Thequestionnowarosewhatwastobedonewiththechildren。I
　　explainedtoErnestthattheirexpensesmustbechargedtotheestate，andshowedhimhowsmallaholeallthevariousitemsI
　　proposedtochargewouldmakeintheincomeatmydisposal。Hewasbeginningtomakedifficulties，whenIquietedhimbypointingoutthatthemoneyhadallcometomefromhisaunt，overhisownhead，andremindedhimtherehadbeenanunderstandingbetweenherandmethatIshoulddomuchasIwasdoing，ifoccasionshouldarise。
　　Hewantedhischildrentobebroughtupinthefreshpureair，andamongotherchildrenwhowerehappyandcontented；butbeingstillignorantofthefortunethatawaitedhim，heinsistedthattheyshouldpasstheirearlieryearsamongthepoorratherthantherich。
　　Iremonstrated，buthewasverydecidedaboutit；andwhenI
　　reflectedthattheywereillegitimate，IwasnotsurebutthatwhatErnestproposedmightbeaswellforeveryoneintheend。Theywerestillsoyoungthatitdidnotmuchmatterwheretheywere，solongastheywerewithkindlydecentpeople，andinahealthyneighbourhood。
　　“Ishallbejustasunkindtomychildren。”hesaid，“asmygrandfatherwastomyfather，ormyfathertome。Iftheydidnotsucceedinmakingtheirchildrenlovethem，neithershallI。IsaytomyselfthatIshouldliketodoso，butsodidthey。Icanmakesurethattheyshallnotknowhowmuchtheywouldhavehatedmeiftheyhadhadmuchtodowithme，butthisisallIcando。IfI
　　mustruintheirprospects，letmedosoatareasonabletimebeforetheyareoldenoughtofeelit。”
　　Hemusedalittleandaddedwithalaugh：-
　　“Amanfirstquarrelswithhisfatheraboutthree-quartersofayearbeforeheisborn。Itisthenheinsistsonsettingupaseparateestablishment；whenthishasbeenonceagreedto，themorecompletetheseparationforeverafterthebetterforboth。”Thenhesaidmoreseriously：“Iwanttoputthechildrenwheretheywillbewellandhappy，andwheretheywillnotbebetrayedintothemiseryoffalseexpectations。”
　　IntheendherememberedthatonhisSundaywalkshehadmorethanonceseenacouplewholivedonthewatersideafewmilesbelowGravesend，justwheretheseawasbeginning，andwhohethoughtwoulddo。Theyhadafamilyoftheirownfastcomingonandthechildrenseemedtothrive；bothfatherandmotherindeedwerecomfortablewellgrownfolks，inwhosehandsyoungpeoplewouldbelikelytohaveasfairachanceofcomingtoagooddevelopmentasinthoseofanywhomheknew。
　　Wewentdowntoseethiscouple，andasIthoughtnolesswellofthemthanErnestdid，weofferedthemapoundaweektotakethechildrenandbringthemupasthoughtheyweretheirown。Theyjumpedattheoffer，andinanotherdayortwowebroughtthechildrendownandleftthem，feelingthatwehaddoneaswellaswecouldbythem，atanyrateforthepresent。ThenErnestsenthissmallstockofgoodstoDebenham’s，gaveupthehousehehadtakentwoandahalfyearspreviously，andreturnedtocivilisation。
　　Ihadexpectedthathewouldnowrapidlyrecover，andwasdisappointedtoseehimgetasIthoughtdecidedlyworse。Indeed，beforelongIthoughthimlookingsoillthatIinsistedonhisgoingwithmetoconsultoneofthemosteminentdoctorsinLondon。
　　Thisgentlemansaidtherewasnoacutediseasebutthatmyyoungfriendwassufferingfromnervousprostration，theresultoflongandseverementalsuffering，fromwhichtherewasnoremedyexcepttime，prosperityandrest。
　　HesaidthatErnestmusthavebrokendownlateron，butthathemighthavegoneonforsomemonthsyet。Itwasthesuddennessoftherelieffromtensionwhichhadknockedhimovernow。
　　“Crosshim。”saidthedoctor，“atonce。Crossingisthegreatmedicaldiscoveryoftheage。Shakehimoutofhimselfbyshakingsomethingelseintohim。”
　　IhadnottoldhimthatmoneywasnoobjecttousandIthinkhehadreckonedmeupasnotoverrich。Hecontinued：-
　　“Seeingisamodeoftouching，touchingisamodeoffeeding，feedingisamodeofassimilation，assimilationisamodeofrecreationandreproduction，andthisiscrossing——shakingyourselfintosomethingelseandsomethingelseintoyou。”
　　Hespokelaughingly，butitwasplainhewasserious。Hecontinued：-
　　“Peoplearealwayscomingtomewhowantcrossing，orchange，ifyoupreferit，andwhoIknowhavenotmoneyenoughtoletthemgetawayfromLondon。ThishassetmethinkinghowIcanbestcrossthemeveniftheycannotleavehome，andIhavemadealistofcheapLondonamusementswhichIrecommendtomypatients；noneofthemcostmorethanafewshillingsortakemorethanhalfadayoraday。”
　　Iexplainedthattherewasnooccasiontoconsidermoneyinthiscase。
　　“Iamgladofit。”hesaid，stilllaughing。“Thehomoeopathistsuseaurumasamedicine，buttheydonotgiveitinlargedosesenough；
　　ifyoucandoseyouryoungfriendwiththisprettyfreelyyouwillsoonbringhimround。However，MrPontifexisnotwellenoughtostandsogreatachangeasgoingabroadyet；fromwhatyoutellmeI
　　shouldthinkhehadhadasmuchchangelatelyasisgoodforhim。
　　Ifheweretogoabroadnowhewouldprobablybetakenseriouslyillwithinaweek。Wemustwaittillhehasrecoveredtonealittlemore。IwillbeginbyringingmyLondonchangesonhim。”
　　Hethoughtalittleandthensaid：-
　　“IhavefoundtheZoologicalGardensofservicetomanyofmypatients。IshouldprescribeforMrPontifexacourseofthelargermammals。Don’tlethimthinkheistakingthemmedicinally，butlethimgototheirhousetwiceaweekforafortnight，andstaywiththehippopotamus，therhinoceros，andtheelephants，tilltheybegintoborehim。Ifindthesebeastsdomypatientsmoregoodthananyothers。Themonkeysarenotawideenoughcross；theydonotstimulatesufficiently。Thelargercarnivoraareunsympathetic。
　　Thereptilesareworsethanuseless，andthemarsupialsarenotmuchbetter。Birdsagain，exceptparrots，arenotverybeneficial；hemaylookatthemnowandagain，butwiththeelephantsandthepigtribegenerallyheshouldmixjustnowasfreelyaspossible。
　　“Then，youknow，topreventmonotonyIshouldsendhim，say，tomorningserviceattheAbbeybeforehegoes。HeneednotstaylongerthantheTeDeum。Idon’tknowwhy，butJubilatesareseldomsatisfactory。JustlethimlookinattheAbbey，andsitquietlyinPoets’Cornertillthemainpartofthemusicisover。Lethimdothistwoorthreetimes，notmore，beforehegoestotheZoo。
　　“ThennextdaysendhimdowntoGravesendbyboat。Byallmeanslethimgotothetheatresintheevenings——andthenlethimcometomeagaininafortnight。”
　　HadthedoctorbeenlesseminentinhisprofessionIshouldhavedoubtedwhetherhewasinearnest，butIknewhimtobeamanofbusinesswhowouldneitherwastehisowntimenorthatofhispatients。AssoonaswewereoutofthehousewetookacabtoRegent’sPark，andspentacoupleofhoursinsaunteringroundthedifferenthouses。Perhapsitwasonaccountofwhatthedoctorhadtoldme，butIcertainlybecameawareofafeelingIhadneverexperiencedbefore。ImeanthatIwasreceivinganinfluxofnewlife，orderivingnewwaysoflookingatlife——whichisthesamething——bytheprocess。Ifoundthedoctorquiterightinhisestimateofthelargermammalsastheoneswhichonthewholeweremostbeneficial，andobservedthatErnest，whohadheardnothingofwhatthedoctorhadsaidtome，lingeredinstinctivelyinfrontofthem。Asfortheelephants，especiallythebabyelephant，heseemedtobedrinkinginlargedraughtsoftheirlivestothere-creationandregenerationofhisown。
　　Wedinedinthegardens，andInoticedwithpleasurethatErnest’sappetitewasalreadyimproved。Sincethistime，wheneverIhavebeenalittleoutofsortsmyselfIhaveatoncegoneuptoRegent’sPark，andhaveinvariablybeenbenefited。Imentionthishereinthehopethatsomeoneorotherofmyreadersmayfindthehintausefulone。
　　Attheendofhisfortnightmyherowasmuchbetter，moresoeventhanourfriendthedoctorhadexpected。“Now。”hesaid，“MrPontifexmaygoabroad，andthesoonerthebetter。Lethimstayacoupleofmonths。”
　　ThiswasthefirstErnesthadheardabouthisgoingabroad，andhetalkedaboutmynotbeingabletosparehimforsolong。Isoonmadethisallright。
　　“ItisnowthebeginningofApril。”saidI，“godowntoMarseillesatonce，andtakesteamertoNice。ThensaunterdowntheRivieratoGenoa——fromGenoagotoFlorence，RomeandNaples，andcomehomebywayofVeniceandtheItalianlakes。”
　　“Andwon’tyoucometoo？”saidhe，eagerly。
　　IsaidIdidnotmindifIdid，sowebegantomakeourarrangementsnextmorning，andcompletedthemwithinaveryfewdays。
　　Weleftbythenightmail，crossingfromDover。Thenightwassoft，andtherewasabrightmoonuponthesea。“Don’tyoulovethesmellofgreaseabouttheengineofaChannelsteamer？Isn’ttherealotofhopeinit？”saidErnesttome，forhehadbeentoNormandyonesummerasaboywithhisfatherandmother，andthesmellcarriedhimbacktodaysbeforethoseinwhichhehadbeguntobruisehimselfagainstthegreatoutsideworld。“Ialwaysthinkoneofthebestpartsofgoingabroadisthefirstthudofthepiston，andthefirstgurglingofthewaterwhenthepaddlebeginstostrikeit。”
　　ItwasverydreamygettingoutatCalais，andtrudgingaboutwithluggageinaforeigntownatanhourwhenweweregenerallybothofusinbedandfastasleep，butwesettleddowntosleepassoonaswegotintotherailwaycarriage，anddozedtillwehadpassedAmiens。Thenwakingwhenthefirstsignsofmorningcrispnesswerebeginningtoshowthemselves，IsawthatErnestwasalreadydevouringeveryobjectwepassedwithquicksympatheticcuriousness。
　　Therewasnotapeasantinablousedrivinghiscartbetimesalongtheroadtomarket，notasignalman’swifeinherhusband’shatandcoatwavingagreenflag，notashepherdtakingouthissheeptothedewypastures，notabankofopeningcowslipsaswepassedthroughtherailwaycuttings，buthewasdrinkingitallinwithanenjoymenttoodeepforwords。ThenameoftheenginethatdrewuswasMozart，andErnestlikedthistoo。
　　WereachedParisbysix，andhadjusttimetogetacrossthetownandtakeamorningexpresstraintoMarseilles，butbeforenoonmyyoungfriendwastiredoutandhadresignedhimselftoaseriesofsleepswhichwereseldomintermittedformorethananhourorsotogether。Hefoughtagainstthisforatime，butintheendconsoledhimselfbysayingitwassonicetohavesomuchpleasurethathecouldaffordtothrowalotofitaway。Havingfoundatheoryonwhichtojustifyhimself，hesleptinpeace。
　　AtMarseilleswerested，andtheretheexcitementofthechangeproved，asIhadhalffeareditwould，toomuchformygodson’sstillenfeebledstate。Forafewdayshewasreallyill，butafterthisherighted。FormyownpartIreckonbeingillasoneofthegreatpleasuresoflife，providedoneisnottooillandisnotobligedtoworktilloneisbetter。IrememberbeingillonceinaforeignhotelmyselfandhowmuchIenjoyedit。Tolietherecarelessofeverything，quietandwarm，andwithnoweightuponthemind，toheartheclinkingoftheplatesinthefar-offkitchenasthescullionrinsedthemandputthemby；towatchthesoftshadowscomeandgoupontheceilingasthesuncameoutorwentbehindacloud；tolistentothepleasantmurmuringofthefountaininthecourtbelow，andtheshakingofthebellsonthehorses’collarsandtheclinkoftheirhoofsuponthegroundasthefliesplaguedthem；
　　notonlytobealotus-eaterbuttoknowthatitwasone’sdutytobealotus-eater。“Oh。”Ithoughttomyself，“ifIcouldonlynow，havingsoforgottencare，dropofftosleepforever，wouldnotthisbeabetterpieceoffortunethananyIcaneverhopefor？”
　　Ofcourseitwould，butwewouldnottakeitthoughitwereofferedus。Nomatterwhatevilmaybefallus，wewillmostlyabidebyitandseeitout。
　　IcouldseethatErnestfeltmuchasIhadfeltmyself。Hesaidlittle，butnotedeverything。Onceonlydidhefrightenme。Hecalledmetohisbedsidejustasitwasgettingduskandsaidinagrave，quietmannerthatheshouldliketospeaktome。
　　“Ihavebeenthinking。”hesaid，“thatImayperhapsneverrecoverfromthisillness，andincaseIdonotIshouldlikeyoutoknowthatthereisonlyonethingwhichweighsuponme。Irefer。”hecontinuedafteraslightpause，“tomyconducttowardsmyfatherandmother。Ihavebeenmuchtoogoodtothem。Itreatedthemmuchtooconsiderately。”onwhichhebrokeintoasmilewhichassuredmethattherewasnothingseriouslyamisswithhim。