the way of all flesh-第86章

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There　was　already　a　counter　in　the　shop　and　a　few　fittings；　so　that
nothing　now　remained　but　to　get　some　stock　and　set　them　out　for
sale。　　Ernest　said　he　could　not　begin　better　than　by　selling　his
clerical　wardrobe　and　his　books；　for　though　the　shop　was　intended
especially　for　the　sale　of　second…hand　clothes；　yet　Ellen　said　there
was　no　reason　why　they　should　not　sell　a　few　books　too；　so　a
beginning　was　to　be　made　by　selling　the　books　he　had　had　at　school
and　college　at　about　one　shilling　a　volume；　taking　them　all　round；
and　I　have　heard　him　say　that　he　learned　more　that　proved　of
practical　use　to　him　through　stocking　his　books　on　a　bench　in　front
of　his　shop　and　selling　them；　than　he　had　done　from　all　the　years　of
study　which　he　had　bestowed　upon　their　contents。

For　the　enquiries　that　were　made　of　him　whether　he　had　such　and　such
a　book　taught　him　what　he　could　sell　and　what　he　could　not；　how　much
he　could　get　for　this；　and　how　much　for　that。　　Having　made　ever　such
a　little　beginning　with　books；　he　took　to　attending　book　sales　as
well　as　clothes　sales；　and　ere　long　this　branch　of　his　business
became　no　less　important　than　the　tailoring；　and　would；　I　have　no
doubt；　have　been　the　one　which　he　would　have　settled　down　to
exclusively；　if　he　had　been　called　upon　to　remain　a　tradesman；　but
this　is　anticipating。

I　made　a　contribution　and　a　stipulation。　　Ernest　wanted　to　sink　the
gentleman　completely；　until　such　time　as　he　could　work　his　way　up
again。　　If　he　had　been　left　to　himself　he　would　have　lived　with
Ellen　in　the　shop　back　parlour　and　kitchen；　and　have　let　out　both
the　upper　floors　according　to　his　original　programme。　　I　did　not
want　him；　however；　to　cut　himself　adrift　from　music；　letters　and
polite　life；　and　feared　that　unless　he　had　some　kind　of　den　into
which　he　could　retire　he　would　ere　long　become　the　tradesman　and
nothing　else。　　I　therefore　insisted　on　taking　the　first　floor　front
and　back　myself；　and　furnishing　them　with　the　things　which　had　been
left　at　Mrs　Jupp's。　　I　bought　these　things　of　him　for　a　small　sum
and　had　them　moved　into　his　present　abode。

I　went　to　Mrs　Jupp's　to　arrange　all　this；　as　Ernest　did　not　like
going　to　Ashpit　Place。　　I　had　half　expected　to　find　the　furniture
sold　and　Mrs　Jupp　gone；　but　it　was　not　so；　with　all　her　faults　the
poor　old　woman　was　perfectly　honest。

I　told　her　that　Pryer　had　taken　all　Ernest's　money　and　run　away　with
it。　　She　hated　Pryer。　　〃I　never　knew　anyone；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃as
white…livered　in　the　face　as　that　Pryer；　he　hasn't　got　an　upright
vein　in　his　whole　body。　　Why；　all　that　time　when　he　used　to　come
breakfasting　with　Mr　Pontifex　morning　after　morning；　it　took　me　to　a
perfect　shadow　the　way　he　carried　on。　　There　was　no　doing　anything
to　please　him　right。　　First　I　used　to　get　them　eggs　and　bacon；　and
he　didn't　like　that；　and　then　I　got　him　a　bit　of　fish；　and　he　didn't
like　that；　or　else　it　was　too　dear；　and　you　know　fish　is　dearer　than
ever；　and　then　I　got　him　a　bit　of　German；　and　he　said　it　rose　on
him；　then　I　tried　sausages；　and　he　said　they　hit　him　in　the　eye
worse　even　than　German；　oh！　how　I　used　to　wander　my　room　and　fret
about　it　inwardly　and　cry　for　hours；　and　all　about　them　paltry
breakfastsand　it　wasn't　Mr　Pontifex；　he'd　like　anything　that
anyone　chose　to　give　him。

〃And　so　the　piano's　to　go；〃　she　continued。　　〃What　beautiful　tunes　Mr
Pontifex　did　play　upon　it；　to　be　sure；　and　there　was　one　I　liked
better　than　any　I　ever　heard。　　I　was　in　the　room　when　he　played　it
once　and　when　I　said；　'Oh；　Mr　Pontifex；　that's　the　kind　of　woman　I
am；'　he　said；　'No；　Mrs　Jupp；　it　isn't；　for　this　tune　is　old；　but　no
one　can　say　you　are　old。'　　But；　bless　you；　he　meant　nothing　by　it；
it　was　only　his　mucky　flattery。〃

Like　myself；　she　was　vexed　at　his　getting　married。　　She　didn't　like
his　being　married；　and　she　didn't　like　his　not　being　marriedbut；
anyhow；　it　was　Ellen's　fault；　not　his；　and　she　hoped　he　would　be
happy。　　〃But　after　all；〃　she　concluded；　〃it　ain't　you　and　it　ain't
me；　and　it　ain't　him　and　it　ain't　her。　　It's　what　you　must　call　the
fortunes　of　matterimony；　for　there　ain't　no　other　word　for　it。〃

In　the　course　of　the　afternoon　the　furniture　arrived　at　Ernest's　new
abode。　　In　the　first　floor　we　placed　the　piano；　table；　pictures；
bookshelves；　a　couple　of　arm…chairs；　and　all　the　little　household
gods　which　he　had　brought　from　Cambridge。　　The　back　room　was
furnished　exactly　as　his　bedroom　at　Ashpit　Place　had　beennew
things　being　got　for　the　bridal　apartment　downstairs。　　These　two
first…floor　rooms　I　insisted　on　retaining　as　my　own；　but　Ernest　was
to　use　them　whenever　he　pleased；　he　was　never　to　sublet　even　the
bedroom；　but　was　to　keep　it　for　himself　in　case　his　wife　should　be
ill　at　any　time；　or　in　case　he　might　be　ill　himself。

In　less　than　a　fortnight　from　the　time　of　his　leaving　prison　all
these　arrangements　had　been　completed；　and　Ernest　felt　that　he　had
again　linked　himself　on　to　the　life　which　he　had　led　before　his
imprisonmentwith　a　few　important　differences；　however；　which　were
greatly　to　his　advantage。　　He　was　no　longer　a　clergyman；　he　was
about　to　marry　a　woman　to　whom　he　was　much　attached；　and　he　had
parted　company　for　ever　with　his　father　and　mother。

True；　he　had　lost　all　his　money；　his　reputation；　and　his　position　as
a　gentleman；　he　had；　in　fact；　had　to　burn　his　house　down　in　order　to
get　his　roast　sucking　pig；　but　if　asked　whether　he　would　rather　be
as　he　was　now　or　as　he　was　on　the　day　before　his　arrest；　he　would
not　have　had　a　moment's　hesitation　in　preferring　his　present　to　his
past。　　If　his　present　could　only　have　been　purchased　at　the　expense
of　all　that　he　had　gone　through；　it　was　still　worth　purchasing　at
the　price；　and　he　would　go　through　it　all　again　if　necessary。　　The
loss　of　the　money　was　the　worst；　but　Ellen　said　she　was　sure　they
would　get　on；　and　she　knew　all　about　it。　　As　for　the　loss　of
reputationconsidering　that　he　had　Ellen　and　me　left；　it　did　not
come　to　much。

I　saw　the　house　on　the　afternoon　of　the　day　on　which　all　was
finished；　and　there　remained　nothing　but　to　buy　some　stock　and　begin
selling。　　When　I　was　gone；　after　he　had　had　his　tea；　he　stole　up　to
his　castlethe　first　floor　front。　　He　lit　his　pipe　and　sat　down　to
the　piano。　　He　played　Handel　for　an　hour　or　so；　and　then　set　himself
to　the　table　to　read　and　write。　　He　took　all　his　sermons　and　all　the
theological　works　he　had　begun　to　compose　during　the　time　he　had
been　a　clergyman　and　put　them　in　the　fire；　as　he　saw　them　consume　he
felt　as　though　he　had　got　rid　of　another　incubus。　　Then　he　took　up
some　of　the　little　pieces　he　had　begun　to　write　during　the　latter
part　of　his　undergraduate　life　at　Cambridge；　and　began　to　cut　them
about　and　re…write　them。　　As　he　worked　quietly　at　these　till　he
heard　the　clock　strike　ten　and　it　was　time　to　go　to　bed；　he　felt
that　he　was　now　not　only　happy　but　supremely　happy。

Next　day　Ellen　took　him　to　Debenham's　auction　rooms；　and　they
surveyed　the　lots　of　clothes　which　were　hung　up　all　round　the
auction　room　to　be　viewed。　　Ellen　had　had　sufficient　experience　to
know　about　how　much　each　lot　ought　to　fetch；　she　overhauled　lot
after　lot；　and　valued　it；　in　a　very　short　time　Ernest　himself　began
to　have　a　pretty　fair　idea　what　each　lot　should　go　for；　and　before
the　morning　was　over　valued　a　dozen　lots　running　at　prices　about
which　Ellen　said　he　would　not　hurt　if　he　could　get　them　for　that。

So　far　from　disliking　this　work　or　finding　it　tedious；　he　liked　it
very　much；　indeed　he　would　have　liked　anything　which　did　not　overtax
his　physical　strength；　and　which　held　out　a　prospect　of　bringing　him
in　money。　　Ellen　would　not　let　him　buy　anything　on　the　occasion　of
this　sale；　she　said　he　had　better　see　one　sale　first　and　watch　how
prices　actually　went。　　So　at　twelve　o'clock　when　the　sale　began；　he
saw　the　lots　sold　which　he　and　Ellen　had　marked；　and　by　the　time　the
sale　was　over　he　knew　enough　to　be　able　to　bid　with　safety　whenever
he　should　actually　want　to　buy。　　Knowledge　of　this　sort　is　very
easily　acquired　by　anyone　who　is　in　bona　fide　want　of　it。

But　Ellen　did　not　want　him　to　buy　at　auctionsnot　much　at　least　at
present。　　Private　dealing