Chapter III. Mr Riley Gives His Advice Concerning a School for Tom

ngtohimself,notwithstandingthesubtleindicationstothecontrarywhichmighthavemisledatoosagaciousobserver.Forthereisnothingmorewidelymisleadingthansagacityifithappenstogetonawrongscentandsagacity,persuadedthatmenusuallyactandspeakfromdistinctmotives,withaconsciouslyproposedendinview,iscertaintowasteitsenergiesonimaginarygame. Plottingcovetousnessanddeliberatecontrivance,inordertocompassaselfishend,arenowhereabundantbutintheworldofthedramatist:theydemandtoointenseamentalactionformanyofourfellow-parishionerstobeguiltyofthem.Itiseasyenoughtospoilthelivesofourneighbourswithouttakingsomuchtroublewecandoitbylazyacquiescenceandlazyomission,bytrivialfalsitiesforwhichwehardlyknowareason,bysmallfraudsneutralisedbysmallextravagances,bymaladroitflatteries,andclumsilyimprovisedinsinuations.Welivefromhandtomouth,mostofus,withasmallfamilyofimmediatedesireswedolittleelsethansnatchamorseltosatisfythehungrybrood,rarelythinkingofseed-cornorthenextyear’scrop. MrRileywasamanofbusiness,andnotcoldtowardhisowninterest,yetevenhewasmoreundertheinfluenceofsmallpromptingsthanoffar-sighteddesigns.HehadnoprivateunderstandingwiththeRev.WalterStellingonthecontrary,heknewverylittleofthatM.A.andhisacquirements,—notquiteenough,perhaps,towarrantsostrongarecommendationofhimashehadgiventohisfriendTulliver.ButhebelievedMrStellingtobeanexcellentclassic,forGadsbyhadsaidso,andGadsby’sfirstcousinwasanOxfordtutorwhichwasbettergroundforthebeliefeventhanhisownimmediateobservationwouldhavebeen,forthoughMrRileyhadreceivedatinctureoftheclassicsatthegreatMudportFreeSchool,andhadasenseofunderstandingLatingenerally,hiscomprehensionofanyparticularLatinwasnotready.DoubtlessthereremainedasubtlearomafromhisjuvenilecontactwiththeDeSenectuteandthefourthbookofthe?neid,butithadceasedtobedistinctlyrecognisableasclassical,andwasonlyperceivedinthehigherfinishandforceofhisauctioneeringstyle.Then,StellingwasanOxfordman,andtheOxfordmenwerealways—no,no,itwastheCambridgemenwhowerealwaysgoodmathematicians.ButamanwhohadhadauniversityeducationcouldteachanythinghelikedespeciallyamanlikeStelling,whohadmadeaspeechataMudportdinneronapoliticaloccasion,andhadacquittedhimselfsowellthatitwasgenerallyremarked,thisson-in-lawofTimpson’swasasharpfellow.ItwastobeexpectedofaMudportman,fromtheparishofStUrsula,thathewouldnotomittodoagoodturntoason-in-lawofTimpson’s,forTimpsonwasoneofthemostusefulandinfluentialmenintheparish,andhadagooddealofbusiness,whichheknewhowtoputintotherighthands.MrRileylikedsuchmen,quiteapartfromanymoneywhichmightbediverted,throughtheirgoodjudgment,fromlessworthypocketsintohisownanditwouldbeasatisfactiontohimtosaytoTimpsononhisreturnhome,“I’vesecuredagoodpupilforyourson-in-law.”TimpsonhadalargefamilyofdaughtersMrRileyfeltforhimbesides,LouisaTimpson’sface,withitslightcurls,hadbeenafamiliarobjecttohimoverthepewwainscotonaSundayfornearlyfifteenyearsitwasnaturalherhusbandshouldbeacommendabletutor.Moreover,MrRileyknewofnootherschoolmasterwhomhehadanygroundforrecommendinginpreferencewhy,then,shouldhenotrecommendStelling?HisfriendTulliverhadaskedhimforanopinionitisalwayschilling,infriendlyintercourse,tosayyouhavenoopiniontogive.Andifyoudeliveranopinionatall,itismerestupiditynottodoitwithanairofconvictionandwell-foundedknowledge.Youmakeityourowninutteringit,andnaturallygetfondofit.ThusMrRiley,knowingnoharmofStellingtobeginwith,andwishinghimwell,sofarashehadanywishesatallconcerninghim,hadnosoonerrecommendedhimthanhebegantothinkwithadmirationofamanrecommendedonsuchhighauthority,andwouldsoonhavegatheredsowarmaninterestonthesubject,thatifMrTulliverhadintheenddeclinedtosendTomtoStelling,MrRileywouldhavethoughthis“friendoftheoldschool”athoroughlypig-headedfellow. IfyoublameMrRileyveryseverelyforgivingarecommendationonsuchslightgrounds,Imustsayyouareratherharduponhim.Whyshouldanauctioneerandappraiserthirtyyearsago,whohadasgoodasforgottenhisfree-schoolLatin,beexpectedtomanifestadelicatescrupulositywhichisnotalwaysexhibitedbygentlemenofthelearnedprofessions,eveninourpresentadvancedstageofmorality? Besides,amanwiththemilkofhumankindnessinhimcanscarcelyabstainfromdoingagood-naturedaction,andonecannotbegood-naturedallround.Natureherselfoccasionallyquartersaninconvenientparasiteonananimaltowardwhomshehasotherwisenoillwill.Whatthen?Weadmirehercarefortheparasite.IfMrRileyhadshrunkfromgivingarecommendationthatwasnotbasedonvalidevidence,hewouldnothavehelpedMrStellingtoapayingpupil,andthatwouldnothavebeensowellforthereverendgentleman.Consider,too,thatallthepleasantlittledimideasandcomplacencies—ofstandingwellwithTimpson,ofdispensingadvicewhenhewasaskedforit,ofimpressinghisfriendTulliverwithadditionalrespect,ofsayingsomething,andsayingitemphatically,withotherinappreciablyminuteingredientsthatwentalongwiththewarmhearthandthebrandy-and-watertomakeupMrRiley’sconsciousnessonthisoccasion—wouldhavebeenamereblank.