brother jacob-第1章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






Brother　Jacob



by　George　Eliot　＇Mary　Anne　Evans＇










CHAPTER　I







Among　the　many　fatalities　attending　the　bloom　of　young　desire；　that

of　blindly　taking　to　the　confectionery　line　has　not；　perhaps；　been

sufficiently　considered。　　How　is　the　son　of　a　British　yeoman；　who

has　been　fed　principally　on　salt　pork　and　yeast　dumplings；　to　know

that　there　is　satiety　for　the　human　stomach　even　in　a　paradise　of

glass　jars　full　of　sugared　almonds　and　pink　lozenges；　and　that　the

tedium　of　life　can　reach　a　pitch　where　plum…buns　at　discretion　cease

to　offer　the　slightest　excitement？　　Or　how；　at　the　tender　age　when　a

confectioner　seems　to　him　a　very　prince　whom　all　the　world　must

envywho　breakfasts　on　macaroons；　dines　on　meringues；　sups　on

twelfth…cake；　and　fills　up　the　intermediate　hours　with　sugar…candy

or　pepperminthow　is　he　to　foresee　the　day　of　sad　wisdom；　when　he

will　discern　that　the　confectioner's　calling　is　not　socially

influential；　or　favourable　to　a　soaring　ambition？　　I　have　known　a

man　who　turned　out　to　have　a　metaphysical　genius；　incautiously；　in

the　period　of　youthful　buoyancy；　commence　his　career　as　a　dancing…

master；　and　you　may　imagine　the　use　that　was　made　of　this　initial

mistake　by　opponents　who　felt　themselves　bound　to　warn　the　public

against　his　doctrine　of　the　Inconceivable。　　He　could　not　give　up　his

dancing…lessons；　because　he　made　his　bread　by　them；　and　metaphysics

would　not　have　found　him　in　so　much　as　salt　to　his　bread。　　It　was

really　the　same　with　Mr。　David　Faux　and　the　confectionery　business。

His　uncle；　the　butler　at　the　great　house　close　by　Brigford；　had　made

a　pet　of　him　in　his　early　boyhood；　and　it　was　on　a　visit　to　this

uncle　that　the　confectioners'　shops　in　that　brilliant　town　had；　on　a

single　day；　fired　his　tender　imagination。　　He　carried　home　the

pleasing　illusion　that　a　confectioner　must　be　at　once　the　happiest

and　the　foremost　of　men；　since　the　things　he　made　were　not　only　the

most　beautiful　to　behold；　but　the　very　best　eating；　and　such　as　the

Lord　Mayor　must　always　order　largely　for　his　private　recreation；　so

that　when　his　father　declared　he　must　be　put　to　a　trade；　David　chose

his　line　without　a　moment's　hesitation；　and；　with　a　rashness

inspired　by　a　sweet　tooth；　wedded　himself　irrevocably　to

confectionery。　　Soon；　however；　the　tooth　lost　its　relish　and　fell

into　blank　indifference；　and　all　the　while；　his　mind　expanded；　his

ambition　took　new　shapes；　which　could　hardly　be　satisfied　within　the

sphere　his　youthful　ardour　had　chosen。　　But　what　was　he　to　do？　　He

was　a　young　man　of　much　mental　activity；　and；　above　all；　gifted　with

a　spirit　of　contrivance；　but　then；　his　faculties　would　not　tell　with

great　effect　in　any　other　medium　than　that　of　candied　sugars；

conserves；　and　pastry。　　Say　what　you　will　about　the　identity　of　the

reasoning　process　in　all　branches　of　thought；　or　about　the　advantage

of　coming　to　subjects　with　a　fresh　mind；　the　adjustment　of　butter　to

flour；　and　of　heat　to　pastry；　is　NOT　the　best　preparation　for　the

office　of　prime　minister；　besides；　in　the　present　imperfectly…

organized　state　of　society；　there　are　social　barriers。　　David　could

invent　delightful　things　in　the　way　of　drop…cakes；　and　he　had　the

widest　views　of　the　sugar　department；　but　in　other　directions　he

certainly　felt　hampered　by　the　want　of　knowledge　and　practical

skill；　and　the　world　is　so　inconveniently　constituted；　that　the

vague　consciousness　of　being　a　fine　fellow　is　no　guarantee　of

success　in　any　line　of　business。



This　difficulty　pressed　with　some　severity　on　Mr。　David　Faux；　even

before　his　apprenticeship　was　ended。　　His　soul　swelled　with　an

impatient　sense　that　he　ought　to　become　something　very　remarkable

that　it　was　quite　out　of　the　question　for　him　to　put　up　with　a

narrow　lot　as　other　men　did：　　he　scorned　the　idea　that　he　could

accept　an　average。　　He　was　sure　there　was　nothing　average　about　him：

even　such　a　person　as　Mrs。　Tibbits；　the　washer…woman；　perceived　it；

and　probably　had　a　preference　for　his　linen。　　At　that　particular

period　he　was　weighing　out　gingerbread　nuts；　but　such　an　anomaly

could　not　continue。　　No　position　could　be　suited　to　Mr。　David　Faux

that　was　not　in　the　highest　degree　easy　to　the　flesh　and　flattering

to　the　spirit。　　If　he　had　fallen　on　the　present　times；　and　enjoyed

the　advantages　of　a　Mechanic's　Institute；　he　would　certainly　have

taken　to　literature　and　have　written　reviews；　but　his　education　had

not　been　liberal。　　He　had　read　some　novels　from　the　adjoining

circulating　library；　and　had　even　bought　the　story　of　Inkle　and

Yarico；　which　had　made　him　feel　very　sorry　for　poor　Mr。　Inkle；　so

that　his　ideas　might　not　have　been　below　a　certain　mark　of　the

literary　calling；　but　his　spelling　and　diction　were　too

unconventional。



When　a　man　is　not　adequately　appreciated　or　comfortably　placed　in

his　own　country；　his　thoughts　naturally　turn　towards　foreign　climes；

and　David's　imagination　circled　round　and　round　the　utmost　limits　of

his　geographical　knowledge；　in　search　of　a　country　where　a　young

gentleman　of　pasty　visage；　lipless　mouth；　and　stumpy　hair；　would　be

likely　to　be　received　with　the　hospitable　enthusiasm　which　he　had　a

right　to　expect。　　Having　a　general　idea　of　America　as　a　country

where　the　population　was　chiefly　black；　it　appeared　to　him　the　most

propitious　destination　for　an　emigrant　who；　to　begin　with；　had　the

broad　and　easily　recognizable　merit　of　whiteness；　and　this　idea

gradually　took　such　strong　possession　of　him　that　Satan　seized　the

opportunity　of　suggesting　to　him　that　he　might　emigrate　under　easier

circumstances；　if　he　supplied　himself　with　a　little　money　from　his

master's　till。　　But　that　evil　spirit；　whose　understanding；　I　am

convinced；　has　been　much　overrated；　quite　wasted　his　time　on　this

occasion。　　David　would　certainly　have　liked　well　to　have　some　of　his

master's　money　in　his　pocket；　if　he　had　been　sure　his　master　would

have　been　the　only　man　to　suffer　for　it；　but　he　was　a　cautious

youth；　and　quite　determined　to　run　no　risks　on　his　own　account。　　So

he　stayed　out　his　apprenticeship；　and　committed　no　act　of　dishonesty

that　was　at　all　likely　to　be　discovered；　reserving　his　plan　of

emigration　for　a　future　opportunity。　　And　the　circumstances　under

which　he　carried　it　out　were　in　this　wise。　　Having　been　at　home　a

week　or　two　partaking　of　the　family　beans；　he　had　used　his　leisure

in　ascertaining　a　fact　which　was　of　considerable　importance　to　him；

namely；　that　his　mother　had　a　small　sum　in　guineas　painfully　saved

from　her　maiden　perquisites；　and　kept　in　the　corner　of　a　drawer

where　her　baby…linen　had　reposed　for　the　last　twenty　yearsever

since　her　son　David　had　taken　to　his　feet；　with　a　slight　promise　of

bow…legs　which　had　not　been　altogether　unfulfilled。　　Mr。　Faux；

senior；　had　told　his　son　very　frankly；　that　he　must　not　look　to

being　set　up　in　business　by　HIM：　　with　seven　sons；　and　one　of　them　a

very　healthy　and　well…developed　idiot；　who　consumed　a　dumpling　about

eight　inches　in　diameter　every　day；　it　was　pretty　well　if　they　got　a

hundred　apiece　at　his　death。　　Under　these　circumstances；　what　was

David　to　do？　　It　was　certainly　hard　that　he　should　take　his　mother's

money；　but　he　saw　no　other　ready　means　of　getting　any；　and　it　was

not　to　be　expected　that　a　young　man　of　his　merit　should　put　up　with

inconveniences　that　could　be　avoided。　　Besides；　it　is　not　robbery　to

take　property　belonging　to　your　mother：　　she　doesn't　prosecute　you。

And　David　was　very　well　behaved　to　his　mother；　he　comforted　her　by

speaking　highly　of　himself　to　her；　and　assuring　her　that　he　never

fell　into　the　vices　he　saw　practised　by　other　youths　of　his　own　age；

and　that　he　was　particularly　fond　of　honesty。　　If　his　mother　would

have　given　him　her　twenty　guineas　as　a　reward　of　this　noble

disposition；　he　really　would　not　have　stolen　them　from　her；　and　it

would　have　been　more　agreeable　to　his　feelings。　　Nevertheless；　to　an

active　mind　like　David's；　ingenuity　is　not　without　its　pleasures：

it　was　rather　an　interesting　occupation　to　become　stealthily

acquainted　with　the　wards　of　his　mother's　simple　key　（not　in　the

least　like　Chubb's　patent）；　and　to　get　one　that　would　do　its　work

equally　well；　and　also　to　arrange　a　little　drama　by　which　he　would

escape　suspicion；　and　run　no　risk　of　forfeiting　the　prospective

hundred　at　his　father's　death；　which　would　be　convenient　in　the

improbable　case　of　his　NOT　making　a　large　fortune　in　the　〃Indies。〃



First；　he　spoke　freely　of　his　intention　to　start　shortly　for

Liverpool　and　take　ship　for　America；　a　resolution　which　cost　his

good　mother　some　pain；　for；　after　Jacob　the　idiot；　there　was　not　one

of　her　sons　to　whom　her　heart　clung　more　than　to　her　youngest…born；

David。　　Next；　it　appeared　to　him　that　Sunday　afternoon；　when

everybody　was　gone　to　church　except　Jacob　and　the　cowboy；　was　so

singularly　favourable　an　opportunity　for　sons　who　wanted　to

appropriate　their　mothers'　guineas；　that　he　half　thought　it　must

have　been　kindly　intended　by　Providence　for　such　purposes。

Especially　the　third　Sunday　in　Lent；　because　Jacob　had　been　out　on

one　of　his　occasional　wanderings　for　the　last　two　days；　and　David；

being　a　timid　young　man；　had　a　considerable　dread　and　hatred　of

Jacob；　as　of　a　large　personage　who　went　about　habitually　with　a

pitchfork　in　his　hand。



Nothing　could　be　easier；　then；　than　for　David　on　this　Sunday

afternoon　to　decline　going　to　church；　on　the　ground　that　he　was

going　to　tea　at　Mr。　Lunn's；　whose　pretty　daughter　Sally　had　been　an

early　flame　of　his；　and；　when　the　church…goers　were　at　a　safe

distance；　to　abstract　the　guineas　from　their　wooden　box　and　slip

them　into　a　small　canvas　bagnothing　easier　than　to　call　to　the

cowboy　that　he　was　going；　and　tell　him　to　keep　an　eye　on　the　house

for　fear　of　Sunday　tramps。　　David　thought　it　would　be　easy；　too；　to

get　to　a　small　thicket　and　bury　his　bag　in　a　hole　he　had　already

made　and　covered　up　under　the　roots　of　an　old　hollow　ash；　and　he

had；　in　fact；　found　the　hole　without　a　moment's　difficulty；　had

uncovered　it；　and　was　about　gently　to　drop　the　bag　into　it；　when　the

sound　of　a　large　body　rustling　towards　him　with　something　like　a

bellow　was　such　a　surprise　to　David；　who；　as　a　gentleman　gifted　with

much　contrivance；　was　naturally　only　prepared　for　what　he　expected；

that　instead　of　dropping　the　bag　gently　he　let　it　fall　so　as　to　make

it　untwist　and　vomit　forth　the　shining　guineas。　　In　the　same　moment

he　looked　up　and　saw　his　dear　brother　Jacob　close　upon　him；　holding

the　pitchfork　so　that　the　bright　smooth　prongs　were　a　yard　in

advance　of　his　own　body；　and　about　a　foot　off　David's。　　（A　learned

friend；　to　whom　I　once　narrated　this　history；　observed　that　it　was

David's　guilt　which　made　these　prongs　formidable；　and　that　the　〃mens

nil　conscia　sibi〃　strips　a　pitchfork　of　all　terrors。　　I　thought　this

idea　so　valuable；　that　I　obtained　his　leave　to　use