“Oh，yourpore，porema！”saidEllen。“Shewasalwayssoveryfondofyou，MasterErnest：youwasalwaysherfavourite；Ican’tabeartothinkofanythingbetweenyouandher。Tothinknowofthewaysheusedtohavemeintothedining-roomandteachmemycatechism，thatshedid！Oh，MasterErnest，youreallymustgoandmakeitallupwithher；indeedyoumust。”
　　Ernestfeltrueful，buthehadresistedsovaliantlyalreadythatthedevilmighthavesavedhimselfthetroubleoftryingtogetathimthroughElleninthematterofhisfatherandmother。Hechangedthesubject，andthepairwarmedtooneanotherastheyhadtheirtripeandpotsofbeer。OfallpeopleintheworldEllenwasperhapstheonetowhomErnestcouldhavespokenmostfreelyatthisjuncture。Hetoldherwhathethoughthecouldhavetoldtonooneelse。
　　“Youknow，Ellen。”heconcluded，“IhadlearntasaboythingsthatIoughtnottohavelearnt，andhadneverhadachanceofthatwhichwouldhavesetmestraight。”
　　“Gentlefolksisalwayslikethat。”saidEllenmusingly。
　　“Ibelieveyouareright，butIamnolongeragentleman，Ellen，andIdon’tseewhyIshouldbe’likethat’anylonger，mydear。Iwantyoutohelpmetobelikesomethingelseassoonaspossible。”
　　“Lor’！MasterErnest，whatevercanyoubemeaning？”
　　Thepairsoonafterwardslefttheeating-houseandwalkedupFetterLanetogether。
　　EllenhadhadhardtimessinceshehadleftBattersby，buttheyhadleftlittletraceuponher。
　　Ernestsawonlythefresh-lookingsmilingface，thedimpledcheek，theclearblueeyesandlovelysphinx-likelipswhichhehadrememberedasaboy。Atnineteenshehadlookedolderthanshewas，nowshelookedmuchyounger；indeedshelookedhardlyolderthanwhenErnesthadlastseenher，anditwouldhavetakenamanofmuchgreaterexperiencethanhepossessedtosuspecthowcompletelyshehadfallenfromherfirstestate。Itneveroccurredtohimthatthepoorconditionofherwardrobewasduetoherpassionforardentspirits，andthatfirstandlastshehadservedfiveorsixtimesasmuchtimeingaolashehad。Heascribedthepovertyofherattiretotheattemptstokeepherselfrespectable，whichEllenduringsupperhadmorethanoncealludedto。Hehadbeencharmedwiththewayinwhichshehaddeclaredthatapintofbeerwouldmakehertipsy，andhadonlyallowedherselftobeforcedintodrinkingthewholeafteragooddealofremonstrance。Tohimsheappearedaveryangeldroppedfromthesky，andallthemoreeasytogetonwithforbeingafallenone。
　　AshewalkedupFetterLanewithhertowardsLaystallStreet，hethoughtofthewonderfulgoodnessofGodtowardshiminthrowinginhiswaytheverypersonofallotherswhomhewasmostgladtosee，andwhom，ofallothers，inspiteofherlivingsonearhim，hemighthaveneverfalleninwithbutforahappyaccident。
　　WhenpeoplegetitintotheirheadsthattheyarebeingspeciallyfavouredbytheAlmighty，theyhadbetterasageneralrulemindtheirp’sandq’s，andwhentheythinktheyseethedevil’sdriftwithmorespecialclearness，letthemrememberthathehashadmuchmoreexperiencethantheyhave，andisprobablymeditatingmischief。
　　AlreadyduringsupperthethoughtthatinEllenatlasthehadfoundawomanwhomhecouldlovewellenoughtowishtolivewithandmarryhadflittedacrosshismind，andthemoretheyhadchattedthemorereasonskeptsuggestingthemselvesforthinkingthatwhatmightbefollyinordinarycaseswouldnotbefollyinhis。
　　Hemustmarrysomeone；thatwasalreadysettled。Hecouldnotmarryalady；thatwasabsurd。Hemustmarryapoorwoman。Yes，butafallenone？Washenotfallenhimself？Ellenwouldfallnomore。
　　Hehadonlytolookathertobesureofthis。Hecouldnotlivewithherinsin，notformorethantheshortesttimethatcouldelapsebeforetheirmarriage；henolongerbelievedinthesupernaturalelementofChristianity，buttheChristianmoralityatanyratewasindisputable。Besides，theymighthavechildren，andastigmawouldrestuponthem。Whomhadhetoconsultbuthimselfnow？Hisfatherandmotherneverneedknow，andeveniftheydid，theyshouldbethankfultoseehimmarriedtoanywomanwhowouldmakehimhappyasEllenwould。Asfornotbeingabletoaffordmarriage，howdidpoorpeopledo？Didnotagoodwiferatherhelpmattersthannot？Whereonecouldlivetwocoulddoso，andifEllenwasthreeorfouryearsolderthanhewas——well，whatwasthat？
　　Haveyou，gentlereader，everlovedatfirstsight？Whenyoufellinloveatfirstsight，howlong，letmeask，didittakeyoutobecomereadytoflingeveryotherconsiderationtothewindsexceptthatofobtainingpossessionofthelovedone？Orrather，howlongwouldithavetakenyouifyouhadhadnofatherormother，nothingtoloseinthewayofmoney，position，friends，professionaladvancement，orwhatnot，andiftheobjectofyouraffectionswasasfreefromalltheseimpedimentaasyouwereyourself？
　　IfyouwereayoungJohnStuartMill，perhapsitwouldhavetakenyousometime，butsupposeyournaturewasQuixotic，impulsive，altruistic，guileless；supposeyouwereahungrymanstarvingforsomethingtoloveandleanupon，foronewhoseburdensyoumightbear，andwhomighthelpyoutobearyours。Supposeyouweredownonyourluck，stillstunnedbyahorribleshock，andthisbrightvistaofahappyfuturefloatedsuddenlybeforeyou，howlongunderthesecircumstancesdoyouthinkyouwouldreflectbeforeyouwoulddecideonembracingwhatchancehadthrowninyourway？
　　Itdidnottakemyherolong，forbeforehegotpastthehamandbeefshopnearthetopofFetterLane，hehadtoldEllenthatshemustcomehomewithhimandlivewithhimtilltheycouldgetmarried，whichtheywoulddouponthefirstdaythatthelawallowed。
　　Ithinkthedevilmusthavechuckledandmadetolerablysureofhisgamethistime。
　　ErnesttoldEllenofhisdifficultyaboutfindingemployment。
　　“Butwhatdoyouthinkofgoingintoashopfor，mydear。”saidEllen。“Whynottakealittleshopyourself？”
　　Ernestaskedhowmuchthiswouldcost。Ellentoldhimthathemighttakeahouseinsomesmallstreet，saynearthe“ElephantandCastle。”for17s。or18s。aweek，andletoffthetwotopfloorsfor10s。，keepingthebackparlourandshopforthemselves。Ifhecouldraisefiveorsixpoundstobuysomesecond-handclothestostocktheshopwith，theycouldmendthemandcleanthem，andshecouldlookafterthewomen’sclotheswhilehedidthemen’s。Thenhecouldmendandmake，ifhecouldgettheorders。
　　Theycouldsoonmakeabusinessof2poundsaweekinthisway；shehadafriendwhobeganlikethatandhadnowmovedtoabettershop，whereshemade5poundsor6poundsaweekatleast——andshe，Ellen，haddonethegreaterpartofthebuyingandsellingherself。
　　Herewasanewlightindeed。Itwasasthoughhehadgothis5000
　　poundsbackagainallofasudden，andperhapseversomuchmorelateronintothebargain。Ellenseemedmorethanevertobehisgoodgenius。
　　Shewentoutandgotafewrashersofbaconforhisandherbreakfast。Shecookedthemmuchmorenicelythanhehadbeenabletodo，andlaidbreakfastforhimandmadecoffee，andsomenicebrowntoast。Ernesthadbeenhisowncookandhousemaidforthelastfewdaysandhadnotgivenhimselfsatisfaction。Herehesuddenlyfoundhimselfwithsomeonetowaitonhimagain。NotonlyhadEllenpointedouttohimhowhecouldearnalivingwhennooneexcepthimselfhadknownhowtoadvisehim，buthereshewassoprettyandsmiling，lookingafterevenhiscomforts，andrestoringhimpracticallyinallrespectsthathemuchcaredabouttothepositionwhichhehadlost——orratherputtinghiminonethathealreadylikedmuchbetter。Nowonderhewasradiantwhenhecametoexplainhisplanstome。
　　Hehadsomedifficultyintellingallthathadhappened。Hehesitated，blushed，hummedandhawed。Misgivingsbegantocrosshismindwhenhefoundhimselfobligedtotellhisstorytosomeoneelse。Hefeltinclinedtoslurthingsover，butIwantedtogetatthefacts，soIhelpedhimoverthebadplaces，andquestionedhimtillIhadgotoutprettynearlythewholestoryasIhavegivenitabove。
　　IhopeIdidnotshowit，butIwasveryangry。IhadbeguntolikeErnest。Idon’tknowwhy，butIneverhaveheardthatanyyoungmantowhomIhadbecomeattachedwasgoingtogetmarriedwithouthatinghisintendedinstinctively，thoughIhadneverseenher；I
　　haveobservedthatmostbachelorsfeelthesamething，thoughwearegenerallyatsomepainstohidethefact。Perhapsitisbecauseweknowweoughttohavegotmarriedourselves。Ordinarilywesaywearedelighted——inthepresentcaseIdidnotfeelobligedtodothis，thoughImadeanefforttoconcealmyvexation。Thatayoungmanofmuchpromisewhowasheiralsotowhatwasnowahandsomefortune，shouldflinghimselfawayuponsuchapersonasEllenwasquitetooprovoking，andthemoresobecauseoftheunexpectednessofthewholeaffair。
　　IbeggedhimnottomarryEllenyet——notatleastuntilhehadknownherforalongertime。Hewouldnothearofit；hehadgivenhisword，andifhehadnotgivenitheshouldgoandgiveitatonce。
　　Ihadhithertofoundhimuponmostmatterssingularlydocileandeasytomanage，butonthispointIcoulddonothingwithhim。Hisrecentvictoryoverhisfatherandmotherhadincreasedhisstrength，andIwasnowhere。Iwouldhavetoldhimofhistrueposition，butIknewverywellthatthiswouldonlymakehimmorebentonhavinghisownway——forwithsomuchmoneywhyshouldhenotpleasehimself？Isaidnothing，therefore，onthishead，andyetallthatIcouldurgewentforverylittlewithonewhobelievedhimselftobeanartisanornothing。