the way of all flesh-第70部分

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ways　were　so　much　curtailed　by　his　changed　social　position；　that；
take　it　all　round；　his　income　was　practically　what　it　had　been　a
twelvemonth　before。　　The　next　thing　to　do　was　to　increase　it；　and
put　by　money。

Prosperity　depends；　as　we　all　know；　in　great　measure　upon　energy　and
good　sense；　but　it　also　depends　not　a　little　upon　pure　luckthat　is
to　say；　upon　connections　which　are　in　such　a　tangle　that　it　is　more
easy　to　say　that　they　do　not　exist；　than　to　try　to　trace　them。　　A
neighbourhood　may　have　an　excellent　reputation　as　being　likely　to　be
a　rising　one；　and　yet　may　become　suddenly　eclipsed　by　another；　which
no　one　would　have　thought　so　promising。　　A　fever　hospital　may　divert
the　stream　of　business；　or　a　new　station　attract　it；　so　little；
indeed；　can　be　certainly　known；　that　it　is　better　not　to　try　to　know
more　than　is　in　everybody's　mouth；　and　to　leave　the　rest　to　chance。

Luck；　which　certainly　had　not　been　too　kind　to　my　hero　hitherto；　now
seemed　to　have　taken　him　under　her　protection。　　The　neighbourhood
prospered；　and　he　with　it。　　It　seemed　as　though　he　no　sooner　bought
a　thing　and　put　it　into　his　shop；　than　it　sold　with　a　profit　of　from
thirty　to　fifty　per　cent。　　He　learned　book…keeping；　and　watched　his
accounts　carefully；　following　up　any　success　immediately；　he　began
to　buy　other　things　besides　clothessuch　as　books；　music；　odds　and
ends　of　furniture；　etc。　　Whether　it　was　luck　or　business　aptitude；
or　energy；　or　the　politeness　with　which　he　treated　all　his
customers；　I　cannot　saybut　to　the　surprise　of　no　one　more　than
himself；　he　went　ahead　faster　than　he　had　anticipated；　even　in　his
wildest　dreams；　and　by　Easter　was　established　in　a　strong　position
as　the　owner　of　a　business　which　was　bringing　him　in　between　four
and　five　hundred　a　year；　and　which　he　understood　how　to　extend。



CHAPTER　LXXIII



Ellen　and　he　got　on　capitally；　all　the　better；　perhaps；　because　the
disparity　between　them　was　so　great；　that　neither　did　Ellen　want　to
be　elevated；　nor　did　Ernest　want　to　elevate　her。　　He　was　very　fond
of　her；　and　very　kind　to　her；　they　had　interests　which　they　could
serve　in　common；　they　had　antecedents　with　a　good　part　of　which　each
was　familiar；　they　had　each　of　them　excellent　tempers；　and　this　was
enough。　　Ellen　did　not　seem　jealous　at　Ernest's　preferring　to　sit
the　greater　part　of　his　time　after　the　day's　work　was　done　in　the
first　floor　front　where　I　occasionally　visited　him。　　She　might　have
come　and　sat　with　him　if　she　had　liked；　but；　somehow　or　other；　she
generally　found　enough　to　occupy　her　down　below。　　She　had　the　tact
also　to　encourage　him　to　go　out　of　an　evening　whenever　he　had　a
mind；　without　in　the　least　caring　that　he　should　take　her　tooand
this　suited　Ernest　very　well。　　He　was；　I　should　say；　much　happier　in
his　married　life　than　people　generally　are。

At　first　it　had　been　very　painful　to　him　to　meet　any　of　his　old
friends；　as　he　sometimes　accidentally　did；　but　this　soon　passed；
either　they　cut　him；　or　he　cut　them；　it　was　not　nice　being　cut　for
the　first　time　or　two；　but　after　that；　it　became　rather　pleasant
than　not；　and　when　he　began　to　see　that　he　was　going　ahead；　he　cared
very　little　what　people　might　say　about　his　antecedents。　　The　ordeal
is　a　painful　one；　but　if　a　man's　moral　and　intellectual　constitution
are　naturally　sound；　there　is　nothing　which　will　give　him　so　much
strength　of　character　as　having　been　well　cut。

It　was　easy　for　him　to　keep　his　expenditure　down；　for　his　tastes
were　not　luxurious。　　He　liked　theatres；　outings　into　the　country　on
a　Sunday；　and　tobacco；　but　he　did　not　care　for　much　else；　except
writing　and　music。　　As　for　the　usual　run　of　concerts；　he　hated　them。
He　worshipped　Handel；　he　liked　Offenbach；　and　the　airs　that　went
about　the　streets；　but　he　cared　for　nothing　between　these　two
extremes。　　Music；　therefore；　cost　him　little。　　As　for　theatres；　I
got　him　and　Ellen　as　many　orders　as　they　liked；　so　these　cost　them
nothing。　　The　Sunday　outings　were　a　small　item；　for　a　shilling　or
two　he　could　get　a　return　ticket　to　some　place　far　enough　out　of
town　to　give　him　a　good　walk　and　a　thorough　change　for　the　day。
Ellen　went　with　him　the　first　few　times；　but　she　said　she　found　it
too　much　for　her；　there　were　a　few　of　her　old　friends　whom　she
should　sometimes　like　to　see；　and　they　and　he；　she　said；　would　not
hit　it　off　perhaps　too　well；　so　it　would　be　better　for　him　to　go
alone。　　This　seemed　so　sensible；　and　suited　Ernest　so　exactly　that
he　readily　fell　into　it；　nor　did　he　suspect　dangers　which　were
apparent　enough　to　me　when　I　heard　how　she　had　treated　the　matter。
I　kept　silence；　however；　and　for　a　time　all　continued　to　go　well。
As　I　have　said；　one　of　his　chief　pleasures　was　in　writing。　　If　a　man
carries　with　him　a　little　sketch　book　and　is　continually　jotting
down　sketches；　he　has　the　artistic　instinct；　a　hundred　things　may
hinder　his　due　development；　but　the　instinct　is　there。　　The　literary
instinct　may　be　known　by　a　man's　keeping　a　small　note…book　in　his
waistcoat　pocket；　into　which　he　jots　down　anything　that　strikes　him；
or　any　good　thing　that　he　hears　said；　or　a　reference　to　any　passage
which　he　thinks　will　come　in　useful　to　him。　　Ernest　had　such　a　note…
book　always　with　him。　　Even　when　he　was　at　Cambridge　he　had　begun
the　practice　without　anyone's　having　suggested　it　to　him。　　These
notes　he　copied　out　from　time　to　time　into　a　book；　which　as　they
accumulated；　he　was　driven　into　indexing　approximately；　as　he　went
along。　　When　I　found　out　this；　I　knew　that　he　had　the　literary
instinct；　and　when　I　saw　his　notes　I　began　to　hope　great　things　of
him。

For　a　long　time　I　was　disappointed。　　He　was　kept　back　by　the　nature
of　the　subjects　he　chosewhich　were　generally　metaphysical。　　In
vain　I　tried　to　get　him　away　from　these　to　matters　which　had　a
greater　interest　for　the　general　public。　　When　I　begged　him　to　try
his　hand　at　some　pretty；　graceful；　little　story　which　should　be　full
of　whatever　people　knew　and　liked　best；　he　would　immediately　set　to
work　upon　a　treatise　to　show　the　grounds　on　which　all　belief　rested。

〃You　are　stirring　mud；〃　said　I；　〃or　poking　at　a　sleeping　dog。　　You
are　trying　to　make　people　resume　consciousness　about　things；　which；
with　sensible　men；　have　already　passed　into　the　unconscious　stage。
The　men　whom　you　would　disturb　are　in　front　of　you；　and　not；　as　you
fancy；　behind　you；　it　is　you　who　are　the　lagger；　not　they。〃

He　could　not　see　it。　　He　said　he　was　engaged　on　an　essay　upon　the
famous　quod　semper；　quod　ubique；　quod　ab　omnibus　of　St　Vincent　de
Lerins。　　This　was　the　more　provoking　because　he　showed　himself　able
to　do　better　things　if　he　had　liked。

I　was　then　at　work　upon　my　burlesque　〃The　Impatient　Griselda；〃　and
was　sometimes　at　my　wits'　end　for　a　piece　of　business　or　a
situation；　he　gave　me　many　suggestions；　all　of　which　were　marked　by
excellent　good　sense。　　Nevertheless　I　could　not　prevail　with　him　to
put　philosophy　on　one　side；　and　was　obliged　to　leave　him　to　himself。

For　a　long　time；　as　I　have　said；　his　choice　of　subjects　continued　to
be　such　as　I　could　not　approve。　　He　was　continually　studying
scientific　and　metaphysical　writers；　in　the　hope　of　either　finding
or　making　for　himself　a　philosopher's　stone　in　the　shape　of　a　system
which　should　go　on　all　fours　under　all　circumstances；　instead　of
being　liable　to　be　upset　at　every　touch　and　turn；　as　every　system
yet　promulgated　has　turned　out　to　be。

He　kept　to　the　pursuit　of　this　will…o'…the…wisp　so　long　that　I　gave
up　hope；　and　set　him　down　as　another　fly　that　had　been　caught；　as　it
were；　by　a　piece　of　paper　daubed　over　with　some　sticky　stuff　that
had　not　even　the　merit　of　being　sweet；　but　to　my　surprise　he　at　last
declared　that　he　was　satisfied；　and　had　found　what　he　wanted。

I　supposed　that　he　had　only　hit　upon　some　new　〃Lo；　here！〃　when　to　my
relief；　he　told　me　that　he　had　concluded　that　no　system　which　should
go　perfectly　upon　all　fours　was　possible；　inasmuch　as　no　one　could
get　behind　Bishop　Berkeley；　and　therefore　no　absolutely
incontrovertible　first　premise　could　ever　be　laid。　　Having　found
this　he　was　just　as　well　pleased　as　if　he　had　found　the　most　perfect
system　imaginable。　　All　he　wanted　he　said；　was　to　know　which　way　it
was　to　bethat　is　to　say　whether　a　system　was　possible　or　not；　and
if　possible　then　what　the　system　was　to　be。　　Having　found　out　that
no　system　based　on　absolute　certainty　was　possible　he　was　contented。

I　had　only　a　very　vague　idea　who　Bishop　Berkeley　was；　but　was
thankful　to　him　for　having　defended　us　from　an　incontrovertible
first　premise。　　I　am　afraid　I　said　a　few　words　implying　that　after　a
great　deal　of　trouble　he　had　arrived　at　the　conclusion　which
sensible　people　reach　without　bothering　their　brains　so　much。

He　said：　　〃Yes；　but　I　was　not　born　sensible。　　A　child　of　ordinary
powers　learns　to　walk　at　a　year　or　two　old　without　knowing　much
about　it；　failing　ordinary　powers　he　had　better　learn　laboriously
than　never　learn　at　all。　　I　am　sorry　I　was　not　stronger；　but　to　do
as　I　did　was　my　only　chance。〃

He　looked　so　meek　that　I　was　vexed　with　myself　for　having　said　what
I　had；　more　especially　when　I　remembered　his　bringing…up；　which　had
doubtless　done　much　to　impair　his　power　of　taking　a　common…sense
view　of　things。　　He　continued　…

〃I　see　it　all　now。　　The　people　like　Towneley　are　the　only　ones　who
know　anything　that　is　worth　knowing；　and　like　that　of　course　I　can
never　be。　　But　to　make　Towneleys　possible　there　must　be　hewers　of
wood　and　drawers　of　watermen　in　fact　through　whom　conscious
knowledge　must　pass　before　it　can　reach　those　who　can　apply　it
gracefully　and　instinctively　as　the　Towneleys　can。　　I　am　a　hewer　of
wood；　but　if　I　accept　the　position　frankly　and　do　not　set　up　to　be　a
Towneley；　it　does　not　matter。〃

He　still；　therefore；　stuck　to　science　instead　of　turning　to
literature　proper　as　I　hoped　he　would　have　done；　but　he　confined
himself　henceforth　to　enquiries　on　specific　subjects　concerning
which　an　increase　of　our　knowledgeas　he　saidwas　possible。
Having　in　fact；　after　infinite　vexation　of　spirit；　arrived　at　a
conclusion　which　cut　at　the　roots　of　all　knowledge；　he　settled
contentedly　down　to　the　pursuit　of　knowledge；　and　h