the way of all flesh-第85章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


please　himself？　　I　said　nothing；　therefore；　on　this　head；　and　yet
all　that　I　could　urge　went　for　very　little　with　one　who　believed
himself　to　be　an　artisan　or　nothing。

Really　from　his　own　standpoint　there　was　nothing　very　outrageous　in
what　he　was　doing。　　He　had　known　and　been　very　fond　of　Ellen　years
before。　　He　knew　her　to　come　of　respectable　people；　and　to　have
borne　a　good　character；　and　to　have　been　universally　liked　at
Battersby。　　She　was　then　a　quick；　smart；　hard…working　girland　a
very　pretty　one。　　When　at　last　they　met　again　she　was　on　her　best
behaviour；　in　fact；　she　was　modesty　and　demureness　itself。　　What
wonder；　then；　that　his　imagination　should　fail　to　realise　the
changes　that　eight　years　must　have　worked？　　He　knew　too　much　against
himself；　and　was　too　bankrupt　in　love　to　be　squeamish；　if　Ellen　had
been　only　what　he　thought　her；　and　if　his　prospects　had　been　in
reality　no　better　than　he　believed　they　were；　I　do　not　know　that
there　is　anything　much　more　imprudent　in　what　Ernest　proposed　than
there　is　in　half　the　marriages　that　take　place　every　day。

There　was　nothing　for　it；　however；　but　to　make　the　best　of　the
inevitable；　so　I　wished　my　young　friend　good　fortune；　and　told　him
he　could　have　whatever　money　he　wanted　to　start　his　shop　with；　if
what　he　had　in　hand　was　not　sufficient。　　He　thanked　me；　asked　me　to
be　kind　enough　to　let　him　do　all　my　mending　and　repairing；　and　to
get　him　any　other　like　orders　that　I　could；　and　left　me　to　my　own
reflections。

I　was　even　more　angry　when　he　was　gone　than　I　had　been　while　he　was
with　me。　　His　frank；　boyish　face　had　beamed　with　a　happiness　that
had　rarely　visited　it。　　Except　at　Cambridge　he　had　hardly　known　what
happiness　meant；　and　even　there　his　life　had　been　clouded　as　of　a
man　for　whom　wisdom　at　the　greatest　of　its　entrances　was　quite　shut
out。　　I　had　seen　enough　of　the　world　and　of　him　to　have　observed
this；　but　it　was　impossible；　or　I　thought　it　had　been　impossible；
for　me　to　have　helped　him。

Whether　I　ought　to　have　tried　to　help　him　or　not　I　do　not　know；　but
I　am　sure　that　the　young　of　all　animals　often　do　want　help　upon
matters　about　which　anyone　would　say　a　priori　that　there　should　be
no　difficulty。　　One　would　think　that　a　young　seal　would　want　no
teaching　how　to　swim；　nor　yet　a　bird　to　fly；　but　in　practice　a　young
seal　drowns　if　put　out　of　its　depth　before　its　parents　have　taught
it　to　swim；　and　so　again；　even　the　young　hawk　must　be　taught　to　fly
before　it　can　do　so。

I　grant　that　the　tendency　of　the　times　is　to　exaggerate　the　good
which　teaching　can　do；　but　in　trying　to　teach　too　much；　in　most
matters；　we　have　neglected　others　in　respect　of　which　a　little
sensible　teaching　would　do　no　harm。

I　know　it　is　the　fashion　to　say　that　young　people　must　find　out
things　for　themselves；　and　so　they　probably　would　if　they　had　fair
play　to　the　extent　of　not　having　obstacles　put　in　their　way。　　But
they　seldom　have　fair　play；　as　a　general　rule　they　meet　with　foul
play；　and　foul　play　from　those　who　live　by　selling　them　stones　made
into　a　great　variety　of　shapes　and　sizes　so　as　to　form　a　tolerable
imitation　of　bread。

Some　are　lucky　enough　to　meet　with　few　obstacles；　some　are　plucky
enough　to　over…ride　them；　but　in　the　greater　number　of　cases；　if
people　are　saved　at　all　they　are　saved　so　as　by　fire。

While　Ernest　was　with　me　Ellen　was　looking　out　for　a　shop　on　the
south　side　of　the　Thames　near　the　〃Elephant　and　Castle；〃　which　was
then　almost　a　new　and　a　very　rising　neighbourhood。　　By　one　o'clock
she　had　found　several　from　which　a　selection　was　to　be　made；　and
before　night　the　pair　had　made　their　choice。

Ernest　brought　Ellen　to　me。　　I　did　not　want　to　see　her；　but　could
not　well　refuse。　　He　had　laid　out　a　few　of　his　shillings　upon　her
wardrobe；　so　that　she　was　neatly　dressed；　and；　indeed；　she　looked
very　pretty　and　so　good　that　I　could　hardly　be　surprised　at　Ernest's
infatuation　when　the　other　circumstances　of　the　case　were　taken　into
consideration。　　Of　course　we　hated　one　another　instinctively　from
the　first　moment　we　set　eyes　on　one　another；　but　we　each　told　Ernest
that　we　had　been　most　favourably　impressed。

Then　I　was　taken　to　see　the　shop。　　An　empty　house　is　like　a　stray
dog　or　a　body　from　which　life　has　departed。　　Decay　sets　in　at　once
in　every　part　of　it；　and　what　mould　and　wind　and　weather　would
spare；　street　boys　commonly　destroy。　　Ernest's　shop　in　its
untenanted　state　was　a　dirty　unsavoury　place　enough。　　The　house　was
not　old；　but　it　had　been　run　up　by　a　jerry…builder　and　its
constitution　had　no　stamina　whatever。　　It　was　only　by　being　kept
warm　and　quiet　that　it　would　remain　in　health　for　many　months
together。　　Now　it　had　been　empty　for　some　weeks　and　the　cats　had　got
in　by　night；　while　the　boys　had　broken　the　windows　by　day。　　The
parlour　floor　was　covered　with　stones　and　dirt；　and　in　the　area　was
a　dead　dog　which　had　been　killed　in　the　street　and　been　thrown　down
into　the　first　unprotected　place　that　could　be　found。　　There　was　a
strong　smell　throughout　the　house；　but　whether　it　was　bugs；　or　rats；
or　cats；　or　drains；　or　a　compound　of　all　four；　I　could　not
determine。　　The　sashes　did　not　fit；　the　flimsy　doors　hung　badly；　the
skirting　was　gone　in　several　places；　and　there　were　not　a　few　holes
in　the　floor；　the　locks　were　loose；　and　paper　was　torn　and　dirty；
the　stairs　were　weak　and　one　felt　the　treads　give　as　one　went　up
them。

Over　and　above　these　drawbacks　the　house　had　an　ill　name；　by　reason
of　the　fact　that　the　wife　of　the　last　occupant　had　hanged　herself　in
it　not　very　many　weeks　previously。　　She　had　set　down　a　bloater
before　the　fire　for　her　husband's　tea；　and　had　made　him　a　round　of
toast。　　She　then　left　the　room　as　though　about　to　return　to　it
shortly；　but　instead　of　doing　so　she　went　into　the　back　kitchen　and
hanged　herself　without　a　word。　　It　was　this　which　had　kept　the　house
empty　so　long　in　spite　of　its　excellent　position　as　a　corner　shop。
The　last　tenant　had　left　immediately　after　the　inquest；　and　if　the
owner　had　had　it　done　up　then　people　would　have　got　over　the　tragedy
that　had　been　enacted　in　it；　but　the　combination　of　bad　condition
and　bad　fame　had　hindered　many　from　taking　it；　who　like　Ellen；　could
see　that　it　had　great　business　capabilities。　　Almost　anything　would
have　sold　there；　but　it　happened　also　that　there　was　no　second…hand
clothes　shop　in　close　proximity　so　that　everything　combined　in　its
favour；　except　its　filthy　state　and　its　reputation。

When　I　saw　it；　I　thought　I　would　rather　die　than　live　in　such　an
awful　placebut　then　I　had　been　living　in　the　Temple　for　the　last
five　and　twenty　years。　　Ernest　was　lodging　in　Laystall　Street　and
had　just　come　out　of　prison；　before　this　he　had　lived　in　Ashpit
Place　so　that　this　house　had　no　terrors　for　him　provided　he　could
get　it　done　up。　　The　difficulty　was　that　the　landlord　was　hard　to
move　in　this　respect。　　It　ended　in　my　finding　the　money　to　do
everything　that　was　wanted；　and　taking　a　lease　of　the　house　for　five
years　at　the　same　rental　as　that　paid　by　the　last　occupant。　　I　then
sublet　it　to　Ernest；　of　course　taking　care　that　it　was　put　more
efficiently　into　repair　than　his　landlord　was　at　all　likely　to　have
put　it。

A　week　later　I　called　and　found　everything　so　completely　transformed
that　I　should　hardly　have　recognised　the　house。　　All　the　ceilings
had　been　whitewashed；　all　the　rooms　papered；　the　broken　glass　hacked
out　and　reinstated；　the　defective　wood…work　renewed；　all　the　sashes；
cupboards　and　doors　had　been　painted。　　The　drains　had　been
thoroughly　overhauled；　everything　in　fact；　that　could　be　done　had
been　done；　and　the　rooms　now　looked　as　cheerful　as　they　had　been
forbidding　when　I　had　last　seen　them。　　The　people　who　had　done　the
repairs　were　supposed　to　have　cleaned　the　house　down　before　leaving；
but　Ellen　had　given　it　another　scrub　from　top　to　bottom　herself
after　they　were　gone；　and　it　was　as　clean　as　a　new　pin。　　I　almost
felt　as　though　I　could　have　lived　in　it　myself；　and　as　for　Ernest；
he　was　in　the　seventh　heaven。　　He　said　it　was　all　my　doing　and
Ellen's。

There　was　already　a　counter　in　the　shop　and　a　few　fittings；　so　that
nothing　now　remained　but　to　get　some