Howhadhecometogetintodebt？Didtheotherboysdoso？Ernestreluctantlyadmittedthattheydid。
　　Withwhatshopsdidtheygetintodebt？
　　Thiswasaskingtoomuch，Ernestsaidhedidn’tknow！
　　“Oh，Ernest，Ernest。”exclaimedhismother，whowasintheroom，“donotsosoonasecondtimepresumeupontheforbearanceofthetenderest-heartedfatherintheworld。Givetimeforonestabtohealbeforeyouwoundhimwithanother。”
　　Thiswasallveryfine，butwhatwasErnesttodo？Howcouldhegettheschoolshopkeepersintotroublebyowningthattheyletsomeoftheboysgoontickwiththem？TherewasMrsCross，agoodoldsoul，whousedtosellhotrollsandbutterforbreakfast，oreggsandtoast，oritmightbethequarterofafowlwithbreadsauceandmashedpotatoesforwhichshewouldcharge6d。Ifshemadeafarthingoutofthesixpenceitwasasmuchasshedid。Whentheboyswouldcometroopingintohershopafter“thehounds“howoftenhadnotErnestheardhersaytoherservantgirls，“Nowthen，youwanches，gitsomecheers。”Alltheboyswerefondofher，andwashe，Ernest，totelltalesabouther？Itwashorrible。
　　“Nowlookhere，Ernest。”saidhisfatherwithhisblackestscowl，“I
　　amgoingtoputastoptothisnonsenseonceforall。Eithertakemefullyintoyourconfidence，asasonshouldtakeafather，andtrustmetodealwiththismatterasaclergymanandamanoftheworld——orunderstanddistinctlythatIshalltakethewholestorytoDrSkinner，who，Iimagine，willtakemuchsternermeasuresthanI
　　should。”
　　“Oh，Ernest，Ernest。”sobbedChristina，“bewiseintime，andtrustthosewhohavealreadyshownyouthattheyknowbuttoowellhowtobeforbearing。”
　　Nogenuineheroofromanceshouldhavehesitatedforamoment。
　　Nothingshouldhavecajoledorfrightenedhimintotellingtalesoutofschool。Ernestthoughtofhisidealboys：they，hewellknew，wouldhavelettheirtonguesbecutoutofthembeforeinformationcouldhavebeenwrungfromanywordoftheirs。ButErnestwasnotanidealboy，andhewasnotstrongenoughforhissurroundings；I
　　doubthowfaranyboycouldwithstandthemoralpressurewhichwasbroughttobearuponhim；atanyratehecouldnotdoso，andafteralittlemorewrithingheyieldedhimselfapassivepreytotheenemy。Heconsoledhimselfwiththereflectionthathispapahadnotplayedtheconfidencetrickonhimquiteasoftenashismammahad，andthatprobablyitwasbetterheshouldtellhisfather，thanthathisfathershouldinsistonDrSkinner’smakinganinquiry。
　　Hispapa’sconscience“jabbered“agooddeal，butnotasmuchashismamma’s。ThelittlefoolforgotthathehadnotgivenhisfatherasmanychancesofbetrayinghimashehadgiventoChristina。
　　Thenitallcameout。HeowedthisatMrsCross’s，andthistoMrsJones，andthisatthe“SwanandBottle“publichouse，tosaynothingofanothershillingorsixpenceortwoinotherquarters。
　　Nevertheless，TheobaldandChristinawerenotsatiated，butratherthemoretheydiscoveredthegreatergrewtheirappetitefordiscovery；itwastheirobviousdutytofindouteverything，forthoughtheymightrescuetheirowndarlingfromthishotbedofiniquitywithoutgettingtoknowmorethantheyknewatpresent，weretherenototherpapasandmammaswithdarlingswhomalsotheywereboundtorescueifitwereyetpossible？Whatboys，then，owedmoneytotheseharpiesaswellasErnest？
　　Here，again，therewasafeebleshowofresistance，butthethumbscrewswereinstantlyapplied，andErnest，demoralisedashealreadywas，recantedandsubmittedhimselftothepowersthatwere。
　　Hetoldonlyalittlelessthanhekneworthoughtheknew。Hewasexamined，re-examined，cross-examined，senttotheretirementofhisownbedroomandcross-examinedagain；thesmokinginMrsJones’
　　kitchenallcameout；whichboyssmokedandwhichdidnot；whichboysowedmoneyand，roughly，howmuchandwhere；whichboyssworeandusedbadlanguage。TheobaldwasresolvedthatthistimeErnestshould，ashecalledit，takehimintohisconfidencewithoutreserve，sotheschoollistwhichwentwithDrSkinner’shalf-yearlybillswasbroughtout，andthemostsecretcharacterofeachboywasgonethroughseriatimbyMrandMrsPontifex，sofarasitwasinErnest’spowertogiveinformationconcerningit，andyetTheobaldhadontheprecedingSundaypreachedalessfeeblesermonthanhecommonlypreached，uponthehorrorsoftheInquisition。Nomatterhowawfulwasthedepravityrevealedtothem，thepairneverflinched，butprobedandprobed，tilltheywereonthepointofreachingsubjectsmoredelicatethantheyhadyettouchedupon。
　　HereErnest’sunconsciousselftookthematterupandmadearesistancetowhichhisconsciousselfwasunequal，bytumblinghimoffhischairinafitoffainting。
　　DrMartinwassentforandpronouncedtheboytobeseriouslyunwell；atthesametimeheprescribedabsoluterestandabsencefromnervousexcitement。Sotheanxiousparentswereunwillinglycompelledtobecontentwithwhattheyhadgotalready——beingfrightenedintoleadinghimaquietlifefortheshortremainderoftheholidays。Theywerenotidle，butSatancanfindasmuchmischiefforbusyhandsasforidleones，sohesentalittlejobinthedirectionofBattersbywhichTheobaldandChristinaundertookimmediately。Itwouldbeapity，theyreasoned，thatErnestshouldleaveRoughborough，nowthathehadbeentherethreeyears；itwouldbedifficulttofindanotherschoolforhim，andtoexplainwhyhehadleftRoughborough。Besides，DrSkinnerandTheobaldweresupposedtobeoldfriends，anditwouldbeunpleasanttooffendhim；thesewereallvalidreasonsfornotremovingtheboy。Theproperthingtodo，then，wouldbetowarnDrSkinnerconfidentiallyofthestateofhisschool，andtofurnishhimwithaschoollistannotatedwiththeremarksextractedfromErnest，whichshouldbeappendedtothenameofeachboy。
　　Theobaldwastheperfectionofneatness；whilehissonwasillupstairs，hecopiedouttheschoollistsothathecouldthrowhiscommentsintoatabularform，whichassumedthefollowingshape——
　　onlythatofcourseIhavechangedthenames。Onecrossineachsquarewastoindicateoccasionaloffence；twostoodforfrequent，andthreeforhabitualdelinquency。
　　SmokingDrinkingbeerSwearingNotesatthe“SwanandObsceneandBottle。”Language。
　　Andthusthroughthewholeschool。
　　Ofcourse，injusticetoErnest，DrSkinnerwouldbeboundovertosecrecybeforeawordwassaidtohim，but，Ernestbeingthusprotected，hecouldnotbefurnishedwiththefactstoocompletely。
　　SoimportantdidTheobaldconsiderthismatterthathemadeaspecialjourneytoRoughboroughbeforethehalfyearbegan。Itwasarelieftohavehimoutofthehouse，butthoughhisdestinationwasnotmentioned，Ernestguessedwherehehadgone。
　　Tothisdayheconsidershisconductatthiscrisistohavebeenoneofthemostseriouslachesofhislife——onewhichhecanneverthinkofwithoutshameandindignation。Hesaysheoughttohaverunawayfromhome。Butwhatgoodcouldhehavedoneifhehad？Hewouldhavebeencaught，broughtbackandexaminedtwodayslaterinsteadoftwodaysearlier。Aboyofbarelysixteencannotstandagainstthemoralpressureofafatherandmotherwhohavealwaysoppressedhimanymorethanhecancopephysicallywithapowerfulfull-grownman。True，hemayallowhimselftobekilledratherthanyield，butthisisbeingsomorbidlyheroicastocomecloseroundagaintocowardice；foritislittleelsethansuicide，whichisuniversallycondemnedascowardly。
　　Onthere-assemblingoftheschoolitbecameapparentthatsomethinghadgonewrong。DrSkinnercalledtheboystogether，andwithmuchpompexcommunicatedMrsCrossandMrsJones，bydeclaringtheirshopstobeoutofbounds。Thestreetinwhichthe“SwanandBottle“stoodwasalsoforbidden。Thevicesofdrinkingandsmoking，therefore，wereclearlyaimedat，andbeforeprayersDrSkinnerspokeafewimpressivewordsabouttheabominablesinofusingbadlanguage。Ernest’sfeelingscanbeimagined。
　　Nextdayatthehourwhenthedailypunishmentswerereadout，thoughtherehadnotyetbeentimeforhimtohaveoffended，ErnestPontifexwasdeclaredtohaveincurredeverypunishmentwhichtheschoolprovidedforevil-doers。Hewasplacedontheidlelistforthewholehalfyear，andonperpetualdetentions；hisboundswerecurtailed；hewastoattendjuniorcallings-over；infacthewassohemmedinwithpunishmentsuponeversidethatitwashardlypossibleforhimtogooutsidetheschoolgates。Thisunparalleledlistofpunishmentsinflictedonthefirstdayofthehalfyear，andintendedtolasttilltheensuingChristmasholidays，wasnotconnectedwithanyspecifiedoffence。Itrequirednogreatpenetrationtherefore，onthepartoftheboystoconnectErnestwiththeputtingMrsCross’sandMrsJones’sshopsoutofbounds。
　　GreatindeedwastheindignationaboutMrsCrosswho，itwasknown，rememberedDrSkinnerhimselfasasmallboyonlyjustgotintojackets，andhaddoubtlesslethimhavemanyasausageandmashedpotatoesupondeferredpayment。Theheadboysassembledinconclavetoconsiderwhatstepsshouldbetaken，buthardlyhadtheydonesobeforeErnestknockedtimidlyatthehead-roomdoorandtookthebullbythehornsbyexplainingthefactsasfarashecouldbringhimselftodoso。Hemadeacleanbreastofeverythingexceptabouttheschoollistandtheremarkshehadmadeabouteachboy’scharacter。Thisinfamywasmorethanhecouldownto，andhekepthiscounselconcerningit。Fortunatelyhewassafeindoingso，forDrSkinner，pedantandmorethanpedantthoughhewas，hadstilljustsenseenoughtoturnonTheobaldinthematteroftheschoollist。Whetherheresentedbeingtoldthathedidnotknowthecharactersofhisownboys，orwhetherhedreadedascandalabouttheschoolIknownot，butwhenTheobaldhadhandedhimthelist，overwhichhehadexpendedsomuchpains，DrSkinnerhadcuthimuncommonlyshort，andhadthenandthere，withmoresuavitythanwasusualwithhim，committedittotheflamesbeforeTheobald’sowneyes。
　　Ernestgotoffwiththeheadboyseasierthanheexpected。Itwasadmittedthattheoffence，heinousthoughitwas，hadbeencommittedunderextenuatingcircumstances；thefranknesswithwhichtheculprithadconfessedall，hisevidentlyunfeignedremorse，andthefurywithwhichDrSkinnerwaspursuinghimtendedtobringaboutareactioninhisfavour，asthoughhehadbeenmoresinnedagainstthansinning。
　　Asthehalfyearworeonhisspiritsgraduallyrevived，andwhenattackedbyoneofhisfitsofself-abasementhewasinsomedegreeconsoledbyhavingfoundoutthatevenhisfatherandmother，whomhehadsupposedsoimmaculate，werenobetterthantheyshouldbe。
　　AboutthefifthofNovemberitwasaschoolcustomtomeetonacertaincommonnotfarfromRoughboroughandburnsomebodyineffigy，thisbeingthecompromisearrivedatinthematteroffireworksandGuyFawkesfestivities。ThisyearitwasdecidedthatPontifex’sgovernorshouldbethevictim，andErnestthoughagooddealexercisedinmindastowhatheoughttodo，intheendsawnosufficientreasonforholdingalooffromproceedingswhich，ashejustlyremarked，couldnotdohisfatheranyharm。
　　ItsohappenedthatthebishophadheldaconfirmationattheschoolonthefifthofNovember。DrSkinnerhadnotquitelikedtheselectionofthisday，butthebishopwaspressedbymanyengagements，andhadbeencompelledtomakethearrangementasitthenstood。Ernestwasamongthosewhohadtobeconfirmed，andwasdeeplyimpressedwiththesolemnimportanceoftheceremony。Whenhefeltthehugeoldbishopdrawingdownuponhimashekneltinchapelhecouldhardlybreathe，andwhentheapparitionpausedbeforehimandlaiditshandsuponhisheadhewasfrightenedalmostoutofhiswits。Hefeltthathehadarrivedatoneofthegreatturningpointsofhislife，andthattheErnestofthefuturecouldresembleonlyveryfaintlytheErnestofthepast。