the days of my life

第5部分 (第5/7頁)

n　his　back　he　could　not　afford　to　do。　It　is　a　pity；　for　I　am　sure　that　his　strong　personality；　backed　as　it　was　by　remarkable　shrewdness；　would　have　made　him　a　great　figure　in　the　House　of　mons　and　one　who　would　have　been　long　remembered。

In　many　ways　he　was　extraordinarily　able；　though；　if　one　may　say　so　of　a　man　who　was　so　very　much　a　man；　his　mind　had　certain　feminine　characteristics　that　for　aught　I　know　may　have　e　to　him　with　his　Russian　blood。　Thus　I　do　not　think　that　he　reasoned　very　much。　He　jumped　to　conclusions　as　a　woman　does；　and　those　conclusions；　although　often　exaggerated；　were　in　essence　very　rarely　wrong。　Indeed　I　never　knew　anyone　who　could　form　a　more　accurate　judgement　of　a　person　of　either　sex　after　a　few　minutes　of　conversation；　or　even　at　sight。　He　seemed　to　have　a　certain　power　of　summing　up　the　true　nature　of　man；　woman　or　child；　though　I　am　sure　that　he　did　not　in　the　least　know　upon　what　he　based　his　estimate。　It　must　not　be　supposed；　however；　that　he　was　by　any　means　shallow　or　superficial。　In　any　great　event　his　nature　revealed　an　innate　depth　and　dignity；　all　the　noise　that　he　was　so　fond　of　making　ceased　and　he　became　very　quiet。

Nobody　could　be　more　absolutely　delightful　than　my　father　when　he　chose；　and；　per　contra；　I　am　bound　to　add　that　nobody　could　be　more　disagreeable。　His　rows　with　his　children　were　many；　and　often　on　his　part　unjust。　One　of　the　causes　of　these　outbreaks　was　that　he　seemed　unable　to　realise　that　children　do　not　always　remain　children。

Once　when　I　was　a　young　man　in　Africa　—　it　was　just　before　I　was　appointed　Master　of　the　High　Court　in　the　Transvaal　—　I　was　very　anxious　to　e　home　after　several　years’　absence　from　England；　on　“urgent　private　affairs。”　To　be　frank；　I　desired　to　bring　a　certain　lov