the way of all flesh-第76章

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practice　the　Archbishop　of　Canterbury　would　do　sufficiently　well。
If　he　could　only　manage　to　sprinkle　a　pinch　of　salt；　as　it　were；　on
the　Archbishop's　tail；　he　might　convert　the　whole　Church　of　England
to　free　thought　by　a　coup　de　main。　　There　must　be　an　amount　of
cogency　which　even　an　Archbishopan　Archbishop　whose　perceptions
had　never　been　quickened　by　imprisonment　for　assaultwould　not　be
able　to　withstand。　　When　brought　face　to　face　with　the　facts；　as　he；
Ernest；　could　arrange　them；　his　Grace　would　have　no　resource　but　to
admit　them；　being　an　honourable　man　he　would　at　once　resign　his
Archbishopric；　and　Christianity　would　become　extinct　in　England
within　a　few　months'　time。　　This；　at　any　rate；　was　how　things　ought
to　be。　　But　all　the　time　Ernest　had　no　confidence　in　the
Archbishop's　not　hopping　off　just　as　the　pinch　was　about　to　fall　on
him；　and　this　seemed　so　unfair　that　his　blood　boiled　at　the　thought
of　it。　　If　this　was　to　be　so；　he　must　try　if　he　could　not　fix　him　by
the　judicious　use　of　bird…lime　or　a　snare；　or　throw　the　salt　on　his
tail　from　an　ambuscade。

To　do　him　justice　it　was　not　himself　that　he　greatly　cared　about。
He　knew　he　had　been　humbugged；　and　he　knew　also　that　the　greater
part　of　the　ills　which　had　afflicted　him　were　due；　indirectly；　in
chief　measure　to　the　influence　of　Christian　teaching；　still；　if　the
mischief　had　ended　with　himself；　he　should　have　thought　little　about
it；　but　there　was　his　sister；　and　his　brother　Joey；　and　the　hundreds
and　thousands　of　young　people　throughout　England　whose　lives　were
being　blighted　through　the　lies　told　them　by　people　whose　business
it　was　to　know　better；　but　who　scamped　their　work　and　shirked
difficulties　instead　of　facing　them。　　It　was　this　which　made　him
think　it　worth　while　to　be　angry；　and　to　consider　whether　he　could
not　at　least　do　something　towards　saving　others　from　such　years　of
waste　and　misery　as　he　had　had　to　pass　himself。　　If　there　was　no
truth　in　the　miraculous　accounts　of　Christ's　Death　and　Resurrection；
the　whole　of　the　religion　founded　upon　the　historic　truth　of　those
events　tumbled　to　the　ground。　　〃My；〃　he　exclaimed；　with　all　the
arrogance　of　youth；　〃they　put　a　gipsy　or　fortune…teller　into　prison
for　getting　money　out　of　silly　people　who　think　they　have
supernatural　power；　why　should　they　not　put　a　clergyman　in　prison
for　pretending　that　he　can　absolve　sins；　or　turn　bread　and　wine　into
the　flesh　and　blood　of　One　who　died　two　thousand　years　ago？　　What；〃
he　asked　himself；　〃could　be　more　pure　'hanky…panky'　than　that　a
bishop　should　lay　his　hands　upon　a　young　man　and　pretend　to　convey
to　him　the　spiritual　power　to　work　this　miracle？　　It　was　all　very
well　to　talk　about　toleration；　toleration；　like　everything　else；　had
its　limits；　besides；　if　it　was　to　include　the　bishop　let　it　include
the　fortune…teller　too。〃　　He　would　explain　all　this　to　the
Archbishop　of　Canterbury　by　and　by；　but　as　he　could　not　get　hold　of
him　just　now；　it　occurred　to　him　that　he　might　experimentalise
advantageously　upon　the　viler　soul　of　the　prison　chaplain。　　It　was
only　those　who　took　the　first　and　most　obvious　step　in　their　power
who　ever　did　great　things　in　the　end；　so　one　day；　when　Mr　Hughes
for　this　was　the　chaplain's　namewas　talking　with　him；　Ernest
introduced　the　question　of　Christian　evidences；　and　tried　to　raise　a
discussion　upon　them。　　Mr　Hughes　had　been　very　kind　to　him；　but　he
was　more　than　twice　my　hero's　age；　and　had　long　taken　the　measure　of
such　objections　as　Ernest　tried　to　put　before　him。　　I　do　not　suppose
he　believed　in　the　actual　objective　truth　of　the　stories　about
Christ's　Resurrection　and　Ascension　any　more　than　Ernest　did；　but　he
knew　that　this　was　a　small　matter；　and　that　the　real　issue　lay　much
deeper　than　this。

Mr　Hughes　was　a　man　who　had　been　in　authority　for　many　years；　and　he
brushed　Ernest　on　one　side　as　if　he　had　been　a　fly。　　He　did　it　so
well　that　my　hero　never　ventured　to　tackle　him　again；　and　confined
his　conversation　with　him　for　the　future　to　such　matters　as　what　he
had　better　do　when　he　got　out　of　prison；　and　here　Mr　Hughes　was　ever
ready　to　listen　to　him　with　sympathy　and　kindness。



CHAPTER　LXVI



Ernest　was　now　so　far　convalescent　as　to　be　able　to　sit　up　for　the
greater　part　of　the　day。　　He　had　been　three　months　in　prison；　and；
though　not　strong　enough　to　leave　the　infirmary；　was　beyond　all　fear
of　a　relapse。　　He　was　talking　one　day　with　Mr　Hughes　about　his
future；　and　again　expressed　his　intention　of　emigrating　to　Australia
or　New　Zealand　with　the　money　he　should　recover　from　Pryer。
Whenever　he　spoke　of　this　he　noticed　that　Mr　Hughes　looked　grave　and
was　silent：　　he　had　thought　that　perhaps　the　chaplain　wanted　him　to
return　to　his　profession；　and　disapproved　of　his　evident　anxiety　to
turn　to　something　else；　now；　however；　he　asked　Mr　Hughes　point　blank
why　it　was　that　he　disapproved　of　his　idea　of　emigrating。

Mr　Hughes　endeavoured　to　evade　him；　but　Ernest　was　not　to　be　put
off。　　There　was　something　in　the　chaplain's　manner　which　suggested
that　he　knew　more　than　Ernest　did；　but　did　not　like　to　say　it。　　This
alarmed　him　so　much　that　he　begged　him　not　to　keep　him　in　suspense；
after　a　little　hesitation　Mr　Hughes；　thinking　him　now　strong　enough
to　stand　it；　broke　the　news　as　gently　as　he　could　that　the　whole　of
Ernest's　money　had　disappeared。

The　day　after　my　return　from　Battersby　I　called　on　my　solicitor；　and
was　told　that　he　had　written　to　Pryer；　requiring　him　to　refund　the
monies　for　which　he　had　given　his　I。O。U。's。　　Pryer　replied　that　he
had　given　orders　to　his　broker　to　close　his　operations；　which
unfortunately　had　resulted　so　far　in　heavy　loss；　and　that　the
balance　should　be　paid　to　my　solicitor　on　the　following　settling
day；　then　about　a　week　distant。　　When　the　time　came；　we　heard
nothing　from　Pryer；　and　going　to　his　lodgings　found　that　he　had　left
with　his　few　effects　on　the　very　day　after　he　had　heard　from　us；　and
had　not　been　seen　since。

I　had　heard　from　Ernest　the　name　of　the　broker　who　had　been
employed；　and　went　at　once　to　see　him。　　He　told　me　Pryer　had　closed
all　his　accounts　for　cash　on　the　day　that　Ernest　had　been　sentenced；
and　had　received　2315　pounds；　which　was　all　that　remained　of
Ernest's　original　5000　pounds。　　With　this　he　had　decamped；　nor　had
we　enough　clue　as　to　his　whereabouts　to　be　able　to　take　any　steps　to
recover　the　money。　　There　was　in　fact　nothing　to　be　done　but　to
consider　the　whole　as　lost。　　I　may　say　here　that　neither　I　nor
Ernest　ever　heard　of　Pryer　again；　nor　have　any　idea　what　became　of
him。

This　placed　me　in　a　difficult　position。　　I　knew；　of　course；　that　in
a　few　years　Ernest　would　have　many　times　over　as　much　money　as　he
had　lost；　but　I　knew　also　that　he　did　not　know　this；　and　feared　that
the　supposed　loss　of　all　he　had　in　the　world　might　be　more　than　he
could　stand　when　coupled　with　his　other　misfortunes。

The　prison　authorities　had　found　Theobald's　address　from　a　letter　in
Ernest's　pocket；　and　had　communicated　with　him　more　than　once
concerning　his　son's　illness；　but　Theobald　had　not　written　to　me；
and　I　supposed　my　godson　to　be　in　good　health。　　He　would　be　just
twenty…four　years　old　when　he　left　prison；　and　if　I　followed　out　his
aunt's　instructions；　would　have　to　battle　with　fortune　for　another
four　years　as　well　as　he　could。　　The　question　before　me　was　whether
it　was　right　to　let　him　run　so　much　risk；　or　whether　I　should　not　to
some　extent　transgress　my　instructionswhich　there　was　nothing　to
prevent　my　doing　if　I　thought　Miss　Pontifex　would　have　wished　it
and　let　him　have　the　same　sum　that　he　would　have　recovered　from
Pryer。

If　my　godson　had　been　an　older　man；　and　more　fixed　in　any　definite
groove；　this　is　what　I　should　have　done；　but　he　was　still　very
young；　and　more　than　commonly　unformed　for　his　age。　　If；　again；　I
had　known　of　his　illness　I　should　not　have　dared　to　lay　any　heavier
burden　on　his　back　than　he　had　to　bear　already；　but　not　being　uneasy
about　his　health；　I　thought　a　few　years　of　roughing　it　and　of
experience　concerning　the　importance　of　not　playing　tricks　with
money　would　do　him　no　harm。　　So　I　decided　to　keep　a　sharp　eye　upon
him　as　soon　as　he　came　out