Whenallthishadbeendoneshebecamemoreeasyinhermind。Shetalkedprincipallyabouthernephew。“Don’tscoldhim。”shesaid，“ifheisvolatile，andcontinuallytakesthingsuponlytothrowthemdownagain。Howcanhefindouthisstrengthorweaknessotherwise？Aman’sprofession。”shesaid，andhereshegaveoneofherwickedlittlelaughs，“isnotlikehiswife，whichhemusttakeonceforall，forbetterforworse，withoutproofbeforehand。Lethimgohereandthere，andlearnhistruestlikingbyfindingoutwhat，afterall，hecatcheshimselfturningtomosthabitually——thenlethimsticktothis；butIdaresayErnestwillbefortyorfiveandfortybeforehesettlesdown。ThenallhispreviousinfidelitieswillworktogethertohimforgoodifheistheboyI
hopeheis。
“Aboveall。”shecontinued，“donotlethimworkuptohisfullstrength，exceptonceortwiceinhislifetime；nothingiswelldonenorworthdoingunless，takeitallround，ithascomeprettyeasily。TheobaldandChristinawouldgivehimapinchofsaltandtellhimtoputitonthetailsofthesevendeadlyvirtues；“——hereshelaughedagaininheroldmanneratoncesomockingandsosweet——
“IthinkifhelikespancakeshehadperhapsbettereatthemonShroveTuesday，butthisisenough。”Thesewerethelastcoherentwordsshespoke。Fromthattimeshegrewcontinuallyworse，andwasneverfreefromdeliriumtillherdeath——whichtookplacelessthanafortnightafterwards，totheinexpressiblegriefofthosewhoknewandlovedher。
LettershadbeenwrittentoMissPontifex’sbrothersandsisters，andoneandallcamepost-hastetoRoughborough。Beforetheyarrivedthepoorladywasalreadydelirious，andforthesakeofherownpeaceatthelastIamhalfgladsheneverrecoveredconsciousness。
Ihadknownthesepeoplealltheirlives，asnonecanknoweachotherbutthosewhohaveplayedtogetheraschildren；Iknewhowtheyhadallofthem——perhapsTheobaldleast，butallofthemmoreorless——madeherlifeaburdentoheruntilthedeathofherfatherhadmadeherherownmistress，andIwasdispleasedattheircomingoneaftertheothertoRoughborough，andinquiringwhethertheirsisterhadrecoveredconsciousnesssufficientlytobeabletoseethem。Itwasknownthatshehadsentformeonbeingtakenill，andthatIremainedatRoughborough，andIownIwasangeredbythemingledairofsuspicion，defianceandinquisitiveness，withwhichtheyregardedme。Theywouldall，exceptTheobald，Ibelievehavecutmedownrightiftheyhadnotbelievedmetoknowsomethingtheywantedtoknowthemselves，andmighthavesomechanceoflearningfromme——foritwasplainIhadbeeninsomewayconcernedwiththemakingoftheirsister’swill。Noneofthemsuspectedwhattheostensiblenatureofthiswouldbe，butIthinktheyfearedMissPontifexwasabouttoleavemoneyforpublicuses。Johnsaidtomeinhisblandestmannerthathefanciedherememberedtohaveheardhissistersaythatshethoughtofleavingmoneytofoundacollegeforthereliefofdramaticauthorsindistress；tothisImadenorejoinder，andIhavenodoubthissuspicionsweredeepened。
Whentheendcame，IgotMissPontifex’ssolicitortowriteandtellherbrothersandsistershowshehadlefthermoney：theywerenotunnaturallyfurious，andwenteachtohisorherseparatehomewithoutattendingthefuneral，andwithoutpayinganyattentiontomyself。Thiswasperhapsthekindestthingtheycouldhavedonebyme，fortheirbehaviourmademesoangrythatIbecamealmostreconciledtoAlethea’swilloutofpleasureattheangerithadaroused。ButforthisIshouldhavefeltthewillkeenly，ashavingbeenplacedbyitinthepositionwhichofallothersIhadbeenmostanxioustoavoid，andashavingsaddledmewithaveryheavyresponsibility。Stillitwasimpossibleformetoescape，andI
couldonlyletthingstaketheircourse。
MissPontifexhadexpressedawishtobeburiedatPaleham；inthecourseofthenextfewdaysIthereforetookthebodythither。I
hadnotbeentoPalehamsincethedeathofmyfathersomesixyearsearlier。Ihadoftenwishedtogothere，buthadshrunkfromdoingsothoughmysisterhadbeentwoorthreetimes。Icouldnotbeartoseethehousewhichhadbeenmyhomeforsomanyyearsofmylifeinthehandsofstrangers；toringceremoniouslyatabellwhichI
hadneveryetpulledexceptasaboyinjest；tofeelthatIhadnothingtodowithagardeninwhichIhadinchildhoodgatheredsomanyanosegay，andwhichhadseemedmyownformanyyearsafterI
hadreachedman’sestate；toseetheroomsbereftofeveryfamiliarfeature，andmadesounfamiliarinspiteoftheirfamiliarity。Hadtherebeenanysufficientreason，Ishouldhavetakenthesethingsasamatterofcourse，andshouldnodoubthavefoundthemmuchworseinanticipationthaninreality，butastherehadbeennospecialreasonwhyIshouldgotoPalehamIhadhithertoavoideddoingso。Now，however，mygoingwasanecessity，andIconfessI
neverfeltmoresubduedthanIdidonarrivingtherewiththedeadplaymateofmychildhood。
IfoundthevillagemorechangedthanIhadexpected。Therailwayhadcomethere，andabrandnewyellowbrickstationwasonthesiteofoldMrandMrsPontifex’scottage。Nothingbutthecarpenter’sshopwasnowstanding。IsawmanyfacesIknew，buteveninsixyearstheyseemedtohavegrownwonderfullyolder。Someoftheveryoldweredead，andtheoldweregettingveryoldintheirstead。I
feltlikethechangelinginthefairystorywhocamebackafterasevenyears’sleep。Everyoneseemedgladtoseeme，thoughIhadnevergiventhemparticularcausetobeso，andeveryonewhorememberedoldMrandMrsPontifexspokewarmlyofthemandwerepleasedattheirgranddaughter’swishingtobelaidnearthem。
EnteringthechurchyardandstandinginthetwilightofagustycloudyeveningonthespotclosebesideoldMrsPontifex’sgravewhichIhadchosenforAlethea’s，Ithoughtofthemanytimesthatshe，whowouldlietherehenceforth，andI，whomustsurelylieonedayinsomesuchanotherplacethoughwhenandwhereIknewnot，hadrompedoverthisveryspotaschildishloverstogether。NextmorningIfollowedhertothegrave，andinduecoursesetupaplainuprightslabtohermemoryaslikeasmightbetothoseoverthegravesofhergrandmotherandgrandfather。Igavethedatesandplacesofherbirthanddeath，butaddednothingexceptthatthisstonewassetupbyonewhohadknownandlovedher。KnowinghowfondshehadbeenofmusicIhadbeenhalfinclinedatonetimetoinscribeafewbarsofmusic，ifIcouldfindanywhichseemedsuitabletohercharacter，butIknewhowmuchshewouldhavedislikedanythingsingularinconnectionwithhertombstoneanddidnotdoit。
Before，however，Ihadcometothisconclusion，IhadthoughtthatErnestmightbeabletohelpmetotherightthing，andhadwrittentohimuponthesubject。ThefollowingistheanswerIreceived-
“DearGodpapa，——IsendyouthebestbitIcanthinkof；itisthesubjectofthelastofHandel’ssixgrandfuguesandgoesthus：-
[Musicscore]
Itwoulddobetterforaman，especiallyforanoldmanwhowasverysorryforthings，thanforawoman，butIcannotthinkofanythingbetter；ifyoudonotlikeitforAuntAletheaIshallkeepitformyself——YouraffectionateGodson，ERNESTPONTIFEX。”
Wasthisthelittleladwhocouldgetsweetiesfortwo-pencebutnotfortwo-pence-halfpenny？Dear，dearme，Ithoughttomyself，howthesebabesandsucklingsdogiveusthego-bysurely。Choosinghisownepitaphatfifteenasforamanwho“hadbeenverysorryforthings。”andsuchastrainasthat——whyitmighthavedoneforLeonardodaVincihimself。ThenIsettheboydownasaconceitedyoungjackanapes，whichnodoubthewas，——butsoareagreatmanyotheryoungpeopleofErnest’sage。
IfTheobaldandChristinahadnotbeentoowellpleasedwhenMissPontifexfirsttookErnestinhand，theywerestilllesssowhentheconnectionbetweenthetwowasinterruptedsoprematurely。TheysaidtheyhadmadesurefromwhattheirsisterhadsaidthatshewasgoingtomakeErnestherheir。Idonotthinkshehadgiventhemsomuchasahinttothiseffect。TheobaldindeedgaveErnesttounderstandthatshehaddonesoinaletterwhichwillbegivenshortly，butifTheobaldwantedtomakehimselfdisagreeable，atriflelightasairwouldforthwithassumeinhisimaginationwhateverformwasmostconvenienttohim。IdonotthinktheyhadevenmadeuptheirmindswhatAletheawastodowithhermoneybeforetheyknewofherbeingatthepointofdeath，andasIhavesaidalready，iftheyhadthoughtitlikelythatErnestwouldbemadeheirovertheirownheadswithouttheirhavingatanyratealifeinterestinthebequest，theywouldhavesoonthrownobstaclesinthewayoffurtherintimacybetweenauntandnephew。
This，however，didnotbartheirrighttofeelingaggrievednowthatneithertheynorErnesthadtakenanythingatall，andtheycouldprofessdisappointmentontheirboy’sbehalfwhichtheywouldhavebeentooproudtoadmitupontheirown。Infact，itwasonlyamiableofthemtobedisappointedunderthesecircumstances。
Christinasaidthatthewillwassimplyfraudulent，andwasconvincedthatitcouldbeupsetifsheandTheobaldwenttherightwaytowork。Theobald，shesaid，shouldgobeforetheLordChancellor，notinfullcourtbutinchambers，wherehecouldexplainthewholematter；or，perhapsitwouldbeevenbetterifsheweretogoherself——andIdarenottrustmyselftodescribethereverietowhichthislastideagaverise。IbelieveintheendTheobalddied，andtheLordChancellor(whohadbecomeawidowerafewweeksearlier)madeheranoffer，which，however，shefirmlybutnotungratefullydeclined；sheshouldever，shesaid，continuetothinkofhimasafriend——atthispointthecookcamein，sayingthebutcherhadcalled，andwhatwouldshepleasetoorder。
IthinkTheobaldmusthavehadanideathattherewassomethingbehindthebequesttome，buthesaidnothingaboutittoChristina。
Hewasangryandfeltwronged，becausehecouldnotgetatAletheatogiveherapieceofhismindanymorethanhehadbeenabletogetathisfather。“Itissomeanofpeople。”heexclaimedtohimself，“toinflictaninjuryofthissort，andthenshirkfacingthosewhomtheyhaveinjured；letushopethat，atanyrate，theyandImaymeetinHeaven。”Butofthishewasdoubtful，forwhenpeoplehaddonesogreatawrongasthis，itwashardlytobesupposedthattheywouldgotoHeavenatall——andasforhismeetingtheminanotherplace，theideaneversomuchasenteredhismind。
Onesoangryand，oflate，solittleusedtocontradictionmightbetrusted，however，toavengehimselfuponsomeone，andTheobaldhadlongsincedevelopedtheorgan，bymeansofwhichhemightventspleenwithleastriskandgreatestsatisfactiontohimself。Thisorgan，itmaybeguessed，wasnothingelsethanErnest；toErnestthereforeheproceededtounburdenhimself，notpersonally，butbyletter。
“Yououghttoknow。”hewrote，“thatyourAuntAletheahadgivenyourmotherandmetounderstandthatitwasherwishtomakeyouherheir——intheevent，ofcourse，ofyourconductingyourselfinsuchamannerastogiveherconfidenceinyou；asamatteroffact，however，shehasleftyounothing，andthewholeofherpropertyhasgonetoyourgodfather，MrOverton。YourmotherandIarewillingtohopethatifshehadlivedlongeryouwouldyethavesucceededinwinninghergoodopinion，butitistoolatetothinkofthisnow。
“Thecarpenteringandorgan-buildingmustatoncebediscontinued。
