thereforelethimgivetheewhatheisminded。”
Ellendidwhatshewastold，andthetwopartedwithmanytears，thegirl’slastwordsbeingthatsheshouldneverforgethim，andthattheyshouldmeetagainhereafter，shewassuretheyshould，andthenshewouldrepayhim。
ThenErnestgotintoafieldbytheroadside，flunghimselfonthegrass，andwaitedundertheshadowofahedgetillthecarriageshouldpassonitsreturnfromthestationandpickhimup，forhewasdeadbeat。Thoughtswhichhadalreadyoccurredtohimwithsomeforcenowcamemorestronglybeforehim，andhesawthathehadgothimselfintoonemess——orratherintohalf-a-dozenmesses——themore。
Inthefirstplaceheshouldbelatefordinner，andthiswasoneoftheoffencesonwhichTheobaldhadnomercy。Alsoheshouldhavetosaywherehehadbeen，andtherewasadangerofbeingfoundoutifhedidnotspeakthetruth。Notonlythis，butsoonerorlateritmustcomeoutthathewasnolongerpossessedofthebeautifulwatchwhichhisdearaunthadgivenhim——andwhat，pray，hadhedonewithit，orhowhadhelostit？Thereaderwillknowverywellwhatheoughttohavedone。Heshouldhavegonestraighthome，andifquestionedshouldhavesaid，“IhavebeenrunningafterthecarriagetocatchourhousemaidEllen，whomIamveryfondof；Ihavegivenhermywatch，myknifeandallmypocketmoney，sothatIhavenownopocketmoneyatallandshallprobablyaskyouforsomemoresoonerthanIotherwisemighthavedone，andyouwillalsohavetobuymeanewwatchandaknife。”Butthenfancytheconsternationwhichsuchanannouncementwouldhaveoccasioned！FancythescowlandflashingeyesoftheinfuriatedTheobald！“Youunprincipledyoungscoundrel。”hewouldexclaim，“doyoumeantovilifyyourownparentsbyimplyingthattheyhavedealtharshlybyonewhoseprofligacyhasdisgracedtheirhouse？”
Orhemighttakeitwithoneofthosesalliesofsarcasticcalm，ofwhichhebelievedhimselftobeamaster。
“Verywell，Ernest，verywell：Ishallsaynothing；youcanpleaseyourself；youarenotyettwenty-one，butprayactasifyouwereyourownmaster；yourpoorauntdoubtlessgaveyouthewatchthatyoumightflingitawayuponthefirstimpropercharacteryoucameacross；IthinkIcannowunderstand，however，whyshedidnotleaveyouhermoney；and，afterall，yourgodfathermayjustaswellhaveitasthekindofpeopleonwhomyouwouldlavishitifitwereyours。”
Thenhismotherwouldburstintotearsandimplorehimtorepentandseekthethingsbelongingtohispeacewhiletherewasyettime，byfallingonhiskneestoTheobaldandassuringhimofhisunfailingloveforhimasthekindestandtenderestfatherintheuniverse。
Ernestcoulddoallthisjustaswellastheycould，andnow，ashelayonthegrass，speeches，someoneorotherofwhichwasascertaintocomeasthesuntoset，keptrunninginhisheadtilltheyconfutedtheideaoftellingthetruthbyreducingittoanabsurdity。Truthmightbeheroic，butitwasnotwithintherangeofpracticaldomesticpolitics。
Havingsettledthenthathewastotellalie，whatlieshouldhetell？Shouldhesayhehadbeenrobbed？Hehadenoughimaginationtoknowthathehadnotenoughimaginationtocarryhimouthere。
Youngashewas，hisinstincttoldhimthatthebestliarishewhomakesthesmallestamountoflyinggothelongestway——whohusbandsittoocarefullytowasteitwhereitcanbedispensedwith。Thesimplestcoursewouldbetosaythathehadlostthewatch，andwaslatefordinnerbecausehehadbeenlookingforit。Hehadbeenoutforalongwalk——hechosethelineacrossthefieldsthathehadactuallytaken——andtheweatherbeingveryhot，hehadtakenoffhiscoatandwaistcoat；incarryingthemoverhisarmhiswatch，hismoney，andhisknifehaddroppedoutofthem。Hehadgotnearlyhomewhenhefoundouthisloss，andhadrunbackasfastashecould，lookingalongthelinehehadfollowed，tillatlasthehadgivenitup；seeingthecarriagecomingbackfromthestation，hehadletitpickhimupandbringhimhome。
Thiscoveredeverything，therunningandall；forhisfacestillshowedthathemusthavebeenrunninghard；theonlyquestionwaswhetherhehadbeenseenabouttheRectorybyanybuttheservantsforacoupleofhoursorsobeforeEllenhadgone，andthishewashappytobelievewasnotthecase；forhehadbeenoutexceptduringhisfewminutes’interviewwiththecook。Hisfatherhadbeenoutintheparish；hismotherhadcertainlynotcomeacrosshim，andhisbrotherandsisterhadalsobeenoutwiththegoverness。Heknewhecoulddependuponthecookandtheotherservants——thecoachmanwouldseetothis；onthewhole，therefore，bothheandthecoachmanthoughtthestoryasproposedbyErnestwouldaboutmeettherequirementsofthecase。
WhenErnestgothomeandsneakedinthroughthebackdoor，heheardhisfather’svoiceinitsangriesttones，inquiringwhetherMasterErnesthadalreadyreturned。HefeltasJackmusthavefeltinthestoryofJackandtheBeanStalk，whenfromtheoveninwhichhewashiddenheheardtheogreaskhiswifewhatyoungchildrenshehadgotforhissupper。Withmuchcourage，and，astheeventproved，withnotlesscouragethandiscretion，hetookthebullbythehorns，andannouncedhimselfatonceashavingjustcomeinafterhavingmetwithaterriblemisfortune。Littlebylittlehetoldhisstory，andthoughTheobaldstormedsomewhatathis“incrediblefollyandcarelessness。”hegotoffbetterthanheexpected。TheobaldandChristinahadindeedatfirstbeeninclinedtoconnecthisabsencefromdinnerwithEllen’sdismissal，butonfindingitclear，asTheobaldsaid——everythingwasalwaysclearwithTheobald——thatErnesthadnotbeeninthehouseallthemorning，andcouldthereforehaveknownnothingofwhathadhappened，hewasacquittedonthisaccountforonceinaway，withoutastainuponhischaracter。PerhapsTheobaldwasinagoodtemper；hemayhaveseenfromthepaperthatmorningthathisstockshadbeenrising；itmayhavebeenthisortwentyotherthings，butwhateveritwas，hedidnotscoldsomuchasErnesthadexpected，and，seeingtheboylookexhaustedandbelievinghimtobemuchgrievedatthelossofhiswatch，Theobaldactuallyprescribedaglassofwineafterhisdinner，which，strangetosay，didnotchokehim，butmadehimseethingsmorecheerfullythanwasusualwithhim。
Thatnightwhenhesaidhisprayers，heinsertedafewparagraphstotheeffectthathemightnotbediscovered，andthatthingsmightgowellwithEllen，buthewasanxiousandillatease。Hisguiltyconsciencepointedouttohimascoreofweakplacesinhisstory，throughanyoneofwhichdetectionmightevenyeteasilyenter。
Nextdayandformanydaysafterwardshefledwhennomanwaspursuing，andtrembledeachtimeheheardhisfather’svoicecallingforhim。Hehadalreadysomanycausesofanxietythathecouldstandlittlemore，andinspiteofallhisendeavourstolookcheerful，evenhismothercouldseethatsomethingwaspreyinguponhismind。Thentheideareturnedtoherthat，afterall，hersonmightnotbeinnocentintheEllenmatter——andthiswassointerestingthatshefeltboundtogetasnearthetruthasshecould。
“Comehere，mypoor，pale-faced，heavy-eyedboy。”shesaidtohimonedayinherkindestmanner；“comeandsitdownbyme，andwewillhavealittlequietconfidentialtalktogether，willwenot？”
Theboywentmechanicallytothesofa。Wheneverhismotherwantedwhatshecalledaconfidentialtalkwithhimshealwaysselectedthesofaasthemostsuitablegroundonwhichtoopenhercampaign。Allmothersdothis；thesofaistothemwhatthedining-roomistofathers。Inthepresentcasethesofawasparticularlywelladaptedforastrategicpurpose，beinganold-fashionedonewithahighback，mattress，bolstersandcushions。Oncesafelypennedintooneofitsdeepcorners，itwaslikeadentist’schair，nottooeasytogetoutofagain。Hereshecouldgetathimbettertopullhimabout，ifthisshouldseemdesirable，orifshethoughtfittocryshecouldburyherheadinthesofacushionandabandonherselftoanagonyofgriefwhichseldomfailedofitseffect。Noneofherfavouritemanoeuvresweresoeasilyadoptedinherusualseat，thearm-chairontherighthandsideofthefire-place，andsowelldidhersonknowfromhismother’stonethatthiswasgoingtobeasofaconversationthathetookhisplacelikealambassoonasshebegantospeakandbeforeshecouldreachthesofaherself。
“Mydearestboy。”beganhismother，takingholdofhishandandplacingitwithinherown，“promisemenevertobeafraideitherofyourdearpapaorofme；promisemethis，mydear，asyouloveme，promiseittome。”andshekissedhimagainandagainandstrokedhishair。Butwithherotherhandshestillkeptholdofhis；shehadgothimandshemeanttokeephim。
Theladhungdownhisheadandpromised。Whatelsecouldhedo？
“Youknowthereisnoone，dear，dearErnest，wholovesyousomuchasyourpapaandIdo；noonewhowatchessocarefullyoveryourinterestsorwhoissoanxioustoenterintoallyourlittlejoysandtroublesasweare；butmydearestboy，itgrievesmetothinksometimesthatyouhavenotthatperfectloveforandconfidenceinuswhichyououghttohave。Youknow，mydarling，thatitwouldbeasmuchourpleasureasourdutytowatchoverthedevelopmentofyourmoralandspiritualnature，butalas！youwillnotletusseeyourmoralandspiritualnature。Attimeswearealmostinclinedtodoubtwhetheryouhaveamoralandspiritualnatureatall。Ofyourinnerlife，mydear，weknownothingbeyondsuchscrapsaswecangleaninspiteofyou，fromlittlethingswhichescapeyoualmostbeforeyouknowthatyouhavesaidthem。”
Theboywincedatthis。Itmadehimfeelhotanduncomfortableallover。Heknewwellhowcarefulheoughttobe，andyet，dowhathecould，fromtimetotimehisforgetfulnessofthepartbetrayedhimintounreserve。Hismothersawthathewinced，andenjoyedthescratchshehadgivenhim。Hadshefeltlessconfidentofvictoryshehadbetterhaveforegonethepleasureoftouchingasitweretheeyesattheendofthesnail’shornsinordertoenjoyseeingthesnaildrawtheminagain——butsheknewthatwhenshehadgothimwelldownintothesofa，andheldhishand，shehadtheenemyalmostabsolutelyathermercy，andcoulddoprettymuchwhatsheliked。
“Papadoesnotfeel。”shecontinued，“thatyoulovehimwiththatfulnessandunreservewhichwouldpromptyoutohavenoconcealmentfromhim，andtotellhimeverythingfreelyandfearlesslyasyourmostlovingearthlyfriendnextonlytoyourHeavenlyFather。
Perfectlove，asweknow，castethoutfear：yourfatherlovesyouperfectly，mydarling，buthedoesnotfeelasthoughyoulovedhimperfectlyinreturn。Ifyoufearhimitisbecauseyoudonotlovehimashedeserves，andIknowitsometimescutshimtotheveryhearttothinkthathehasearnedfromyouadeeperandmorewillingsympathythanyoudisplaytowardshim。Oh，Ernest，Ernest，donotgrieveonewhoissogoodandnoble-heartedbyconductwhichIcancallbynoothernamethaningratitude。”
Ernestcouldneverstandbeingspokentointhiswaybyhismother：
forhestillbelievedthatshelovedhim，andthathewasfondofherandhadafriendinher——uptoacertainpoint。Buthismotherwasbeginningtocometotheendofhertether；shehadplayedthedomesticconfidencetrickuponhimtimeswithoutnumberalready。
