Hewasasuselessandillateasewithcricketaswithfootball，norinspiteofallhiseffortscouldheeverthrowaballorastone。
Itsoonbecameplain，therefore，toeveryonethatPontifexwasayoungmuff，amollycoddle，nottobetortured，butstillnottoberatedhighly。Hewasnothowever，activelyunpopular，foritwasseenthathewasquitesquareinterpares，notatallvindictive，easilypleased，perfectlyfreewithwhateverlittlemoneyhehad，nogreaterloverofhisschoolworkthanofthegames，andgenerallymoreinclinabletomoderatevicethantoimmoderatevirtue。
Thesequalitieswillpreventanyboyfromsinkingverylowintheopinionofhisschool-fellows；butErnestthoughthehadfallenlowerthanheprobablyhad，andhatedanddespisedhimselfforwhathe，asmuchasanyoneelse，believedtobehiscowardice。Hedidnotliketheboyswhomhethoughtlikehimself。Hisheroeswerestrongandvigorous，andthelesstheyinclinedtowardshimthemoreheworshippedthem。Allthismadehimveryunhappy，foritneveroccurredtohimthattheinstinctwhichmadehimkeepoutofgamesforwhichhewasilladapted，wasmorereasonablethanthereasonwhichwouldhavedrivenhimintothem。Neverthelesshefollowedhisinstinctforthemostpart，ratherthanhisreason。Sapienssuamsisapientiamnorit。
WiththemastersErnestwaserelonginabsolutedisgrace。Hehadmorelibertynowthanhehadknownheretofore。TheheavyhandandwatchfuleyeofTheobaldwerenolongerabouthispathandabouthisbedandspyingoutallhisways；andpunishmentbywayofcopyingoutlinesofVirgilwasaverydifferentthingfromthesavagebeatingsofhisfather。Thecopyingoutinfactwasoftenlesstroublethanthelesson。LatinandGreekhadnothinginthemwhichcommendedthemtohisinstinctaslikelytobringhimpeaceevenatthelast；stilllessdidtheyholdoutanyhopeofdoingsowithinsomemorereasonabletime。Thedeadnessinherentinthesedefunctlanguagesthemselveshadneverbeenartificiallycounteractedbyasystemofbonafiderewardsforapplication。Therehadbeenanyamountofpunishmentsforwantofapplication，butnogoodcomfortablebribeshadbaitedthehookwhichwastoallurehimtohisgood。
Indeed，themorepleasantsideoflearningtodothisorthathadalwaysbeentreatedassomethingwithwhichErnesthadnoconcern。
Wehadnobusinesswithpleasantthingsatall，atanyrateverylittlebusiness，atanyratenothe，Ernest。Wewereputintothisworldnotforpleasurebutduty，andpleasurehadinitsomethingmoreorlesssinfulinitsveryessence。Ifweweredoinganythingweliked，we，oratanyratehe，Ernest，shouldapologiseandthinkhewasbeingverymercifullydealtwith，ifnotatoncetoldtogoanddosomethingelse。Withwhathedidnotlike，however，itwasdifferent；themorehedislikedathingthegreaterthepresumptionthatitwasright。Itneveroccurredtohimthatthepresumptionwasinfavouroftherightnessofwhatwasmostpleasant，andthattheonusofprovingthatitwasnotrightlaywiththosewhodisputeditsbeingso。Ihavesaidmorethanoncethathebelievedinhisowndepravity；neverwastherealittlemortalmorereadytoacceptwithoutcavilwhateverhewastoldbythosewhowereinauthorityoverhim：hethought，atleast，thathebelievedit，forasyetheknewnothingofthatotherErnestthatdweltwithinhim，andwassomuchstrongerandmorerealthantheErnestofwhichhewasconscious。ThedumbErnestpersuadedwithinarticulatefeelingstooswiftandsuretobetranslatedintosuchdebateablethingsaswords，butpracticallyinsistedasfollows-
“Growingisnottheeasyplainsailingbusinessthatitiscommonlysupposedtobe：itishardwork——harderthananybutagrowingboycanunderstand；itrequiresattention，andyouarenotstrongenoughtoattendtoyourbodilygrowth，andtoyourlessonstoo。Besides，LatinandGreekaregreathumbug；themorepeopleknowofthemthemoreodioustheygenerallyare；thenicepeoplewhomyoudelightineitherneverknewanyatallorforgotwhattheyhadlearnedassoonastheycould；theyneverturnedtotheclassicsaftertheywerenolongerforcedtoreadthem；thereforetheyarenonsense，allverywellintheirowntimeandcountry，butoutofplacehere。Neverlearnanythinguntilyoufindyouhavebeenmadeuncomfortableforagoodlongwhilebynotknowingit；whenyoufindthatyouhaveoccasionforthisorthatknowledge，orforeseethatyouwillhaveoccasionforitshortly，thesooneryoulearnitthebetter，buttillthenspendyourtimeingrowingboneandmuscle；thesewillbemuchmoreusefultoyouthanLatinandGreek，norwillyoueverbeabletomakethemifyoudonotdosonow，whereasLatinandGreekcanbeacquiredatanytimebythosewhowantthem。
“Youaresurroundedoneverysidebylieswhichwoulddeceiveeventheelect，iftheelectwerenotgenerallysouncommonlywideawake；
theselfofwhichyouareconscious，yourreasoningandreflectingself，willbelievetheseliesandbidyouactinaccordancewiththem。Thisconsciousselfofyours，Ernest，isaprigbegottenofprigsandtrainedinpriggishness；Iwillnotallowittoshapeyouractions，thoughitwilldoubtlessshapeyourwordsformanyayeartocome。Yourpapaisnotheretobeatyounow；thisisachangeintheconditionsofyourexistence，andshouldbefollowedbychangedactions。Obeyme，yourtrueself，andthingswillgotolerablywellwithyou，butonlylistentothatoutwardandvisibleoldhuskofyourswhichiscalledyourfather，andIwillrendyouinpiecesevenuntothethirdandfourthgenerationasonewhohashatedGod；
forI，Ernest，amtheGodwhomadeyou。”
HowshockedErnestwouldhavebeenifhecouldhaveheardtheadvicehewasreceiving；whatconsternationtootherewouldhavebeenatBattersby；butthematterdidnotendhere，forthissamewickedinnerselfgavehimbadadviceabouthispocketmoney，thechoiceofhiscompanionsandonthewholeErnestwasattentiveandobedienttoitsbehests，moresothanTheobaldhadbeen。Theconsequencewasthathelearnedlittle，hismindgrowingmoreslowlyandhisbodyratherfasterthanheretofore：andwhenbyandbyhisinnerselfurgedhimindirectionswherehemetobstaclesbeyondhisstrengthtocombat，hetook——thoughwithpassionatecompunctionsofconscience——thenearestcoursetotheonefromwhichhewasdebarredwhichcircumstanceswouldallow。
ItmaybeguessedthatErnestwasnotthechosenfriendofthemoresedateandwell-conductedyouthsthenstudyingatRoughborough。
Someofthelessdesirableboysusedtogotopublic-housesanddrinkmorebeerthanwasgoodforthem；Ernest’sinnerselfcanhardlyhavetoldhimtoallyhimselftotheseyounggentlemen，buthedidsoatanearlyage，andwassometimesmadepitiablysickbyanamountofbeerwhichwouldhaveproducednoeffectuponastrongerboy。Ernest’sinnerselfmusthaveinterposedatthispointandtoldhimthattherewasnotmuchfuninthis，forhedroppedthehabitereithadtakenfirmholdofhim，andneverresumedit；buthecontractedanotheratthedisgracefullyearlyageofbetweenthirteenandfourteenwhichhedidnotrelinquish，thoughtothepresentdayhisconsciousselfkeepsdingingitintohimthatthelesshesmokesthebetter。
Andsomatterswentontillmyherowasnearlyfourteenyearsold。
Ifbythattimehewasnotactuallyayoungblackguard，hebelongedtoadebateableclassbetweenthesub-reputableandtheupperdisreputable，withperhapsrathermoreleaningtothelatterexceptsofarasvicesofmeannesswereconcerned，fromwhichhewasfairlyfree。IgatherthispartlyfromwhatErnesthastoldme，andpartlyfromhisschoolbillswhichIrememberTheobaldshowedmewithmuchcomplaining。TherewasaninstitutionatRoughboroughcalledthemonthlymeritmoney；themaximumsumwhichaboyofErnest’sagecouldgetwasfourshillingsandsixpence；severalboysgotfourshillingsandfewlessthansixpence，butErnestnevergotmorethanhalf-a-crownandseldommorethaneighteenpence；hisaveragewould，Ishouldthink，beaboutoneandninepence，whichwasjusttoomuchforhimtorankamongthedownrightbadboys，buttoolittletoputhimamongthegoodones。
ImustnowreturntoMissAletheaPontifex，ofwhomIhavesaidperhapstoolittlehitherto，consideringhowgreatherinfluenceuponmyhero’sdestinyprovedtobe。
Onthedeathofherfather，whichhappenedwhenshewasaboutthirty-twoyearsold，shepartedcompanywithhersisters，betweenwhomandherselftherehadbeenlittlesympathy，andcameuptoLondon。Shewasdetermined，soshesaid，tomaketherestofherlifeashappyasshecould，andshehadclearerideasaboutthebestwayofsettingtoworktodothisthanwomen，orindeedmen，generallyhave。
Herfortuneconsisted，asIhavesaid，of5000pounds，whichhadcometoherbyhermother’smarriagesettlements，and15，000poundsleftherbyherfather，overbothwhichsumsshehadnowabsolutecontrol。Thesebroughtherinabout900poundsayear，andthemoneybeinginvestedinnonebutthesoundestsecurities，shehadnoanxietyaboutherincome。Shemeanttoberich，sosheformedaschemeofexpenditurewhichinvolvedanannualoutlayofabout500
pounds，anddeterminedtoputtherestby。“IfIdothis。”shesaidlaughingly，“Ishallprobablyjustsucceedinlivingcomfortablywithinmyincome。”InaccordancewiththisschemeshetookunfurnishedapartmentsinahouseinGowerStreet，ofwhichthelowerfloorswereletoutasoffices。JohnPontifextriedtogethertotakeahousetoherself，butAletheatoldhimtomindhisownbusinesssoplainlythathehadtobeataretreat。Shehadneverlikedhim，andfromthattimedroppedhimalmostentirely。
Withoutgoingmuchintosocietysheyetbecameacquaintedwithmostofthemenandwomenwhohadattainedapositionintheliterary，artisticandscientificworlds，anditwassingularhowhighlyheropinionwasvaluedinspiteofherneverhavingattemptedinanywaytodistinguishherself。Shecouldhavewrittenifshehadchosen，butsheenjoyedseeingotherswriteandencouragingthembetterthantakingamoreactivepartherself。Perhapsliterarypeoplelikedherallthebetterbecauseshedidnotwrite。
I，assheverywellknew，hadalwaysbeendevotedtoher，andshemighthavehadascoreofotheradmirersifshehadliked，butshehaddiscouragedthemall，andrailedatmatrimonyaswomenseldomdounlesstheyhaveacomfortableincomeoftheirown。Shebynomeans，however，railedatmanassherailedatmatrimony，andthoughlivingafterafashioninwhicheventhemostcensoriouscouldfindnothingtocomplainof，asfarassheproperlycouldshedefendedthoseofherownsexwhomtheworldcondemnedmostseverely。
Inreligionshewas，Ishouldthink，asnearlyafree-thinkerasanyonecouldbewhosemindseldomturneduponthesubject。Shewenttochurch，butdislikedequallythosewhoairedeitherreligionorirreligion。Irememberoncehearingherpressalatewell-knownphilosophertowriteanovelinsteadofpursuinghisattacksuponreligion。Thephilosopherdidnotmuchlikethis，anddilatedupontheimportanceofshowingpeoplethefollyofmuchthattheypretendedtobelieve。Shesmiledandsaiddemurely，“HavetheynotMosesandtheprophets？Letthemhearthem。”Butshewouldsayawickedthingquietlyonherownaccountsometimes，andcalledmyattentiononcetoanoteinherprayer-bookwhichgaveaccountofthewalktoEmmauswiththetwodisciples，andhowChristhadsaidtothem“OfoolsandslowofhearttobelieveALLthattheprophetshavespoken“——the“all“beingprintedinsmallcapitals。
