ThoughscarcelyontermswithherbrotherJohn，shehadkeptupcloserrelationswithTheobaldandhisfamily，andhadpaidafewdays’visittoBattersbyonceineverytwoyearsorso。AletheahadalwaystriedtolikeTheobaldandjoinforceswithhimasmuchasshecould(fortheytwoweretheharesofthefamily，therestbeingallhounds)，butitwasnouse。Ibelieveherchiefreasonformaintainingrelationswithherbrotherwasthatshemightkeepaneyeonhischildrenandgivethemaliftiftheyprovednice。
WhenMissPontifexhadcomedowntoBattersbyinoldtimesthechildrenhadnotbeenbeaten，andtheirlessonshadbeenmadelighter。Sheeasilysawthattheywereoverworkedandunhappy，butshecouldhardlyguesshowall-reachingwastheregimeunderwhichtheylived。Sheknewshecouldnotinterfereeffectuallythen，andwiselyforboretomaketoomanyenquiries。Hertime，ifeveritwastocome，wouldbewhenthechildrenwerenolongerlivingunderthesameroofastheirparents。ItendedinhermakinguphermindtohavenothingtodowitheitherJoeyorCharlotte，buttoseesomuchofErnestasshouldenablehertoformanopinionabouthisdispositionandabilities。
HehadnowbeenayearandahalfatRoughboroughandwasnearlyfourteenyearsold，sothathischaracterhadbeguntoshape。Hisaunthadnotseenhimforsomelittletimeand，thinkingthatifshewastoexploithimshecoulddosonowperhapsbetterthanatanyothertime，sheresolvedtogodowntoRoughboroughonsomepretextwhichshouldbegoodenoughforTheobald，andtotakestockofhernephewundercircumstancesinwhichshecouldgethimforsomefewhourstoherself。AccordinglyinAugust1849，whenErnestwasjustenteringonhisfourthhalfyearacabdroveuptoDrSkinner’sdoorwithMissPontifex，whoaskedandobtainedleaveforErnesttocomeanddinewithherattheSwanHotel。ShehadwrittentoErnesttosayshewascomingandhewasofcourseonthelook-outforher。Hehadnotseenherforsolongthathewasrathershyatfirst，buthergoodnaturesoonsethimathisease。Shewassostronglybiassedinfavourofanythingyoungthatherheartwarmedtowardshimatonce，thoughhisappearancewaslessprepossessingthanshehadhoped。Shetookhimtoacakeshopandgavehimwhateverhelikedassoonasshehadgothimofftheschoolpremises；andErnestfeltatoncethatshecontrastedfavourablyevenwithhisauntstheMissesAllaby，whoweresoverysweetandgood。TheMissesAllabywereverypoor；sixpencewastothemwhatfiveshillingswastoAlethea。Whatchancehadtheyagainstonewho，ifshehadamind，couldputbyoutofherincometwiceasmuchasthey，poorwomen，couldspend？
Theboyhadplentyofprattleinhimwhenhewasnotsnubbed，andAletheaencouragedhimtochatteraboutwhatevercameuppermost。Hewasalwaysreadytotrustanyonewhowaskindtohim；ittookmanyyearstomakehimreasonablywaryinthisrespect——ifindeed，asI
sometimesdoubt，heeverwillbeaswaryasheoughttobe——andinashorttimehehadquitedissociatedhisauntfromhispapaandmammaandtherest，withwhomhisinstincttoldhimheshouldbeonhisguard。Littledidheknowhowgreat，asfarashewasconcerned，weretheissuesthatdependeduponhisbehaviour。Ifhehadknown，hewouldperhapshaveplayedhispartlesssuccessfully。
Hisauntdrewfromhimmoredetailsofhishomeandschoollifethanhispapaandmammawouldhaveapprovedof，buthehadnoideathathewasbeingpumped。ShegotoutofhimallaboutthehappySundayevenings，andhowheandJoeyandCharlottequarrelledsometimes，butshetooknosideandtreatedeverythingasthoughitwereamatterofcourse。Likealltheboys，hecouldmimicDrSkinner，andwhenwarmedwithdinner，andtwoglassesofsherrywhichmadehimnearlytipsy，hefavouredhisauntwithsamplesoftheDoctor’smannerandspokeofhimfamiliarlyas“Sam。”
“Sam。”hesaid，“isanawfuloldhumbug。”Itwasthesherrythatbroughtoutthispieceofswagger，forwhateverelsehewasDrSkinnerwasarealitytoMasterErnest，beforewhich，indeed，hesankintohisbootsinnotime。Aletheasmiledandsaid，“Imustnotsayanythingtothat，mustI？”Ernestsaid，“Isupposenot。”
andwaschecked。By-and-byheventedanumberofsmallsecond-handpriggishnesseswhichhehadcaughtupbelievingthemtobethecorrectthing，andmadeitplainthatevenatthatearlyageErnestbelievedinErnestwithabeliefwhichwasamusingfromitsabsurdity。Hisauntjudgedhimcharitablyasshewassuretodo；
sheknewverywellwherethepriggishnesscamefrom，andseeingthatthestringofhistonguehadbeenloosenedsufficientlygavehimnomoresherry。
Itwasafterdinner，however，thathecompletedtheconquestofhisaunt。Shethendiscoveredthat，likeherself，hewaspassionatelyfondofmusic，andthat，too，ofthehighestclass。Heknew，andhummedorwhistledtoherallsortsofpiecesoutoftheworksofthegreatmasters，whichaboyofhisagecouldhardlybeexpectedtoknow，anditwasevidentthatthiswaspurelyinstinctive，inasmuchasmusicreceivednokindofencouragementatRoughborough。
Therewasnoboyintheschoolasfondofmusicashewas。Hepickeduphisknowledge，hesaid，fromtheorganistofStMichael’sChurchwhousedtopractisesometimesonaweek-dayafternoon。
Ernesthadheardtheorganboomingawayashewaspassingoutsidethechurchandhadsneakedinsideandupintotheorganloft。Inthecourseoftimetheorganistbecameaccustomedtohimasafamiliarvisitant，andthepairbecamefriends。
ItwasthiswhichdecidedAletheathattheboywasworthtakingpainswith。“Helikesthebestmusic。”shethought，“andhehatesDrSkinner。Thisisaveryfairbeginning。”Whenshesenthimawayatnightwithasovereigninhispocket(andhehadonlyhopedtogetfiveshillings)shefeltasthoughshehadhadagooddealmorethanhermoney’sworthforhermoney。
NextdayMissPontifexreturnedtotown，withherthoughtsfullofhernephewandhowshecouldbestbeofusetohim。
Itappearedtoherthattodohimanyrealserviceshemustdevoteherselfalmostentirelytohim；shemustinfactgiveuplivinginLondon，atanyrateforalongtime，andliveatRoughboroughwhereshecouldseehimcontinually。Thiswasaseriousundertaking；shehadlivedinLondonforthelasttwelveyears，andnaturallydislikedtheprospectofasmallcountrytownsuchasRoughborough。
Wasitaprudentthingtoattemptsomuch？Mustnotpeopletaketheirchancesinthisworld？Cananyonedomuchforanyoneelseunlessbymakingawillinhisfavouranddyingthenandthere？
Shouldnoteachlookafterhisownhappiness，andwillnottheworldbebestcarriedonifeveryonemindshisownbusinessandleavesotherpeopletomindtheirs？Lifeisnotadonkeyraceinwhicheveryoneistoridehisneighbour’sdonkeyandthelastistowin，andthepsalmistlongsinceformulatedacommonexperiencewhenhedeclaredthatnomanmaydeliverhisbrothernormakeagreementuntoGodforhim，foritcostmoretoredeemtheirsouls，sothathemustletthataloneforever。
Alltheseexcellentreasonsforlettinghernephewaloneoccurredtoher，andmanymore，butagainstthemtherepleadedawoman’sloveforchildren，andherdesiretofindsomeoneamongtheyoungerbranchesofherownfamilytowhomshecouldbecomewarmlyattached，andwhomshecouldattachwarmlytoherself。
Overandabovethisshewantedsomeonetoleavehermoneyto；shewasnotgoingtoleaveittopeopleaboutwhomsheknewverylittle，merelybecausetheyhappenedtobesonsanddaughtersofbrothersandsisterswhomshehadneverliked。Sheknewthepowerandvalueofmoneyexceedinglywell，andhowmanylovablepeoplesufferanddieyearlyforthewantofit；shewaslittlelikelytoleaveitwithoutbeingsatisfiedthatherlegateesweresquare，lovable，andmoreorlesshardup。Shewantedthosetohaveitwhowouldbemostlikelytouseitgeniallyandsensibly，andwhomitwouldthusbelikelytomakemosthappy；ifshecouldfindonesuchamonghernephewsandnieces，somuchthebetter；itwasworthtakingagreatdealofpainstoseewhethershecouldorcouldnot；butifshefailed，shemustfindanheirwhowasnotrelatedtoherbyblood。
“Ofcourse。”shehadsaidtome，morethanonce，“Ishallmakeamessofit。Ishallchoosesomenice-looking，well-dressedscrew，withgentlemanlymannerswhichwilltakemein，andhewillgoandpaintAcademypictures，orwritefortheTimes，ordosomethingjustashorridthemomentthebreathisoutofmybody。”
Asyet，however，shehadmadenowillatall，andthiswasoneofthefewthingsthattroubledher。IbelieveshewouldhaveleftmostofhermoneytomeifIhadnotstoppedher。Myfatherleftmeabundantlywelloff，andmymodeoflifehasbeenalwayssimple，sothatIhaveneverknownuneasinessaboutmoney；moreoverIwasespeciallyanxiousthatthereshouldbenooccasiongivenforill-
naturedtalk；sheknewwell，therefore，thatherleavinghermoneytomewouldbeofallthingsthemostlikelytoweakenthetiesthatexistedbetweenus，providedthatIwasawareofit，butIdidnotmindhertalkingaboutwhomsheshouldmakeherheir，solongasitwaswellunderstoodthatIwasnottobetheperson。
Ernesthadsatisfiedherashavingenoughinhimtotemptherstronglytotakehimup，butitwasnottillaftermanydays’
reflectionthatshegravitatedtowardsactuallydoingso，withallthebreakinherdailywaysthatthiswouldentail。Atleast，shesaidittookhersomedays，andcertainlyitappearedtodoso，butfromthemomentshehadbeguntobroachthesubject，Ihadguessedhowthingsweregoingtoend。
ItwasnowarrangedsheshouldtakeahouseatRoughborough，andgoandlivethereforacoupleofyears。Asacompromise，however，tomeetsomeofmyobjections，itwasalsoarrangedthatsheshouldkeepherroomsinGowerStreet，andcometotownforaweekonceineachmonth；ofcourse，also，shewouldleaveRoughboroughforthegreaterpartoftheholidays。Aftertwoyears，thethingwastocometoanend，unlessitprovedagreatsuccess。Sheshouldbythattime，atanyrate，havemadeuphermindwhattheboy’scharacterwas，andwouldthenactascircumstancesmightdetermine。
ThepretextsheputforwardostensiblywasthatherdoctorsaidsheoughttobeayearortwointhecountryaftersomanyyearsofLondonlife，andhadrecommendedRoughboroughonaccountofthepurityofitsair，anditseasyaccesstoandfromLondon——forbythistimetherailwayhadreachedit。Shewasanxiousnottogiveherbrotherandsisteranyrighttocomplain，ifonseeingmoreofhernephewshefoundshecouldnotgetonwithhim，andshewasalsoanxiousnottoraisefalsehopesofanykindintheboy’sownmind。
Havingsettledhoweverythingwastobe，shewrotetoTheobaldandsaidshemeanttotakeahouseinRoughboroughfromtheMichaelmasthenapproaching，andmentioned，asthoughcasually，thatoneoftheattractionsoftheplacewouldbethathernephewwasatschoolthereandsheshouldhopetoseemoreofhimthanshehaddonehitherto。
TheobaldandChristinaknewhowdearlyAlethealovedLondon，andthoughtitveryoddthatsheshouldwanttogoandliveatRoughborough，buttheydidnotsuspectthatshewasgoingtheresolelyonhernephew’saccount，muchlessthatshehadthoughtofmakingErnestherheir。Iftheyhadguessedthis，theywouldhavebeensojealousthatIhalfbelievetheywouldhaveaskedhertogoandlivesomewhereelse。Aletheahowever，wastwoorthreeyearsyoungerthanTheobald；shewasstillsomeyearsshortoffifty，andmightverywelllivetoeighty-fiveorninety；hermoney，therefore，wasnotworthtakingmuchtroubleabout，andherbrotherandsister-
in-lawhaddismissedit，sotospeak，fromtheirmindswithcosts，assuming，however，thatifanythingdidhappentoherwhiletheywerestillalive，themoneywould，asamatterofcourse，cometothem。
TheprospectofAletheaseeingmuchofErnestwasaseriousmatter。
Christinasmeltmischieffromafar，asindeedsheoftendid。
