第 19 节
作者:
旅游巴士 更新:2021-02-20 14:19 字数:9321
the reader。 There was the most perfect sympathy and understanding
between us; we knew that neither of us would marry anyone else。 I
had asked her to marry me a dozen times over; having said this much
I will say no more upon a point which is in no way necessary for the
development of my story。 For the last few years there had been
difficulties in the way of our meeting; and I had not seen her;
though; as I have said; keeping up a close correspondence with her。
Naturally I was overjoyed to meet her again; she was now just thirty
years old; but I thought she looked handsomer than ever。
Her father; of course; was the lion of the party; but seeing that we
were all meek and quite willing to be eaten; he roared to us rather
than at us。 It was a fine sight to see him tucking his napkin under
his rosy old gills; and letting it fall over his capacious waistcoat
while the high light from the chandelier danced about the bump of
benevolence on his bald old head like a star of Bethlehem。
The soup was real turtle; the old gentleman was evidently well
pleased and he was beginning to come out。 Gelstrap stood behind his
master's chair。 I sat next Mrs Theobald on her left hand; and was
thus just opposite her father…in…law; whom I had every opportunity
of observing。
During the first ten minutes or so; which were taken up with the
soup and the bringing in of the fish; I should probably have
thought; if I had not long since made up my mind about him; what a
fine old man he was and how proud his children should be of him; but
suddenly as he was helping himself to lobster sauce; he flushed
crimson; a look of extreme vexation suffused his face; and he darted
two furtive but fiery glances to the two ends of the table; one for
Theobald and one for Christina。 They; poor simple souls; of course
saw that something was exceedingly wrong; and so did I; but I
couldn't guess what it was till I heard the old man hiss in
Christina's ear: 〃It was not made with a hen lobster。 What's the
use;〃 he continued; 〃of my calling the boy Ernest; and getting him
christened in water from the Jordan; if his own father does not know
a cock from a hen lobster?〃
This cut me too; for I felt that till that moment I had not so much
as known that there were cocks and hens among lobsters; but had
vaguely thought that in the matter of matrimony they were even as
the angels in heaven; and grew up almost spontaneously from rocks
and sea…weed。
Before the next course was over Mr Pontifex had recovered his
temper; and from that time to the end of the evening he was at his
best。 He told us all about the water from the Jordan; how it had
been brought by Dr Jones along with some stone jars of water from
the Rhine; the Rhone; the Elbe and the Danube; and what trouble he
had had with them at the Custom Houses; and how the intention had
been to make punch with waters from all the greatest rivers in
Europe; and how he; Mr Pontifex; had saved the Jordan water from
going into the bowl; etc。; etc。 〃No; no; no;〃 he continued; 〃it
wouldn't have done at all; you know; very profane idea; so we each
took a pint bottle of it home with us; and the punch was much better
without it。 I had a narrow escape with mine; though; the other day;
I fell over a hamper in the cellar; when I was getting it up to
bring to Battersby; and if I had not taken the greatest care the
bottle would certainly have been broken; but I saved it。〃 And
Gelstrap was standing behind his chair all the time!
Nothing more happened to ruffle Mr Pontifex; so we had a delightful
evening; which has often recurred to me while watching the after
career of my godson。
I called a day or two afterwards and found Mr Pontifex still at
Battersby; laid up with one of those attacks of liver and depression
to which he was becoming more and more subject。 I stayed to
luncheon。 The old gentleman was cross and very difficult; he could
eat nothinghad no appetite at all。 Christina tried to coax him
with a little bit of the fleshy part of a mutton chop。 〃How in the
name of reason can I be asked to eat a mutton chop?〃 he exclaimed
angrily; 〃you forget; my dear Christina; that you have to deal with
a stomach that is totally disorganised;〃 and he pushed the plate
from him; pouting and frowning like a naughty old child。 Writing as
I do by the light of a later knowledge; I suppose I should have seen
nothing in this but the world's growing pains; the disturbance
inseparable from transition in human things。 I suppose in reality
not a leaf goes yellow in autumn without ceasing to care about its
sap and making the parent tree very uncomfortable by long growling
and grumblingbut surely nature might find some less irritating way
of carrying on business if she would give her mind to it。 Why
should the generations overlap one another at all? Why cannot we be
buried as eggs in neat little cells with ten or twenty thousand
pounds each wrapped round us in Bank of England notes; and wake up;
as the sphex wasp does; to find that its papa and mamma have not
only left ample provision at its elbow; but have been eaten by
sparrows some weeks before it began to live consciously on its own
account?
About a year and a half afterwards the tables were turned on
Battersbyfor Mrs John Pontifex was safely delivered of a boy。 A
year or so later still; George Pontifex was himself struck down
suddenly by a fit of paralysis; much as his mother had been; but he
did not see the years of his mother。 When his will was opened; it
was found that an original bequest of 20;000 pounds to Theobald
himself (over and above the sum that had been settled upon him and
Christina at the time of his marriage) had been cut down to 17;500
pounds when Mr Pontifex left 〃something〃 to Ernest。 The 〃something〃
proved to be 2500 pounds; which was to accumulate in the hands of
trustees。 The rest of the property went to John Pontifex; except
that each of the daughters was left with about 15;000 pounds over
and above 5000 pounds a piece which they inherited from their
mother。
Theobald's father then had told him the truth but not the whole
truth。 Nevertheless; what right had Theobald to complain?
Certainly it was rather hard to make him think that he and his were
to be gainers; and get the honour and glory of the bequest; when all
the time the money was virtually being taken out of Theobald's own
pocket。 On the other hand the father doubtless argued that he had
never told Theobald he was to have anything at all; he had a full
right to do what he liked with his own money; if Theobald chose to
indulge in unwarrantable expectations that was no affair of his; as
it was he was providing for him liberally; and if he did take 2500
pounds of Theobald's share he was still leaving it to Theobald's
son; which; of course; was much the same thing in the end。
No one can deny that the testator had strict right upon his side;
nevertheless the reader will agree with me that Theobald and
Christina might not have considered the christening dinner so great
a success if all the facts had been before them。 Mr Pontifex had
during his own life…time set up a monument in Elmhurst Church to the
memory of his wife (a slab with urns and cherubs like illegitimate
children of King George the Fourth; and all the rest of it); and had
left space for his own epitaph underneath that of his wife。 I do
not know whether it was written by one of his children; or whether
they got some friend to write it for them。 I do not believe that
any satire was intended。 I believe that it was the intention to
convey that nothing short of the Day of Judgement could give anyone
an idea how good a man Mr Pontifex had been; but at first I found it
hard to think that it was free from guile。
The epitaph begins by giving dates of birth and death; then sets out
that the deceased was for many years head of the firm of Fairlie and
Pontifex; and also resident in the parish of Elmhurst。 There is not
a syllable of either praise or dispraise。 The last lines run as
follows:…
HE NOW LIES AWAITING A JOYFUL RESURRECTION
AT THE LAST DAY。
WHAT MANNER OF MAN HE WAS
THAT DAY WILL DISCOVER。
CHAPTER XIX
This much; however; we may say in the meantime; that having lived to
be nearly seventy…three years old and died rich he must have been in
very fair harmony with his surroundings。 I have heard it said
sometimes that such and such a person's life was a lie: but no
man's life can be a very bad lie; as long as it continues at all it
is at worst nine…tenths of it true。
Mr Pontifex's life not only continued a long time; but was
prosperous right up to the end。 Is not this enough? Being in this
world is it not our most obvious business to make the most of itto
observe what things do bona fide tend to long life and comfort; and
to act accordingly? All animals; except man; know that the
principal business of life is to enjoy itand they do enjoy it as
much as man and other circumstances will allow。 He has spent his
life best who has enjoyed it most; God will take care that we do not
enjoy it any more than is good for us。 If Mr Pontifex is to be
blamed it is for not having eaten and drunk less and thus