第2部分(第6/7 頁)

d　taken　over　the　butchery

business；　already　a　growing　callousness　to　it；　and　a　sort　of

contempt　made　him　neglectful　of　it。　He　drank；　and　was　often　to

be　found　in　his　public　house　blathering　away　as　if　he　knew

everything；　when　in　reality　he　was　a　noisy　fool。

Of　the　daughters；　Alice；　the　elder；　married　a　collier　and

lived　for　a　time　stormily　in　Ilkeston；　before　moving　away　to

Yorkshire　with　her　numerous　young　family。　Effie；　the　younger；

remained　at　home。

The　last　child；　Tom；　was　considerably　younger　than　his

brothers；　so　had　belonged　rather　to　the　pany　of　his　sisters。

He　was　his　mother's　favourite。　She　roused　herself　to

determination；　and　sent　him　forcibly　away　to　a　grammar…school　in

Derby　when　he　was　twelve　years　old。　He　did　not　want　to　go；　and

his　father　would　have　given　way；　but　Mrs。　Brangwen　had　set　her

heart　on　it。　Her　slender；　pretty；　tightly…covered　body；　with

full　skirts；　was　now　the　centre　of　resolution　in　the　house；　and

when　she　had　once　set　upon　anything；　which　was　not　often；　the

family　failed　before　her。

So　Tom　went　to　school；　an　unwilling　failure　from　the　first。

He　believed　his　mother　was　right　in　decreeing　school　for　him；

but　he　knew　she　was　only　right　because　she　would　not　acknowledge

his　constitution。　He　knew；　with　a　child's　deep；　instinctive

foreknowledge　of　what　is　going　to　happen　to　him；　that　he　would

cut　a　sorry　figure　at　school。　But　he　took　the　infliction　as

inevitable；　as　if　he　were　guilty　of　his　own　nature；　as　if　his

being　were　wrong；　and　his　mother's　conception　right。　If　he　could

have　been　what　he　liked；　he　would　have　been　that　which　his

mother　fondly　but