hard cash-第2节

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！


e　to　interrupt　a　soul；　even　a　son　talking　nonsense。　She　now　assured　him　she　could　afford　very　well　to　send　him　to　Oxford；　and　begged　leave　to　remind　him　that　he　was　too　good　and　too　sensible　to　run　up　bills　there；　like　the　young　men　who　did　not　really　love　their　parents。　〃Then；　as　for　learning；　why；　we　must　be　reasonable　in　our　turn。　Do　the　best　you　can；　love。　We　know　you　have　no　great　turn　for　the　classics；　we　do　not　expect　you　to　take　high　honours　like　young　Mr。　Hardie；　besides；　that　might　make　your　head　ache：　he　has　sad　headaches；　his　sister　told　Julia。　But；　my　dear；　an　university　education　is　indispensable　Do　but　see　how　the　signs　of　it　follow　a　gentleman　through　life；　to　say　nothing　of　the　valuable　acquaintances　and　lasting　friendships　he　makes　there：　even　those　few　distinguished　persons　who　have　risen　in　the　would　without　it；　have　openly　regretted　the　want；　and　have　sent　their　children：　and　_that_　says　volumes　to　me。〃

〃Why；　Edward；　it　is　the　hall…mark　of　a　gentleman；〃　said　Julia　eagerly。　Mrs。　Dodd　caught　a　flash　of　her　daughter：　〃And　my　silver　shall　never　be　without　it；〃　said　she　warmly。　She　added　presently；　in　her　usual　placid　tone；　〃I　beg　your　pardon；　my　dears；　I　ought　to　have　said　my　gold。〃　With　this　she　kissed　Edward　tenderly　on　the　brow；　and　drew　an　embrace　and　a　little　grunt　of　resignation　from　him。　〃Take　the　dear　boy　and　show　him　our　purchases；　love！〃　said　Mrs。　Dodd；　with　a　little　gentle　accent　of　half　reproach；　scarce　perceptible　to　a　male　ear。

〃Oh；　yes；〃　and　Julia　rose　and　tripped　to　the　door。　There　she　stood　a　moment；　half　turned；　with　arching　neck；　colouring　with　innocent　pleasure。　〃Come；　darling。　Oh；　you　good…for…　nothing　thing。〃

The　pair　found　a　little　room　hard　by；　paved　with　china；　crockery；　glass；　baths；　kettles；　&c。

〃There；　sir。　Look　them　in　the　face；　and　us；　if　you　can。〃

〃Well；　you　know；　I　had　no　idea　you　had　been　and　bought　a　cart…load　of　things　for　Oxford。〃　His　eye　brightened；　he　whipped　out　a　two…foot　rule；　and　began　to　calculate　the　cubic　contents。　〃I'll　turn　to　and　make　the　cases；　Ju。〃


The　ladies　had　their　way；　the　cases　were　made　and　despatched；　and　one　morning　the　Bus　came　for　Edward；　and　stopped　at　the　gate　of　Albion　Villa。　At　this　sight　mother　and　daughter　both　turned　their　heads　quickly　away　by　one　independent　impulse；　and　set　a　bad　example。　Apparently　neither　of　them　had　calculated　on　this　paltry　little　detail；　they　were　game　for　theoretical　departures；　to　impalpable　universities：　and　〃an　air…drawn　Bus；　a　Bus　of　the　mind；〃　would　not　have　dejected　for　a　moment　their　lofty　Spartan　souls　on　glory　bent；　safe　glory。　But　here　was　a　Bus　of　wood；　and　Edward　going　bodily　away　inside　it。　The　victim　kissed　them；　threw　up　his　portmanteau　and　bag；　and　departed　serene　as　Italian　skies；　the　victors　watched　the　pitiless　Bus　quite　out　of　sight；　then　went　up　to　his　bedroom；　all　disordered　by　packing；　and；　on　the　very　face　of　it；　vacant；　and　sat　down　on　his　little　bed　intertwining　and　weeping。

Edward　was　received　at　Exeter　College；　as　young　gentlemen　are　received　at　college；　and　nowhere　else；　I　hope；　for　the　credit　of　Christendom。　They　showed　him　a　hole　in　the　roof；　and　called　it　an　〃Attic；〃　grim　pleasantry！　being　a　puncture　in　the　modern　Athens。　They　inserted　him；　told　him　what　hour　at　the　top　of　the　morning　he　must　be　in　chapel；　and　left　him　to　find　out　his　other　ills。　His　cases　were　welcomed　like　Christians；　by　the　whole　staircase。　These　undergraduates　abused　one　another's　crockery　as　their　own：　the　joint　stock　of　breakables　had　just　dwindled　very　low；　and　Mrs。　Dodd's　bountiful　contribution　was　a　godsend。

The　new　comer　soon　found　that　his　views　of　a　learned　university　had　been　narrow。　Out　of　place　in　it？　why；　he　could　not　have　taken　his　wares　to　a　better　market；　the　modern　Athens；　like　the　ancient；　cultivates　muscle　as　well　as　mind。　The　captain　of　the　university　eleven　saw　a　cricket…ball　thrown　all　across　the　ground；　he　instantly　sent　a　professional　bowler　to　find　out　who　that　was；　through　the　same　ambassador　the　thrower　was　invited　to　play　on　club　days；　and　proving　himself　an　infallible　catch　and　long…stop；　a　mighty　thrower；　a　swift　runner；　and　a　steady；　though　not　very　brilliant　bat；　he　was；　after　one　or　two　repulses；　actually　adopted　into　the　university　eleven。　He　communicated　this　ray　of　glory　by　letter　to　his　mother　and　sister　with　genuine　delight；　coldly　and　clumsily　expressed；　they　replied　with　feigned　and　fluent　rapture。　Advancing　steadily　in　that　line　of　academic　study　towards　which　his　genius　lay；　he　won　a　hurdle　race；　and　sent　home　a　little　silver　hurdle；　and　soon　after　brought　a　pewter　pot；　with　a　Latin　inscription　recording　the　victory　at　〃Fives〃　of　Edward　Dodd：　but　not　too　arrogantly；　for　in　the　centre　of　the　pot　was　this　device；　〃The　Lord　Is　My　Illumination。〃　The　Curate　of　Sandford；　who　pulled　number　six　in　the　Exeter　boat；　left　Sandford　for　Witney：　on　this　he　felt　he　could　no　longer　do　his　college　justice　by　water；　and　his　parish　by　land；　nor　escape　the　charge　of　pluralism；　preaching　at　Witney　and　rowing　at　Oxford。　He　fluctuated；　sighed；　kept　his　Witney；　and　laid　down　his　oar。　Then　Edward　was　solemnly　weighed　in　his　jersey　and　flannel　trousers；　and　proving　only　eleven　stone　eight；　whereas　he　had　been　ungenerously　suspected　of　twelve　stone；*　was　elected　to　the　vacant　oar　by　acclamation。　He　was　a　picture　in　a　boat；　and；　〃Oh！！！　well　pulled；　six！！〃　was　a　hearty　ejaculation　constantly　hurled　at　him　from　the　bank　by　many　men　of　other　colleges；　and　even　by　the　more　genial　among　the　cads；　as　the　Exeter　glided　at　ease　down　the　river；　or　shot　up　it　in　a　race。

*There　was　at　this　time　a　prejudice　against　weight；　which　has　yielded　to　experience

He　was　now　as　much　talked　of　in　the　university　as　any　man　of　his　college；　except　one。　Singularly　enough　that　one　was　his　townsman；　but　no　friend　of　his；　he　was　much　Edward's　senior　in　standing；　though　not　in　age；　and　this　is　a　barrier　the　junior　must　not　step　overwithout　direct　encouragementat　Oxford。　Moreover；　the　college　was　a　large　one；　and　some　of　〃the　sets〃　very　exclusive：　young　Hardie　was　Doge　of　a　studious　clique；　and　careful　to　make　it　understood　that　he　was　a　reading　man　who　boated　and　cricketed；　to　avoid　the　fatigue　of　lounging；　not　a　boatman　or　cricketer　who　strayed　into　Aristotle　in　the　intervals　of　Perspiration。

His　public　running　since　he　left　Harrow　was　as　follows：　the　prize　poem　in　his　fourth　term；　the　sculls　in　his　sixth；　the　Ireland　scholarship　in　his　eighth　（he　pulled　second　for　it　the　year　before）；　Stroke　of　the　Exeter　in　his　tenth；　and　reckoned　sure　of　a　first　class　to　consummate　his　twofold　career。

To　this　young　Apollo；　crowned　with　variegated　laurel；　Edward　looked　up　from　a　distance。　The　brilliant　creature　never　bestowed　a　word　on　him　by　land；　and　by　water　only　such　observations　as　the　following：　〃Time；　Six！〃　〃Well　pulled；　Six！〃　〃Very　well　pulled；　Six！〃　Except；　by…the…bye；　one　race；　when　he　swore　at　him　like　a　trooper　for　not　being　quicker　at　starting。　The　excitement　of　nearly　being　bumped　by　Brasenose　in　the　first　hundred　yards　was　an　excuse。　However；　Hardie　apologised　as　they　were　dressing　in　the　barge　after　the　race；　but　the　apology　was　so　stiff；　it　did　not　pave　the　way　to　an　acquaintance。

Young　Hardie；　rising　twenty…one；　thought　nothing　human　worthy　of　reverence；　but　Intellect。　Invited　to　dinner；　on　the　same　day；　with　the　Emperor　of　Russia；　and　with　Voltaire；　and　with　meek　St。　John；　he　would　certainly　have　told　the　coachman　to　put　him　down　at　Voltaire。

His　quick　eye　detected　Edward's　character；　but　was　not　attracted　by　it：　says　he　to　one　of　his　adherents；　〃What　a　good…natured　spoon　that　Dodd　is；　Phoebus；　what　a　name！〃　Edward；　on　the　other　hand；　praised　this　brilliant　in　all　his　letters；　and　recorded　his　triumphs　and　such　of　his　witty　sayings　as　leaked　through　his　own　set；　to　reinvigorate　mankind。　This　roused　Julia's　ire。　It　smouldered　through　three　letters；　but　burst　out　when　there　was　no　letter；　but　Mrs。　Dodd；　meaning；　Heaven　knows；　no　harm；　happened　to　say　meekly；　_a　propos_　of　Edward；　〃You　know；　love；　we　cannot　all　be　young　Hardies。〃　〃No；　and　thank　Heaven；〃　said　Julia　defiantly。　〃Yes；　mamma；〃　she　continued；　in　answer　to　Mrs。　Dodd's　eyebrow；　which　had　curved；　〃your　mild　glance　reads　my　soul；　I　detest　that　boy。〃　Mrs。　Dodd　smiled：　〃Are　you　sure　you　know　what　the　word　'detest'　means？　And　what　has　young　Mr。　Hardie　done；　that　you　should　bestow　so　violent　a　sentiment　on　him？〃

〃Mamma；　I　am　Edward's　sister；〃　was　the　tragic　reply；　then；　kicking　off　the　buskin　pretty　nimbly；　〃There！　he　beats　our　boy　at　everything；　and　ours　sits　quietly　down　and　admires　him　for　it：　oh！　how　can　a　man　let　anybody　or　anything　beat　him！　I　wouldn't；　without　a　desperate　struggle。〃　She　clenched　her　white　teeth　and　imagined　the　struggle。　To　be　sure；　she　owned　she　had　never　seen　this　Mr。　Hardie；　but　after　all　it　was　only　Jane　Hardie's　brother；　as　Edward　was　hers；　〃And　would　I　sit　down　and　let　Jane　beat　me　at　Things？　Never！　never！　never！　I　couldn't。〃

〃Your　friend　to　the　death；　dear；　was　not　that　your　expression？〃

〃Oh；　that　was　a　slip　of　the　tongue；　dear　mamma；　I　was　off　my　guard。　I　generally　am；　by　the　way。　But　now　I　am　on　it；　and　propose　an　amendment。　Now　I　second　it。　Now　I　carry　it。〃

〃And　now　let　me　hear　it。〃

〃She　is　my　frien