tookhimtotheOlympic，whereRobsonwasthenactinginaburlesqueonMacbeth，MrsKeeley，ifIrememberrightly，takingthepartofLadyMacbeth。Inthescenebeforethemurder，MacbethhadsaidhecouldnotkillDuncanwhenhesawhisbootsuponthelanding。LadyMacbethputastoptoherhusband’shesitationbywhippinghimupunderherarm，andcarryinghimoffthestage，kickingandscreaming。Ernestlaughedtillhecried。“WhatrotShakespeareisafterthis。”heexclaimed，involuntarily。IrememberedhisessayontheGreektragedians，andwasmoreIepriswithhimthanever。
　　Nextdayhesetaboutlookingforemployment，andIdidnotseehimtillaboutfiveo’clock，whenhecameandsaidthathehadhadnosuccess。Thesamethinghappenedthenextdayandthedayafterthat。Whereverhewenthewasinvariablyrefusedandoftenorderedpointblankoutoftheshop；Icouldseebytheexpressionofhisface，thoughhesaidnothing，thathewasgettingfrightened，andbegantothinkIshouldhavetocometotherescue。Hesaidhehadmadeagreatmanyenquiriesandhadalwaysbeentoldthesamestory。
　　Hefoundthatitwaseasytokeeponinanoldline，butveryhardtostrikeoutintoanewone。
　　HetalkedtothefishmongerinLeatherLane，wherehewenttobuyabloaterforhistea，casuallyasthoughfromcuriosityandwithoutanyinterestedmotive。“Sell。”saidthemasteroftheshop，“Whynobodywouldn’tbelievewhatcanbesoldbypenn’orthsandtwopenn’orthsifyougotherightwaytowork。Lookatwhelks，forinstance。LastSaturdaynightmeandmylittleEmmahere，wesold7
　　poundsworthofwhelksbetweeneightandhalfpasteleveno’clock——
　　andalmostallinpenn’orthsandtwopenn’orths——afew，hap’orths，butnotmany。Itwasthesteamthatdidit。Wekepta-boilingof’emhotandhot，andwheneverthesteamcamestrongupfromthecellarontothepavement，thepeoplebought，butwheneverthesteamwentdowntheyleftoffbuying；soweboiledthemoverandoveragaintilltheywasallsold。That’sjustwhereitis；ifyouknowyourbusinessyoucansell，ifyoudon’tyou’llsoonmakeamessofit。Why，butforthesteam，Ishouldnothavesold10s。worthofwhelksallthenightthrough。”
　　This，andmanyanotheryarnofkindredsubstancewhichheheardfromotherpeopledeterminedErnestmorethanevertostakeontailoringastheonetradeaboutwhichheknewanythingatall，nevertheless，herewerethreeorfourdaysgonebyandemploymentseemedasfaroffasever。
　　InowdidwhatIoughttohavedonebefore，thatistosay，IcalledonmyowntailorwhomIhaddealtwithforoveraquarterofacenturyandaskedhisadvice。HedeclaredErnest’splantobehopeless。“If。”saidMrLarkins，forthiswasmytailor’sname，“hehadbegunatfourteen，itmighthavedone，butnomanoftwenty-fourcouldstandbeingturnedtoworkintoaworkshopfulloftailors；hewouldnotgetonwiththemen，northemenwithhim；youcouldnotexpecthimtobe’hailfellow，wellmet’withthem，andyoucouldnotexpecthisfellow-workmentolikehimifhewasnot。Amanmusthavesunklowthroughdrinkornaturaltasteforlowcompany，beforehecouldgetonwiththosewhohavehadsuchadifferenttrainingfromhisown。”
　　MrLarkinssaidagreatdealmoreandwoundupbytakingmetoseetheplacewherehisownmenworked。“Thisisaparadise。”hesaid，“comparedtomostworkshops。Whatgentlemancouldstandthisair，thinkyou，forafortnight？”
　　Iwasgladenoughtogetoutofthehot，fetidatmosphereinfiveminutes，andsawthattherewasnobrickofErnest’sprisontobeloosenedbygoingandworkingamongtailorsinaworkshop。
　　MrLarkinswoundupbysayingthatevenifmyprotegewereamuchbetterworkmanthanheprobablywas，nomasterwouldgivehimemployment，forfearofcreatingabotheramongthemen。
　　Ileft，feelingthatIoughttohavethoughtofallthismyself，andwasmorethaneverperplexedastowhetherIhadnotbetterletmyyoungfriendhaveafewthousandpoundsandsendhimouttothecolonies，when，onmyreturnhomeataboutfiveo’clock，Ifoundhimwaitingforme，radiant，anddeclaringthathehadfoundallhewanted。
　　Itseemshehadbeenpatrollingthestreetsforthelastthreeorfournights——Isupposeinsearchofsomethingtodo——atanyrateknowingbetterwhathewantedtogetthanhowtogetit。
　　Nevertheless，whathewantedwasinrealitysoeasilytobefoundthatittookahighlyeducatedscholarlikehimselftobeunabletofindit。But，howeverthismaybe，hehadbeenscared，andnowsawlionswheretherewerenone，andwasshockedandfrightened，andnightafternighthiscouragehadfailedhimandhehadreturnedtohislodgingsinLaystallStreetwithoutaccomplishinghiserrand。
　　Hehadnottakenmeintohisconfidenceuponthismatter，andIhadnotenquiredwhathedidwithhimselfintheevenings。Atlasthehadconcludedthat，howeverpainfulitmightbetohim，hewouldcallonMrsJupp，whohethoughtwouldbeabletohelphimifanyonecould。Hehadbeenwalkingmoodilyfromseventillaboutnine，andnowresolvedtogostraighttoAshpitPlaceandmakeamotherconfessorofMrsJuppwithoutmoredelay。
　　OfalltasksthatcouldbeperformedbymortalwomantherewasnonewhichMrsJuppwouldhavelikedbetterthantheoneErnestwasthinkingofimposinguponher；nordoIknowthatinhisscaredandbroken-downstatehecouldhavedonemuchbetterthanhenowproposed。MissJuppwouldhavemadeitveryeasyforhimtoopenhisgrieftoher；indeed，shewouldhavecoaxeditalloutofhimbeforeheknewwherehewas；butthefateswereagainstMrsJupp，andthemeetingbetweenmyheroandhisformerlandladywaspostponedsinedie，forhisdeterminationhadhardlybeenformedandhehadnotgonemorethanahundredyardsinthedirectionofMrsJupp’shouse，whenawomanaccostedhim。
　　Hewasturningfromher，ashehadturnedfromsomanyothers，whenshestartedbackwithamovementthatarousedhiscuriosity。Hehadhardlyseenherface，butbeingdeterminedtocatchsightofit，followedherasshehurriedaway，andpassedher；thenturningroundhesawthatshewasnoneotherthanEllen，thehousemaidwhohadbeendismissedbyhismothereightyearspreviously。
　　HeoughttohaveassignedEllen’sunwillingnesstoseehimtoitstruecause，butaguiltyconsciencemadehimthinkshehadheardofhisdisgraceandwasturningawayfromhimincontempt。Braveashadbeenhisresolutionsaboutfacingtheworld，thiswasmorethanhewaspreparedfor；“What！youtooshunme，Ellen？”heexclaimed。
　　Thegirlwascryingbitterlyanddidnotunderstandhim。“Oh，MasterErnest。”shesobbed，“letmego；youaretoogoodforthelikesofmetospeaktonow。”
　　“Why，Ellen。”saidhe，“whatnonsenseyoutalk；youhaven’tbeeninprison，haveyou？”
　　“Oh，no，no，no，notsobadasthat。”sheexclaimedpassionately。
　　“Well，Ihave。”saidErnest，withaforcedlaugh，“Icameoutthreeorfourdaysagoaftersixmonthswithhardlabour。”
　　Ellendidnotbelievehim，butshelookedathimwitha“Lor’！
　　MasterErnest。”anddriedhereyesatonce。Theicewasbrokenbetweenthem，forasamatteroffactEllenhadbeeninprisonseveraltimes，andthoughshedidnotbelieveErnest，hismerelysayinghehadbeeninprisonmadeherfeelmoreateasewithhim。
　　Forherthereweretwoclassesofpeople，thosewhohadbeeninprisonandthosewhohadnot。Thefirstshelookeduponasfellow-
　　creaturesandmoreorlessChristians，thesecond，withfewexceptions，sheregardedwithsuspicion，notwhollyunmingledwithcontempt。
　　ThenErnesttoldherwhathadhappenedtohimduringthelastsixmonths，andby-and-byshebelievedhim。
　　“MasterErnest。”saidshe，aftertheyhadtalkedforaquarterofanhourorso，“There’saplaceoverthewaywheretheyselltripeandonions。Iknowyouwasalwaysveryfondoftripeandonions，let’sgooverandhavesome，andwecantalkbetterthere。”
　　Sothepaircrossedthestreetandenteredthetripeshop；Ernestorderedsupper。
　　“Andhowisyourporedearmamma，andyourdearpapa，MasterErnest。”saidEllen，whohadnowrecoveredherselfandwasquiteathomewithmyhero。“Oh，dear，dearme。”shesaid，“Ididloveyourpa；hewasagoodgentleman，hewas，andyourmatoo；itwoulddoanyonegoodtolivewithher，I’msure。”
　　Ernestwassurprisedandhardlyknewwhattosay。HehadexpectedtofindEllenindignantatthewayshehadbeentreated，andinclinedtolaytheblameofherhavingfallentoherpresentstateathisfather’sandmother’sdoor。Itwasnotso。HeronlyrecollectionofBattersbywasasofaplacewhereshehadhadplentytoeatanddrink，nottoomuchhardwork，andwhereshehadnotbeenscolded。WhensheheardthatErnesthadquarrelledwithhisfatherandmothersheassumedasamatterofcoursethatthefaultmustlieentirelywithErnest。