UptothistimeTheobald’smannerhadbeenstudiouslycalm，andhiswordshadbeenutteredslowly，butherehesuddenlyquickenedandflungoffthemaskasheaddedthewords，“orsomesuchcockandbullstory，whichyourmotherandIweretootruthfultodisbelieve。
　　Youcanguesswhatmustbeourfeelingsnow。”
　　Ernestfeltthatthislasthome-thrustwasjust。Inhislessanxiousmomentshehadthoughthispapaandmamma“green“forthereadinesswithwhichtheybelievedhim，buthecouldnotdenythattheircredulitywasaproofoftheirhabitualtruthfulnessofmind。
　　Incommonjusticehemustownthatitwasverydreadfulfortwosuchtruthfulpeopletohaveasonasuntruthfulasheknewhimselftobe。
　　“BelievingthatasonofyourmotherandmyselfwouldbeincapableoffalsehoodIatonceassumedthatsometramphadpickedthewatchupandwasnowtryingtodisposeofit。”
　　Thistothebestofmybeliefwasnotaccurate。Theobald’sfirstassumptionhadbeenthatitwasErnestwhowastryingtosellthewatch，anditwasaninspirationofthemomenttosaythathismagnanimousmindhadatonceconceivedtheideaofatramp。
　　“YoumayimaginehowshockedIwaswhenIdiscoveredthatthewatchhadbeenbroughtforsalebythatmiserablewomanEllen“——hereErnest’shearthardenedalittle，andhefeltasnearanapproachtoaninstincttoturnasonesodefencelesscouldbeexpectedtofeel；
　　hisfatherquicklyperceivedthisandcontinued，“whowasturnedoutofthishouseincircumstanceswhichIwillnotpolluteyourearsbymoreparticularlydescribing。
　　“Iputasidethehorridconvictionwhichwasbeginningtodawnuponme，andassumedthatintheintervalbetweenherdismissalandherleavingthishouse，shehadaddedthefttoherothersin，andhavingfoundyourwatchinyourbedroomhadpurloinedit。Itevenoccurredtomethatyoumighthavemissedyourwatchafterthewomanwasgone，and，suspectingwhohadtakenit，hadrunafterthecarriageinordertorecoverit；butwhenItoldtheshopmanofmysuspicionsheassuredmethatthepersonwholeftitwithhimhaddeclaredmostsolemnlythatithadbeengivenherbyhermaster’sson，whosepropertyitwas，andwhohadaperfectrighttodisposeofit。
　　“Hetoldmefurtherthat，thinkingthecircumstancesinwhichthewatchwasofferedforsalesomewhatsuspicious，hehadinsisteduponthewoman’stellinghimthewholestoryofhowshecamebyit，beforehewouldconsenttobuyitofher。
　　“Hesaidthatatfirst——aswomenofthatstampinvariablydo——shetriedprevarication，butonbeingthreatenedthatsheshouldatoncebegivenintocustodyifshedidnottellthewholetruth，shedescribedthewayinwhichyouhadrunafterthecarriage，tillasshesaidyouwereblackintheface，andinsistedongivingherallyourpocketmoney，yourknifeandyourwatch。SheaddedthatmycoachmanJohn——whomIshallinstantlydischarge——waswitnesstothewholetransaction。Now，Ernest，bepleasedtotellmewhetherthisappallingstoryistrueorfalse？”
　　ItneveroccurredtoErnesttoaskhisfatherwhyhedidnothitamanhisownsize，ortostophimmidwayinthestorywitharemonstranceagainstbeingkickedwhenhewasdown。Theboywastoomuchshockedandshakentobeinventive；hecouldonlydriftandstammeroutthatthetalewastrue。
　　“SoIfeared。”saidTheobald，“andnow，Ernest，begoodenoughtoringthebell。”
　　Whenthebellhadbeenanswered，TheobalddesiredthatJohnshouldbesentfor，andwhenJohncameTheobaldcalculatedthewagesduetohimanddesiredhimatoncetoleavethehouse。
　　John’smannerwasquietandrespectful。Hetookhisdismissalasamatterofcourse，forTheobaldhadhintedenoughtomakehimunderstandwhyhewasbeingdischarged，butwhenhesawErnestsittingpaleandawe-struckontheedgeofhischairagainstthedining-roomwall，asuddenthoughtseemedtostrikehim，andturningtoTheobaldhesaidinabroadnorthernaccentwhichIwillnotattempttoreproduce：
　　“Lookhere，master，Icanguesswhatallthisisabout——nowbeforeI
　　goesIwanttohaveawordwithyou。”
　　“Ernest。”saidTheobald，“leavetheroom。”
　　“No，MasterErnest，youshan’t。”saidJohn，plantinghimselfagainstthedoor。“Now，master。”hecontinued，“youmaydoasyoupleaseaboutme。I’vebeenagoodservanttoyou，andIdon’tmeantosayasyou’vebeenabadmastertome，butIdosaythatifyoubearhardlyonMasterErnesthereIhavethoseinthevillageas’llhearon’tandletmeknow；andifIdohearon’tI’llcomebackandbreakeveryboneinyourskin，sothere！”
　　John’sbreathcameandwentquickly，asthoughhewouldhavebeenwellenoughpleasedtobeginthebone-breakingbusinessatonce。
　　Theobaldturnedofanashencolour——not，asheexplainedafterwards，attheidlethreatsofadetectedandangryruffian，butatsuchatrociousinsolencefromoneofhisownservants。
　　“IshallleaveMasterErnest，John。”herejoinedproudly，“tothereproachesofhisownconscience。”“ThankGodandthankJohn。”
　　thoughtErnest。“Asforyourself，Iadmitthatyouhavebeenanexcellentservantuntilthisunfortunatebusinesscameon，andI
　　shallhavemuchpleasureingivingyouacharacterifyouwantone。
　　Haveyouanythingmoretosay？”
　　“NomorenorwhatIhavesaid。”saidJohnsullenly，“butwhatI’vesaidImeansandI’llstickto——characterornocharacter。”
　　“Oh，youneednotbeafraidaboutyourcharacter，John。”saidTheobaldkindly，“andasitisgettinglate，therecanbenooccasionforyoutoleavethehousebeforeto-morrowmorning。”
　　TothistherewasnoreplyfromJohn，whoretired，packeduphisthings，andleftthehouseatonce。
　　WhenChristinaheardwhathadhappenedshesaidshecouldcondoneallexceptthatTheobaldshouldhavebeensubjectedtosuchinsolencefromoneofhisownservantsthroughthemisconductofhisson。Theobaldwasthebravestmaninthewholeworld，andcouldeasilyhavecollaredthewretchandturnedhimoutoftheroom，buthowfarmoredignified，howfarnoblerhadbeenhisreply！Howitwouldtellinanoveloruponthestage，forthoughthestageasawholewasimmoral，yetthereweredoubtlesssomeplayswhichwereimprovingspectacles。ShecouldfancythewholehousehushedwithexcitementathearingJohn’smenace，andhardlybreathingbyreasonoftheirinterestandexpectationofthecominganswer。Thentheactor——probablythegreatandgoodMrMacready——wouldsay，“IshallleaveMasterErnest，John，tothereproachesofhisownconscience。”
　　Oh，itwassublime！Whataroarofapplausemustfollow！Thensheshouldenterherself，andflingherarmsaboutherhusband’sneck，andcallhimherlion-heartedhusband。Whenthecurtaindropped，itwouldbebuzzedaboutthehousethatthescenejustwitnessedhadbeendrawnfromreallife，andhadactuallyoccurredinthehouseholdoftheRev。TheobaldPontifex，whohadmarriedaMissAllaby，etc。，etc。
　　AsregardsErnestthesuspicionswhichhadalreadycrossedhermindweredeepened，butshethoughtitbettertoleavethematterwhereitwas。Atpresentshewasinaverystrongposition。Ernest’sofficialpuritywasfirmlyestablished，butatthesametimehehadshownhimselfsosusceptiblethatshewasabletofusetwocontradictoryimpressionsconcerninghimintoasingleidea，andconsiderhimasakindofJosephandDonJuaninone。Thiswaswhatshehadwantedallalong，buthervanitybeinggratifiedbythepossessionofsuchason，therewasanendofit；thesonhimselfwasnaught。
　　NodoubtifJohnhadnotinterfered，Ernestwouldhavehadtoexpiatehisoffencewithache，penuryandimprisonment。Asitwastheboywas“toconsiderhimself“asundergoingthesepunishments，andassufferingpangsofunavailingremorseinflictedonhimbyhisconscienceintothebargain；butbeyondthefactthatTheobaldkepthimmorecloselytohisholidaytask，andthecontinuedcoldnessofhisparents，noostensiblepunishmentwasmetedouttohim。Ernest，however，tellsmethathelooksbackuponthisasthetimewhenhebegantoknowthathehadacordialandactivedislikeforbothhisparents，whichIsupposemeansthathewasnowbeginningtobeawarethathewasreachingman’sestate。
　　Aboutaweekbeforehewentbacktoschoolhisfatheragainsentforhimintothedining-room，andtoldhimthatheshouldrestorehimhiswatch，butthatheshoulddeductthesumhehadpaidforit——forhehadthoughtitbettertopayafewshillingsratherthandisputetheownershipofthewatch，seeingthatErnesthadundoubtedlygivenittoEllen——fromhispocketmoney，inpaymentswhichshouldextendovertwohalfyears。HewouldthereforehavetogobacktoRoughboroughthishalfyearwithonlyfiveshillings’pocketmoney。
　　Ifhewantedmorehemustearnmoremeritmoney。
　　Ernestwasnotsocarefulaboutmoneyasapatternboyshouldbe。
　　Hedidnotsaytohimself，“NowIhavegotasovereignwhichmustlastmefifteenweeks，thereforeImayspendexactlyoneshillingandfourpenceineachweek“——andspendexactlyoneandfourpenceineachweekaccordingly。Heranthroughhismoneyataboutthesamerateasotherboysdid，beingprettywellcleanedoutafewdaysafterhehadgotbacktoschool。Whenhehadnomoremoney，hegotalittleintodebt，andwhenasfarindebtashecouldseehiswaytorepaying，hewentwithoutluxuries。Immediatelyhegotanymoneyhewouldpayhisdebts；iftherewasanyoverhewouldspendit；iftherewasnot——andthereseldomwas——hewouldbegintogoontickagain。
　　Hisfinancewasalwaysbaseduponthesuppositionthatheshouldgobacktoschoolwith1poundsinhispocket——ofwhichheowedsayamatteroffifteenshillings。Therewouldbefiveshillingsforsundryschoolsubscriptions——butwhenthesewerepaidtheweeklyallowanceofsixpencegiventoeachboyinhall，hismeritmoneywhichthishalfhewasresolvedshouldcometoagoodsumandrenewedcredit，wouldcarryhimthroughthehalf。
　　Thesuddenfailureof15/-wasdisastroustomyhero’sschemeoffinance。HisfacebetrayedhisemotionssoclearlythatTheobaldsaidhewasdetermined“tolearnthetruthatonce，andTHISTIME
　　withoutdaysanddaysoffalsehood“beforehereachedit。Themelancholyfactwasnotlongincomingout，namely，thatthewretchedErnestaddeddebttothevicesofidleness，falsehoodandpossibly——foritwasnotimpossible——immorality。