex's　solicitor　to　write　and　tell
her　brothers　and　sisters　how　she　had　left　her　money：　　they　were　not
unnaturally　furious；　and　went　each　to　his　or　her　separate　home
without　attending　the　funeral；　and　without　paying　any　attention　to
myself。　　This　was　perhaps　the　kindest　thing　they　could　have　done　by
me；　for　their　behaviour　made　me　so　angry　that　I　became　almost
reconciled　to　Alethea's　will　out　of　pleasure　at　the　anger　it　had
aroused。　　But　for　this　I　should　have　felt　the　will　keenly；　as　having
been　placed　by　it　in　the　position　which　of　all　others　I　had　been
most　anxious　to　avoid；　and　as　having　saddled　me　with　a　very　heavy
responsibility。　　Still　it　was　impossible　for　me　to　escape；　and　I
could　only　let　things　take　their　course。

Miss　Pontifex　had　expressed　a　wish　to　be　buried　at　Paleham；　in　the
course　of　the　next　few　days　I　therefore　took　the　body　thither。　　I
had　not　been　to　Paleham　since　the　death　of　my　father　some　six　years
earlier。　　I　had　often　wished　to　go　there；　but　had　shrunk　from　doing
so　though　my　sister　had　been　two　or　three　times。　　I　could　not　bear
to　see　the　house　which　had　been　my　home　for　so　many　years　of　my　life
in　the　hands　of　strangers；　to　ring　ceremoniously　at　a　bell　which　I
had　never　yet　pulled　except　as　a　boy　in　jest；　to　feel　that　I　had
nothing　to　do　with　a　garden　in　which　I　had　in　childhood　gathered　so
many　a　nosegay；　and　which　had　seemed　my　own　for　many　years　after　I
had　reached　man's　estate；　to　see　the　rooms　bereft　of　every　familiar
feature；　and　made　so　unfamiliar　in　spite　of　their　familiarity。　　Had
there　been　any　sufficient　reason；　I　should　have　taken　these　things
as　a　matter　of　course；　and　should　no　doubt　have　found　them　much
worse　in　anticipation　than　in　reality；　but　as　there　had　been　no
special　reason　why　I　should　go　to　Paleham　I　had　hitherto　avoided
doing　so。　　Now；　however；　my　going　was　a　necessity；　and　I　confess　I
never　felt　more　subdued　than　I　did　on　arriving　there　with　the　dead
playmate　of　my　childhood。

I　found　the　village　more　changed　than　I　had　expected。　　The　railway
had　come　there；　and　a　brand　new　yellow　brick　station　was　on　the　site
of　old　Mr　and　Mrs　Pontifex's　cottage。　　Nothing　but　the　carpenter's
shop　was　now　standing。　　I　saw　many　faces　I　knew；　but　even　in　six
years　they　seemed　to　have　grown　wonderfully　older。　　Some　of　the　very
old　were　dead；　and　the　old　were　getting　very　old　in　their　stead。　　I
felt　like　the　changeling　in　the　fairy　story　who　came　back　after　a
seven　years'　sleep。　　Everyone　seemed　glad　to　see　me；　though　I　had
never　given　them　particular　cause　to　be　so；　and　everyone　who
remembered　old　Mr　and　Mrs　Pontifex　spoke　warmly　of　them　and　were
pleased　at　their　granddaughter's　wishing　to　be　laid　near　them。
Entering　the　churchyard　and　standing　in　the　twilight　of　a　gusty
cloudy　evening　on　the　spot　close　beside　old　Mrs　Pontifex's　grave
which　I　had　chosen　for　Alethea's；　I　thought　of　the　many　times　that
she；　who　would　lie　there　henceforth；　and　I；　who　must　surely　lie　one
day　in　some　such　another　place　though　when　and　where　I　knew　not；　had
romped　over　this　very　spot　as　childish　lovers　together。　　Next
morning　I　followed　her　to　the　grave；　and　in　due　course　set　up　a
plain　upright　slab　to　her　memory　as　like　as　might　be　to　those　over
the　graves　of　her　grandmother　and　grandfather。　　I　gave　the　dates　and
places　of　her　birth　and　death；　but　added　nothing　except　that　this
stone　was　set　up　by　one　who　had　known　and　loved　her。　　Knowing　how
fond　she　had　been　of　music　I　had　been　half　inclined　at　one　time　to
inscribe　a　few　bars　of　music；　if　I　could　find　any　which　seemed
suitable　to　her　character；　but　I　knew　how　much　she　would　have
disliked　anything　singular　in　connection　with　her　tombstone　and　did
not　do　it。

Before；　however；　I　had　come　to　this　conclusion；　I　had　thought　that
Ernest　might　be　able　to　help　me　to　the　right　thing；　and　had　written
to　him　upon　the　subject。　　The　following　is　the　answer　I　received　…


〃Dear　Godpapa；I　send　you　the　best　bit　I　can　think　of；　it　is　the
subject　of　the　last　of　Handel's　six　grand　fugues　and　goes　thus：…

＇Music　score＇

It　would　do　better　for　a　man；　especially　for　an　old　man　who　was　very
sorry　for　things；　than　for　a　woman；　but　I　cannot　think　of　anything
better；　if　you　do　not　like　it　for　Aunt　Alethea　I　shall　keep　it　for
myself。Your　affectionate　Godson；　　ERNEST　PONTIFEX。〃


Was　this　the　little　lad　who　could　get　sweeties　for　two…pence　but　not
for　two…pence…halfpenny？　　Dear；　dear　me；　I　thought　to　myself；　how
these　babes　and　sucklings　do　give　us　the　go…by　surely。　　Choosing　his
own　epitaph　at　fifteen　as　for　a　man　who　〃had　been　very　sorry　for
things；〃　and　such　a　strain　as　thatwhy　it　might　have　done　for
Leonardo　da　Vinci　himself。　　Then　I　set　the　boy　down　as　a　conceited
young　jackanapes；　which　no　doubt　he　was；but　so　are　a　great　many
other　young　people　of　Ernest's　age。



CHAPTER　XXXVII



If　Theobald　and　Christina　had　not　been　too　well　pleased　when　Miss
Pontifex　first　took　Ernest　in　hand；　they　were　still　less　so　when　the
connection　between　the　two　was　interrupted　so　prematurely。　　They
said　they　had　made　sure　from　what　their　sister　had　said　that　she　was
going　to　make　Ernest　her　heir。　　I　do　not　think　she　had　given　them　so
much　as　a　hint　to　this　effect。　　Theobald　indeed　gave　Ernest　to
understand　that　she　had　done　so　in　a　letter　which　will　be　given
shortly；　but　if　Theobald　wanted　to　make　himself　disagreeable；　a
trifle　light　as　air　would　forthwith　assume　in　his　imagination
whatever　form　was　most　convenient　to　him。　　I　do　not　think　they　had
even　made　up　their　minds　what　Alethea　was　to　do　with　her　money
before　they　knew　of　her　being　at　the　point　of　death；　and　as　I　have
said　already；　if　they　had　thought　it　likely　that　Ernest　would　be
made　heir　over　their　own　heads　without　their　having　at　any　rate　a
life　interest　in　the　bequest；　they　would　have　soon　thrown　obstacles
in　the　way　of　further　intimacy　between　aunt　and　nephew。

This；　however；　did　not　bar　their　right　to　feeling　aggrieved　now　that
neither　they　nor　Ernest　had　taken　anything　at　all；　and　they　could
profess　disappointment　on　their　boy's　behalf　which　they　would　have
been　too　proud　to　admit　upon　their　own。　　In　fact；　it　was　only
amiable　of　them　to　be　disappointed　under　these　circumstances。

Christina　said　that　the　will　was　simply　fraudulent；　and　was
convinced　that　it　could　be　upset　if　she　and　Theobald　went　the　right
way　to　work。　　Theobald；　she　said；　should　go　before　the　Lord
Chancellor；　not　in　full　court　but　in　chambers；　where　he　could
explain　the　whole　matter；　or；　perhaps　it　would　be　even　better　if　she
were　to　go　herselfand　I　dare　not　trust　myself　to　describe　the
reverie　to　which　this　last　idea　gave　rise。　　I　believe　in　the　end
Theobald　died；　and　the　Lord　Chancellor　（who　had　become　a　widower　a
few　weeks　earlier）　made　her　an　offer；　which；　however；　she　firmly　but
not　ungratefully　declined；　she　should　ever；　she　said；　continue　to
think　of　him　as　a　friendat　this　point　the　cook　came　in；　saying　the
butcher　had　called；　and　what　would　she　please　to　order。

I　think　Theobald　must　have　had　an　idea　that　there　was　something
behind　the　bequest　to　me；　but　he　said　nothing　about　it　to　Christina。
He　was　angry　and　felt　wronged；　because　he　could　not　get　at　Alethea
to　give　her　a　piece　of　his　mi