第48章

’Iaminthetwenty-thirdyearofmylifehere，’hesaid，withacatchinhisbreaththatwasnotsomuchasobasanirrepressiblesoundofself-approval，themomentaryoutburstofanobleconsciousness。’ItisallIcoulddoformychildren——Ihavedoneit。Amy，mylove，youarebyfarthebestlovedofthethree；I

havehadyouprincipallyinmymind——whateverIhavedoneforyoursake，mydearchild，Ihavedonefreelyandwithoutmurmuring。’

Onlythewisdomthatholdsthecluetoallheartsandallmysteries，cansurelyknowtowhatextentaman，especiallyamanbroughtdownasthismanhadbeen，canimposeuponhimself。

Enough，forthepresentplace，thathelaydownwithweteyelashes，serene，inamannermajestic，afterbestowinghislifeofdegradationasasortofportiononthedevotedchilduponwhomitsmiserieshadfallensoheavily，andwhoselovealonehadsavedhimtobeevenwhathewas。

Thatchildhadnodoubts，askedherselfnoquestion，forshewasbuttoocontenttoseehimwithalustreroundhishead。Poordear，gooddear，truest，kindest，dearest，weretheonlywordsshehadforhim，asshehushedhimtorest。

Sheneverlefthimallthatnight。Asifshehaddonehimawrongwhichhertendernesscouldhardlyrepair，shesatbyhiminhissleep，attimessoftlykissinghimwithsuspendedbreath，andcallinghiminawhisperbysomeendearingname。Attimesshestoodasidesoasnottointerceptthelowfire-light，and，watchinghimwhenitfelluponhissleepingface，wondereddidhelooknowatallashehadlookedwhenhewasprosperousandhappy；

ashehadsotouchedherbyimaginingthathemightlookoncemoreinthatawfultime。Atthethoughtofthattime，shekneeledbesidehisbedagain，andprayed，’Osparehislife!Osavehimtome!Olookdownuponmydear，long-suffering，unfortunate，much-

changed，deardearfather!’

Notuntilthemorningcametoprotecthimandencouragehim，didshegivehimalastkissandleavethesmallroom。Whenshehadstolendown-stairs，andalongtheemptyyard，andhadcreptuptoherownhighgarret，thesmokelesshousetopsandthedistantcountryhillswerediscernibleoverthewallintheclearmorning。

Asshegentlyopenedthewindow，andlookedeastwarddowntheprisonyard，thespikesuponthewallweretippedwithred，thenmadeasullenpurplepatternonthesunasitcameflamingupintotheheavens。Thespikeshadneverlookedsosharpandcruel，northebarssoheavy，northeprisonspacesogloomyandcontracted。

Shethoughtofthesunriseonrollingrivers，ofthesunriseonwideseas，ofthesunriseonrichlandscapes，ofthesunriseongreatforestswherethebirdswerewakingandthetreeswererustling；andshelookeddownintothelivinggraveonwhichthesunhadrisen，withherfatherinitthree-and-twentyyears，andsaid，inaburstofsorrowandcompassion，’No，no，Ihaveneverseenhiminmylife!’

MovinginSocietyIfYoungJohnChiveryhadhadtheinclinationandthepowertowriteasatireonfamilypride，hewouldhavehadnoneedtogoforanavengingillustrationoutofthefamilyofhisbeloved。Hewouldhavefounditamplyinthatgallantbrotherandthatdaintysister，sosteepedinmeanexperiences，andsoloftilyconsciousofthefamilyname；soreadytobegorborrowfromthepoorest，toeatofanybody’sbread，spendanybody’smoney，drinkfromanybody’scupandbreakitafterwards。Tohavepaintedthesordidfactsoftheirlives，andtheythroughoutinvokingthedeath’sheadapparitionofthefamilygentilitytocomeandscaretheirbenefactors，wouldhavemadeYoungJohnasatiristofthefirstwater。

Tiphadturnedhislibertytohopefulaccountbybecomingabilliard-marker。Hehadtroubledhimselfsolittleastothemeansofhisrelease，thatClennamscarcelyneededtohavebeenatthepainsofimpressingthem