"He likes the best music," she thought, "and he hates
Dr. Skinner. This is a very fair beginning." When she sent him away at
night with a sovereign in his pocket (and he had only hoped to get
five shillings) she felt as though she had had a good deal more than
her money's worth for her money.
CHAPTER XXXIII
NEXT day Miss Pontifex returned to town, with her thoughts full of
her nephew and how she could best be of use to him.
It appeared to her that to do him any real service she must devote
herself almost entirely to him; she must in fact give up living in
London, at any rate for a long time, and live at Roughborough where
she could see him continually. This was a serious undertaking; she had
lived in London for the last twelve years, and naturally disliked
the prospect of a small country town such as Roughborough. Was it a
prudent thing to attempt so much? Must not people take their chances
in this world? Can anyone do much for anyone else unless by making a
will in his favour and dying then and there? Should not each look
after his own happiness, and will not the world be best carried on
if everyone minds his own business and leaves other people to mind
theirs? Life is not a donkey race in which everyone is to ride his
neighbour's donkey and the last is to win, and the psalmist long since
formulated a common experience when he declared that no man may
deliver his brother nor make agreement unto God for him, for it cost
more to redeem their souls, so that he must let that alone for ever.
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