the way of all flesh-第50章

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secrecy　before　a　word　was　said　to　him；　but；　Ernest　being　thus
protected；　he　could　not　be　furnished　with　the　facts　too　completely。



CHAPTER　XLIII



So　important　did　Theobald　consider　this　matter　that　he　made　a
special　journey　to　Roughborough　before　the　half　year　began。　　It　was
a　relief　to　have　him　out　of　the　house；　but　though　his　destination
was　not　mentioned；　Ernest　guessed　where　he　had　gone。

To　this　day　he　considers　his　conduct　at　this　crisis　to　have　been　one
of　the　most　serious　laches　of　his　lifeone　which　he　can　never　think
of　without　shame　and　indignation。　　He　says　he　ought　to　have　run　away
from　home。　　But　what　good　could　he　have　done　if　he　had？　　He　would
have　been　caught；　brought　back　and　examined　two　days　later　instead
of　two　days　earlier。　　A　boy　of　barely　sixteen　cannot　stand　against
the　moral　pressure　of　a　father　and　mother　who　have　always　oppressed
him　any　more　than　he　can　cope　physically　with　a　powerful　full…grown
man。　　True；　he　may　allow　himself　to　be　killed　rather　than　yield；　but
this　is　being　so　morbidly　heroic　as　to　come　close　round　again　to
cowardice；　for　it　is　little　else　than　suicide；　which　is　universally
condemned　as　cowardly。

On　the　re…assembling　of　the　school　it　became　apparent　that　something
had　gone　wrong。　　Dr　Skinner　called　the　boys　together；　and　with　much
pomp　excommunicated　Mrs　Cross　and　Mrs　Jones；　by　declaring　their
shops　to　be　out　of　bounds。　　The　street　in　which　the　〃Swan　and
Bottle〃　stood　was　also　forbidden。　　The　vices　of　drinking　and
smoking；　therefore；　were　clearly　aimed　at；　and　before　prayers　Dr
Skinner　spoke　a　few　impressive　words　about　the　abominable　sin　of
using　bad　language。　　Ernest's　feelings　can　be　imagined。

Next　day　at　the　hour　when　the　daily　punishments　were　read　out；
though　there　had　not　yet　been　time　for　him　to　have　offended；　Ernest
Pontifex　was　declared　to　have　incurred　every　punishment　which　the
school　provided　for　evil…doers。　　He　was　placed　on　the　idle　list　for
the　whole　half　year；　and　on　perpetual　detentions；　his　bounds　were
curtailed；　he　was　to　attend　junior　callings…over；　in　fact　he　was　so
hemmed　in　with　punishments　upon　ever　side　that　it　was　hardly
possible　for　him　to　go　outside　the　school　gates。　　This　unparalleled
list　of　punishments　inflicted　on　the　first　day　of　the　half　year；　and
intended　to　last　till　the　ensuing　Christmas　holidays；　was　not
connected　with　any　specified　offence。　　It　required　no　great
penetration　therefore；　on　the　part　of　the　boys　to　connect　Ernest
with　the　putting　Mrs　Cross's　and　Mrs　Jones's　shops　out　of　bounds。

Great　indeed　was　the　indignation　about　Mrs　Cross　who；　it　was　known；
remembered　Dr　Skinner　himself　as　a　small　boy　only　just　got　into
jackets；　and　had　doubtless　let　him　have　many　a　sausage　and　mashed
potatoes　upon　deferred　payment。　　The　head　boys　assembled　in　conclave
to　consider　what　steps　should　be　taken；　but　hardly　had　they　done　so
before　Ernest　knocked　timidly　at　the　head…room　door　and　took　the
bull　by　the　horns　by　explaining　the　facts　as　far　as　he　could　bring
himself　to　do　so。　　He　made　a　clean　breast　of　everything　except　about
the　school　list　and　the　remarks　he　had　made　about　each　boy's
character。　　This　infamy　was　more　than　he　could　own　to；　and　he　kept
his　counsel　concerning　it。　　Fortunately　he　was　safe　in　doing　so；　for
Dr　Skinner；　pedant　and　more　than　pedant　though　he　was；　had　still
just　sense　enough　to　turn　on　Theobald　in　the　matter　of　the　school
list。　　Whether　he　resented　being　told　that　he　did　not　know　the
characters　of　his　own　boys；　or　whether　he　dreaded　a　scandal　about
the　school　I　know　not；　but　when　Theobald　had　handed　him　the　list；
over　which　he　had　expended　so　much　pains；　Dr　Skinner　had　cut　him
uncommonly　short；　and　had　then　and　there；　with　more　suavity　than　was
usual　with　him；　committed　it　to　the　flames　before　Theobald's　own
eyes。

Ernest　got　off　with　the　head　boys　easier　than　he　expected。　　It　was
admitted　that　the　offence；　heinous　though　it　was；　had　been　committed
under　extenuating　circumstances；　the　frankness　with　which　the
culprit　had　confessed　all；　his　evidently　unfeigned　remorse；　and　the
fury　with　which　Dr　Skinner　was　pursuing　him　tended　to　bring　about　a
reaction　in　his　favour；　as　though　he　had　been　more　sinned　against
than　sinning。

As　the　half　year　wore　on　his　spirits　gradually　revived；　and　when
attacked　by　one　of　his　fits　of　self…abasement　he　was　in　some　degree
consoled　by　having　found　out　that　even　his　father　and　mother；　whom
he　had　supposed　so　immaculate；　were　no　better　than　they　should　be。
About　the　fifth　of　November　it　was　a　school　custom　to　meet　on　a
certain　common　not　far　from　Roughborough　and　burn　somebody　in
effigy；　this　being　the　compromise　arrived　at　in　the　matter　of
fireworks　and　Guy　Fawkes　festivities。　　This　year　it　was　decided　that
Pontifex's　governor　should　be　the　victim；　and　Ernest　though　a　good
deal　exercised　in　mind　as　to　what　he　ought　to　do；　in　the　end　saw　no
sufficient　reason　for　holding　aloof　from　proceedings　which；　as　he
justly　remarked；　could　not　do　his　father　any　harm。

It　so　happened　that　the　bishop　had　held　a　confirmation　at　the　school
on　the　fifth　of　November。　　Dr　Skinner　had　not　quite　liked　the
selection　of　this　day；　but　the　bishop　was　pressed　by　many
engagements；　and　had　been　compelled　to　make　the　arrangement　as　it
then　stood。　　Ernest　was　among　those　who　had　to　be　confirmed；　and　was
deeply　impressed　with　the　solemn　importance　of　the　ceremony。　　When
he　felt　the　huge　old　bishop　drawing　down　upon　him　as　he　knelt　in
chapel　he　could　hardly　breathe；　and　when　the　apparition　paused
before　him　and　laid　its　hands　upon　his　head　he　was　frightened　almost
out　of　his　wits。　　He　felt　that　he　had　arrived　at　one　of　the　great
turning　points　of　his　life；　and　that　the　Ernest　of　the　future　could
resemble　only　very　faintly　the　Ernest　of　the　past。

This　happened　at　about　noon；　but　by　the　one　o'clock　dinner…hour　the
effect　of　the　confirmation　had　worn　off；　and　he　saw　no　reason　why　he
should　forego　his　annual　amusement　with　the　bonfire；　so　he　went　with
the　others　and　was　very　valiant　till　the　image　was　actually　produced
and　was　about　to　be　burnt；　then　he　felt　a　little　frightened。　　It　was
a　poor　thing　enough；　made　of　paper；　calico　and　straw；　but　they　had
christened　it　The　Rev。　Theobald　Pontifex；　and　he　had　a　revulsion　of
feeling　as　he　saw　it　being　carried　towards　the　bonfire。　　Still　he
held　his　ground；　and　in　a　few　minutes　when　all　was　over　felt　none
the　worse　for　having　assisted　at　a　ceremony　which；　after　all；　was
prompted　by　a　boyish　love　of　mischief　rather　than　by　rancour。

I　should　say　that　Ernest　had　written　to　his　father；　and　told　him　of
the　unprecedented　way　in　which　he　was　being　treated；　he　even
ventured　to　suggest　that　Theobald　should　interfere　for　his
protection　and　reminded　him　how　the　story　had　been　got　out　of　him；
but　Theobald　had　had　enough　of　Dr　Skinner　for　the　present；　the
burning　of　the　school　list　had　been　a　rebuff　which　did　not　encourage
him　to　meddle　a　second　time　in　the　internal　economics　of
Roughborough。　　He　therefore　replied　that　he　must　either　remove
Ernest　from　Roughborough　altogether；　which　would　for　many　reasons　be
undesirable；　or　trust　to　the　discretion　of　the　head　master　as
regards　the　treatment　he　might　think　best　for　any　of　his　pupils。
Ernest　said　no　more；　he　still　felt　that　it　was　so　discreditable　to
him　to　have　allowed　any　confession　to　be　wrung　from　him；　that　he
could　not　press　the　promised　amnesty　for　himself。

It　was　during　the　〃Mother　Cross　row；〃　as　it　was　long　styled　among
the　boys；　that　a　remarkable　phenomenon　was　witnessed　at
Roughborough。　　I　mean　that　of　the　head　boys　under　certain　conditions
doing　errands　for　their　juniors。　　The　head　boys　had　no　bounds　and
could　go　to　Mrs　Cross's　whenever　they　liked；　they　actually；
therefore；　made　themselves　go…betweens；　and　would　get　anything　from
either　Mrs　Cross's　or　Mrs　Jones's　for　any　boy；　no　matter　how　low　in
the　school；　between　the　hours　of　a　quarter　to　nine　and　nine　in　the
morning；　and　a　quarter　to　six　and　six　in　the　afternoon。　　By　degrees；
however；　the　boys　grew　bolder；　and　the　shops；　though　not　openly
declared　in　bounds　again；　were　tacitly　allowed　to　be　so。



CHAPTER　XLIV



I　may　spare　the　reader　more