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！
young； which rankled with Theobald even more than the fact of his
having money at all。 If he had had to wait till he was sixty or
sixty…five； and become broken down from long failure in the
meantime； why then perhaps he might have been allowed to have
whatever sum should suffice to keep him out of the workhouse and pay
his death…bed expenses； but that he should come in to 70；000 pounds
at eight and twenty； and have no wife and only two childrenit was
intolerable。 Christina was too ill and in too great a hurry to
spend the money to care much about such details as the foregoing；
and she was naturally much more good…natured than Theobald。
〃This piece of good fortune〃she saw it at a glance〃quite wiped
out the disgrace of his having been imprisoned。 There should be no
more nonsense about that。 The whole thing was a mistake； an
unfortunate mistake； true； but the less said about it now the
better。 Of course Ernest would come back and live at Battersby
until he was married； and he would pay his father handsomely for
board and lodging。 In fact it would be only right that Theobald
should make a profit； nor would Ernest himself wish it to be other
than a handsome one； this was far the best and simplest arrangement；
and he could take his sister out more than Theobald or Joey cared to
do； and would also doubtless entertain very handsomely at Battersby。
〃Of course he would buy Joey a living； and make large presents
yearly to his sisterwas there anything else？ Oh！ yeshe would
become a county magnate now； a man with nearly 4000 pounds a year
should certainly become a county magnate。 He might even go into
Parliament。 He had very fair abilities； nothing indeed approaching
such genius as Dr Skinner's； nor even as Theobald's； still he was
not deficient and if he got into Parliamentso young toothere was
nothing to hinder his being Prime Minister before he died； and if
so； of course； he would become a peer。 Oh！ why did he not set about
it all at once； so that she might live to hear people call her son
'my lord'Lord Battersby she thought would do very nicely； and if
she was well enough to sit he must certainly have her portrait
painted at full length for one end of his large dining…hall。 It
should be exhibited at the Royal Academy： 'Portrait of Lord
Battersby's mother；' she said to herself； and her heart fluttered
with all its wonted vivacity。 If she could not sit； happily； she
had been photographed not so very long ago； and the portrait had
been as successful as any photograph could be of a face which
depended so entirely upon its expression as her own。 Perhaps the
painter could take the portrait sufficiently from this。 It was
better after all that Ernest had given up the Churchhow far more
wisely God arranges matters for us than ever we can do for
ourselves！ She saw it all nowit was Joey who would become
Archbishop of Canterbury and Ernest would remain a layman and become
Prime Minister〃 。 。 。 and so on till her daughter told her it was
time to take her medicine。
I suppose this reverie； which is a mere fragment of what actually
ran through Christina's brain； occupied about a minute and a half；
but it； or the presence of her son； seemed to revive her spirits
wonderfully。 Ill； dying indeed； and suffering as she was； she
brightened up so as to laugh once or twice quite merrily during the
course of the afternoon。 Next day Dr Martin said she was so much
better that he almost began to have hopes of her recovery again。
Theobald； whenever this was touched upon as possible； would shake
his head and say： 〃We can't wish it prolonged；〃 and then Charlotte
caught Ernest unawares and said： 〃You know； dear Ernest； that these
ups and downs of talk are terribly agitating to papa； he could stand
whatever comes； but it is quite too wearing to him to think half…a…
dozen different things backwards and forwards； up and down in the
same twenty…four hours； and it would be kinder of you not to do it
I mean not to say anything to him even though Dr Martin does hold
out hopes。〃
Charlotte had meant to imply that it was Ernest who was at the
bottom of all the inconvenience felt by Theobald； herself； Joey and
everyone else； and she had actually got words out which should
convey this； true； she had not dared to stick to them and had turned
them off； but she had made them hers at any rate for one brief
moment； and this was better than nothing。 Ernest noticed throughout
his mother's illness； that Charlotte found immediate occasion to
make herself disagreeable to him whenever either doctor or nurse
pronounced her mother to be a little better。 When she wrote to
Crampsford to desire the prayers of the congregation （she was sure
her mother would wish it； and that the Crampsford people would be
pleased at her remembrance of them）； she was sending another letter
on some quite different subject at the same time； and put the two
letters into the wrong envelopes。 Ernest was asked to take these
letters to the village post…office； and imprudently did so； when the
error came to be discovered Christina happened to have rallied a
little。 Charlotte flew at Ernest immediately； and laid all the
blame of the blunder upon his shoulders。
Except that Joey and Charlotte were more fully developed； the house
and its inmates； organic and inorganic； were little changed since
Ernest had last seen them。 The furniture and the ornaments on the
chimney…piece were just as they had been ever since he could
remember anything at all。 In the drawing…room； on either side of
the fireplace there hung the Carlo Dolci and the Sassoferrato as in
old times； there was the water colour of a scene on the Lago
Maggiore； copied by Charlotte from an original lent her by her
drawing master； and finished under his direction。 This was the
picture of which one of the servants had said that it must be good；
for Mr Pontifex had given ten shillings for the frame。 The paper on
the walls was unchanged； the roses were still waiting for the bees；
and the whole family still prayed night and morning to be made
〃truly honest and conscientious。〃
One picture only was removeda photograph of himself which had hung
under one of his father and between those of his brother and sister。
Ernest noticed this at prayer time； while his father was reading
about Noah's ark and how they daubed it with slime； which； as it
happened； had been Ernest's favourite text when he was a boy。 Next
morning； however； the photograph had found its way back again； a
little dusty and with a bit of the gilding chipped off from one
corner of the frame； but there sure enough it was。 I suppose they
put it back when they found how rich he had become。
In the dining…room the ravens were still trying to feed Elijah over
the fireplace； what a crowd of reminiscences did not this picture
bring back！ Looking out of the window； there were the flower beds
in the front garden exactly as they had been； and Ernest found
himself looking hard against the blue door at the bottom of the
garden to see if there was rain falling； as he had been used to look
when he was a child doing lessons with his father。
After their early dinner； when Joey and