Thishappenedataboutnoon，butbytheoneo’clockdinner-hourtheeffectoftheconfirmationhadwornoff，andhesawnoreasonwhyheshouldforegohisannualamusementwiththebonfire；sohewentwiththeothersandwasveryvalianttilltheimagewasactuallyproducedandwasabouttobeburnt；thenhefeltalittlefrightened。Itwasapoorthingenough，madeofpaper，calicoandstraw，buttheyhadchristeneditTheRev。TheobaldPontifex，andhehadarevulsionoffeelingashesawitbeingcarriedtowardsthebonfire。Stillheheldhisground，andinafewminuteswhenallwasoverfeltnonetheworseforhavingassistedataceremonywhich，afterall，waspromptedbyaboyishloveofmischiefratherthanbyrancour。
IshouldsaythatErnesthadwrittentohisfather，andtoldhimoftheunprecedentedwayinwhichhewasbeingtreated；heevenventuredtosuggestthatTheobaldshouldinterfereforhisprotectionandremindedhimhowthestoryhadbeengotoutofhim，butTheobaldhadhadenoughofDrSkinnerforthepresent；theburningoftheschoollisthadbeenarebuffwhichdidnotencouragehimtomeddleasecondtimeintheinternaleconomicsofRoughborough。HethereforerepliedthathemusteitherremoveErnestfromRoughboroughaltogether，whichwouldformanyreasonsbeundesirable，ortrusttothediscretionoftheheadmasterasregardsthetreatmenthemightthinkbestforanyofhispupils。
Ernestsaidnomore；hestillfeltthatitwassodiscreditabletohimtohaveallowedanyconfessiontobewrungfromhim，thathecouldnotpressthepromisedamnestyforhimself。
Itwasduringthe“MotherCrossrow。”asitwaslongstyledamongtheboys，thataremarkablephenomenonwaswitnessedatRoughborough。Imeanthatoftheheadboysundercertainconditionsdoingerrandsfortheirjuniors。TheheadboyshadnoboundsandcouldgotoMrsCross’swhenevertheyliked；theyactually，therefore，madethemselvesgo-betweens，andwouldgetanythingfromeitherMrsCross’sorMrsJones’sforanyboy，nomatterhowlowintheschool，betweenthehoursofaquartertonineandnineinthemorning，andaquartertosixandsixintheafternoon。Bydegrees，however，theboysgrewbolder，andtheshops，thoughnotopenlydeclaredinboundsagain，weretacitlyallowedtobeso。
Imaysparethereadermoredetailsaboutmyhero’sschooldays。Herose，alwaysinspiteofhimself，intotheDoctor’sform，andforthelasttwoyearsorsoofhistimewasamongthepraepostors，thoughheneverroseintotheupperhalfofthem。Hedidlittle，andIthinktheDoctorrathergavehimupasaboywhomhehadbetterleavetohimself，forherarelymadehimconstrue，andheusedtosendinhisexercisesornot，prettymuchasheliked。Histacit，unconsciousobstinacyhadintimeeffectedmoreeventhanafewboldsalliesinthefirstinstancewouldhavedone。Totheendofhiscareerhispositioninterpareswaswhatithadbeenatthebeginning，namely，amongtheupperpartofthelessreputableclass——
whetherofseniorsorjuniors——ratherthanamongthelowerpartofthemorerespectable。
OnlyonceinthewholecourseofhisschoollifedidhegetpraisefromDrSkinnerforanyexercise，andthishehastreasuredasthebestexampleofguardedapprovalwhichhehaseverseen。HehadhadtowriteacopyofAlcaicson“ThedogsofthemonksofStBernard。”
andwhentheexercisewasreturnedtohimhefoundtheDoctorhadwrittenonit：“InthiscopyofAlcaics——whichisstillexcessivelybad——IfancythatIcandiscernsomefaintsymptomsofimprovement。”
Ernestsaysthatiftheexercisewasanybetterthanusualitmusthavebeenbyafluke，forheissurethathealwayslikeddogs，especiallyStBernarddogs，fartoomuchtotakeanypleasureinwritingAlcaicsaboutthem。
“AsIlookbackuponit。”hesaidtomebuttheotherday，withaheartylaugh，“IrespectmyselfmoreforhavingneveroncegotthebestmarkforanexercisethanIshoulddoifIhadgotiteverytimeitcouldbegot。IamgladnothingcouldmakemedoLatinandGreekverses；IamgladSkinnercouldnevergetanymoralinfluenceoverme；IamgladIwasidleatschool，andIamgladmyfatherovertaskedmeasaboy——otherwise，likelyenoughIshouldhaveacquiescedintheswindle，andmighthavewrittenasgoodacopyofAlcaicsaboutthedogsofthemonksofStBernardasmyneighbours，andyetIdon’tknow，forIremembertherewasanotherboy，whosentinaLatincopyofsomesort，butforhisownpleasurehewrotethefollowing-
ThedogsofthemonksofStBernardgoTopicklittlechildrenoutofthesnow，AndaroundtheirnecksisthecordialginTiedwithalittlebitofbob-bin。
Ishouldliketohavewrittenthat，andIdidtry，butIcouldn’t。
Ididn’tquitelikethelastline，andtriedtomendit，butI
couldn’t。”
IfanciedIcouldseetracesofbitternessagainsttheinstructorsofhisyouthinErnest’smanner，andsaidsomethingtothiseffect。
“Oh，no。”hereplied，stilllaughing，“nomorethanStAnthonyfelttowardsthedevilswhohadtemptedhim，whenhemetsomeofthemcasuallyahundredoracoupleofhundredyearsafterwards。Ofcourseheknewtheyweredevils，butthatwasallrightenough；
theremustbedevils。StAnthonyprobablylikedthesedevilsbetterthanmostothers，andforoldacquaintancesakeshowedthemasmuchindulgenceaswascompatiblewithdecorum。
“Besides，youknow。”headded，“StAnthonytemptedthedevilsquiteasmuchastheytemptedhim；forhispeculiarsanctitywasagreatertemptationtotempthimthantheycouldstand。Strictlyspeaking，itwasthedevilswhowerethemoretobepitied，fortheywereledupbyStAnthonytobetemptedandfell，whereasStAnthonydidnotfall。IbelieveIwasadisagreeableandunintelligibleboy，andifeverImeetSkinnerthereisnoonewhomIwouldshakehandswith，ordoagoodturntomorereadily。”
Athomethingswentonratherbetter；theEllenandMotherCrossrowssankslowlydownuponthehorizon，andevenathomehehadquietertimesnowthathehadbecomeapraepostor。Neverthelessthewatchfuleyeandprotectinghandwerestilleveroverhimtoguardhiscomingsinandhisgoingsout，andtospyoutallhisways。Isitwonderfulthattheboy，thoughalwaystryingtokeepupappearancesasthoughhewerecheerfulandcontented——andattimesactuallybeingso——woreoftenananxious，jadedlookwhenhethoughtnonewerelooking，whichtoldofanalmostincessantconflictwithin？
DoubtlessTheobaldsawtheselooksandknewhowtointerpretthem，butitwashisprofessiontoknowhowtoshuthiseyestothingsthatwereinconvenient——noclergymancouldkeephisbeneficeforamonthifhecouldnotdothis；besideshehadallowedhimselfforsomanyyearstosaythingsheoughtnottohavesaid，andnottosaythethingsheoughttohavesaid，thathewaslittlelikelytoseeanythingthathethoughtitmoreconvenientnottoseeunlesshewasmadetodoso。
Itwasnotmuchthatwaswanted。TomakenomysterieswhereNaturehasmadenone，tobringhisconscienceundersomethinglikereasonablecontrol，togiveErnesthisheadalittlemore，toaskfewerquestions，andtogivehimpocketmoneywithadesirethatitshouldbespentuponmenusplaisirs……
“Callthatnotmuchindeed。”laughedErnest，asIreadhimwhatI
havejustwritten。“Whyitisthewholedutyofafather，butitisthemystery-makingwhichistheworstevil。Ifpeoplewoulddaretospeaktooneanotherunreservedly，therewouldbeagooddeallesssorrowintheworldahundredyearshence。”
Toreturn，however，toRoughborough。Onthedayofhisleaving，whenhewassentforintothelibrarytobeshakenhandswith，hewassurprisedtofeelthat，thoughassuredlygladtoleave，hedidnotdosowithanyespecialgrudgeagainsttheDoctorranklinginhisbreast。Hehadcometotheendofitall，andwasstillalive，nor，takeitallround，moreseriouslyamissthanotherpeople。DrSkinnerreceivedhimgraciously，andwasevenfrolicsomeafterhisownheavyfashion。Youngpeoplearealmostalwaysplacable，andErnestfeltashewentawaythatanothersuchinterviewwouldnotonlyhavewipedoffalloldscores，buthavebroughthimroundintotheranksoftheDoctor’sadmirersandsupporters——amongwhomitisonlyfairtosaythatthegreaternumberofthemorepromisingboyswerefound。
Justbeforesayinggood-byetheDoctoractuallytookdownavolumefromthoseshelveswhichhadseemedsoawfulsixyearspreviously，andgaveittohimafterhavingwrittenhisnameinit，andthewords[Greektext]，whichIbelievemeans“withallkindwishesfromthedonor。”ThebookwasonewritteninLatinbyaGerman——
Schomann：“DecomitiisAtheniensibus“——notexactlylightandcheerfulreading，butErnestfeltitwashightimehegottounderstandtheAthenianconstitutionandmannerofvoting；hehadgotthemupagreatmanytimesalready，buthadforgottenthemasfastashehadlearnedthem；now，however，thattheDoctorhadgivenhimthisbook，hewouldmasterthesubjectonceforall。Howstrangeitwas！Hewantedtorememberthesethingsverybadly；heknewhedid，buthecouldneverretainthem；inspiteofhimselftheynosoonerfelluponhismindthantheyfelloffitagain，hehadsuchadreadfulmemory；whereas，ifanyoneplayedhimapieceofmusicandtoldhimwhereitcamefrom，heneverforgotthat，thoughhemadenoefforttoretainit，andwasnotevenconsciousoftryingtorememberitatall。Hismindmustbebadlyformedandhewasnogood。
Havingstillashorttimetospare，hegotthekeysofStMichael’schurchandwenttohaveafarewellpracticeupontheorgan，whichhecouldnowplayfairlywell。Hewalkedupanddowntheaisleforawhileinameditativemood，andthen，settlingdowntotheorgan，played“Theyloathedtodrinkoftheriver“aboutsixtimesover，afterwhichhefeltmorecomposedandhappier；then，tearinghimselfawayfromtheinstrumenthelovedsowell，hehurriedtothestation。
Asthetraindrewouthelookeddownfromahighembankmentontothelittlehousehisaunthadtaken，andwhereitmightbesaidshehaddiedthroughherdesiretodohimakindness。Therewerethetwowell-knownbowwindows，outofwhichhehadoftensteppedtorunacrossthelawnintotheworkshop。Hereproachedhimselfwiththelittlegratitudehehadshowntowardsthiskindlady——theonlyoneofhisrelationswhomhehadeverfeltasthoughhecouldhavetakenintohisconfidence。Dearlyashelovedhermemory，hewasgladshehadnotknownthescrapeshehadgotintosinceshedied；perhapsshemightnothaveforgiventhem——andhowawfulthatwouldhavebeen！Butthen，ifshehadlived，perhapsmanyofhisillswouldhavebeensparedhim。Ashemusedthushegrewsadagain。Where，where，heaskedhimself，wasitalltoend？Wasittobealwayssin，shameandsorrowinthefuture，asithadbeeninthepast，andtheever-watchfuleyeandprotectinghandofhisfatherlayingburdensonhimgreaterthanhecouldbear——orwashe，too，somedayoranothertocometofeelthathewasfairlywellandhappy？
