A Dark Nights Work | Page 9

young man to reside and read with him. "Ness's
men" took rather high honours, for the tutor, too indolent to find out
work for himself, had a certain pride in doing well the work that was
found for him.
When Ellinor was somewhere about fourteen, a young Mr. Corbet
came to be pupil to Mr. Ness. Her father always called on the young
men reading with the clergyman, and asked them to his house. His
hospitality had in course of time lost its recherche and elegant character,
but was always generous, and often profuse. Besides, it was in his
character to like the joyous, thoughtless company of the young better
than that of the old--given the same amount of refinement and
education in both.
Mr. Corbet was a young man of very good family, from a distant
county. If his character had not been so grave and deliberate, his years
would only have entitled him to be called a boy, for he was but
eighteen at the time when he came to read with Mr. Ness. But many
men of five-and-twenty have not reflected so deeply as this young Mr.
Corbet already had. He had considered and almost matured his plan for
life; had ascertained what objects he desired most to accomplish in the
dim future, which is to many at his age only a shapeless mist; and had
resolved on certain steady courses of action by which such objects were
most likely to be secured. A younger son, his family connections and
family interest pre-arranged a legal career for him; and it was in
accordance with his own tastes and talents. All, however, which his
father hoped for him was, that he might be able to make an income
sufficient for a gentleman to live on. Old Mr. Corbet was hardly to be
called ambitious, or, if he were, his ambition was limited to views for
the eldest son. But Ralph intended to be a distinguished lawyer, not so
much for the vision of the woolsack, which I suppose dances before the
imagination of every young lawyer, as for the grand intellectual
exercise, and consequent power over mankind, that distinguished
lawyers may always possess if they choose. A seat in Parliament,
statesmanship, and all the great scope for a powerful and active mind

that lay on each side of such a career--these were the objects which
Ralph Corbet set before himself. To take high honours at college was
the first step to be accomplished; and in order to achieve this Ralph had,
not persuaded-- persuasion was a weak instrument which he
despised--but gravely reasoned his father into consenting to pay the
large sum which Mr. Ness expected with a pupil. The good-natured old
squire was rather pressed for ready money, but sooner than listen to an
argument instead of taking his nap after dinner he would have yielded
anything. But this did not satisfy Ralph; his father's reason must be
convinced of the desirability of the step, as well as his weak will give
way. The squire listened, looked wise, sighed; spoke of Edward's
extravagance and the girls' expenses, grew sleepy, and said, "Very
true," "That is but reasonable, certainly," glanced at the door, and
wondered when his son would have ended his talking and go into the
drawing-room; and at length found himself writing the desired letter to
Mr. Ness, consenting to everything, terms and all. Mr. Ness never had a
more satisfactory pupil; one whom he could treat more as an
intellectual equal.
Mr. Corbet, as Ralph was always called in Hamley, was resolute in his
cultivation of himself, even exceeding what his tutor demanded of him.
He was greedy of information in the hours not devoted to absolute
study. Mr. Ness enjoyed giving information, but most of all he liked the
hard tough arguments on all metaphysical and ethical questions in
which Mr. Corbet delighted to engage him. They lived together on
terms of happy equality, having thus much in common. They were
essentially different, however, although there were so many points of
resemblance. Mr. Ness was unworldly as far as the idea of real
unworldliness is compatible with a turn for self-indulgence and
indolence; while Mr. Corbet was deeply, radically worldly, yet for the
accomplishment of his object could deny himself all the careless
pleasures natural to his age. The tutor and pupil allowed themselves
one frequent relaxation, that of Mr. Wilkins's company. Mr. Ness
would stroll to the office after the six hours' hard reading were
over--leaving Mr. Corbet still bent over the table, book bestrewn-- and
see what Mr. Wilkins's engagements were. If he had nothing better to
do that evening, he was either asked to dine at the parsonage, or he, in

his careless hospitable way, invited the other two to dine with him,