第69章

JoeyandCharlottewereintheroom。Joeywasnowordained，andwascuratetoTheobald。HeandErnesthadneverbeensympathetic，andErnestsawataglancethattherewasnochanceofarapprochementbetweenthem。HewasalittlestartledatseeingJoeydressedasaclergyman，andlookingsolikewhathehadlookedhimselfafewyearsearlier，fortherewasagooddealoffamilylikenessbetweenthepair；butJoey’sfacewascoldandwasilluminedwithnosparkofBohemianism；hewasaclergymanandwasgoingtodoasotherclergymendid，neitherbetternorworse。HegreetedErnestratherdehautenbas，thatistosayhebeganbytryingtodoso，buttheaffairtailedoffunsatisfactorily。

Hissisterpresentedhercheektohimtobekissed。Howhehatedit；hehadbeendreadingitforthelastthreehours。She，too，wasdistantandreproachfulinhermanner，assuchasuperiorpersonwassuretobe。Shehadagrievanceagainsthiminasmuchasshewasstillunmarried。ShelaidtheblameofthisatErnest’sdoor；itwashismisconductshemaintainedinsecret，whichhadpreventedyoungmenfrommakingofferstoher，andsheranhimupaheavybillforconsequentialdamages。SheandJoeyhadfromthefirstdevelopedaninstinctforhuntingwiththehounds，andnowthesetwohadfairlyidentifiedthemselveswiththeoldergeneration——thatistosayasagainstErnest。Onthisheadtherewasanoffensiveanddefensivealliancebetweenthem，butbetweenthemselvestherewassubduedbutinternecinewarfare。

ThisatleastwaswhatErnestgathered，partlyfromhisrecollectionsofthepartiesconcerned，andpartlyfromhisobservationoftheirlittlewaysduringthefirsthalf-hourafterhisarrival，whiletheywerealltogetherinhismother’sbedroom——

forasyetofcoursetheydidnotknowthathehadmoney。Hecouldseethattheyeyedhimfromtimetotimewithasurprisenotunmixedwithindignation，andknewverywellwhattheywerethinking。

Christinasawthechangewhichhadcomeoverhim——howmuchfirmerandmorevigorousbothinmindandbodyheseemedthanwhenshehadlastseenhim。Shesawtoohowwellhewasdressed，and，liketheothers，inspiteofthereturnofallheraffectionforherfirst-

born，wasalittlealarmedaboutTheobald’spocket，whichshesupposedwouldhavetobemulctedforallthismagnificence。

Perceivingthis，Ernestrelievedhermindandtoldherallabouthisaunt’sbequest，andhowIhadhusbandedit，inthepresenceofhisbrotherandsister——who，however，pretendednottonotice，oratanyratetonoticeasamatterinwhichtheycouldhardlybeexpectedtotakeaninterest。

Hismotherkickedalittleatfirstagainstthemoney’shavinggonetohimasshesaid“overhispapa’shead。”“Why，mydear。”shesaidinadeprecatingtone，“thisismorethaneveryourpapahashad“；

butErnestcalmedherbysuggestingthatifMissPontifexhadknownhowlargethesumwouldbecomeshewouldhaveleftthegreaterpartofittoTheobald。ThiscompromisewasacceptedbyChristinawhoforthwith，illasshewas，enteredwithardourintothenewposition，andtakingitasafreshpointofdeparture，beganspendingErnest’smoneyforhim。

ImaysayinpassingthatChristinawasrightinsayingthatTheobaldhadneverhadsomuchmoneyashissonwasnowpossessedof。Inthefirstplacehehadnothadafourteenyears’minoritywithnooutgoingstopreventtheaccumulationofthemoney，andinthesecondhe，likemyselfandalmosteveryoneelse，hadsufferedsomewhatinthe1846times——notenoughtocripplehimorevenseriouslytohurthim，butenoughtogivehimascareandmakehimsticktodebenturesfortherestofhislife。Itwasthefactofhisson’sbeingtherichermanofthetwo，andofhisbeingrichsoyoung，whichrankledwithTheobaldevenmorethanthefactofhishavingmoneyatall。Ifhehadhadtowaittillhewassixtyorsixty-five，andbecomebrokendownfromlongfailureinthemeantime，whythenperhapshemighthavebeenallowedtohavewhateversumshouldsufficetokeephimoutoftheworkhouseandpayhisdeath-bedexpenses；butthatheshouldcomeinto70，000poundsateightandtwenty，andhavenowifeandonlytwochildren——itwasintolerable。Christinawastooillandintoogreatahurrytospendthemoneytocaremuchaboutsuchdetailsasthefo