第64章

’It’saverydangerous，unsatisfactory，andexpensiveschooltothepeoplewhopaytokeepthepupilsthere，Iamafraid，’saidClennam，shakinghishead。

’Ah!Youareaterriblefellow，’returnedGowan，airily。’Icanunderstandhowyouhavefrightenedthatlittledonkey，Clarence，themostestimableofmoon-calves(Ireallylovehim)nearlyoutofhiswits。Butenoughofhim，andofalltherestofthem。Iwanttopresentyoutomymother，MrClennam。Praydomethefavourtogivemetheopportunity。’

Innobody’sstateofmind，therewasnothingClennamwouldhavedesiredless，orwouldhavebeenmoreatalosshowtoavoid。

’Mymotherlivesinamostprimitivemannerdowninthatdrearyred-brickdungeonatHamptonCourt，’saidGowan。’Ifyouwouldmakeyourownappointment，suggestyourowndayforpermittingmetotakeyoutheretodinner，youwouldbeboredandshewouldbecharmed。Reallythat’sthestateofthecase。’

WhatcouldClennamsayafterthis？Hisretiringcharacterincludedagreatdealthatwassimpleinthebestsense，becauseunpractisedandunused；andinhissimplicityandmodesty，hecouldonlysaythathewashappytoplacehimselfatMrGowan’sdisposal。

Accordinglyhesaidit，andthedaywasfixed。Andadreadeddayitwasonhispart，andaveryunwelcomedaywhenitcameandtheywentdowntoHamptonCourttogether。

Thevenerableinhabitantsofthatvenerablepileseemed，inthosetimes，tobeencampedtherelikeasortofcivilisedgipsies。

Therewasatemporaryairabouttheirestablishments，asiftheyweregoingawaythemomenttheycouldgetanythingbetter；therewasalsoadissatisfiedairaboutthemselves，asiftheytookitveryillthattheyhadnotalreadygotsomethingmuchbetter。

Genteelblindsandmakeshiftsweremoreorlessobservableassoonastheirdoorswereopened；screensnothalfhighenough，whichmadedining-roomsoutofarchedpassages，andwardedoffobscurecornerswherefootboyssleptatnightswiththeirheadsamongtheknivesandforks；curtainswhichcalleduponyoutobelievethattheydidn’thideanything；panesofglasswhichrequestedyounottoseethem；manyobjectsofvariousforms，feigningtohavenoconnectionwiththeirguiltysecret，abed；disguisedtrapsinwalls，whichwereclearlycoal-cellars；affectationsofnothoroughfares，whichwereevidentlydoorstolittlekitchens。

Mentalreservationsandartfulmysteriesgrewoutofthesethings。

Callerslookingsteadilyintotheeyesoftheirreceivers，pretendednottosmellcookingthreefeetoff；people，confrontingclosetsaccidentallyleftopen，pretendednottoseebottles；

visitorswiththeirheadsagainstapartitionofthincanvas，andapageandayoungfemaleathighwordsontheotherside，madebelievetobesittinginaprimevalsilence。Therewasnoendtothesmallsocialaccommodation-billsofthisnaturewhichthegipsiesofgentilitywereconstantlydrawingupon，andacceptingfor，oneanother。

SomeoftheseBohemianswereofanirritabletemperament，asconstantlysouredandvexedbytwomentaltrials：thefirst，theconsciousnessthattheyhadnevergotenoughoutofthepublic；thesecond，theconsciousnessthatthepublicwereadmittedintothebuilding。Underthelattergreatwrong，afewsuffereddreadfully——particularlyonSundays，whentheyhadforsometimeexpectedtheearthtoopenandswallowthepublicup；butwhichdesirableeventhadnotyetoccurred，inconsequenceofsomereprehensiblelaxityinthearrangements