the way of all flesh-第70章

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real　bad　brought　up；　and　I　don't　think　you　have　ever　had　so　much　as
a　chance　yet。　　You　know　nothing　of　our　side　of　the　question；　and　I
have　just　shown　you　that　you　do　not　know　much　more　of　your　own；　but
I　think　you　will　make　a　kind　of　Carlyle　sort　of　a　man　some　day。　　Now
go　upstairs　and　read　the　accounts　of　the　Resurrection　correctly
without　mixing　them　up；　and　have　a　clear　idea　of　what　it　is　that
each　writer　tells　us；　then　if　you　feel　inclined　to　pay　me　another
visit　I　shall　be　glad　to　see　you；　for　I　shall　know　you　have　made　a
good　beginning　and　mean　business。　　Till　then；　Sir；　I　must　wish　you　a
very　good　morning。〃

Ernest　retreated　abashed。　　An　hour　sufficed　him　to　perform　the　task
enjoined　upon　him　by　Mr　Shaw；　and　at　the　end　of　that　hour　the　〃No；
no；　no；〃　which　still　sounded　in　his　ears　as　he　heard　it　from
Towneley；　came　ringing　up　more　loudly　still　from　the　very　pages　of
the　Bible　itself；　and　in　respect　of　the　most　important　of　all　the
events　which　are　recorded　in　it。　　Surely　Ernest's　first　day's
attempt　at　more　promiscuous　visiting；　and　at　carrying　out　his
principles　more　thoroughly；　had　not　been　unfruitful。　　But　he　must　go
and　have　a　talk　with　Pryer。　　He　therefore　got　his　lunch　and　went　to
Pryer's　lodgings。　　Pryer　not　being　at　home；　he　lounged　to　the
British　Museum　Reading　Room；　then　recently　opened；　sent　for　the
〃Vestiges　of　Creation；〃　which　he　had　never　yet　seen；　and　spent　the
rest　of　the　afternoon　in　reading　it。

Ernest　did　not　see　Pryer　on　the　day　of　his　conversation　with　Mr
Shaw；　but　he　did　so　next　morning　and　found　him　in　a　good　temper；
which　of　late　he　had　rarely　been。　　Sometimes；　indeed；　he　had　behaved
to　Ernest　in　a　way　which　did　not　bode　well　for　the　harmony　with
which　the　College　of　Spiritual　Pathology　would　work　when　it　had　once
been　founded。　　It　almost　seemed　as　though　he　were　trying　to　get　a
complete　moral　ascendency　over　him；　so　as　to　make　him　a　creature　of
his　own。

He　did　not　think　it　possible　that　he　could　go　too　far；　and　indeed；
when　I　reflect　upon　my　hero's　folly　and　inexperience；　there　is　much
to　be　said　in　excuse　for　the　conclusion　which　Pryer　came　to。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　however；　it　was　not　so。　　Ernest's　faith　in
Pryer　had　been　too　great　to　be　shaken　down　all　in　a　moment；　but　it
had　been　weakened　lately　more　than　once。　　Ernest　had　fought　hard
against　allowing　himself　to　see　this；　nevertheless　any　third　person
who　knew　the　pair　would　have　been　able　to　see　that　the　connection
between　the　two　might　end　at　any　moment；　for　when　the　time　for　one
of　Ernest's　snipe…like　changes　of　flight　came；　he　was　quick　in
making　it；　the　time；　however；　was　not　yet　come；　and　the　intimacy
between　the　two　was　apparently　all　that　it　had　ever　been。　　It　was
only　that　horrid　money　business　（so　said　Ernest　to　himself）　that
caused　any　unpleasantness　between　them；　and　no　doubt　Pryer　was
right；　and　he；　Ernest；　much　too　nervous。　　However；　that　might　stand
over　for　the　present。

In　like　manner；　though　he　had　received　a　shock　by　reason　of　his
conversation　with　Mr　Shaw；　and　by　looking　at　the　〃Vestiges；〃　he　was
as　yet　too　much　stunned　to　realise　the　change　which　was　coming　over
him。　　In　each　case　the　momentum　of　old　habits　carried　him　forward　in
the　old　direction。　　He　therefore　called　on　Pryer；　and　spent　an　hour
and　more　with　him。

He　did　not　say　that　he　had　been　visiting　among　his　neighbours；　this
to　Pryer　would　have　been　like　a　red　rag　to　a　bull。　　He　only　talked
in　much　his　usual　vein　about　the　proposed　College；　the　lamentable
want　of　interest　in　spiritual　things　which　was　characteristic　of
modern　society；　and　other　kindred　matters；　he　concluded　by　saying
that　for　the　present　he　feared　Pryer　was　indeed　right；　and　that
nothing　could　be　done。

〃As　regards　the　laity；〃　said　Pryer；　〃nothing；　not　until　we　have　a
discipline　which　we　can　enforce　with　pains　and　penalties。　　How　can　a
sheep　dog　work　a　flock　of　sheep　unless　he　can　bite　occasionally　as
well　as　bark？　　But　as　regards　ourselves　we　can　do　much。〃

Pryer's　manner　was　strange　throughout　the　conversation；　as　though　he
were　thinking　all　the　time　of　something　else。　　His　eyes　wandered
curiously　over　Ernest；　as　Ernest　had　often　noticed　them　wander
before：　　the　words　were　about　Church　discipline；　but　somehow　or
other　the　discipline　part　of　the　story　had　a　knack　of　dropping　out
after　having　been　again　and　again　emphatically　declared　to　apply　to
the　laity　and　not　to　the　clergy：　　once　indeed　Pryer　had　pettishly
exclaimed：　　〃Oh；　bother　the　College　of　Spiritual　Pathology。〃　　As
regards　the　clergy；　glimpses　of　a　pretty　large　cloven　hoof　kept
peeping　out　from　under　the　saintly　robe　of　Pryer's　conversation；　to
the　effect；　that　so　long　as　they　were　theoretically　perfect；
practical　peccadilloesor　even　peccadaccios；　if　there　is　such　a
word；　were　of　less　importance。　　He　was　restless；　as　though　wanting
to　approach　a　subject　which　he　did　not　quite　venture　to　touch　upon；
and　kept　harping　（he　did　this　about　every　third　day）　on　the　wretched
lack　of　definition　concerning　the　limits　of　vice　and　virtue；　and　the
way　in　which　half　the　vices　wanted　regulating　rather　than
prohibiting。　　He　dwelt　also　on　the　advantages　of　complete　unreserve；
and　hinted　that　there　were　mysteries　into　which　Ernest　had　not　yet
been　initiated；　but　which　would　enlighten　him　when　he　got　to　know
them；　as　he　would　be　allowed　to　do　when　his　friends　saw　that　he　was
strong　enough。

Pryer　had　often　been　like　this　before；　but　never　so　nearly；　as　it
seemed　to　Ernest；　coming　to　a　pointthough　what　the　point　was　he
could　not　fully　understand。　　His　inquietude　was　communicating　itself
to　Ernest；　who　would　probably　ere　long　have　come　to　know　as　much　as
Pryer　could　tell　him；　but　the　conversation　was　abruptly　interrupted
by　the　appearance　of　a　visitor。　　We　shall　never　know　how　it　would
have　ended；　for　this　was　the　very　last　time　that　Ernest　ever　saw
Pryer。　　Perhaps　Pryer　was　going　to　break　to　him　some　bad　news　about
his　speculations。



CHAPTER　LX



Ernest　now　went　home　and　occupied　himself　till　luncheon　with
studying　Dean　Alford's　notes　upon　the　various　Evangelistic　records
of　the　Resurrection；　doing　as　Mr　Shaw　had　told　him；　and　trying　to
find　out　not　that　they　were　all　accurate；　but　whether　they　were　all
accurate　or　no。　　He　did　not　care　which　result　he　should　arrive　at；
but　he　was　resolved　that　he　would　reach　one　or　the　other。　　When　he
had　finished　Dean　Alford's　notes　he　found　them　come　to　this；　namely；
that　no　one　yet　had　succeeded　in　bringing　the　four　accounts　into
tolerable　harmony　with　each　other；　and　that　the　Dean；　seeing　no
chance　of　succeeding　better　than　his　predecessors　had　done；
recommended　that　the　whole　story　should　be　taken　on　trustand　this
Ernest　was　not　prepared　to　do。

He　got　his　luncheon；　went　out　for　a　long　walk；　and　returned　to
dinner　at　half　past　six。　　While　Mrs　Jupp　was　getting　him　his　dinner…
…a　steak　and　a　pint　of　stoutshe　told　him　that　Miss　Snow　would　be
very　happy　to　see　him　in　about　an　hour's　time。　　This　disconcerted
him；　for　his　mind　was　too　unsettled　for　him　to　wish　to　convert
anyone　just　then。　　He　reflected　a　little；　and　found　that；　in　spite
of　the　sudden　shock　to　his　opinions；　he　was　being　irresistibly　drawn
to　pay　the　visit　as　though　nothing　had　happened。　　It　would　not　look
well　for　him　not　to　go；　for　he　was　known　to　be　in　the　house。　　He
ought　not　to　be　in　too　great　a　hurry　to　change　his　opinions　on　such
a　matter　as　the　evidence　for　Christ's　Resurrection　all　of　a　sudden
besides　he　need　not　talk　to　Miss　Snow　about　this　subject　to…day
there　were　other　things　he　might　talk　about。　　What　other　things？
Ernest　felt　his　heart　beat　fast　and　fiercely；　and　an　inward　monitor
warned　him　that　he　was　thinking　of　anything　rather　than　of　Miss
Snow's　soul。

What　should　he　do？　　Fly；　fly；　flyit　was　the　only　safety。　　But
would　Christ　have　fled？　　Even　though　Christ　had　not　died　and　risen
from　the　dead　there　could　be　no　question　that　He　was　the　model　whose
example　we　were　bound　to　follow。　　Christ　would　not　have　fled　from
Miss　Snow；　he　was　sure　of　that；　for　He　went　about　more　especially
with　prostitutes　and　disreputable　people。　　Now；　as　then；　it　was　the
business　of　the　true　Christian　to　call　not　the　righteous