第21章

Christianadidnotwearmuchofanything：indeeditwassaidthatthedresswhichtheStageManagerhadoriginallyproposedforherhadbeenconsideredinadequateevenbytheLordChamberlain，butthisisnotthecase。WithallthesedelinquenciesuponmyminditwasnaturalthatIshouldfeelconvincedofsinwhileplayingchess(whichIhate)withthegreatDrSkinnerofRoughborough——thehistorianofAthensandeditorofDemosthenes。DrSkinner，moreover，wasoneofthosewhopridethemselvesonbeingabletosetpeopleattheireaseatonce，andIhadbeensittingontheedgeofmychairalltheevening。ButIhavealwaysbeenveryeasilyoverawedbyaschoolmaster。

Thegamehadbeenalongone，andathalf-pastnine，whensuppercamein，wehadeachofusafewpiecesremaining。“Whatwillyoutakeforsupper，DrSkinner？”saidMrsSkinnerinasilveryvoice。

Hemadenoanswerforsometime，butatlastinatoneofalmostsuperhumansolemnity，hesaid，first，“Nothing。”andthen“Nothingwhatever。”

Byandby，however，IhadasensecomeovermeasthoughIwerenearertheconsummationofallthingsthanIhadeveryetbeen。Theroomseemedtogrowdark，asanexpressioncameoverDrSkinner’sface，whichshowedthathewasabouttospeak。Theexpressiongatheredforce，theroomgrewdarkeranddarker。“Stay。”heatlengthadded，andIfeltthathereatanyratewasanendtoasuspensewhichwasrapidlybecomingunbearable。“Stay——Imaypresentlytakeaglassofcoldwater——andasmallpieceofbreadandbutter。”

Ashesaidtheword“butter“hisvoicesanktoahardlyaudiblewhisper；thentherewasasighasthoughofreliefwhenthesentencewasconcluded，andtheuniversethistimewassafe。

Anothertenminutesofsolemnsilencefinishedthegame。TheDoctorrosebrisklyfromhisseatandplacedhimselfatthesuppertable。

“MrsSkinner。”heexclaimedjauntily，“whatarethosemysterious-

lookingobjectssurroundedbypotatoes？”

“Thoseareoysters，DrSkinner。”

“Givemesome，andgiveOvertonsome。”

Andsoontillhehadeatenagoodplateofoysters，ascallopshellofmincedvealnicelybrowned，someappletart，andahunkofbreadandcheese。Thiswasthesmallpieceofbreadandbutter。

Theclothwasnowremovedandtumblerswithteaspoonsinthem，alemonortwoandajugofboilingwaterwereplaceduponthetable。

Thenthegreatmanunbent。Hisfacebeamed。

“Andwhatshallitbetodrink？”heexclaimedpersuasively。“Shallitbebrandyandwater？No。Itshallbeginandwater。Ginisthemorewholesomeliquor。”

Soginitwas，hotandstifftoo。

Whocanwonderathimordoanythingbutpityhim？Washenothead-

masterofRoughboroughSchool？Towhomhadheowedmoneyatanytime？Whoseoxhadhetaken，whoseasshadhetaken，orwhomhadhedefrauded？Whatwhisperhadeverbeenbreathedagainsthismoralcharacter？Ifhehadbecomerichitwasbythemosthonourableofallmeans——hisliteraryattainments；overandabovehisgreatworksofscholarship，his“MeditationsupontheEpistleandCharacterofStJude“hadplacedhimamongthemostpopularofEnglishtheologians；itwassoexhaustivethatnoonewhoboughtitneedevermeditateuponthesubjectagain——indeeditexhaustedallwhohadanythingtodowithit。Hehadmade5000poundsbythisworkalone，andwouldverylikelymakeanother5000poundsbeforehedied。Amanwhohaddoneallthisandwantedapieceofbreadandbutterhadarighttoannouncethefactwithsomepompandcircumstance。Norshouldhiswordsbetakenwithoutsearchingforwhatheusedtocalla“deeperandmorehiddenmeaning。”Thosewhosearchedforthiseveninhislightestutteranceswouldnotbewithouttheirreward。Theywouldfindthat“breadandbutte