Herface(asindeedfacesgenerallyare，thoughIgranttheyliesometimes)wasafairindextoherdisposition。Shewasgoodnatureitself，andeveryoneinthehouse，notexcludingIbelieveevenTheobaldhimselfafterafashion，wasfondofher。AsforChristinashetooktheverywarmestinterestinher，andusedtohaveherintothedining-roomtwiceaweek，andprepareherforconfirmation(forbysomeaccidentshehadneverbeenconfirmed)byexplainingtoherthegeographyofPalestineandtheroutestakenbyStPaulonhisvariousjourneysinAsiaMinor。
WhenBishopTreadwelldidactuallycomedowntoBattersbyandholdaconfirmationthere(Christinahadherwish，hesleptatBattersby，andshehadagranddinnerpartyforhim，andcalledhim“Mylord“
severaltimes)，hewassomuchstruckwithherprettyfaceandmodestdemeanourwhenhelaidhishandsuponherthatheaskedChristinaabouther。WhensherepliedthatEllenwasoneofherownservants，thebishopseemed，soshethoughtorchosetothink，quitepleasedthatsoprettyagirlshouldhavefoundsoexceptionallygoodasituation。
Ernestusedtogetupearlyduringtheholidayssothathemightplaythepianobeforebreakfastwithoutdisturbinghispapaandmamma——orrather，perhaps，withoutbeingdisturbedbythem。Ellenwouldgenerallybetheresweepingthedrawing-roomflooranddustingwhilehewasplaying，andtheboy，whowasreadytomakefriendswithmostpeople，soonbecameveryfondofher。Hewasnotasageneralrulesensitivetothecharmsofthefairsex，indeedhehadhardlybeenthrowninwithanywomenexcepthisAuntsAllaby，andhisAuntAlethea，hismother，hissisterCharlotteandMrsJay；
sometimesalsohehadhadtotakeoffhishattotheMissSkinners，andhadfeltasifheshouldsinkintotheearthondoingso，buthisshynesshadwornoffwithEllen，andthepairhadbecomefastfriends。
PerhapsitwaswellthatErnestwasnotathomeforverylongtogether，butasyethisaffectionthoughheartywasquitePlatonic。
Hewasnotonlyinnocent，butdeplorably——Imightevensayguiltily——
innocent。HispreferencewasbaseduponthefactthatEllenneverscoldedhim，butwasalwayssmilingandgoodtempered；besidessheusedtoliketohearhimplay，andthisgavehimadditionalzestinplaying。ThemorningaccesstothepianowasindeedtheonedistinctadvantagewhichtheholidayshadinErnest’seyes，foratschoolhecouldnotgetatapianoexceptquasi-surreptitiouslyattheshopofMrPearsall，themusic-seller。
Onreturningthismidsummerhewasshockedtofindhisfavouritelookingpaleandill。Allhergoodspiritshadlefther，theroseshadfledfromhercheek，andsheseemedonthepointofgoingintoadecline。Shesaidshewasunhappyabouthermother，whosehealthwasfailing，andwasafraidshewasherselfnotlongforthisworld。
Christina，ofcourse，noticedthechange。“Ihaveoftenremarked。”
shesaid，“thatthoseveryfresh-coloured，healthy-lookinggirlsarethefirsttobreakup。IhavegivenhercalomelandJames’spowdersrepeatedly，andthoughshedoesnotlikeit，IthinkImustshowhertoDrMartinwhenhenextcomeshere。”
“Verywell，mydear。”saidTheobald，andsonexttimeDrMartincameEllenwassentfor。DrMartinsoondiscoveredwhatwouldprobablyhavebeenapparenttoChristinaherselfifshehadbeenabletoconceiveofsuchanailmentinconnectionwithaservantwholivedunderthesameroofasTheobaldandherself——thepurityofwhosemarriedlifeshouldhavepreservedallunmarriedpeoplewhocamenearthemfromanytaintofmischief。
WhenitwasdiscoveredthatinthreeorfourmonthsmoreEllenwouldbecomeamother，Christina’snaturalgoodnaturewouldhavepromptedhertodealaslenientlywiththecaseasshecould，ifshehadnotbeenpanic-strickenlestanymercyonherandTheobald’spartshouldbeconstruedintotoleration，howeverpartial，ofsogreatasin；
hereonshedashedoffintotheconvictionthattheonlythingtodowastopayEllenherwages，andpackheroffontheinstantbagandbaggageoutofthehousewhichpurityhadmoreespeciallyandparticularlysingledoutforitsabidingcity。WhenshethoughtofthefearfulcontaminationwhichEllen’scontinuedpresenceevenforaweekwouldoccasion，shecouldnothesitate。
Thencamethequestion——horridthought！——astowhowasthepartnerofEllen’sguilt？Wasit，coulditbe，herownson，herdarlingErnest？Ernestwasgettingabigboynow。Shecouldexcuseanyyoungwomanfortakingafancytohim；asforhimself，whyshewassurehewasbehindnoyoungmanofhisageinappreciationofthecharmsofanice-lookingyoungwoman。Solongashewasinnocentshedidnotmindthis，butoh，ifhewereguilty！
Shecouldnotbeartothinkofit，andyetitwouldbemerecowardicenottolooksuchamatterintheface——herhopewasintheLord，andshewasreadytobearcheerfullyandmakethebestofanysufferingHemightthinkfittolayuponher。Thatthebabymustbeeitheraboyorgirl——thismuch，atanyrate，wasclear。Nolessclearwasitthatthechild，ifaboy，wouldresembleTheobald，andifagirl，herself。Resemblance，whetherofbodyormind，generallyleapedoverageneration。Theguiltoftheparentsmustnotbesharedbytheinnocentoffspringofshame——oh！no——andsuchachildasthiswouldbe……Shewasoffinoneofherreveriesatonce。
ThechildwasintheactofbeingconsecratedArchbishopofCanterburywhenTheobaldcameinfromavisitintheparish，andwastoldoftheshockingdiscovery。
ChristinasaidnothingaboutErnest，andIbelievewasmorethanhalfangrywhentheblamewaslaiduponothershoulders。Shewaseasilyconsoled，however，andfellbackonthedoublereflection，firstly，thathersonwaspure，andsecondly，thatshewasquitesurehewouldnothavebeensohaditnotbeenforhisreligiousconvictionswhichhadheldhimback——as，ofcourse，itwasonlytobeexpectedtheywould。
TheobaldagreedthatnotimemustbelostinpayingEllenherwagesandpackingheroff。Sothiswasdone，andlessthantwohoursafterDrMartinhadenteredthehouseEllenwassittingbesideJohnthecoachman，withherfacemuffledupsothatitcouldnotbeseen，weepingbitterlyasshewasbeingdriventothestation。
Ernesthadbeenoutallthemorning，butcameintotheyardoftheRectoryfromthespinneybehindthehousejustasEllen’sthingswerebeingputintothecarriage。HethoughtitwasEllenwhomhethensawgetintothecarriage，butasherfacehadbeenhiddenbyherhandkerchiefhehadnotbeenabletoseeplainlywhoitwas，anddismissedtheideaasimprobable。
Hewenttotheback-kitchenwindow，atwhichthecookwasstandingpeelingthepotatoesfordinner，andfoundhercryingbitterly。
Ernestwasmuchdistressed，forhelikedthecook，and，ofcourse，wantedtoknowwhatallthematterwas，whoitwasthathadjustgoneoffintheponycarriage，andwhy？ThecooktoldhimitwasEllen，butsaidthatnoearthlypowershouldmakeitcrossherlipswhyitwasshewasgoingaway；when，however，Ernesttookheraupieddelalettreandaskednofurtherquestions，shetoldhimallaboutitafterextortingthemostsolemnpromisesofsecrecy。
IttookErnestsomeminutestoarriveatthefactsofthecase，butwhenheunderstoodthemheleanedagainstthepump，whichstoodneartheback-kitchenwindow，andmingledhistearswiththecook’s。
Thenhisbloodbegantoboilwithinhim。Hedidnotseethatafterallhisfatherandmothercouldhavedonemuchotherwisethantheyactuallydid。Theymightperhapshavebeenlessprecipitate，andtriedtokeepthematteralittlemorequiet，butthiswouldnothavebeeneasy，norwouldithavemendedthingsverymaterially。
Thebitterfactremainsthatifagirldoescertainthingsshemustdothematherperil，nomatterhowyoungandprettysheisnortowhattemptationshehassuccumbed。Thisisthewayoftheworld，andasyettherehasbeennohelpfoundforit。
Ernestcouldonlyseewhathegatheredfromthecook，namely，thathisfavourite，Ellen，wasbeingturnedadriftwithamatterofthreepoundsinherpocket，togosheknewnotwhere，andtodosheknewnotwhat，andthatshehadsaidsheshouldhangordrownherself，whichtheboyimplicitlybelievedshewould。
Withgreaterpromptitudethanhehadshownyet，hereckoneduphismoneyandfoundhehadtwoshillingsandthreepenceathiscommand；
therewashisknifewhichmightsellforashilling，andtherewasthesilverwatchhisAuntAletheahadgivenhimshortlybeforeshedied。Thecarriagehadbeengonenowafullquarterofanhour，anditmusthavegotsomedistanceahead，buthewoulddohisbesttocatchitup，andtherewereshortcutswhichwouldperhapsgivehimachance。Hewasoffatonce，andfromthetopofthehilljustpasttheRectorypaddockhecouldseethecarriage，lookingverysmall，onabitofroadwhichshowedperhapsamileandahalfinfrontofhim。
OneofthemostpopularamusementsatRoughboroughwasaninstitutioncalled“thehounds“——morecommonlyknownelsewhereas“hareandhounds。”butinthiscasetheharewasacoupleofboyswhowerecalledfoxes，andboysaresoparticularaboutcorrectnessofnomenclaturewheretheirsportsareconcernedthatIdarenotsaytheyplayed“hareandhounds“；thesewere“thehounds。”andthatwasall。Ernest’swantofmuscularstrengthdidnottellagainsthimhere；therewasnojostlingupagainstboyswho，thoughneitheroldernortallerthanhe，wereyetmorerobustlybuilt；ifitcametomereendurancehewasasgoodasanyoneelse，sowhenhiscarpenteringwasstoppedhehadnaturallytakento“thehounds“ashisfavouriteamusement。Hislungsthusexercisedhadbecomedeveloped，andasarunofsixorsevenmilesacrosscountrywasnotmorethanhewasusedto，hedidnotdespairbythehelpoftheshortcutsofovertakingthecarriage，orattheworstofcatchingEllenatthestationbeforethetrainleft。Soheranandranandrantillhisfirstwindwasgoneandhissecondcame，andhecouldbreathemoreeasily。Neverwith“thehounds“hadherunsofastandwithsofewbreaksasnow，butwithallhiseffortsandthehelpoftheshortcutshedidnotcatchupthecarriage，andwouldprobablynothavedonesohadnotJohnhappenedtoturnhisheadandseenhimrunningandmakingsignsforthecarriagetostopaquarterofamileoff。Hewasnowaboutfivemilesfromhome，andwasnearlydoneup。
Hewascrimsonwithhisexertion；coveredwithdust，andwithhistrousersandcoatsleevesatrifleshortforhimhecutapoorfigureenoughashethrustonEllenhiswatch，hisknife，andthelittlemoneyhehad。Theonethingheimploredofherwasnottodothosedreadfulthingswhichshethreatened——forhissakeiffornootherreason。
Ellenatfirstwouldnothearoftakinganythingfromhim，butthecoachman，whowasfromthenorthcountry，sidedwithErnest。“Takeit，mylass。”hesaidkindly，“takewhatthoucanstgetwhilesthoucanstgetit；asforMasterErnesthere——hehasrunwellafterthee；
