Whenallthishadbeendoneshebecamemoreeasyinhermind。Shetalkedprincipallyabouthernephew。“Don’tscoldhim。”shesaid，“ifheisvolatile，andcontinuallytakesthingsuponlytothrowthemdownagain。Howcanhefindouthisstrengthorweaknessotherwise？Aman’sprofession。”shesaid，andhereshegaveoneofherwickedlittlelaughs，“isnotlikehiswife，whichhemusttakeonceforall，forbetterforworse，withoutproofbeforehand。Lethimgohereandthere，andlearnhistruestlikingbyfindingoutwhat，afterall，hecatcheshimselfturningtomosthabitually——thenlethimsticktothis；butIdaresayErnestwillbefortyorfiveandfortybeforehesettlesdown。ThenallhispreviousinfidelitieswillworktogethertohimforgoodifheistheboyI
　　hopeheis。
　　“Aboveall。”shecontinued，“donotlethimworkuptohisfullstrength，exceptonceortwiceinhislifetime；nothingiswelldonenorworthdoingunless，takeitallround，ithascomeprettyeasily。TheobaldandChristinawouldgivehimapinchofsaltandtellhimtoputitonthetailsofthesevendeadlyvirtues；“——hereshelaughedagaininheroldmanneratoncesomockingandsosweet——
　　“IthinkifhelikespancakeshehadperhapsbettereatthemonShroveTuesday，butthisisenough。”Thesewerethelastcoherentwordsshespoke。Fromthattimeshegrewcontinuallyworse，andwasneverfreefromdeliriumtillherdeath——whichtookplacelessthanafortnightafterwards，totheinexpressiblegriefofthosewhoknewandlovedher。
　　LettershadbeenwrittentoMissPontifex’sbrothersandsisters，andoneandallcamepost-hastetoRoughborough。Beforetheyarrivedthepoorladywasalreadydelirious，andforthesakeofherownpeaceatthelastIamhalfgladsheneverrecoveredconsciousness。
　　Ihadknownthesepeoplealltheirlives，asnonecanknoweachotherbutthosewhohaveplayedtogetheraschildren；Iknewhowtheyhadallofthem——perhapsTheobaldleast，butallofthemmoreorless——madeherlifeaburdentoheruntilthedeathofherfatherhadmadeherherownmistress，andIwasdispleasedattheircomingoneaftertheothertoRoughborough，andinquiringwhethertheirsisterhadrecoveredconsciousnesssufficientlytobeabletoseethem。Itwasknownthatshehadsentformeonbeingtakenill，andthatIremainedatRoughborough，andIownIwasangeredbythemingledairofsuspicion，defianceandinquisitiveness，withwhichtheyregardedme。Theywouldall，exceptTheobald，Ibelievehavecutmedownrightiftheyhadnotbelievedmetoknowsomethingtheywantedtoknowthemselves，andmighthavesomechanceoflearningfromme——foritwasplainIhadbeeninsomewayconcernedwiththemakingoftheirsister’swill。Noneofthemsuspectedwhattheostensiblenatureofthiswouldbe，butIthinktheyfearedMissPontifexwasabouttoleavemoneyforpublicuses。Johnsaidtomeinhisblandestmannerthathefanciedherememberedtohaveheardhissistersaythatshethoughtofleavingmoneytofoundacollegeforthereliefofdramaticauthorsindistress；tothisImadenorejoinder，andIhavenodoubthissuspicionsweredeepened。
　　Whentheendcame，IgotMissPontifex’ssolicitortowriteandtellherbrothersandsistershowshehadlefthermoney：theywerenotunnaturallyfurious，andwenteachtohisorherseparatehomewithoutattendingthefuneral，andwithoutpayinganyattentiontomyself。Thiswasperhapsthekindestthingtheycouldhavedonebyme，fortheirbehaviourmademesoangrythatIbecamealmostreconciledtoAlethea’swilloutofpleasureattheangerithadaroused。ButforthisIshouldhavefeltthewillkeenly，ashavingbeenplacedbyitinthepositionwhichofallothersIhadbeenmostanxioustoavoid，andashavingsaddledmewithaveryheavyresponsibility。Stillitwasimpossibleformetoescape，andI
　　couldonlyletthingstaketheircourse。
　　MissPontifexhadexpressedawishtobeburiedatPaleham；inthecourseofthenextfewdaysIthereforetookthebodythither。I
　　hadnotbeentoPalehamsincethedeathofmyfathersomesixyearsearlier。Ihadoftenwishedtogothere，buthadshrunkfromdoingsothoughmysisterhadbeentwoorthreetimes。Icouldnotbeartoseethehousewhichhadbeenmyhomeforsomanyyearsofmylifeinthehandsofstrangers；toringceremoniouslyatabellwhichI
　　hadneveryetpulledexceptasaboyinjest；tofeelthatIhadnothingtodowithagardeninwhichIhadinchildhoodgatheredsomanyanosegay，andwhichhadseemedmyownformanyyearsafterI
　　hadreachedman’sestate；toseetheroomsbereftofeveryfamiliarfeature，andmadesounfamiliarinspiteoftheirfamiliarity。Hadtherebeenanysufficientreason，Ishouldhavetakenthesethingsasamatterofcourse，andshouldnodoubthavefoundthemmuchworseinanticipationthaninreality，butastherehadbeennospecialreasonwhyIshouldgotoPalehamIhadhithertoavoideddoingso。Now，however，mygoingwasanecessity，andIconfessI
　　neverfeltmoresubduedthanIdidonarrivingtherewiththedeadplaymateofmychildhood。
　　IfoundthevillagemorechangedthanIhadexpected。Therailwayhadcomethere，andabrandnewyellowbrickstationwasonthesiteofoldMrandMrsPontifex’scottage。Nothingbutthecarpenter’sshopwasnowstanding。IsawmanyfacesIknew，buteveninsixyearstheyseemedtohavegrownwonderfullyolder。Someoftheveryoldweredead，andtheoldweregettingveryoldintheirstead。I
　　feltlikethechangelinginthefairystorywhocamebackafterasevenyears’sleep。Everyoneseemedgladtoseeme，thoughIhadnevergiventhemparticularcausetobeso，andeveryonewhorememberedoldMrandMrsPontifexspokewarmlyofthemandwerepleasedattheirgranddaughter’swishingtobelaidnearthem。
　　EnteringthechurchyardandstandinginthetwilightofagustycloudyeveningonthespotclosebesideoldMrsPontifex’sgravewhichIhadchosenforAlethea’s，Ithoughtofthemanytimesthatshe，whowouldlietherehenceforth，andI，whomustsurelylieonedayinsomesuchanotherplacethoughwhenandwhereIknewnot，hadrompedoverthisveryspotaschildishloverstogether。NextmorningIfollowedhertothegrave，andinduecoursesetupaplainuprightslabtohermemoryaslikeasmightbetothoseoverthegravesofhergrandmotherandgrandfather。Igavethedatesandplacesofherbirthanddeath，butaddednothingexceptthatthisstonewassetupbyonewhohadknownandlovedher。KnowinghowfondshehadbeenofmusicIhadbeenhalfinclinedatonetimetoinscribeafewbarsofmusic，ifIcouldfindanywhichseemedsuitabletohercharacter，butIknewhowmuchshewouldhavedislikedanythingsingularinconnectionwithhertombstoneanddidnotdoit。
　　Before，however，Ihadcometothisconclusion，IhadthoughtthatErnestmightbeabletohelpmetotherightthing，andhadwrittentohimuponthesubject。ThefollowingistheanswerIreceived-
　　“DearGodpapa，——IsendyouthebestbitIcanthinkof；itisthesubjectofthelastofHandel’ssixgrandfuguesandgoesthus：-
　　[Musicscore]
　　Itwoulddobetterforaman，especiallyforanoldmanwhowasverysorryforthings，thanforawoman，butIcannotthinkofanythingbetter；ifyoudonotlikeitforAuntAletheaIshallkeepitformyself——YouraffectionateGodson，ERNESTPONTIFEX。”
　　Wasthisthelittleladwhocouldgetsweetiesfortwo-pencebutnotfortwo-pence-halfpenny？Dear，dearme，Ithoughttomyself，howthesebabesandsucklingsdogiveusthego-bysurely。Choosinghisownepitaphatfifteenasforamanwho“hadbeenverysorryforthings。”andsuchastrainasthat——whyitmighthavedoneforLeonardodaVincihimself。ThenIsettheboydownasaconceitedyoungjackanapes，whichnodoubthewas，——butsoareagreatmanyotheryoungpeopleofErnest’sage。
　　IfTheobaldandChristinahadnotbeentoowellpleasedwhenMissPontifexfirsttookErnestinhand，theywerestilllesssowhentheconnectionbetweenthetwowasinterruptedsoprematurely。TheysaidtheyhadmadesurefromwhattheirsisterhadsaidthatshewasgoingtomakeErnestherheir。Idonotthinkshehadgiventhemsomuchasahinttothiseffect。TheobaldindeedgaveErnesttounderstandthatshehaddonesoinaletterwhichwillbegivenshortly，butifTheobaldwantedtomakehimselfdisagreeable，atriflelightasairwouldforthwithassumeinhisimaginationwhateverformwasmostconvenienttohim。IdonotthinktheyhadevenmadeuptheirmindswhatAletheawastodowithhermoneybeforetheyknewofherbeingatthepointofdeath，andasIhavesaidalready，iftheyhadthoughtitlikelythatErnestwouldbemadeheirovertheirownheadswithouttheirhavingatanyratealifeinterestinthebequest，theywouldhavesoonthrownobstaclesinthewayoffurtherintimacybetweenauntandnephew。
　　This，however，didnotbartheirrighttofeelingaggrievednowthatneithertheynorErnesthadtakenanythingatall，andtheycouldprofessdisappointmentontheirboy’sbehalfwhichtheywouldhavebeentooproudtoadmitupontheirown。Infact，itwasonlyamiableofthemtobedisappointedunderthesecircumstances。
　　Christinasaidthatthewillwassimplyfraudulent，andwasconvincedthatitcouldbeupsetifsheandTheobaldwenttherightwaytowork。Theobald，shesaid，shouldgobeforetheLordChancellor，notinfullcourtbutinchambers，wherehecouldexplainthewholematter；or，perhapsitwouldbeevenbetterifsheweretogoherself——andIdarenottrustmyselftodescribethereverietowhichthislastideagaverise。IbelieveintheendTheobalddied，andtheLordChancellorwhohadbecomeawidowerafewweeksearliermadeheranoffer，which，however，shefirmlybutnotungratefullydeclined；sheshouldever，shesaid，continuetothinkofhimasafriend——atthispointthecookcamein，sayingthebutcherhadcalled，andwhatwouldshepleasetoorder。
　　IthinkTheobaldmusthavehadanideathattherewassomethingbehindthebequesttome，buthesaidnothingaboutittoChristina。
　　Hewasangryandfeltwronged，becausehecouldnotgetatAletheatogiveherapieceofhismindanymorethanhehadbeenabletogetathisfather。“Itissomeanofpeople。”heexclaimedtohimself，“toinflictaninjuryofthissort，andthenshirkfacingthosewhomtheyhaveinjured；letushopethat，atanyrate，theyandImaymeetinHeaven。”Butofthishewasdoubtful，forwhenpeoplehaddonesogreatawrongasthis，itwashardlytobesupposedthattheywouldgotoHeavenatall——andasforhismeetingtheminanotherplace，theideaneversomuchasenteredhismind。
　　Onesoangryand，oflate，solittleusedtocontradictionmightbetrusted，however，toavengehimselfuponsomeone，andTheobaldhadlongsincedevelopedtheorgan，bymeansofwhichhemightventspleenwithleastriskandgreatestsatisfactiontohimself。Thisorgan，itmaybeguessed，wasnothingelsethanErnest；toErnestthereforeheproceededtounburdenhimself，notpersonally，butbyletter。
　　“Yououghttoknow。”hewrote，“thatyourAuntAletheahadgivenyourmotherandmetounderstandthatitwasherwishtomakeyouherheir——intheevent，ofcourse，ofyourconductingyourselfinsuchamannerastogiveherconfidenceinyou；asamatteroffact，however，shehasleftyounothing，andthewholeofherpropertyhasgonetoyourgodfather，MrOverton。YourmotherandIarewillingtohopethatifshehadlivedlongeryouwouldyethavesucceededinwinninghergoodopinion，butitistoolatetothinkofthisnow。
　　“Thecarpenteringandorgan-buildingmustatoncebediscontinued。