the way of all flesh-第57章

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agreeable。　　He　could　do　this　well　enough　when　he　liked；　and　as
regards　the　outside　world　he　generally　did　like。　　His　clerical
neighbours；　and　indeed　all　his　neighbours；　respected　him　yearly　more
and　more；　and　would　have　given　Ernest　sufficient　cause　to　regret　his
imprudence　if　he　had　dared　to　hint　that　he　had　anything；　however
little；　to　complain　of。　　Theobald's　mind　worked　in　this　way：　　〃Now；
I　know　Ernest　has　told　this　boy　what　a　disagreeable　person　I　am；　and
I　will　just　show　him　that　I　am　not　disagreeable　at　all；　but　a　good
old　fellow；　a　jolly　old　boy；　in　fact　a　regular　old　brick；　and　that
it　is　Ernest　who　is　in　fault　all　through。〃

So　he　would　behave　very　nicely　to　the　boy　at　first；　and　the　boy
would　be　delighted　with　him；　and　side　with　him　against　Ernest。　　Of
course　if　Ernest　had　got　the　boy　to　come　to　Battersby　he　wanted　him
to　enjoy　his　visit；　and　was　therefore　pleased　that　Theobald　should
behave　so　well；　but　at　the　same　time　he　stood　so　much　in　need　of
moral　support　that　it　was　painful　to　him　to　see　one　of　his　own
familiar　friends　go　over　to　the　enemy's　camp。　　For　no　matter　how
well　we　may　know　a　thinghow　clearly　we　may　see　a　certain　patch　of
colour；　for　example；　as　red；　it　shakes　us　and　knocks　us　about　to
find　another　see　it；　or　be　more　than　half　inclined　to　see　it；　as
green。

Theobald　had　generally　begun　to　get　a　little　impatient　before　the
end　of　the　visit；　but　the　impression　formed　during　the　earlier　part
was　the　one　which　the　visitor　had　carried　away　with　him。　　Theobald
never　discussed　any　of　the　boys　with　Ernest。　　It　was　Christina　who
did　this。　　Theobald　let　them　come；　because　Christina　in　a　quiet；
persistent　way　insisted　on　it；　when　they　did　come　he　behaved；　as　I
have　said；　civilly；　but　he　did　not　like　it；　whereas　Christina　did
like　it　very　much；　she　would　have　had　half　Roughborough　and　half
Cambridge　to　come　and　stay　at　Battersby　if　she　could　have　managed
it；　and　if　it　would　not　have　cost　so　much　money：　　she　liked　their
coming；　so　that　she　might　make　a　new　acquaintance；　and　she　liked
tearing　them　to　pieces　and　flinging　the　bits　over　Ernest　as　soon　as
she　had　had　enough　of　them。

The　worst　of　it　was　that　she　had　so　often　proved　to　be　right。　　Boys
and　young　men　are　violent　in　their　affections；　but　they　are　seldom
very　constant；　it　is　not　till　they　get　older　that　they　really　know
the　kind　of　friend　they　want；　in　their　earlier　essays　young　men　are
simply　learning　to　judge　character。　　Ernest　had　been　no　exception　to
the　general　rule。　　His　swans　had　one　after　the　other　proved　to　be
more　or　less　geese　even　in　his　own　estimation；　and　he　was　beginning
almost　to　think　that　his　mother　was　a　better　judge　of　character　than
he　was；　but　I　think　it　may　be　assumed　with　some　certainty　that　if
Ernest　had　brought　her　a　real　young　swan　she　would　have　declared　it
to　be　the　ugliest　and　worst　goose　of　all　that　she　had　yet　seen。

At　first　he　had　not　suspected　that　his　friends　were　wanted　with　a
view　to　Charlotte；　it　was　understood　that　Charlotte　and　they　might
perhaps　take　a　fancy　for　one　another；　and　that　would　be　so　very
nice；　would　it　not？　　But　he　did　not　see　that　there　was　any
deliberate　malice　in　the　arrangement。　　Now；　however；　that　he　had
awoke　to　what　it　all　meant；　he　was　less　inclined　to　bring　any　friend
of　his　to　Battersby。　　It　seemed　to　his　silly　young　mind　almost
dishonest　to　ask　your　friend　to　come　and　see　you　when　all　you　really
meant　was　〃Please；　marry　my　sister。〃　　It　was　like　trying　to　obtain
money　under　false　pretences。　　If　he　had　been　fond　of　Charlotte　it
might　have　been　another　matter；　but　he　thought　her　one　of　the　most
disagreeable　young　women　in　the　whole　circle　of　his　acquaintance。

She　was　supposed　to　be　very　clever。　　All　young　ladies　are　either
very　pretty　or　very　clever　or　very　sweet；　they　may　take　their　choice
as　to　which　category　they　will　go　in　for；　but　go　in　for　one　of　the
three　they　must。　　It　was　hopeless　to　try　and　pass　Charlotte　off　as
either　pretty　or　sweet。　　So　she　became　clever　as　the　only　remaining
alternative。　　Ernest　never　knew　what　particular　branch　of　study　it
was　in　which　she　showed　her　talent；　for　she　could　neither　play　nor
sing　nor　draw；　but　so　astute　are　women　that　his　mother　and　Charlotte
really　did　persuade　him　into　thinking　that　she；　Charlotte；　had
something　more　akin　to　true　genius　than　any　other　member　of　the
family。　　Not　one；　however；　of　all　the　friends　whom　Ernest　had　been
inveigled　into　trying　to　inveigle　had　shown　the　least　sign　of　being
so　far　struck　with　Charlotte's　commanding　powers；　as　to　wish　to　make
them　his　own；　and　this　may　have　had　something　to　do　with　the
rapidity　and　completeness　with　which　Christina　had　dismissed　them
one　after　another　and　had　wanted　a　new　one。

And　now　she　wanted　Towneley。　　Ernest　had　seen　this　coming　and　had
tried　to　avoid　it；　for　he　knew　how　impossible　it　was　for　him　to　ask
Towneley；　even　if　he　had　wished　to　do　so。

Towneley　belonged　to　one　of　the　most　exclusive　sets　in　Cambridge；
and　was　perhaps　the　most　popular　man　among　the　whole　number　of
undergraduates。　　He　was　big　and　very　handsomeas　it　seemed　to
Ernest　the　handsomest　man　whom　he　ever　had　seen　or　ever　could　see；
for　it　was　impossible　to　imagine　a　more　lively　and　agreeable
countenance。　　He　was　good　at　cricket　and　boating；　very　good…natured；
singularly　free　from　conceit；　not　clever　but　very　sensible；　and；
lastly；　his　father　and　mother　had　been　drowned　by　the　overturning　of
a　boat　when　he　was　only　two　years　old　and　had　left　him　as　their　only
child　and　heir　to　one　of　the　finest　estates　in　the　South　of　England。
Fortune　every　now　and　then　does　things　handsomely　by　a　man　all
round；　Towneley　was　one　of　those　to　whom　she　had　taken　a　fancy；　and
the　universal　verdict　in　this　case　was　that　she　had　chosen　wisely。

Ernest　had　seen　Towneley　as　every　one　else　in　the　University
（except；　of　course；　dons）　had　seen　him；　for　he　was　a　man　of　mark；
and　being　very　susceptible　he　had　liked　Towneley　even　more　than　most
people　did；　but　at　the　same　time　it　never　so　much　as　entered　his
head　that　he　should　come　to　know　him。　　He　liked　looking　at　him　if　he
got　a　chance；　and　was　very　much　ashamed　of　himself　for　doing　so；　but
there　the　matter　ended。

By　a　strange　accident；　however；　during　Ernest's　last　year；　when　the
names　of　the　crews　for　the　scratch　fours　were　drawn　he　had　found
himself　coxswain　of　a　crew；　among　whom　was　none　other　than　his
especial　hero　Towneley；　the　three　others　were　ordinary　mortals；　but
they　could　row　fairly　well；　and　the　crew　on　the　whole　was　rather　a
good　one。

Ernest　was　frightened　out　of　his　wits。　　When；　however；　the　two　met；
he　found　Towneley　no　less　remarkable　for　his　entire　want　of　anything
like　〃side；〃　and　for　his　power　of　setting　those　whom　he　came　across
at　their　ease；　than　he　was　for　outward　accomplishments；　the　only
difference　he　found　between　Towneley　and　other　people　was　that　he
was　so　very　much　easier　to　get　on　with。　　Of　course　Ernest　worshipped
him　more　and　more。

The　scratch　fours　being　ended　the　connection　between　the　two　came　to
an　end；　but　Towneley　never　passed　Ernest　thenceforward　without　a　nod
and　a　few　good…natured　words。　　In　an　evil　moment　he　had　mentioned
Towneley's　name　at　Battersby；　and　now　what　was　the　result？　　Here　was
his　mother　plaguing　him　to　ask　Towneley　to　come　down　to　Battersby
and　marry　Charlotte。　　Why；　if　he　had　thought　there　was　the　remotest
chance　of　Towneley's　marrying　Charlotte　he　would　have　gone　down　on
his　knees　to　him　and　told　him　what　an　odious　young　woman　she　was；
and　implored　him　to　save　himself　while　there　was　yet　time。

But　Ernest　had　not　prayed　to　be　made　〃truly　honest　and
conscientious〃　for　as　many　years　as　Christina　had。　　He　tried　to
conceal　what　he　felt　and　thought　as　well　as　he　could；　and　led　the
conversation　back　to　the　difficulties　which　a　clergyman　might　feel
to　stand　in　the　way　of　his　being　ordainednot　because　he　had　any
misgivings；　but　as　a　diversion。　　His　mother；　however；　thought　she
had　settled　all　that；　and　he　got　no　more　out　of　her。　　Soon
afterwards　he　found　the　means　of　escaping；　and　was　not　slow　to　avail
himself　of　them。



CHAPTER　XLIX



On　his　return　to　Cambridge　in　the　May　term　of　1858；　Ernest　and　a　few