brother jacob-第7部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



geniuses；　wrought　by　instinct　rather　than　by　rule；　and　possessed　no

receiptsindeed；　despised　all　people　who　used　them；　observing　that

people　who　pickled　by　book；　must　pickle　by　weights　and　measures；　and

such　nonsense；　as　for　herself；　her　weights　and　measures　were　the　tip

of　her　finger　and　the　tip　of　her　tongue；　and　if　you　went　nearer；

why；　of　course；　for　dry　goods　like　flour　and　spice；　you　went　by

handfuls　and　pinches；　and　for　wet；　there　was　a　middle…sized　jug

quite　the　best　thing　whether　for　much　or　little；　because　you　might

know　how　much　a　teacupful　was　if　you'd　got　any　use　of　your　senses；

and　you　might　be　sure　it　would　take　five　middle…sized　jugs　to　make　a

gallon。　　Knowledge　of　this　kind　is　like　Titian's　colouring；

difficult　to　communicate；　and　as　Mrs。　Palfrey；　once　remarkably

handsome；　had　now　become　rather　stout　and　asthmatical；　and　scarcely

ever　left　home；　her　oral　teaching　could　hardly　be　given　anywhere

except　at　Long　Meadows。　　Even　a　matron　is　not　insusceptible　to

flattery；　and　the　prospect　of　a　visitor　whose　great　object　would　be

to　listen　to　her　conversation；　was　not　without　its　charms　to　Mrs。

Palfrey。　　Since　there　was　no　receipt　to　be　sent　in　reply　to　Mr。

Freely's　humble　request；　she　called　on　her　more　docile　daughter；

Penny；　to　write　a　note；　telling　him　that　her　mother　would　be　glad　to

see　him　and　talk　with　him　on　brawn；　any　day　that　he　could　call　at

Long　Meadows。　　Penny　obeyed　with　a　trembling　hand；　thinking　how

wonderfully　things　came　about　in　this　world。



In　this　way；　Mr。　Freely　got　himself　introduced　into　the　home　of　the

Palfreys；　and　notwithstanding　a　tendency　in　the　male　part　of　the

family　to　jeer　at　him　a　little　as　〃peaky〃　and　bow…legged；　he

presently　established　his　position　as　an　accepted　and　frequent

guest。　　Young　Towers　looked　at　him　with　increasing　disgust　when　they

met　at　the　house　on　a　Sunday；　and　secretly　longed　to　try　his　ferret

upon　him；　as　a　piece　of　vermin　which　that　valuable　animal　would　be

likely　to　tackle　with　unhesitating　vigour。　　Butso　blind　sometimes

are　parentsneither　Mr。　nor　Mrs。　Palfrey　suspected　that　Penny　would

have　anything　to　say　to　a　tradesman　of　questionable　rank　whose

youthful　bloom　was　much　withered。　　Young　Towers；　they　thought；　had

an　eye　to　her；　and　THAT　was　likely　enough　to　be　a　match　some　day；

but　Penny　was　a　child　at　present。　　And　all　the　while　Penny　was

imagining　the　circumstances　under　which　Mr。　Freely　would　make　her　an

offer：　　perhaps　down　by　the　row　of　damson…trees；　when　they　were　in

the　garden　before　tea；　perhaps　by　letterin　which　case；　how　would

the　letter　begin？　　〃Dearest　Penelope？〃　or　〃My　dear　Miss　Penelope？〃

or　straight　off；　without　dear　anything；　as　seemed　the　most　natural

when　people　were　embarrassed？　　But；　however　he　might　make　the　offer；

she　would　not　accept　it　without　her　father's　consent：　　she　would

always　be　true　to　Mr。　Freely；　but　she　would　not　disobey　her　father。

For　Penny　was　a　good　girl；　though　some　of　her　female　friends　were

afterwards　of　opinion　that　it　spoke　ill　for　her　not　to　have　felt　an

instinctive　repugnance　to　Mr。　Freely。



But　he　was　cautious；　and　wished　to　be　quite　sure　of　the　ground　he

trod　on。　　His　views　on　marriage　were　not　entirely　sentimental；　but

were　as　duly　mingled　with　considerations　of　what　would　be

advantageous　to　a　man　in　his　position；　as　if　he　had　had　a　very　large

amount　of　money　spent　on　his　education。　　He　was　not　a　man　to　fall　in

love　in　the　wrong　place；　and　so；　he　applied　himself　quite　as　much　to

conciliate　the　favour　of　the　parents；　as　to　secure　the　attachment　of

Penny。　　Mrs。　Palfrey　had　not　been　inaccessible　to　flattery；　and　her

husband；　being　also　of　mortal　mould；　would　not；　it　might　be　hoped；

be　proof　against　rumthat　very　fine　Jamaica　rumof　which　Mr。

Freely　expected　always　to　have　a　supply　sent　him　from　Jamaica。　　It

was　not　easy　to　get　Mr。　Palfrey　into　the　parlour　behind　the　shop；

where　a　mild　back…street　light　fell　on　the　features　of　the　heroic

admiral；　but　by　getting　hold　of　him　rather　late　one　evening　as　he

was　about　to　return　home　from　Grimworth；　the　aspiring　lover

succeeded　in　persuading　him　to　sup　on　some　collared　beef　which；

after　Mrs。　Palfrey's　brawn；　he　would　find　the　very　best　of　cold

eating。



From　that　hour　Mr。　Freely　felt　sure　of　success：　　being　in　privacy

with　an　estimable　man　old　enough　to　be　his　father；　and　being　rather

lonely　in　the　world；　it　was　natural　he　should　unbosom　himself　a

little　on　subjects　which　he　could　not　speak　of　in　a　mixed　circle

especially　concerning　his　expectations　from　his　uncle　in　Jamaica；

who　had　no　children；　and　loved　his　nephew　Edward　better　than　any　one

else　in　the　world；　though　he　had　been　so　hurt　at　his　leaving

Jamaica；　that　he　had　threatened　to　cut　him　off　with　a　shilling。

However；　he　had　since　written　to　state　his　full　forgiveness；　and

though　he　was　an　eccentric　old　gentleman　and　could　not　bear　to　give

away　money　during　his　life；　Mr。　Edward　Freely　could　show　Mr。　Palfrey

the　letter　which　declared；　plainly　enough；　who　would　be　the

affectionate　uncle's　heir。　　Mr。　Palfrey　actually　saw　the　letter；　and

could　not　help　admiring　the　spirit　of　the　nephew　who　declared　that

such　brilliant　hopes　as　these　made　no　difference　to　his　conduct；　he

should　work　at　his　humble　business　and　make　his　modest　fortune　at　it

all　the　same。　　If　the　Jamaica　estate　was　to　come　to　himwell　and

good。　　It　was　nothing　very　surprising　for　one　of　the　Freely　family

to　have　an　estate　left　him；　considering　the　lands　that　family　had

possessed　in　time　gone　bynay；　still　possessed　in　the

Northumberland　branch。　　Would　not　Mr。　Palfrey　take　another　glass　of

rum？　and　also　look　at　the　last　year's　balance　of　the　accounts？　　Mr。

Freely　was　a　man　who　cared　to　possess　personal　virtues；　and　did　not

pique　himself　on　his　family；　though　some　men　would。



We　know　how　easily　the　great　Leviathan　may　be　led；　when　once　there

is　a　hook　in　his　nose　or　a　bridle　in　his　jaws。　　Mr。　Palfrey　was　a

large　man；　but；　like　Leviathan's；　his　bulk　went　against　him　when

once　he　had　taken　a　turning。　　He　was　not　a　mercurial　man；　who　easily

changed　his　point　of　view。　　Enough。　　Before　two　months　were　over；　he

had　given　his　consent　to　Mr。　Freely's　marriage　with　his　daughter

Penny；　and　having　hit　on　a　formula　by　which　he　could　justify　it；

fenced　off　all　doubts　and　objections；　his　own　included。　　The　formula

was　this：　　〃I'm　not　a　man　to　put　my　head　up　an　entry　before　I　know

where　it　leads。〃



Little　Penny　was　very　proud　and　fluttering；　but　hardly　so　happy　as

she　expected　to　be　in　an　engagement。　　She　wondered　if　young　Towers

cared　much　about　it；　for　he　had　not　been　to　the　house　lately；　and

her　sister　and　brothers　were　rather　inclined　to　sneer　than　to

sympathize。　　Grimworth　rang　with　the　news。　　All　men　extolled　Mr。

Freely's　good　fortune；　while　the　women；　with　the　tender　solicitude

characteristic　of　the　sex；　wished　the　marriage　might　turn　out　well。



While　affairs　were　at　this　triumphant　juncture；　Mr。　Freely　one

morning　observed　that　a　stone…carver　who　had　been　breakfasting　in

the　eating…room　had　left　a　newspaper　behind。　　It　was　the　X…shire

Gazette；　and　X…shire　being　a　county　not　unknown　to　Mr。　Freely；　he

felt　some　curiosity　to　glance　over　it；　and　especially　over　the

advertisements。　　A　slight　flush　came　over　his　face　as　he　read。　　It

was　produced　by　the　following　announcement：…　〃If　David　Faux；　son　of

Jonathan　Faux；　late　of　Gilsbrook；　will　apply　at　the　office　of　Mr。

Strutt；　attorney；　of　Rodham；　he　will　hear　of　something　to　his

advantage。〃



〃Father's　dead！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Freely；　involuntarily。　　〃Can　he　have

left　me　a　legacy？〃







CHAPTER　III







Perhaps　it　was　a　result　quite　different　from　your　expectations；　that

Mr。　David　Faux　should　have　returned　from　the　West　Indies　only　a　few

years　after　his　arrival　there；　and　have　set　up　in　his　old　business；

like　any　plain　man　who　has　never　travelled。　　But　these　cases　do

occur　in　life。　　Since；　as　we　know；　men　change　their　skies　and　see

new　constellations　without　changing　their　souls；　it　will　follow

sometimes　that　they　don't　change　their　business　under　those　novel

circumstances。



Certainly；　this　result　was　contrary　to　David's　own　expectations。　　He

had　looked　forward；　you　are　aware；　to　a　brilliant　career　among　〃the

blacks〃；　but；　either　because　they　had　already　seen　too　many　white

men；　or　for　some　other　reason；　they　did　not　at　once　recognize　him　as

a　superior　order　of　human　being；　besides；　there　were　no　princesses

among　them。　　Nobody　in　Jamaica　was　anxious　to　maintain　David　for　the

mere　pleasure　of　his　society；　and　those　hidden　merits　of　a　man　which

are　so　well　known　to　himself　were　as　little　recognized　there　as　they

notoriously　are　in　the　effete　society　of　the　Old　World。　　So　that　in

the　dark　hints　that　David　threw　out　at　the　Oyster　Club　about　that

life　of　Sultanic　self…indulgence　spent　by　him　in　the　luxurious

Indies；　I　really　think　he　was　doing　himself　a　wrong；　I　believe　he

worked　for　his　bread；　and；　in　fact；　took　to　cooking　as；　after　all；

the　only　department　in　which　he　could　offer　skilled　labour。　　He　had

formed　several　ingenious　plans　by　which　he　meant　to　circumvent

people　of　large　fortune　and　small　faculty；　but　then　he　never　met

with　exactly　the　right　circumstances。　　David's　devices　for　getting

rich　without　work　had　apparently　no　direct　relation　with　the　world

outside　him；　as　his　confectionery　receipts　had。　　It　is　possible　to

pass　a　great　many　bad　half　pennies　and　bad　half…crowns；　but　I

believe　there　has　no　instance　been　known　of　passing　a　halfpenny　or　a

half…crown　as　a　sovereign。　　A　sharper　can　drive　a　brisk　trade　in

this　world：　　it　is　undeniable　that　there　may　be　a　fine　career　for

him；　if　he　will　dare　consequences；　but　David　was　too　timid　to　be　a

sharper；　or　venture　in　any　way　among　the　mantraps　of　the　law。　　He

dared　rob　nobody　but　his　mother。　　And　so　he　had　to　fall　back　on　the

genuine　value　there　was　in　himto　be　content　to　pass　as　a　good

halfpenny；　or；　to　spea