Hewasasuselessandillateasewithcricketaswithfootball，norinspiteofallhiseffortscouldheeverthrowaballorastone。
　　Itsoonbecameplain，therefore，toeveryonethatPontifexwasayoungmuff，amollycoddle，nottobetortured，butstillnottoberatedhighly。Hewasnothowever，activelyunpopular，foritwasseenthathewasquitesquareinterpares，notatallvindictive，easilypleased，perfectlyfreewithwhateverlittlemoneyhehad，nogreaterloverofhisschoolworkthanofthegames，andgenerallymoreinclinabletomoderatevicethantoimmoderatevirtue。
　　Thesequalitieswillpreventanyboyfromsinkingverylowintheopinionofhisschool-fellows；butErnestthoughthehadfallenlowerthanheprobablyhad，andhatedanddespisedhimselfforwhathe，asmuchasanyoneelse，believedtobehiscowardice。Hedidnotliketheboyswhomhethoughtlikehimself。Hisheroeswerestrongandvigorous，andthelesstheyinclinedtowardshimthemoreheworshippedthem。Allthismadehimveryunhappy，foritneveroccurredtohimthattheinstinctwhichmadehimkeepoutofgamesforwhichhewasilladapted，wasmorereasonablethanthereasonwhichwouldhavedrivenhimintothem。Neverthelesshefollowedhisinstinctforthemostpart，ratherthanhisreason。Sapienssuamsisapientiamnorit。
　　WiththemastersErnestwaserelonginabsolutedisgrace。Hehadmorelibertynowthanhehadknownheretofore。TheheavyhandandwatchfuleyeofTheobaldwerenolongerabouthispathandabouthisbedandspyingoutallhisways；andpunishmentbywayofcopyingoutlinesofVirgilwasaverydifferentthingfromthesavagebeatingsofhisfather。Thecopyingoutinfactwasoftenlesstroublethanthelesson。LatinandGreekhadnothinginthemwhichcommendedthemtohisinstinctaslikelytobringhimpeaceevenatthelast；stilllessdidtheyholdoutanyhopeofdoingsowithinsomemorereasonabletime。Thedeadnessinherentinthesedefunctlanguagesthemselveshadneverbeenartificiallycounteractedbyasystemofbonafiderewardsforapplication。Therehadbeenanyamountofpunishmentsforwantofapplication，butnogoodcomfortablebribeshadbaitedthehookwhichwastoallurehimtohisgood。
　　Indeed，themorepleasantsideoflearningtodothisorthathadalwaysbeentreatedassomethingwithwhichErnesthadnoconcern。
　　Wehadnobusinesswithpleasantthingsatall，atanyrateverylittlebusiness，atanyratenothe，Ernest。Wewereputintothisworldnotforpleasurebutduty，andpleasurehadinitsomethingmoreorlesssinfulinitsveryessence。Ifweweredoinganythingweliked，we，oratanyratehe，Ernest，shouldapologiseandthinkhewasbeingverymercifullydealtwith，ifnotatoncetoldtogoanddosomethingelse。Withwhathedidnotlike，however，itwasdifferent；themorehedislikedathingthegreaterthepresumptionthatitwasright。Itneveroccurredtohimthatthepresumptionwasinfavouroftherightnessofwhatwasmostpleasant，andthattheonusofprovingthatitwasnotrightlaywiththosewhodisputeditsbeingso。Ihavesaidmorethanoncethathebelievedinhisowndepravity；neverwastherealittlemortalmorereadytoacceptwithoutcavilwhateverhewastoldbythosewhowereinauthorityoverhim：hethought，atleast，thathebelievedit，forasyetheknewnothingofthatotherErnestthatdweltwithinhim，andwassomuchstrongerandmorerealthantheErnestofwhichhewasconscious。ThedumbErnestpersuadedwithinarticulatefeelingstooswiftandsuretobetranslatedintosuchdebateablethingsaswords，butpracticallyinsistedasfollows-
　　“Growingisnottheeasyplainsailingbusinessthatitiscommonlysupposedtobe：itishardwork——harderthananybutagrowingboycanunderstand；itrequiresattention，andyouarenotstrongenoughtoattendtoyourbodilygrowth，andtoyourlessonstoo。Besides，LatinandGreekaregreathumbug；themorepeopleknowofthemthemoreodioustheygenerallyare；thenicepeoplewhomyoudelightineitherneverknewanyatallorforgotwhattheyhadlearnedassoonastheycould；theyneverturnedtotheclassicsaftertheywerenolongerforcedtoreadthem；thereforetheyarenonsense，allverywellintheirowntimeandcountry，butoutofplacehere。Neverlearnanythinguntilyoufindyouhavebeenmadeuncomfortableforagoodlongwhilebynotknowingit；whenyoufindthatyouhaveoccasionforthisorthatknowledge，orforeseethatyouwillhaveoccasionforitshortly，thesooneryoulearnitthebetter，buttillthenspendyourtimeingrowingboneandmuscle；thesewillbemuchmoreusefultoyouthanLatinandGreek，norwillyoueverbeabletomakethemifyoudonotdosonow，whereasLatinandGreekcanbeacquiredatanytimebythosewhowantthem。
　　“Youaresurroundedoneverysidebylieswhichwoulddeceiveeventheelect，iftheelectwerenotgenerallysouncommonlywideawake；
　　theselfofwhichyouareconscious，yourreasoningandreflectingself，willbelievetheseliesandbidyouactinaccordancewiththem。Thisconsciousselfofyours，Ernest，isaprigbegottenofprigsandtrainedinpriggishness；Iwillnotallowittoshapeyouractions，thoughitwilldoubtlessshapeyourwordsformanyayeartocome。Yourpapaisnotheretobeatyounow；thisisachangeintheconditionsofyourexistence，andshouldbefollowedbychangedactions。Obeyme，yourtrueself，andthingswillgotolerablywellwithyou，butonlylistentothatoutwardandvisibleoldhuskofyourswhichiscalledyourfather，andIwillrendyouinpiecesevenuntothethirdandfourthgenerationasonewhohashatedGod；
　　forI，Ernest，amtheGodwhomadeyou。”
　　HowshockedErnestwouldhavebeenifhecouldhaveheardtheadvicehewasreceiving；whatconsternationtootherewouldhavebeenatBattersby；butthematterdidnotendhere，forthissamewickedinnerselfgavehimbadadviceabouthispocketmoney，thechoiceofhiscompanionsandonthewholeErnestwasattentiveandobedienttoitsbehests，moresothanTheobaldhadbeen。Theconsequencewasthathelearnedlittle，hismindgrowingmoreslowlyandhisbodyratherfasterthanheretofore：andwhenbyandbyhisinnerselfurgedhimindirectionswherehemetobstaclesbeyondhisstrengthtocombat，hetook——thoughwithpassionatecompunctionsofconscience——thenearestcoursetotheonefromwhichhewasdebarredwhichcircumstanceswouldallow。
　　ItmaybeguessedthatErnestwasnotthechosenfriendofthemoresedateandwell-conductedyouthsthenstudyingatRoughborough。
　　Someofthelessdesirableboysusedtogotopublic-housesanddrinkmorebeerthanwasgoodforthem；Ernest’sinnerselfcanhardlyhavetoldhimtoallyhimselftotheseyounggentlemen，buthedidsoatanearlyage，andwassometimesmadepitiablysickbyanamountofbeerwhichwouldhaveproducednoeffectuponastrongerboy。Ernest’sinnerselfmusthaveinterposedatthispointandtoldhimthattherewasnotmuchfuninthis，forhedroppedthehabitereithadtakenfirmholdofhim，andneverresumedit；buthecontractedanotheratthedisgracefullyearlyageofbetweenthirteenandfourteenwhichhedidnotrelinquish，thoughtothepresentdayhisconsciousselfkeepsdingingitintohimthatthelesshesmokesthebetter。
　　Andsomatterswentontillmyherowasnearlyfourteenyearsold。
　　Ifbythattimehewasnotactuallyayoungblackguard，hebelongedtoadebateableclassbetweenthesub-reputableandtheupperdisreputable，withperhapsrathermoreleaningtothelatterexceptsofarasvicesofmeannesswereconcerned，fromwhichhewasfairlyfree。IgatherthispartlyfromwhatErnesthastoldme，andpartlyfromhisschoolbillswhichIrememberTheobaldshowedmewithmuchcomplaining。TherewasaninstitutionatRoughboroughcalledthemonthlymeritmoney；themaximumsumwhichaboyofErnest’sagecouldgetwasfourshillingsandsixpence；severalboysgotfourshillingsandfewlessthansixpence，butErnestnevergotmorethanhalf-a-crownandseldommorethaneighteenpence；hisaveragewould，Ishouldthink，beaboutoneandninepence，whichwasjusttoomuchforhimtorankamongthedownrightbadboys，buttoolittletoputhimamongthegoodones。
　　ImustnowreturntoMissAletheaPontifex，ofwhomIhavesaidperhapstoolittlehitherto，consideringhowgreatherinfluenceuponmyhero’sdestinyprovedtobe。
　　Onthedeathofherfather，whichhappenedwhenshewasaboutthirty-twoyearsold，shepartedcompanywithhersisters，betweenwhomandherselftherehadbeenlittlesympathy，andcameuptoLondon。Shewasdetermined，soshesaid，tomaketherestofherlifeashappyasshecould，andshehadclearerideasaboutthebestwayofsettingtoworktodothisthanwomen，orindeedmen，generallyhave。
　　Herfortuneconsisted，asIhavesaid，of5000pounds，whichhadcometoherbyhermother’smarriagesettlements，and15，000poundsleftherbyherfather，overbothwhichsumsshehadnowabsolutecontrol。Thesebroughtherinabout900poundsayear，andthemoneybeinginvestedinnonebutthesoundestsecurities，shehadnoanxietyaboutherincome。Shemeanttoberich，sosheformedaschemeofexpenditurewhichinvolvedanannualoutlayofabout500
　　pounds，anddeterminedtoputtherestby。“IfIdothis。”shesaidlaughingly，“Ishallprobablyjustsucceedinlivingcomfortablywithinmyincome。”InaccordancewiththisschemeshetookunfurnishedapartmentsinahouseinGowerStreet，ofwhichthelowerfloorswereletoutasoffices。JohnPontifextriedtogethertotakeahousetoherself，butAletheatoldhimtomindhisownbusinesssoplainlythathehadtobeataretreat。Shehadneverlikedhim，andfromthattimedroppedhimalmostentirely。
　　Withoutgoingmuchintosocietysheyetbecameacquaintedwithmostofthemenandwomenwhohadattainedapositionintheliterary，artisticandscientificworlds，anditwassingularhowhighlyheropinionwasvaluedinspiteofherneverhavingattemptedinanywaytodistinguishherself。Shecouldhavewrittenifshehadchosen，butsheenjoyedseeingotherswriteandencouragingthembetterthantakingamoreactivepartherself。Perhapsliterarypeoplelikedherallthebetterbecauseshedidnotwrite。
　　I，assheverywellknew，hadalwaysbeendevotedtoher，andshemighthavehadascoreofotheradmirersifshehadliked，butshehaddiscouragedthemall，andrailedatmatrimonyaswomenseldomdounlesstheyhaveacomfortableincomeoftheirown。Shebynomeans，however，railedatmanassherailedatmatrimony，andthoughlivingafterafashioninwhicheventhemostcensoriouscouldfindnothingtocomplainof，asfarassheproperlycouldshedefendedthoseofherownsexwhomtheworldcondemnedmostseverely。
　　Inreligionshewas，Ishouldthink，asnearlyafree-thinkerasanyonecouldbewhosemindseldomturneduponthesubject。Shewenttochurch，butdislikedequallythosewhoairedeitherreligionorirreligion。Irememberoncehearingherpressalatewell-knownphilosophertowriteanovelinsteadofpursuinghisattacksuponreligion。Thephilosopherdidnotmuchlikethis，anddilatedupontheimportanceofshowingpeoplethefollyofmuchthattheypretendedtobelieve。Shesmiledandsaiddemurely，“HavetheynotMosesandtheprophets？Letthemhearthem。”Butshewouldsayawickedthingquietlyonherownaccountsometimes，andcalledmyattentiononcetoanoteinherprayer-bookwhichgaveaccountofthewalktoEmmauswiththetwodisciples，andhowChristhadsaidtothem“OfoolsandslowofhearttobelieveALLthattheprophetshavespoken“——the“all“beingprintedinsmallcapitals。