the way of all flesh-第67章

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infatuated　as　a　young　lover　of　two　and　twenty。　　Finding　that　these
friends　disapproved；　he　dropped　away　from　them；　and　they；　being
bored　with　his　egotism　and　high…flown　ideas；　were　not　sorry　to　let
him　do　so。　　Of　course；　he　said　nothing　about　his　speculations
indeed；　he　hardly　knew　that　anything　done　in　so　good　a　cause　could
be　called　speculation。　　At　Battersby；　when　his　father　urged　him　to
look　out　for　a　next　presentation；　and　even　brought　one　or　two
promising　ones　under　his　notice；　he　made　objections　and　excuses；
though　always　promising　to　do　as　his　father　desired　very　shortly。



CHAPTER　LVI



By　and　by　a　subtle；　indefinable　malaise　began　to　take　possession　of
him。　　I　once　saw　a　very　young　foal　trying　to　eat　some　most
objectionable　refuse；　and　unable　to　make　up　its　mind　whether　it　was
good　or　no。　　Clearly　it　wanted　to　be　told。　　If　its　mother　had　seen
what　it　was　doing　she　would　have　set　it　right　in　a　moment；　and　as
soon　as　ever　it　had　been　told　that　what　it　was　eating　was　filth；　the
foal　would　have　recognised　it　and　never　have　wanted　to　be　told
again；　but　the　foal　could　not　settle　the　matter　for　itself；　or　make
up　its　mind　whether　it　liked　what　it　was　trying　to　eat　or　no；
without　assistance　from　without。　　I　suppose　it　would　have　come　to　do
so　by　and　by；　but　it　was　wasting　time　and　trouble；　which　a　single
look　from　its　mother　would　have　saved；　just　as　wort　will　in　time
ferment　of　itself；　but　will　ferment　much　more　quickly　if　a　little
yeast　be　added　to　it。　　In　the　matter　of　knowing　what　gives　us
pleasure　we　are　all　like　wort；　and　if　unaided　from　without　can　only
ferment　slowly　and　toilsomely。

My　unhappy　hero　about　this　time　was　very　much　like　the　foal；　or
rather　he　felt　much　what　the　foal　would　have　felt　if　its　mother　and
all　the　other　grown…up　horses　in　the　field　had　vowed　that　what　it
was　eating　was　the　most　excellent　and　nutritious　food　to　be　found
anywhere。　　He　was　so　anxious　to　do　what　was　right；　and　so　ready　to
believe　that　every　one　knew　better　than　himself；　that　he　never
ventured　to　admit　to　himself　that　he　might　be　all　the　while　on　a
hopelessly　wrong　tack。　　It　did　not　occur　to　him　that　there　might　be
a　blunder　anywhere；　much　less　did　it　occur　to　him　to　try　and　find
out　where　the　blunder　was。　　Nevertheless　he　became　daily　more　full
of　malaise；　and　daily；　only　he　knew　it　not；　more　ripe　for　an
explosion　should　a　spark　fall　upon　him。

One　thing；　however；　did　begin　to　loom　out　of　the　general　vagueness；
and　to　this　he　instinctively　turned　as　trying　to　seize　itI　mean；
the　fact　that　he　was　saving　very　few　souls；　whereas　there　were
thousands　and　thousands　being　lost　hourly　all　around　him　which　a
little　energy　such　as　Mr　Hawke's　might　save。　　Day　after　day　went　by；
and　what　was　he　doing？　　Standing　on　professional　etiquette；　and
praying　that　his　shares　might　go　up　and　down　as　he　wanted　them；　so
that　they　might　give　him　money　enough　to　enable　him　to　regenerate
the　universe。　　But　in　the　meantime　the　people　were　dying。　　How　many
souls　would　not　be　doomed　to　endless　ages　of　the　most　frightful
torments　that　the　mind　could　think　of；　before　he　could　bring　his
spiritual　pathology　engine　to　bear　upon　them？　　Why　might　he　not
stand　and　preach　as　he　saw　the　Dissenters　doing　sometimes　in
Lincoln's　Inn　Fields　and　other　thoroughfares？　　He　could　say　all　that
Mr　Hawke　had　said。　　Mr　Hawke　was　a　very　poor　creature　in　Ernest's
eyes　now；　for　he　was　a　Low　Churchman；　but　we　should　not　be　above
learning　from　any　one；　and　surely　he　could　affect　his　hearers　as
powerfully　as　Mr　Hawke　had　affected　him　if　he　only　had　the　courage
to　set　to　work。　　The　people　whom　he　saw　preaching　in　the　squares
sometimes　drew　large　audiences。　　He　could　at　any　rate　preach　better
than　they。

Ernest　broached　this　to　Pryer；　who　treated　it　as　something　too
outrageous　to　be　even　thought　of。　　Nothing；　he　said；　could　more　tend
to　lower　the　dignity　of　the　clergy　and　bring　the　Church　into
contempt。　　His　manner　was　brusque；　and　even　rude。

Ernest　ventured　a　little　mild　dissent；　he　admitted　it　was　not　usual；
but　something　at　any　rate　must　be　done；　and　that　quickly。　　This　was
how　Wesley　and　Whitfield　had　begun　that　great　movement　which　had
kindled　religious　life　in　the　minds　of　hundreds　of　thousands。　　This
was　no　time　to　be　standing　on　dignity。　　It　was　just　because　Wesley
and　Whitfield　had　done　what　the　Church　would　not　that　they　had　won
men　to　follow　them　whom　the　Church　had　now　lost。

Pryer　eyed　Ernest　searchingly；　and　after　a　pause　said；　〃I　don't　know
what　to　make　of　you；　Pontifex；　you　are　at　once　so　very　right　and　so
very　wrong。　　I　agree　with　you　heartily　that　something　should　be
done；　but　it　must　not　be　done　in　a　way　which　experience　has　shown
leads　to　nothing　but　fanaticism　and　dissent。　　Do　you　approve　of
these　Wesleyans？　　Do　you　hold　your　ordination　vows　so　cheaply　as　to
think　that　it　does　not　matter　whether　the　services　of　the　Church　are
performed　in　her　churches　and　with　all　due　ceremony　or　not？　　If　you
dothen；　frankly；　you　had　no　business　to　be　ordained；　if　you　do
not；　then　remember　that　one　of　the　first　duties　of　a　young　deacon　is
obedience　to　authority。　　Neither　the　Catholic　Church；　nor　yet　the
Church　of　England　allows　her　clergy　to　preach　in　the　streets　of
cities　where　there　is　no　lack　of　churches。〃

Ernest　felt　the　force　of　this；　and　Pryer　saw　that　he　wavered。

〃We　are　living；〃　he　continued　more　genially；　〃in　an　age　of
transition；　and　in　a　country　which；　though　it　has　gained　much　by　the
Reformation；　does　not　perceive　how　much　it　has　also　lost。　　You
cannot　and　must　not　hawk　Christ　about　in　the　streets　as　though　you
were　in　a　heathen　country　whose　inhabitants　had　never　heard　of　him。
The　people　here　in　London　have　had　ample　warning。　　Every　church　they
pass　is　a　protest　to　them　against　their　lives；　and　a　call　to　them　to
repent。　　Every　church…bell　they　hear　is　a　witness　against　them；
everyone　of　those　whom　they　meet　on　Sundays　going　to　or　coming　from
church　is　a　warning　voice　from　God。　　If　these　countless　influences
produce　no　effect　upon　them；　neither　will　the　few　transient　words
which　they　would　hear　from　you。　　You　are　like　Dives；　and　think　that
if　one　rose　from　the　dead　they　would　hear　him。　　Perhaps　they　might；
but　then　you　cannot　pretend　that　you　have　risen　from　the　dead。〃

Though　the　last　few　words　were　spoken　laughingly；　there　was　a　sub…
sneer　about　them　which　made　Ernest　wince；　but　he　was　quite　subdued；
and　so　the　conversation　ended。　　It　left　Ernest；　however；　not　for　the
first　time；　consciously　dissatisfied　with　Pryer；　and　inclined　to　set
his　friend's　opinion　on　one　sidenot　openly；　but　quietly；　and
without　telling　Pryer　anything　about　it。



CHAPTER　LVII



He　had　hardly　parted　from　Pryer　before　there　occurred　another
incident　which　strengthened　his　discontent。　　He　had　fallen；　as　I
have　shown；　among　a　gang　of　spiritual　thieves　or　coiners；　who　passed
the　basest　metal　upon　him　without　his　finding　it　out；　so　childish
and　inexperienced　was　he　in　the　ways　of　anything　but　those　back
eddies　of　the　world；　schools　and　universities。　　Among　the　bad
threepenny　pieces　which　had　been　passed　off　upon　him；　and　which　he
kept　for　small　hourly　disbursement；　was　a　remark　that　poor　people
were　much　nicer　than　the　richer　and　better　educated。　　Ernest　now
said　that　he　always　travelled　third　class　not　because　it　was
cheaper；　but　because　the　people　whom　he　met　in　third　class　carriages
were　so　much　pleasanter　and　better　behaved。　　As　for　the　young　men
who　attended　Ernest's　evening　classes；　they　were　pronounced　to　be
more　intelligent　and　better　ordered　generally　than　the　average　run
of　Oxford　and　Cambridge　men。　　Our　foolish　young　friend　having　heard
Pryer　talk　to　this　effect；　caught　up　all　he　said　and　reproduced　it
more　suo。

One　evening；　however；　about　this　time；　whom　should　he　see　coming
along　a　small　street　not　far　from　his　own　but；　of　all　persons　in　the
world；　Towneley；　looking　as　full　of　life　and　good　spirits　as　ever；
and　if　possible　even　handsomer　than　he　had　been　at　Cambridge。　　Much
as　Ernest　liked　him　he　found　himself　shrinking　from　speaking　to　him；
and　was　endeavouring　to　pass　him　without　doing　so　when　Towneley　saw
him　and　stopped　him　at　once；　being　pl