The Waverley Novels | Page 7

a
considerable sum of money, which I had advanced from time to time to
the deceased Peter, and particularly to purchase a small annuity for his
aged mother. These advances, with the charges of the funeral and other
expenses, amounted to a considerable sum, which the poverty- struck
student and his acute legal adviser equally foresaw great difficulty in
liquidating. The said Mr. Paul Pattison, therefore, listened to a
suggestion, which I dropped as if by accident, that if he thought himself
capable of filling his brother's place of carrying the work through the
press, I would make him welcome to bed and board within my mansion
while he was thus engaged, only requiring his occasional assistance at
hearing the more advanced scholars. This seemed to promise a close of
our dispute, alike satisfactory to all parties, and the first act of Paul was
to draw on me for a round sum, under pretence that his wardrobe must
be wholly refitted. To this I made no objection, though it certainly
showed like vanity to purchase garments in the extremity of the mode,
when not only great part of the defunct's habiliments were very fit for a

twelvemonth's use, but as I myself had been, but yesterday as it were,
equipped in a becoming new stand of black clothes, Mr. Pattison would
have been welcome to the use of such of my quondam raiment as he
thought suitable, as indeed had always been the case with his deceased
brother.
The school, I must needs say, came tolerably on. My youngster was
very smart, and seemed to be so active in his duty of usher, if I may so
speak, that he even overdid his part therein, and I began to feel myself a
cipher in my own school.
I comforted myself with the belief that the publication was advancing
as fast as I could desire. On this subject, Paul Pattison, like ancient
Pistol, "talked bold words at the bridge," and that not only at our house,
but in the society of our neighbours, amongst whom, instead of
imitating the retired and monastic manner of his brother deceased, he
became a gay visitor, and such a reveller, that in process of time he was
observed to vilipend the modest fare which had at first been esteemed a
banquet by his hungry appetite, and thereby highly displeased my wife,
who, with justice, applauds herself for the plentiful, cleanly, and
healthy victuals, wherewith she maintains her ushers and boarders.
Upon the whole, I rather hoped than entertained a sincere confidence
that all was going on well, and was in that unpleasant state of mind
which precedes the open breach between two associates who have been
long jealous of each other, but are as yet deterred by a sense of mutual
interest from coming to an open rupture.
The first thing which alarmed me was a rumour in the village, that Paul
Pattison intended, in some little space, to undertake a voyage to the
Continent--on account of his health, as was pretended, but, as the same
report averred, much more with the view of gratifying the curiosity
which his perusal of the classics had impressed upon him, than for any
other purpose. I was, I say, rather alarmed at this susurrus, and began to
reflect that the retirement of Mr. Pattison, unless his loss could be
supplied in good time, was like to be a blow to the establishment; for,
in truth, this Paul had a winning way with the boys, especially those
who were gentle-tempered; so that I must confess my doubts whether,

in certain respects, I myself could have fully supplied his place in the
school, with all my authority and experience. My wife, jealous as
became her station, of Mr. Pattison's intentions, advised me to take the
matter up immediately, and go to the bottom at once; and, indeed, I had
always found that way answered best with my boys.
Mrs. Cleishbotham was not long before renewing the subject; for, like
most of the race of Xantippe, (though my help-mate is a well-spoken
woman,) she loves to thrust in her oar where she is not able to pull it to
purpose. "You are a sharp-witted man, Mr. Cleishbotham," would she
observe, "and a learned man, Mr. Cleishbotham--and the schoolmaster
of Gandercleuch, Mr. Cleishbotham, which is saying all in one word;
but many a man almost as great as yourself has lost the saddle by
suffering an inferior to get up behind him' and though, with the world,
Mr. Cleishbotham, you have the name of doing every thing, both in
directing the school and in this new profitable book line which you
have taken up, yet it begins to be the common talk of Gandercleuch,
both up the water and down the water, that the