robert falconer- 第113部分

dressed　like　a　broken…down　clergyman；　in　rusty　black；　with　a

neck…cloth　of　whitey…brown。



'I　admit　it；'　he　said　in　good　English；　and　a　rather　educated　tone。

'Your　arguments　are　indisputable。　　I　confess　besides　that　so　far

short　does　the　yield　come　of　the　amount　on　paper；　that　it　would　pay

me　to　give　them　away。　　But　it's　the　funerals；　sir；　that　make　it

worth　my　while。　　I'm　an　undertaker；　as　you　may　judge　from　my

costume。　　I　count　back…rent　in　the　burying。　　People　may　cheat　their

landlord；　but　they　can't　cheat　the　undertaker。　　They　must　be　buried。

That's　the　one　indispensableain't　it；　sir？'



Falconer　had　let　him　run　on　that　he　might　have　the　measure　of　him。

Now　he　was　prepared　with　his　reply。



'You've　told　me　your　profession；'　he　said：　'I'll　tell　you　mine。　　I

am　a　lawyer。　　If　you　don't　let　me　have　those　houses　for　five

hundred；　which　is　the　full　market　value；　I'll　prosecute　you。　　It'll

take　a　good　penny　from　the　profits　of　your　coffins　to　put　those

houses　in　a　state　to　satisfy　the　inspector。'



The　wretched　creature　was　struck　dumb。　　Falconer　resumed。



'You're　the　sort　of　man　that　ought　to　be　kept　to　your　pound　of

filthy　flesh。　　I　know　what　I　say；　and　I'll　do　it。　　The　law　costs　me

nothing。　　You　won't　find　it　so。'



The　undertaker　sold　the　houses；　and　no　longer　in　that　quarter　killed

the　people　he　wanted　to　bury。



I　give　this　as　a　specimen　of　the　kind　of　thing　Falconer　did。　　But　he

took　none　of　the　business　part　in　his　own　hands；　on　the　same

principle　on　which　Paul　the　Apostle　said　it　was　unmeet　for　him　to

leave　the　preaching　of　the　word　in　order　to　serve　tablesnot　that

the　thing　was　beneath　him；　but　that　it　was　not　his　work　so　long　as

he　could　be　doing　more　important　service　still。



De　Fleuri　was　one　of　his　chief　supports。　　The　whole　nature　of　the

man　mellowed　under　the　sun　of　Falconer；　and　over　the　work　that

Falconer　gave　him　to　do。　　His　daughter　recovered；　and　devoted

herself　to　the　same　labour　that　had　rescued　her。　　Miss　St。　John　was

her　superior。　　By　degrees；　without　any　laws　or　regulations；　a　little

company　was　gathered；　not　of　ladies　and　gentlemen；　but　of　men　and

women；　who　aided　each；　other；　and　without　once　meeting　as　a　whole；

laboured　not　the　less　as　one　body　in　the　work　of　the　Lord；　bound　in

one　by　bonds　that　had　nothing　to　do　with　cobweb　committee　meetings

or　public　dinners；　chairmen　or　wine…flushed　subscriptions。　　They

worked　like　the　leaven　of　which　the　Lord　spoke。



But　De　Fleuri；　like　almost　every　one　in　the　community　I　believe；　had

his　own　private　schemes　subserving　the　general　good。　　He　knew　the

best　men　of　his　own　class　and　his　own　trade；　and　with　them　his

superior　intellectual　gifts　gave　him　influence。　　To　them　he　told　the

story　of　Falconer's　behaviour　to　him；　of　Falconer's　own　need；　and　of

his　hungry…hearted　search。　　An　enthusiasm　of　help　seized　upon　the

men。　　To　aid　your　superior　is　such　a　rousing　gladness！Was　anything

of　this　in　St。　Paul's　mind　when　he　spoke　of　our　being　fellow…workers

with　God？　　I　only　put　the　question。Each　one　of　these　had　his　own

trustworthy　acquaintances；　or　neighbours；　ratherfor　like　finds　out

like　all　the　world　through；　as　well　as　overand　to　them　he　told　the

story　of　Falconer　and　his　father；　so　that　in　all　that　region　of

London　it　became　known　that　the　man　who　loved　the　poor　was　himself

needy；　and　looked　to　the　poor　for　their　help。　　Without　them　he　could

not　be　made　perfect。



Some　of　my　readers　may　be　inclined　to　say　that　it　was　dishonourable

in　Falconer　to　have　occasioned　the　publishing　of　his　father's

disgrace。　　Such　may　recall　to　their　minds　that　concealment　is　no　law

of　the　universe；　that；　on　the　contrary；　the　Lord　of　the　Universe

said　once：　'There　is　nothing　covered　that　shall　not　be　revealed。'

Was　the　disgrace　of　Andrew　Falconer　greater　because　a　thousand　men

knew　it；　instead　of　forty；　who　could　not　help　knowing　it？　　Hope　lies

in　light　and　knowledge。　　Andrew　would　be　none　the　worse　that　honest

men　knew　of　his　vice：　they　would　be　the　first　to　honour　him　if　he

should　overcome　it。　　If　he　would　notthe　disgrace　was　just；　and

would　fall　upon　his　son　only　in　sorrow；　not　in　dishonour。　　The　grace

of　Godthe　making　of　humanity　by　his　beautiful　handno；　heartis

such；　that　disgrace　clings　to　no　man　after　repentance；　any　more　than

the　feet　defiled　with　the　mud　of　the　world　come　yet　defiled　from　the

bath。　　Even　the　things　that　proceed　out　of　the　man；　and　do　terribly

defile　him；　can　be　cast　off　like　the　pollution　of　the　leper　by　a

grace　that　goes　deeper　than　they；　and　the　man　who　says；　'I　have

sinned：　I　will　sin　no　more；'　is　even　by　the　voice　of　his　brothers

crowned　as　a　conqueror；　and　by　their　hearts　loved　as　one　who　has

suffered　and　overcome。　　Blessing　on　the　God…born　human　heart！　　Let

the　hounds　of　God；　not　of　Satan；　loose　upon　sin；God　only　can　rule

the　dogs　of　the　devil；let　them　hunt　it　to　the　earth；　let　them　drag

forth　the　demoniac　to　the　feet　of　the　Man　who　loved　the　people　while

he　let　the　devil　take　their　swine；　and　do　not　talk　about　disgrace

from　a　thing　being　known　when　the　disgrace　is　that　the　thing　should

exist。



One　night　I　was　returning　home　from　some　poor　attempts　of　my　own。　　I

had　now　been　a　pupil　of　Falconer　for　a　considerable　time；　but　having

my　own　livelihood　to　make；　I　could　not　do　so　much　as　I　would。



It　was　late；　nearly　twelve　o'clock；　as　I　passed　through　the　region

of　Seven　Dials。　　Here　and　there　stood　three　or　four　brutal…looking

men；　and　now　and　then　a　squalid　woman　with　a　starveling　baby　in　her

arms；　in　the　light　of　the　gin…shops。　　The　babies　were　the　saddest　to

seenursery…plants　already　in　training　for　the　places　these　men　and

women　now　held；　then　to　fill　a　pauper's　grave；　or　perhaps　a

perpetual　cellsay　rather；　for　the　awful　spaces　of　silence；　where

the　railway　director　can　no　longer　be　guilty　of　a　worse　sin　than

house…breaking；　and　his　miserable　brother　will　have　no　need　of　the

shelter　of　which　he　deprived　him。　　Now　and　then　a　flaunting　woman

wavered　pasta　night…shade；　as　our　old　dramatists　would　have　called

her。　　I　could　hardly　keep　down　an　evil　disgust　that　would　have

conquered　my　pity；　when　a　scanty　white　dress　would　stop　beneath　a

lamp；　and　the　gay　dirty　bonnet；　turning　round；　reveal　a　painted

face；　from　which　shone　little　more　than　an　animal　intelligence；　not

brightened　by　the　gin　she　had　been　drinking。　　Vague　noises　of　strife

and　of　drunken　wrath　flitted　around　me　as　I　passed　an　alley；　or　an

opening　door　let　out　its　evil　secret。　　Once　I　thought　I　heard　the

dull　thud　of　a　blow　on　the　head。　　The　noisome　vapours　were　fit　for

any　of　Swedenborg's　hells。　　There　were　few　sounds；　but　the　very

quiet　seemed　infernal。　　The　night　was　hot　and　sultry。　　A　skinned

cat；　possibly　still　alive；　fell　on　the　street　before　me。　　Under　one

of　the　gas…lamps　lay　something　long：　it　was　a　tress　of　dark　hair；

torn　perhaps　from　some　woman's　head：　she　had　beautiful　hair　at

least。　　Once　I　heard　the　cry　of　murder；　but　where；　in　that　chaos　of

humanity；　right　or　left；　before　or　behind　me；　I　could　not　even

guess。　　Home　to　such　regions；　from　gorgeous　stage…scenery　and

dresses；　from　splendid；　mirror…beladen　casinos；　from　singing…halls；

and　places　of　private　and　prolonged　revelry；　trail　the　daughters　of

men　at　all　hours　from　midnight　till　morning。　　Next　day　they　drink

hell…fire　that　they　may　forget。　　Sleep　brings　an　hour　or　two　of

oblivion；　hardly　of　peace；　but　they　must　wake；　worn　and　miserable；

and　the　waking　brings　no　hope：　their　only　known　help　lies　in　the

gin…shop。　　What　can　be　done　with　them？　　But　the　secrets　God　keeps

must　be　as　good　as　those　he　tells。



But　no　sights　of　the　night　ever　affected　me　so　much　as　walking

through　this　same　St。　Giles's　on　a　summer　Sunday　morning；　when

church…goers　were　in　church。　　Oh！　the　faces　that　creep　out　into　the

sunshine　then；　and　haunt　their　doors！　　Some　of　them　but　skins　drawn

over　skulls；　living　Death's…heads；　grotesque　in　their　hideousness。



I　was　not　very　far　from　Falconer's　abode。　　My　mind　was　oppressed

with　sad　thoughts　and　a　sense　of　helplessness。　　I　began　to　wonder

what　Falconer　might　at　that　moment　be　about。　　I　had　not　seen　him　for

a　long　timea　whole　fortnight。　　He　might　be　at　home：　I　would　go　and

see；　and　if　there　were　light　in　his　windows　I　would　ring　his　bell。



I　went。　　There　was　light　in　his　windows。　　He　opened　the　door

himself；　and　welcomed　me。　　I　went　up　with　him；　and　we　began　to　talk。

I　told　him　of　my　sad　thoughts；　and　my　feelings　of　helplessness。



'He　that　believeth　shall　not　make　haste；'　he　said。　'There　is　plenty

of　time。　　You　must　not　imagine　that　the　result　depends　on　you；　or

that　a　single　human　soul　can　be　lost　because　you　may　fail。　　The

question；　as　far　as　you　are　concerned；　is；　whether　you　are　to　be

honoured　in　having　a　hand　in　the　work　that　God　is　doing；　and　will

do；　whether　you　help　him　or　not。　　Some　will　be　honoured：　shall　it　be

me？　　And　this　honour　gained　excludes　no　one：　there　is　work；　as　there