Ineverbelievedintheproject，andhaveseennoreasontoaltermyoriginalopinion。Iamnotsorryforyourownsake，thatitistobeatanend，nor，Iamsure，willyouregretityourselfinafteryears。
　　“Afewwordsmoreasregardsyourownprospects。Youhave，asI
　　believeyouknow，asmallinheritance，whichisyourslegallyunderyourgrandfather’swill。Thisbequestwasmadeinadvertently，and，Ibelieve，entirelythroughamisunderstandingonthelawyer’spart。
　　Thebequestwasprobablyintendednottotakeeffecttillafterthedeathofyourmotherandmyself；nevertheless，asthewillisactuallyworded，itwillnowbeatyourcommandifyoulivetobetwenty-oneyearsold。Fromthis，however，largedeductionsmustbemade。Therewillbelegacyduty，andIdonotknowwhetherIamnotentitledtodeducttheexpensesofyoureducationandmaintenancefrombirthtoyourcomingofage；Ishallnotinalllikelihoodinsistonthisrighttothefull，ifyouconductyourselfproperly，butaconsiderablesumshouldcertainlybededucted，therewillthereforeremainverylittle——say1000poundsor2000poundsattheoutside，aswhatwillbeactuallyyours——butthestrictestaccountshallberenderedyouinduetime。
　　“This，letmewarnyoumostseriously，isallthatyoumustexpectfrommeevenErnestsawthatitwasnotfromTheobaldatallatanyratetillaftermydeath，whichforaughtanyofusknowmaybeyetmanyyearsdistant。Itisnotalargesum，butitissufficientifsupplementedbysteadinessandearnestnessofpurpose。YourmotherandIgaveyouthenameErnest，hopingthatitwouldremindyoucontinuallyof——“butIreallycannotcopymoreofthiseffusion。Itwasallthesameoldwill-shakinggameandcamepracticallytothis，thatErnestwasnogood，andthatifhewentonashewasgoingonnow，hewouldprobablyhavetogoaboutthestreetsbeggingwithoutanyshoesorstockingssoonafterhehadleftschool，oratanyrate，college；andthathe，Theobald，andChristinawerealmosttoogoodforthisworldaltogether。
　　AfterhehadwrittenthisTheobaldfeltquitegood-natured，andsenttotheMrsThompsonofthemomentevenmoresoupandwinethanherusualnotilliberalallowance。
　　Ernestwasdeeply，passionatelyupsetbyhisfather’sletter；tothinkthatevenhisdearaunt，theonepersonofhisrelationswhomhereallyloved，shouldhaveturnedagainsthimandthoughtbadlyofhimafterall。Thiswastheunkindestcutofall。InthehurryofherillnessMissPontifex，whilethinkingonlyofhiswelfare，hadomittedtomakesuchsmallpresentmentionofhimaswouldhavemadehisfather’sinnuendoesstingless；andherillnessbeinginfectious，shehadnotseenhimafteritsnaturewasknown。ImyselfdidnotknowofTheobald’sletter，northinkenoughaboutmygodsontoguesswhatmighteasilybehisstate。ItwasnottillmanyyearsafterwardsthatIfoundTheobald’sletterinthepocketofanoldportfoliowhichErnesthadusedatschool，andinwhichotheroldlettersandschooldocumentswerecollectedwhichIhaveusedinthisbook。Hehadforgottenthathehadit，buttoldmewhenhesawitthatheremembereditasthefirstthingthatmadehimbegintoriseagainsthisfatherinarebellionwhichherecognisedasrighteous，thoughhedarednotopenlyavowit。Nottheleastseriousthingwasthatitwould，hefeared，behisdutytogiveupthelegacyhisgrandfatherhadlefthim；forifitwashisonlythroughamistake，howcouldhekeepit？
　　DuringtherestofthehalfyearErnestwaslistlessandunhappy。
　　Hewasveryfondofsomeofhisschoolfellows，butafraidofthosewhomhebelievedtobebetterthanhimself，andpronetoidealiseeveryoneintobeinghissuperiorexceptthosewhowereobviouslyagooddealbeneathhim。Heheldhimselfmuchtoocheap，andbecausehewaswithoutthatphysicalstrengthandvigourwhichhesomuchcoveted，andalsobecauseheknewheshirkedhislessons，hebelievedthathewaswithoutanythingwhichcoulddeservethenameofagoodquality；hewasnaturallybad，andoneofthoseforwhomtherewasnoplaceforrepentance，thoughhesoughtitevenwithtears。Soheshrankoutofsightofthosewhominhisboyishwayheidolised，neverforamomentsuspectingthathemighthavecapacitiestothefullashighastheirsthoughofadifferentkind，andfellinmorewiththosewhowerereputedofthebasersort，withwhomhecouldatanyratebeuponequalterms。Beforetheendofthehalfyearhehaddroppedfromtheestatetowhichhehadbeenraisedduringhisaunt’sstayatRoughborough，andhisolddejection，varied，however，withburstsofconceitrivallingthoseofhismother，resumeditsswayoverhim。“Pontifex。”saidDrSkinner，whohadfallenuponhiminhallonedaylikeamorallandslip，beforehehadtimetoescape，“doyouneverlaugh？Doyoualwayslooksopreternaturallygrave？”Thedoctorhadnotmeanttobeunkind，buttheboyturnedcrimson，andescaped。
　　Therewasoneplaceonlywherehewashappy，andthatwasintheoldchurchofStMichael，whenhisfriendtheorganistwaspractising。
　　Aboutthistimecheapeditionsofthegreatoratoriosbegantoappear，andErnestgotthemallassoonastheywerepublished；hewouldsometimessellaschool-booktoasecond-handdealer，andbuyanumberortwoofthe“Messiah。”orthe“Creation。”or“Elijah。”
　　withtheproceeds。Thiswassimplycheatinghispapaandmamma，butErnestwasfallinglowagain——orthoughthewas——andhewantedthemusicmuch，andtheSallust，orwhateveritwas，little。Sometimestheorganistwouldgohome，leavinghiskeyswithErnest，sothathecouldplaybyhimselfandlockuptheorganandthechurchintimetogetbackforcallingover。Atothertimes，whilehisfriendwasplaying，hewouldwanderroundthechurch，lookingatthemonumentsandtheoldstainedglasswindows，enchantedasregardsbothearsandeyes，atonce。Oncetheoldrectorgotholdofhimashewaswatchinganewwindowbeingputin，whichtherectorhadboughtinGermany——thework，itwassupposed，ofAlbertDurer。HequestionedErnest，andfindingthathewasfondofmusic，hesaidinhisoldtremblingvoiceforhewasovereighty，“ThenyoushouldhaveknownDrBurneywhowrotethehistoryofmusic。IknewhimexceedinglywellwhenIwasayoungman。”ThatmadeErnest’sheartbeat，forheknewthatDrBurney，whenaboyatschoolatChester，usedtobreakboundsthathemightwatchHandelsmokinghispipeintheExchangecoffeehouse——andnowhewasinthepresenceofonewho，ifhehadnotseenHandelhimself，hadatleastseenthosewhohadseenhim。
　　Thesewereoasesinhisdesert，but，asageneralrule，theboylookedthinandpale，andasthoughhehadasecretwhichdepressedhim，whichnodoubthehad，butforwhichIcannotblamehim。Herose，inspiteofhimself，higherintheschool，butfelleverintodeeperanddeeperdisgracewiththemasters，anddidnotgainintheopinionofthoseboysaboutwhomhewaspersuadedthattheycouldassuredlyneverknowwhatitwastohaveasecretweighingupontheirminds。ThiswaswhatErnestfeltsokeenly；hedidnotmuchcareabouttheboyswholikedhim，andidolisedsomewhokepthimasfaraspossibleatadistance，butthisisprettymuchthecasewithallboyseverywhere。
　　Atlastthingsreachedacrisis，belowwhichtheycouldnotverywellgo，forattheendofthehalfyearbutoneafterhisaunt’sdeath，Ernestbroughtbackadocumentinhisportmanteau，whichTheobaldstigmatisedas“infamousandoutrageous。”IneedhardlysayIamalludingtohisschoolbill。
　　ThisdocumentwasalwaysasourceofanxietytoErnest，foritwasgoneintowithscrupulouscare，andhewasagooddealcross-
　　examinedaboutit。Hewouldsometimes“writein“forarticlesnecessaryforhiseducation，suchasaportfolio，oradictionary，andsellthesame，asIhaveexplained，inordertoekeouthispocketmoney，probablytobuyeithermusicortobacco。Thesefraudsweresometimes，asErnestthought，inimminentdangerofbeingdiscovered，anditwasaloadoffhisbreastwhenthecross-
　　examinationwassafelyover。ThistimeTheobaldhadmadeagreatfussabouttheextras，buthadgrudginglypassedthem；itwasanothermatter，however，withthecharacterandthemoralstatistics，withwhichthebillconcluded。
　　Thepageonwhichthesedetailsweretobefoundwasasfollows：
　　Classics——Idle，listlessandunimproving。
　　Mathematics“““
　　Divinity“““
　　Conductinhouse——Orderly。
　　GeneralConduct——Notsatisfactory，onaccountofhisgreatunpunctualityandinattentiontoduties。
　　Monthlymeritmoney1s。6d。6d。0d。6d。Total2s。6d。
　　Numberofmeritmarks20110Total4
　　Numberofpenalmarks2620253025Total126
　　Numberofextrapenals96101211Total48
　　Irecommendthathispocketmoneybemadetodependuponhismeritmoney。
　　S。SKINNER，Headmaster。
　　Ernestwasthusindisgracefromthebeginningoftheholidays，butanincidentsoonoccurredwhichledhimintodelinquenciescomparedwithwhichallhisprevioussinswerevenial。
　　AmongtheservantsattheRectorywasaremarkablyprettygirlnamedEllen。ShecamefromDevonshire，andwasthedaughterofafishermanwhohadbeendrownedwhenshewasachild。Hermothersetupasmallshopinthevillagewhereherhusbandhadlived，andjustmanagedtomakealiving。Ellenremainedwithhertillshewasfourteen，whenshefirstwentouttoservice。Fouryearslater，whenshewasabouteighteen，butsowellgrownthatshemighthavepassedfortwenty，shehadbeenstronglyrecommendedtoChristina，whowastheninwantofahousemaid，andhadnowbeenatBattersbyabouttwelvemonths。
　　AsIhavesaidthegirlwasremarkablypretty；shelookedtheperfectionofhealthandgoodtemper，indeedtherewasasereneexpressionuponherfacewhichcaptivatedalmostallwhosawher；
　　shelookedasifmattershadalwaysgonewellwithherandwerealwaysgoingtodoso，andasifnoconceivablecombinationofcircumstancescouldputherforlongtogetheroutoftempereitherwithherselforwithanyoneelse。Hercomplexionwasclear，buthigh；hereyesweregreyandbeautifullyshaped；herlipswerefullandrestful，withsomethingofanEgyptianSphinx-likecharacteraboutthem。WhenIlearnedthatshecamefromDevonshireIfanciedIsawastrainoffarawayEgyptianbloodinher，forIhadheard，thoughIknownotwhatfoundationtherewasforthestory，thattheEgyptiansmadesettlementsonthecoastofDevonshireandCornwalllongbeforetheRomansconqueredBritain。Herhairwasarichbrown，andherfigure——ofaboutthemiddleheight——perfect，buterringifatallonthesideofrobustness。Altogethershewasoneofthosegirlsaboutwhomoneisinclinedtowonderhowtheycanremainunmarriedaweekoradaylonger。