第7章

Theremainingletter，writtenbyreturnofpost，mustnowbegiven。

Ithasthemeritofbrevity。

“DearTheobald，——Ihavereceivedyours。Iamatalosstoconceiveitsmotive，butamveryclearastoitseffect。Youshallnotreceiveasinglesixpencefrommetillyoucometoyoursenses。

Shouldyoupersistinyourfollyandwickedness，IamhappytorememberthatIhaveyetotherchildrenwhoseconductIcandependupontobeasourceofcreditandhappinesstome——Youraffectionatebuttroubledfather，G。PONTIFEX。”

Idonotknowtheimmediatesequeltotheforegoingcorrespondence，butitallcameperfectlyrightintheend。EitherTheobald’sheartfailedhim，orheinterpretedtheoutwardshovewhichhisfathergavehim，astheinwardcallforwhichIhavenodoubtheprayedwithgreatearnestness——forhewasafirmbelieverintheefficacyofprayer。AndsoamIundercertaincircumstances。Tennysonhassaidthatmorethingsarewroughtbyprayerthanthisworlddreamsof，buthehaswiselyrefrainedfromsayingwhethertheyaregoodthingsorbadthings。Itmightperhapsbeaswelliftheworldweretodreamof，orevenbecomewideawaketo，someofthethingsthatarebeingwroughtbyprayer。Butthequestionisavowedlydifficult。IntheendTheobaldgothisfellowshipbyastrokeofluckverysoonaftertakinghisdegree，andwasordainedintheautumnofthesameyear，1825。

MrAllabywasrectorofCrampsford，avillageafewmilesfromCambridge。He，too，hadtakenagooddegree，hadgotafellowship，andinthecourseoftimehadacceptedacollegelivingofabout400

poundsayearandahouse。Hisprivateincomedidnotexceed200

poundsayear。Onresigninghisfellowshiphemarriedawomanagooddealyoungerthanhimselfwhoborehimelevenchildren，nineofwhom——twosonsandsevendaughters——wereliving。Thetwoeldestdaughtershadmarriedfairlywell，butatthetimeofwhichIamnowwritingtherewerestillfiveunmarried，ofagesvaryingbetweenthirtyandtwenty-two——andthesonswereneitherofthemyetofftheirfather’shands。ItwasplainthatifanythingweretohappentoMrAllabythefamilywouldbeleftpoorlyoff，andthismadebothMrandMrsAllabyasunhappyasitoughttohavemadethem。

Reader，didyoueverhaveanincomeatbestnonetoolarge，whichdiedwithyouallexcept200poundsayear？Didyoueveratthesametimehavetwosonswhomustbestartedinlifesomehow，andfivedaughtersstillunmarriedforwhomyouwouldonlybetoothankfultofindhusbands——ifyouknewhowtofindthem？Ifmoralityisthatwhich，onthewhole，bringsamanpeaceinhisdecliningyears——if，thatistosay，itisnotanutterswindle，canyouunderthesecircumstancesflatteryourselfthatyouhaveledamorallife？

Andthis，eventhoughyourwifehasbeensogoodawomanthatyouhavenotgrowntiredofher，andhasnotfallenintosuchill-healthaslowersyourownhealthinsympathy；andthoughyourfamilyhasgrownupvigorous，amiable，andblessedwithcommonsense。Iknowmanyoldmenandwomenwhoarereputedmoral，butwhoarelivingwithpartnerswhomtheyhavelongceasedtolove，orwhohaveuglydisagreeablemaidendaughtersforwhomtheyhaveneverbeenabletofindhusbands——daughterswhomtheyloatheandbywhomtheyareloathedinsecret，orsonswhosefollyorextravaganceisaperpetualwearandworrytothem。Isitmoralforamantohavebroughtsuchthingsuponhimself？SomeoneshoulddoformoralswhatthatoldPecksniffBaconhasobtainedthecreditofhavingdoneforscience。

ButtoreturntoMrandMrsAllaby。MrsAllabytalkedabouthavingmarriedtwoofherdaughtersasthoughithadbeentheeasiestthingintheworld。Shetalkedinthiswaybecausesheheardothermothersdoso，butinherheartofheartsshedidnotknowhowshehaddoneit，norindeed，ifithadbeenherdoingatall。Firsttherehadbeenayoungmaninconnectionwithwhomshehadtriedtopractisecertainmanoeuvreswhichshehadrehearsedinimaginationoverandoveragain，butwhichshefoundimpossibletoapplyinpractice。Thentherehadbeenweeksofawurrawurraofhopesandfearsandlittlestratagemswhichasoftenasnotprovedinjudicious，andthensomehoworotherintheend，therelaytheyoungmanboundandwithanarrowthroughhisheartatherdaughter’sfeet。Itseemedtohertobeallaflukewhichshecouldhavelittleornohopeofrepeating。Shehadindeedrepeateditonce，andmightperhapswithgoodluckrepeatityetonceagain——butfivetimesover！Itwasawful：whyshewouldratherhavethreeconfinementsthangothroughthewearandtearofmarryingasingledaughter。

Neverthelessithadgottobedone，andpoorMrsAllabyneverlookedatayoungmanwithoutaneyetohisbeingafutureson-in-law。

Papasandmammassometimesaskyoungmenwhethertheirintentionsarehonourabletowardstheirdaughters。Ithinkyoungmenmightoccasionallyaskpapasandmammaswhethertheirintentionsarehonourablebeforetheyacceptinvitationstohouseswheretherearestillunmarrieddaughters。

“Ican’taffordacurate，mydear。”saidMrAllabytohiswifewhenthepairwerediscussingwhatwasnexttobedone。“ItwillbebettertogetsomeyoungmantocomeandhelpmeforatimeuponaSunday。AguineaaSundaywilldothis，andwecanchopandchangetillwegetsomeonewhosuits。”SoitwassettledthatMrAllaby’shealthwasnotsostrongasithadbeen，andthathestoodinneedofhelpintheperformanceofhisSundayduty。

MrsAllabyhadagreatfriend——acertainMrsCowey，wifeofthecelebratedProfessorCowey。Shewaswhatwascalledatrulyspirituallymindedwoman，atrifleportly，withanincipientbeard，andanextensiveconnectionamongundergraduates，moreespeciallyamongthosewhowereinclinedtotakepartinthegreatevangelicalmovementwhichwasthenatitsheight。Shegaveeveningpartiesonceafortnightatwhichprayerwaspartoftheentertainment。Shewasnotonlyspirituallyminded，but，asenthusiasticMrsAllabyusedtoexclaim，shewasathoroughwomanoftheworldatthesametimeandhadsuchafundofstrongmasculinegoodsense。Shetoohaddaughters，but，assheusedtosaytoMrsAllaby，shehadbeenlessfortunatethanMrsAllabyherself，foronebyonetheyhadmarriedandlefthersothatheroldagewouldhavebeendesolateindeedifherProfessorhadnotbeensparedtoher。

MrsCowey，ofcourse，knewtherunofallthebachelorclergyintheUniversity，andwastheverypersontoassistMrsAllabyinfindinganeligibleassistantforherhusband，sothislastnamedladydroveoveronemorningintheNovemberof1825，byarrangement，totakeanearlydinnerwithMrsCoweyandspendtheafternoon。Afterdinnerthetwoladiesretiredtogether，andthebusinessofthedaybegan。

Howtheyfenced，howtheysawthroughoneanother，withwhatloyaltytheypretendednottoseethroughoneanother，withwhatgentledalliancetheyprolongedtheconversationdiscussingthespiritualfitnessofthisorthatdeacon，andtheotherprosandconsconnectedwithhimafterhisspiritualfitnesshadbeendisposedof，allthismustbelefttotheimaginationofthereader。MrsCoweyhadbeensoaccustomedtoschemingonherownaccountthatshewouldschemeforanyoneratherthannotschemeatall。Manymothersturnedtoherintheirhourofneedand，providedtheywerespirituallyminded，MrsCoweyneverfailedtodoherbestforthem；

ifthemarriageofayoungBachelorofArtswasnotmadeinHeaven，itwasprobablymade，oratanyrateattempted，inMrsCowey’sdrawing-room。OnthepresentoccasionallthedeaconsoftheUniversityinwhomtherelurkedanysparkofpromisewereexhaustivelydiscussed，andtheupshotwasthatourfriendTheobaldwasdeclaredbyMrsCoweytobeaboutthebestthingshecoulddothatafternoon。

“Idon’tknowthathe’saparticularlyfascinatingyoungman，mydear。”saidMrsCowey，“andhe’sonlyasecondson，butthenhe’sgothisfellowship，andeventhesecondsonofsuchamanasMrPontifexthepublishershouldhavesomethingverycomfortable。”

“Whyyes，mydear。”rejoinedMrsAllabycomplacently，“that’swhatoneratherfeels。”

Theinterview，likeallothergoodthingshadtocometoanend；thedayswereshort，andMrsAllabyhadasixmiles’drivetoCrampsford。Whenshewasmuffledupandhadtakenherseat，MrAllaby’sfactotum，James，couldperceivenochangeinherappearance，andlittleknewwhataseriesofdelightfulvisionshewasdrivinghomealongwithhismistress。

ProfessorCoweyhadpublishedworksthroughTheobald’sfather，andTheobaldhadonthisaccountbeentakenintowbyMrsCoweyfromthebeginningofhisUniversitycareer。Shehadhadhereyeuponhimforsometimepast，andalmostasmuchfeltitherdutytogethimoffherlistofyoungmenforwhomwiveshadtobeprovided，aspoorMrsAllabydidtotryandgetahusbandforoneofherdaughters。

Shenowwroteandaskedhimtocomeandseeher，intermsthatawakenedhiscuriosity。WhenhecameshebroachedthesubjectofMrAllaby’sfailinghealth，andafterthesmoothingawayofsuchdifficultiesaswereonlyMrsCowey’sdue，consideringtheinterestshehadtaken，itwasallowedtocometopassthatTheobaldshouldgotoCrampsfordforsixsuccessiveSundaysandtakethehalfofMrAllaby’sdutyathalfaguineaaSunday，forMrsCoweycutdowntheusualstipendmercilessly，andTheobaldwasnotstrongenoughtoresist。

Ignorantoftheplotswhichwerebeingpreparedforhispeaceofmindandwithnoideabeyondthatofearninghisthreeguineas，andperhapsofastonishingtheinhabitantsofCrampsfordbyhisacademiclearning，TheobaldwalkedovertotheRectoryoneSundaymorningearlyinDecember——afewweeksonlyafterhehadbeenordained。Hehadtakenagreatdealofpainswithhissermon，whichwasonthesubjectofgeology——thencomingtotheforeasatheologicalbugbear。Heshowedthatsofarasgeologywasworthanythingatall——andhewastooliberalentirelytopooh-poohit——itconfirmedtheabsolutelyhistoricalcharacteroftheMosaicaccountoftheCreationasgiveninGenesis。Anyphenomenawhichatfirstsightappearedtomakeagainstthisviewwereonlypartialphenomenaandbrokedownuponinvestigation。Nothingcouldbeinmoreexcellenttaste，andwhenTheobaldadjournedtotherectory，wherehewastodinebetweentheservices，MrAllabycomplimentedhimwarmlyuponhisdebut，whiletheladiesofthefamilycouldhardlyfindwordswithwhichtoexpresstheiradmiration。

Theobaldknewnothingaboutwomen。Theonlywomenhehadbeenthrownincontactwithwerehissisters，twoofwhomwerealwayscorrectinghim，andafewschoolfriendswhomthesehadgottheirfathertoasktoElmhurst。TheseyoungladieshadeitherbeensoshythattheyandTheobaldhadneveramalgamated，ortheyhadbeensupposedtobecleverandhadsaidsmartthingstohim。Hedidnotsaysmartthingshimselfanddidnotwantotherpeopletosaythem。

Besides，theytalkedaboutmusic——andhehatedmusic——orpictures——

andhehatedpictures——orbooks——andexcepttheclassicshehatedbooks。Andthensometimeshewaswantedtodancewiththem，andhedidnotknowhowtodance，anddidnotwanttoknow。

AtMrsCowey’spartiesagainhehadseensomeyoungladiesandhadbeenintroducedtothem。Hehadtriedtomakehimselfagreeable，butwasalwaysleftwiththeimpressionthathehadnotbeensuccessful。TheyoungladiesofMrsCowey’ssetwerebynomeansthemostattractivethatmighthavebeenfoundintheUniversity，andTheobaldmaybeexcusedfornotlosinghishearttothegreaternumberofthem，whileifforaminuteortwohewasthrowninwithoneoftheprettierandmoreagreeablegirlshewasalmostimmediatelycutoutbysomeonelessbashfulthanhimself，andsneakedoff，feelingasfarasthefairsexwasconcerned，liketheimpotentmanatthepoolofBethesda。