Howhadhecometogetintodebt？Didtheotherboysdoso？Ernestreluctantlyadmittedthattheydid。
Withwhatshopsdidtheygetintodebt？
Thiswasaskingtoomuch，Ernestsaidhedidn’tknow！
“Oh，Ernest，Ernest。”exclaimedhismother，whowasintheroom，“donotsosoonasecondtimepresumeupontheforbearanceofthetenderest-heartedfatherintheworld。Givetimeforonestabtohealbeforeyouwoundhimwithanother。”
Thiswasallveryfine，butwhatwasErnesttodo？Howcouldhegettheschoolshopkeepersintotroublebyowningthattheyletsomeoftheboysgoontickwiththem？TherewasMrsCross，agoodoldsoul，whousedtosellhotrollsandbutterforbreakfast，oreggsandtoast，oritmightbethequarterofafowlwithbreadsauceandmashedpotatoesforwhichshewouldcharge6d。Ifshemadeafarthingoutofthesixpenceitwasasmuchasshedid。Whentheboyswouldcometroopingintohershopafter“thehounds“howoftenhadnotErnestheardhersaytoherservantgirls，“Nowthen，youwanches，gitsomecheers。”Alltheboyswerefondofher，andwashe，Ernest，totelltalesabouther？Itwashorrible。
“Nowlookhere，Ernest。”saidhisfatherwithhisblackestscowl，“I
amgoingtoputastoptothisnonsenseonceforall。Eithertakemefullyintoyourconfidence，asasonshouldtakeafather，andtrustmetodealwiththismatterasaclergymanandamanoftheworld——orunderstanddistinctlythatIshalltakethewholestorytoDrSkinner，who，Iimagine，willtakemuchsternermeasuresthanI
should。”
“Oh，Ernest，Ernest。”sobbedChristina，“bewiseintime，andtrustthosewhohavealreadyshownyouthattheyknowbuttoowellhowtobeforbearing。”
Nogenuineheroofromanceshouldhavehesitatedforamoment。
Nothingshouldhavecajoledorfrightenedhimintotellingtalesoutofschool。Ernestthoughtofhisidealboys：they，hewellknew，wouldhavelettheirtonguesbecutoutofthembeforeinformationcouldhavebeenwrungfromanywordoftheirs。ButErnestwasnotanidealboy，andhewasnotstrongenoughforhissurroundings；I
doubthowfaranyboycouldwithstandthemoralpressurewhichwasbroughttobearuponhim；atanyratehecouldnotdoso，andafteralittlemorewrithingheyieldedhimselfapassivepreytotheenemy。Heconsoledhimselfwiththereflectionthathispapahadnotplayedtheconfidencetrickonhimquiteasoftenashismammahad，andthatprobablyitwasbetterheshouldtellhisfather，thanthathisfathershouldinsistonDrSkinner’smakinganinquiry。
Hispapa’sconscience“jabbered“agooddeal，butnotasmuchashismamma’s。ThelittlefoolforgotthathehadnotgivenhisfatherasmanychancesofbetrayinghimashehadgiventoChristina。
Thenitallcameout。HeowedthisatMrsCross’s，andthistoMrsJones，andthisatthe“SwanandBottle“publichouse，tosaynothingofanothershillingorsixpenceortwoinotherquarters。
Nevertheless，TheobaldandChristinawerenotsatiated，butratherthemoretheydiscoveredthegreatergrewtheirappetitefordiscovery；itwastheirobviousdutytofindouteverything，forthoughtheymightrescuetheirowndarlingfromthishotbedofiniquitywithoutgettingtoknowmorethantheyknewatpresent，weretherenototherpapasandmammaswithdarlingswhomalsotheywereboundtorescueifitwereyetpossible？Whatboys，then，owedmoneytotheseharpiesaswellasErnest？
Here，again，therewasafeebleshowofresistance，butthethumbscrewswereinstantlyapplied，andErnest，demoralisedashealreadywas，recantedandsubmittedhimselftothepowersthatwere。
Hetoldonlyalittlelessthanhekneworthoughtheknew。Hewasexamined，re-examined，cross-examined，senttotheretirementofhisownbedroomandcross-examinedagain；thesmokinginMrsJones’
kitchenallcameout；whichboyssmokedandwhichdidnot；whichboysowedmoneyand，roughly，howmuchandwhere；whichboyssworeandusedbadlanguage。TheobaldwasresolvedthatthistimeErnestshould，ashecalledit，takehimintohisconfidencewithoutreserve，sotheschoollistwhichwentwithDrSkinner’shalf-yearlybillswasbroughtout，andthemostsecretcharacterofeachboywasgonethroughseriatimbyMrandMrsPontifex，sofarasitwasinErnest’spowertogiveinformationconcerningit，andyetTheobaldhadontheprecedingSundaypreachedalessfeeblesermonthanhecommonlypreached，uponthehorrorsoftheInquisition。Nomatterhowawfulwasthedepravityrevealedtothem，thepairneverflinched，butprobedandprobed，tilltheywereonthepointofreachingsubjectsmoredelicatethantheyhadyettouchedupon。
HereErnest’sunconsciousselftookthematterupandmadearesistancetowhichhisconsciousselfwasunequal，bytumblinghimoffhischairinafitoffainting。
DrMartinwassentforandpronouncedtheboytobeseriouslyunwell；atthesametimeheprescribedabsoluterestandabsencefromnervousexcitement。Sotheanxiousparentswereunwillinglycompelledtobecontentwithwhattheyhadgotalready——beingfrightenedintoleadinghimaquietlifefortheshortremainderoftheholidays。Theywerenotidle，butSatancanfindasmuchmischiefforbusyhandsasforidleones，sohesentalittlejobinthedirectionofBattersbywhichTheobaldandChristinaundertookimmediately。Itwouldbeapity，theyreasoned，thatErnestshouldleaveRoughborough，nowthathehadbeentherethreeyears；itwouldbedifficulttofindanotherschoolforhim，andtoexplainwhyhehadleftRoughborough。Besides，DrSkinnerandTheobaldweresupposedtobeoldfriends，anditwouldbeunpleasanttooffendhim；thesewereallvalidreasonsfornotremovingtheboy。Theproperthingtodo，then，wouldbetowarnDrSkinnerconfidentiallyofthestateofhisschool，andtofurnishhimwithaschoollistannotatedwiththeremarksextractedfromErnest，whichshouldbeappendedtothenameofeachboy。
Theobaldwastheperfectionofneatness；whilehissonwasillupstairs，hecopiedouttheschoollistsothathecouldthrowhiscommentsintoatabularform，whichassumedthefollowingshape——
onlythatofcourseIhavechangedthenames。Onecrossineachsquarewastoindicateoccasionaloffence；twostoodforfrequent，andthreeforhabitualdelinquency。
SmokingDrinkingbeerSwearingNotesatthe“SwanandObsceneandBottle。”Language。
Andthusthroughthewholeschool。
Ofcourse，injusticetoErnest，DrSkinnerwouldbeboundovertosecrecybeforeawordwassaidtohim，but，Ernestbeingthusprotected，hecouldnotbefurnishedwiththefactstoocompletely。
SoimportantdidTheobaldconsiderthismatterthathemadeaspecialjourneytoRoughboroughbeforethehalfyearbegan。Itwasarelieftohavehimoutofthehouse，butthoughhisdestinationwasnotmentioned，Ernestguessedwherehehadgone。
Tothisdayheconsidershisconductatthiscrisistohavebeenoneofthemostseriouslachesofhislife——onewhichhecanneverthinkofwithoutshameandindignation。Hesaysheoughttohaverunawayfromhome。Butwhatgoodcouldhehavedoneifhehad？Hewouldhavebeencaught，broughtbackandexaminedtwodayslaterinsteadoftwodaysearlier。Aboyofbarelysixteencannotstandagainstthemoralpressureofafatherandmotherwhohavealwaysoppressedhimanymorethanhecancopephysicallywithapowerfulfull-grownman。True，hemayallowhimselftobekilledratherthanyield，butthisisbeingsomorbidlyheroicastocomecloseroundagaintocowardice；foritislittleelsethansuicide，whichisuniversallycondemnedascowardly。
Onthere-assemblingoftheschoolitbecameapparentthatsomethinghadgonewrong。DrSkinnercalledtheboystogether，andwithmuchpompexcommunicatedMrsCrossandMrsJones，bydeclaringtheirshopstobeoutofbounds。Thestreetinwhichthe“SwanandBottle“stoodwasalsoforbidden。Thevicesofdrinkingandsmoking，therefore，wereclearlyaimedat，andbeforeprayersDrSkinnerspokeafewimpressivewordsabouttheabominablesinofusingbadlanguage。Ernest’sfeelingscanbeimagined。
Nextdayatthehourwhenthedailypunishmentswerereadout，thoughtherehadnotyetbeentimeforhimtohaveoffended，ErnestPontifexwasdeclaredtohaveincurredeverypunishmentwhichtheschoolprovidedforevil-doers。Hewasplacedontheidlelistforthewholehalfyear，andonperpetualdetentions；hisboundswerecurtailed；hewastoattendjuniorcallings-over；infacthewassohemmedinwithpunishmentsuponeversidethatitwashardlypossibleforhimtogooutsidetheschoolgates。Thisunparalleledlistofpunishmentsinflictedonthefirstdayofthehalfyear，andintendedtolasttilltheensuingChristmasholidays，wasnotconnectedwithanyspecifiedoffence。Itrequirednogreatpenetrationtherefore，onthepartoftheboystoconnectErnestwiththeputtingMrsCross’sandMrsJones’sshopsoutofbounds。
GreatindeedwastheindignationaboutMrsCrosswho，itwasknown，rememberedDrSkinnerhimselfasasmallboyonlyjustgotintojackets，andhaddoubtlesslethimhavemanyasausageandmashedpotatoesupondeferredpayment。Theheadboysassembledinconclavetoconsiderwhatstepsshouldbetaken，buthardlyhadtheydonesobeforeErnestknockedtimidlyatthehead-roomdoorandtookthebullbythehornsbyexplainingthefactsasfarashecouldbringhimselftodoso。Hemadeacleanbreastofeverythingexceptabouttheschoollistandtheremarkshehadmadeabouteachboy’scharacter。Thisinfamywasmorethanhecouldownto，andhekepthiscounselconcerningit。Fortunatelyhewassafeindoingso，forDrSkinner，pedantandmorethanpedantthoughhewas，hadstilljustsenseenoughtoturnonTheobaldinthematteroftheschoollist。Whetherheresentedbeingtoldthathedidnotknowthecharactersofhisownboys，orwhetherhedreadedascandalabouttheschoolIknownot，butwhenTheobaldhadhandedhimthelist，overwhichhehadexpendedsomuchpains，DrSkinnerhadcuthimuncommonlyshort，andhadthenandthere，withmoresuavitythanwasusualwithhim，committedittotheflamesbeforeTheobald’sowneyes。
Ernestgotoffwiththeheadboyseasierthanheexpected。Itwasadmittedthattheoffence，heinousthoughitwas，hadbeencommittedunderextenuatingcircumstances；thefranknesswithwhichtheculprithadconfessedall，hisevidentlyunfeignedremorse，andthefurywithwhichDrSkinnerwaspursuinghimtendedtobringaboutareactioninhisfavour，asthoughhehadbeenmoresinnedagainstthansinning。
Asthehalfyearworeonhisspiritsgraduallyrevived，andwhenattackedbyoneofhisfitsofself-abasementhewasinsomedegreeconsoledbyhavingfoundoutthatevenhisfatherandmother，whomhehadsupposedsoimmaculate，werenobetterthantheyshouldbe。
AboutthefifthofNovemberitwasaschoolcustomtomeetonacertaincommonnotfarfromRoughboroughandburnsomebodyineffigy，thisbeingthecompromisearrivedatinthematteroffireworksandGuyFawkesfestivities。ThisyearitwasdecidedthatPontifex’sgovernorshouldbethevictim，andErnestthoughagooddealexercisedinmindastowhatheoughttodo，intheendsawnosufficientreasonforholdingalooffromproceedingswhich，ashejustlyremarked，couldnotdohisfatheranyharm。
ItsohappenedthatthebishophadheldaconfirmationattheschoolonthefifthofNovember。DrSkinnerhadnotquitelikedtheselectionofthisday，butthebishopwaspressedbymanyengagements，andhadbeencompelledtomakethearrangementasitthenstood。Ernestwasamongthosewhohadtobeconfirmed，andwasdeeplyimpressedwiththesolemnimportanceoftheceremony。Whenhefeltthehugeoldbishopdrawingdownuponhimashekneltinchapelhecouldhardlybreathe，andwhentheapparitionpausedbeforehimandlaiditshandsuponhisheadhewasfrightenedalmostoutofhiswits。Hefeltthathehadarrivedatoneofthegreatturningpointsofhislife，andthattheErnestofthefuturecouldresembleonlyveryfaintlytheErnestofthepast。
