第69章

Lawksamercy，doctor，criedtheyoungbloodintheprimrosevest，feigningawomanishsimperandimmodestsquirmingsofhisbody，howyoudoteaseabody！Drattheman！Blessme，I’mallofawibblywobbly。Why，you’reasbadasdearlittleFatherCantekissemthatyouare！Maythispotoffourhalfchokeme，criedCostello，ifsheain’tinthefamilyway。Iknowsaladywhat’sgotawhiteswellingquickasIclapseyesonher。Theyoungsurgeon，however，roseandbeggedthecompanytoexcusehisretreatasthenursehadjusttheninformedhimthathewasneededintheward。Mercifulprovidencehadbeenpleasedtoputaperiodtothesufferingsoftheladywhowasenceintewhichshehadbornewithalaudablefortitudeandshehadgivenbirthtoabouncingboy。Iwantpatience，saidhe，withthosewhowithoutwittoenlivenorlearningtoinstruct，revileanennoblingprofessionwhich，savingthereverenceduetotheDeity，isthegreatestpowerforhappinessupontheearth。IampositivewhenIsaythatifneedwereIcouldproduceacloudofwitnessestotheexcellenceofhernobleexercitationswhich，sofarfrombeingabyword，shouldbeagloriousincentiveinthehumanbreast。Icannotawaywiththem。What？Malignsuchanone，theamiableMissCallan，whoisthelustreofherownsexandtheastonishmentofoursandataninstantthemostmomentousthatcanbefallapunychildofclay？Perishthethought！IshuddertothinkofthefutureofaracewheretheseedsofsuchmalicehavebeensownandwherenorightreverenceisrenderedtomotherandmaidinhouseofHorne。Havingdeliveredhimselfofthisrebukehesalutedthosepresentonthebyandrepairedtothedoor。

Amurmurofapprovalarosefromallandsomewereforejectingthelowsoakerwithoutmoreado，adesignwhichwouldhavebeeneffectednorwouldhehavereceivedmorethanhisbaredesertshadhenotabridgedhistransgressionbyaffirmingwithahorridimprecation(forhesworearoundhand)thathewasasgoodasonofthetruefoldaseverdrewbreath。Stapmyvitals，saidhe，themwasalwaysthesentimentsofhonestFrankCostellowhichIwasbredupmostparticulartohonourthyfatherandthymotherthathadthebesthandtoarolypolyorahastypuddingasyoueverseewhatIalwayslooksbackonwithalovingheart。

ToreverttoMrBloomwho，afterhisfirstentry，hadbeenconsciousofsomeimpudentmockswhichhe，however，hadbornewithbeingthefruitsofthatageuponwhichitiscommonlychargedthatitknowsnotpity。Theyoungsparks，itistrue，wereasfullofextravaganciesasovergrownchildren：

thewordsoftheirtumultuarydiscussionsweredifficultlyunderstoodandnotoftennice：theirtestinessandoutrageousmotsweresuchthathisintellectsresiledfrom：norweretheyscrupulouslysensibleoftheproprietiesthoughtheirfundofstronganimalspiritsspokeintheirbehalf。

ButthewordofMrCostellowasanunwelcomelanguageforhimforhenauseatedthewretchthatseemedtohimacropearedcreatureofamisshapengibbositybornoutofwedlockandthrustlikeacrookbackteethedandfeetfirstintotheworld，whichthedintofthesurgeon’spliersinhisskulllentindeedacolourto，soasitputhiminthoughtofthatmissinglinkofcreation’schaindesideratedbythelateingeniousMrDarwin。Itwasnowformorethanthemiddlespanofourallottedyearsthathehadpassedthroughthethousandvicissitudesofexistenceand，beingofawaryascendancyandselfamanofarareforecast，hehadenjoinedhishearttorepressallmotionsofarisingcholerand，byinterceptingthemwiththereadiestprecaution，fosterwithinhisbreastthatplenitudeofsufferancewhichbasemindsjeerat，rashjudgersscornandallfindtolerableandbuttolerable。

Tothosewhocreatethemselveswitsatthecostoffemininedelicacy(ahabitofmindwhichheneverdidholdwith)tothemhewouldconcedeneithertobearthenamenortoheritthetraditionofaproperbreeding：whileforsuchthat，havinglostallforbearance，canlosenomore，thereremainedthesharpantidoteofexperiencetocausetheirinsolencytobeataprecipitateandingloriousretreat。Notbutwhathecouldfeelwithmettlesomeyouthwhich，caringnoughtforthemowsofdotardsorthegruntlingsofthesevere，isever(asthechastefancyoftheHolyWriterexpressit)foreatingofthetreeforbidityetnotsofarforthastopretermithumanityuponanyconditionsoevertowardsagentlewomanwhenshewasaboutherlawfuloccasions。Toconclude，whilefromthesister’swordshehadreckoneduponaspeedydeliveryhewas，however，itmustbeowned，notalittlealleviatedbytheintelligencethattheissuesoauspicatedafteranordealofsuchduressnowtestifiedoncemoretothemer