UptothistimeTheobald’smannerhadbeenstudiouslycalm，andhiswordshadbeenutteredslowly，butherehesuddenlyquickenedandflungoffthemaskasheaddedthewords，“orsomesuchcockandbullstory，whichyourmotherandIweretootruthfultodisbelieve。
Youcanguesswhatmustbeourfeelingsnow。”
Ernestfeltthatthislasthome-thrustwasjust。Inhislessanxiousmomentshehadthoughthispapaandmamma“green“forthereadinesswithwhichtheybelievedhim，buthecouldnotdenythattheircredulitywasaproofoftheirhabitualtruthfulnessofmind。
Incommonjusticehemustownthatitwasverydreadfulfortwosuchtruthfulpeopletohaveasonasuntruthfulasheknewhimselftobe。
“BelievingthatasonofyourmotherandmyselfwouldbeincapableoffalsehoodIatonceassumedthatsometramphadpickedthewatchupandwasnowtryingtodisposeofit。”
Thistothebestofmybeliefwasnotaccurate。Theobald’sfirstassumptionhadbeenthatitwasErnestwhowastryingtosellthewatch，anditwasaninspirationofthemomenttosaythathismagnanimousmindhadatonceconceivedtheideaofatramp。
“YoumayimaginehowshockedIwaswhenIdiscoveredthatthewatchhadbeenbroughtforsalebythatmiserablewomanEllen“——hereErnest’shearthardenedalittle，andhefeltasnearanapproachtoaninstincttoturnasonesodefencelesscouldbeexpectedtofeel；
hisfatherquicklyperceivedthisandcontinued，“whowasturnedoutofthishouseincircumstanceswhichIwillnotpolluteyourearsbymoreparticularlydescribing。
“Iputasidethehorridconvictionwhichwasbeginningtodawnuponme，andassumedthatintheintervalbetweenherdismissalandherleavingthishouse，shehadaddedthefttoherothersin，andhavingfoundyourwatchinyourbedroomhadpurloinedit。Itevenoccurredtomethatyoumighthavemissedyourwatchafterthewomanwasgone，and，suspectingwhohadtakenit，hadrunafterthecarriageinordertorecoverit；butwhenItoldtheshopmanofmysuspicionsheassuredmethatthepersonwholeftitwithhimhaddeclaredmostsolemnlythatithadbeengivenherbyhermaster’sson，whosepropertyitwas，andwhohadaperfectrighttodisposeofit。
“Hetoldmefurtherthat，thinkingthecircumstancesinwhichthewatchwasofferedforsalesomewhatsuspicious，hehadinsisteduponthewoman’stellinghimthewholestoryofhowshecamebyit，beforehewouldconsenttobuyitofher。
“Hesaidthatatfirst——aswomenofthatstampinvariablydo——shetriedprevarication，butonbeingthreatenedthatsheshouldatoncebegivenintocustodyifshedidnottellthewholetruth，shedescribedthewayinwhichyouhadrunafterthecarriage，tillasshesaidyouwereblackintheface，andinsistedongivingherallyourpocketmoney，yourknifeandyourwatch。SheaddedthatmycoachmanJohn——whomIshallinstantlydischarge——waswitnesstothewholetransaction。Now，Ernest，bepleasedtotellmewhetherthisappallingstoryistrueorfalse？”
ItneveroccurredtoErnesttoaskhisfatherwhyhedidnothitamanhisownsize，ortostophimmidwayinthestorywitharemonstranceagainstbeingkickedwhenhewasdown。Theboywastoomuchshockedandshakentobeinventive；hecouldonlydriftandstammeroutthatthetalewastrue。
“SoIfeared。”saidTheobald，“andnow，Ernest，begoodenoughtoringthebell。”
Whenthebellhadbeenanswered，TheobalddesiredthatJohnshouldbesentfor，andwhenJohncameTheobaldcalculatedthewagesduetohimanddesiredhimatoncetoleavethehouse。
John’smannerwasquietandrespectful。Hetookhisdismissalasamatterofcourse，forTheobaldhadhintedenoughtomakehimunderstandwhyhewasbeingdischarged，butwhenhesawErnestsittingpaleandawe-struckontheedgeofhischairagainstthedining-roomwall，asuddenthoughtseemedtostrikehim，andturningtoTheobaldhesaidinabroadnorthernaccentwhichIwillnotattempttoreproduce：
“Lookhere，master，Icanguesswhatallthisisabout——nowbeforeI
goesIwanttohaveawordwithyou。”
“Ernest。”saidTheobald，“leavetheroom。”
“No，MasterErnest，youshan’t。”saidJohn，plantinghimselfagainstthedoor。“Now，master。”hecontinued，“youmaydoasyoupleaseaboutme。I’vebeenagoodservanttoyou，andIdon’tmeantosayasyou’vebeenabadmastertome，butIdosaythatifyoubearhardlyonMasterErnesthereIhavethoseinthevillageas’llhearon’tandletmeknow；andifIdohearon’tI’llcomebackandbreakeveryboneinyourskin，sothere！”
John’sbreathcameandwentquickly，asthoughhewouldhavebeenwellenoughpleasedtobeginthebone-breakingbusinessatonce。
Theobaldturnedofanashencolour——not，asheexplainedafterwards，attheidlethreatsofadetectedandangryruffian，butatsuchatrociousinsolencefromoneofhisownservants。
“IshallleaveMasterErnest，John。”herejoinedproudly，“tothereproachesofhisownconscience。”(“ThankGodandthankJohn。”
thoughtErnest。)“Asforyourself，Iadmitthatyouhavebeenanexcellentservantuntilthisunfortunatebusinesscameon，andI
shallhavemuchpleasureingivingyouacharacterifyouwantone。
Haveyouanythingmoretosay？”
“NomorenorwhatIhavesaid。”saidJohnsullenly，“butwhatI’vesaidImeansandI’llstickto——characterornocharacter。”
“Oh，youneednotbeafraidaboutyourcharacter，John。”saidTheobaldkindly，“andasitisgettinglate，therecanbenooccasionforyoutoleavethehousebeforeto-morrowmorning。”
TothistherewasnoreplyfromJohn，whoretired，packeduphisthings，andleftthehouseatonce。
WhenChristinaheardwhathadhappenedshesaidshecouldcondoneallexceptthatTheobaldshouldhavebeensubjectedtosuchinsolencefromoneofhisownservantsthroughthemisconductofhisson。Theobaldwasthebravestmaninthewholeworld，andcouldeasilyhavecollaredthewretchandturnedhimoutoftheroom，buthowfarmoredignified，howfarnoblerhadbeenhisreply！Howitwouldtellinanoveloruponthestage，forthoughthestageasawholewasimmoral，yetthereweredoubtlesssomeplayswhichwereimprovingspectacles。ShecouldfancythewholehousehushedwithexcitementathearingJohn’smenace，andhardlybreathingbyreasonoftheirinterestandexpectationofthecominganswer。Thentheactor——probablythegreatandgoodMrMacready——wouldsay，“IshallleaveMasterErnest，John，tothereproachesofhisownconscience。”
Oh，itwassublime！Whataroarofapplausemustfollow！Thensheshouldenterherself，andflingherarmsaboutherhusband’sneck，andcallhimherlion-heartedhusband。Whenthecurtaindropped，itwouldbebuzzedaboutthehousethatthescenejustwitnessedhadbeendrawnfromreallife，andhadactuallyoccurredinthehouseholdoftheRev。TheobaldPontifex，whohadmarriedaMissAllaby，etc。，etc。
AsregardsErnestthesuspicionswhichhadalreadycrossedhermindweredeepened，butshethoughtitbettertoleavethematterwhereitwas。Atpresentshewasinaverystrongposition。Ernest’sofficialpuritywasfirmlyestablished，butatthesametimehehadshownhimselfsosusceptiblethatshewasabletofusetwocontradictoryimpressionsconcerninghimintoasingleidea，andconsiderhimasakindofJosephandDonJuaninone。Thiswaswhatshehadwantedallalong，buthervanitybeinggratifiedbythepossessionofsuchason，therewasanendofit；thesonhimselfwasnaught。
NodoubtifJohnhadnotinterfered，Ernestwouldhavehadtoexpiatehisoffencewithache，penuryandimprisonment。Asitwastheboywas“toconsiderhimself“asundergoingthesepunishments，andassufferingpangsofunavailingremorseinflictedonhimbyhisconscienceintothebargain；butbeyondthefactthatTheobaldkepthimmorecloselytohisholidaytask，andthecontinuedcoldnessofhisparents，noostensiblepunishmentwasmetedouttohim。Ernest，however，tellsmethathelooksbackuponthisasthetimewhenhebegantoknowthathehadacordialandactivedislikeforbothhisparents，whichIsupposemeansthathewasnowbeginningtobeawarethathewasreachingman’sestate。
Aboutaweekbeforehewentbacktoschoolhisfatheragainsentforhimintothedining-room，andtoldhimthatheshouldrestorehimhiswatch，butthatheshoulddeductthesumhehadpaidforit——forhehadthoughtitbettertopayafewshillingsratherthandisputetheownershipofthewatch，seeingthatErnesthadundoubtedlygivenittoEllen——fromhispocketmoney，inpaymentswhichshouldextendovertwohalfyears。HewouldthereforehavetogobacktoRoughboroughthishalfyearwithonlyfiveshillings’pocketmoney。
Ifhewantedmorehemustearnmoremeritmoney。
Ernestwasnotsocarefulaboutmoneyasapatternboyshouldbe。
Hedidnotsaytohimself，“NowIhavegotasovereignwhichmustlastmefifteenweeks，thereforeImayspendexactlyoneshillingandfourpenceineachweek“——andspendexactlyoneandfourpenceineachweekaccordingly。Heranthroughhismoneyataboutthesamerateasotherboysdid，beingprettywellcleanedoutafewdaysafterhehadgotbacktoschool。Whenhehadnomoremoney，hegotalittleintodebt，andwhenasfarindebtashecouldseehiswaytorepaying，hewentwithoutluxuries。Immediatelyhegotanymoneyhewouldpayhisdebts；iftherewasanyoverhewouldspendit；iftherewasnot——andthereseldomwas——hewouldbegintogoontickagain。
Hisfinancewasalwaysbaseduponthesuppositionthatheshouldgobacktoschoolwith1poundsinhispocket——ofwhichheowedsayamatteroffifteenshillings。Therewouldbefiveshillingsforsundryschoolsubscriptions——butwhenthesewerepaidtheweeklyallowanceofsixpencegiventoeachboyinhall，hismeritmoney(whichthishalfhewasresolvedshouldcometoagoodsum)andrenewedcredit，wouldcarryhimthroughthehalf。
Thesuddenfailureof15/-wasdisastroustomyhero’sschemeoffinance。HisfacebetrayedhisemotionssoclearlythatTheobaldsaidhewasdetermined“tolearnthetruthatonce，andTHISTIME
withoutdaysanddaysoffalsehood“beforehereachedit。Themelancholyfactwasnotlongincomingout，namely，thatthewretchedErnestaddeddebttothevicesofidleness，falsehoodandpossibly——foritwasnotimpossible——immorality。
