Therewasagraymistacrossthesun，sothattheeyecouldbearitslight，andErnest，whilemusingasabove，waslookingrightintothemiddleofthesunhimself，asintothefaceofonewhomheknewandwasfondof。Atfirsthisfacewasgrave，butkindly，asofatiredmanwhofeelsthatalongtaskisover；butinafewsecondsthemorehumoroussideofhismisfortunespresenteditselftohim，andhesmiledhalfreproachfully，halfmerrily，asthinkinghowlittleallthathadhappenedtohimreallymattered，andhowsmallwerehishardshipsascomparedwiththoseofmostpeople。Stilllookingintotheeyeofthesunandsmilingdreamily，hethoughthowhehadhelpedtoburnhisfatherineffigy，andhislookgrewmerrier，tillatlasthebrokeoutintoalaugh。Exactlyatthismomentthelightveilofcloudpartedfromthesun，andhewasbroughttoterrafirmabythebreakingforthofthesunshine。Onthishebecameawarethathewasbeingwatchedattentivelybyafellow-travelleroppositetohim，anelderlygentlemanwithalargeheadandiron-greyhair。
“Myyoungfriend。”saidhe，good-naturedly，“youreallymustnotcarryonconversationswithpeopleinthesun，whileyouareinapublicrailwaycarriage。”
Theoldgentlemansaidnotanotherword，butunfoldedhisTimesandbegantoreadit。AsforErnest，heblushedcrimson。Thepairdidnotspeakduringtherestofthetimetheywereinthecarriage，buttheyeyedeachotherfromtimetotime，sothatthefaceofeachwasimpressedontherecollectionoftheother。
Somepeoplesaythattheirschooldayswerethehappiestoftheirlives。Theymayberight，butIalwayslookwithsuspicionuponthosewhomIhearsayingthis。Itishardenoughtoknowwhetheroneishappyorunhappynow，andstillhardertocomparetherelativehappinessorunhappinessofdifferenttimesofone’slife；
theutmostthatcanbesaidisthatwearefairlyhappysolongaswearenotdistinctlyawareofbeingmiserable。AsIwastalkingwithErnestonedaynotsolongsinceaboutthis，hesaidhewassohappynowthathewassurehehadneverbeenhappier，anddidnotwishtobeso，butthatCambridgewasthefirstplacewherehehadeverbeenconsciouslyandcontinuouslyhappy。
Howcananyboyfailtofeelanecstasyofpleasureonfirstfindinghimselfinroomswhichheknowsforthenextfewyearsaretobehiscastle？Herehewillnotbecompelledtoturnoutofthemostcomfortableplaceassoonashehasensconcedhimselfinitbecausepapaormammahappenstocomeintotheroom，andheshouldgiveituptothem。Themostcosychairhereisforhimself，thereisnooneeventosharetheroomwithhim，ortointerferewithhisdoingashelikesinit——smokingincluded。Why，ifsucharoomlookedoutbothbackandfrontontoablankdeadwallitwouldstillbeaparadise，howmuchmorethenwhentheviewisofsomequietgrassycourtorcloisterorgarden，asfromthewindowsofthegreaternumberofroomsatOxfordandCambridge。
Theobald，asanoldfellowandtutorofEmmanuel——atwhichcollegehehadenteredErnest——wasabletoobtainfromthepresenttutoracertainpreferenceinthechoiceofrooms；Ernest’s，therefore，wereverypleasantones，lookingoutuponthegrassycourtthatisboundedbytheFellows’gardens。
TheobaldaccompaniedhimtoCambridge，andwasathisbestwhiledoingso。Helikedthejaunt，andevenhewasnotwithoutacertainfeelingofprideinhavingafull-blownsonattheUniversity。SomeofthereflectedraysofthissplendourwereallowedtofalluponErnesthimself。Theobaldsaidhewas“willingtohope“——thiswasoneofhistags——thathissonwouldturnoveranewleafnowthathehadleftschool，andforhisownparthewas“onlytooready“——thiswasanothertag——toletbygonesbebygones。
Ernest，notyethavinghisnameonthebooks，wasabletodinewithhisfatherattheFellows’tableofoneoftheothercollegesontheinvitationofanoldfriendofTheobald’s；hetheremadeacquaintancewithsundryofthegoodthingsofthislife，theverynamesofwhichwerenewtohim，andfeltasheatethemthathewasnowindeedreceivingaliberaleducation。WhenatlengththetimecameforhimtogotoEmmanuel，wherehewastosleepinhisnewrooms，hisfathercamewithhimtothegatesandsawhimsafeintocollege；afewminutesmoreandhefoundhimselfaloneinaroomforwhichhehadalatch-key。
Fromthistimehedatedmanydayswhich，ifnotquiteunclouded，wereuponthewholeveryhappyones。Ineednothoweverdescribethem，asthelifeofaquietsteady-goingundergraduatehasbeentoldinascoreofnovelsbetterthanIcantellit。SomeofErnest’sschoolfellowscameuptoCambridgeatthesametimeashimself，andwiththesehecontinuedonfriendlytermsduringthewholeofhiscollegecareer。Otherschoolfellowswereonlyayearortwohisseniors；thesecalledonhim，andhethusmadeasufficientlyfavourableentreeintocollegelife。A
straightforwardnessofcharacterthatwasstampeduponhisface，aloveofhumour，andatemperwhichwasmoreeasilyappeasedthanruffledmadeupforsomeawkwardnessandwantofsavoirfaire。Hesoonbecameanotunpopularmemberofthebestsetofhisyear，andthoughneithercapableofbecoming，noraspiringtobecome，aleader，wasadmittedbytheleadersasamongtheirnearerhangers-
on。
Ofambitionhehadatthattimenotoneparticle；greatness，orindeedsuperiorityofanykind，seemedsofaroffandincomprehensibletohimthattheideaofconnectingitwithhimselfnevercrossedhismind。Ifhecouldescapethenoticeofallthosewithwhomhedidnotfeelhimselfenrapport，heconceivedthathehadtriumphedsufficiently。Hedidnotcareabouttakingagooddegree，exceptthatitmustbegoodenoughtokeephisfatherandmotherquiet。Hedidnotdreamofbeingabletogetafellowship；
ifhehad，hewouldhavetriedhardtodoso，forhebecamesofondofCambridgethathecouldnotbearthethoughtofhavingtoleaveit；thebriefnessindeedoftheseasonduringwhichhispresenthappinesswastolastwasalmosttheonlythingthatnowseriouslytroubledhim。
Havinglesstoattendtointhematterofgrowing，andhavinggothisheadmorefree，hetooktoreadingfairlywell——notbecausehelikedit，butbecausehewastoldheoughttodoso，andhisnaturalinstinct，likethatofallveryyoungmenwhoaregoodforanything，wastodoasthoseinauthoritytoldhim。TheintentionatBattersbywas(forDrSkinnerhadsaidthatErnestcouldnevergetafellowship)thatheshouldtakeasufficientlygooddegreetobeabletogetatutorshipormastershipinsomeschoolpreparatorytotakingorders。Whenhewastwenty-oneyearsoldhismoneywastocomeintohisownhands，andthebestthinghecoulddowithitwouldbetobuythenextpresentationtoaliving，therectorofwhichwasnowold，andliveonhismastershiportutorshiptillthelivingfellin。Hecouldbuyaverygoodlivingforthesumwhichhisgrandfather’slegacynowamountedto，forTheobaldhadneverhadanyseriousintentionofmakingdeductionsforhisson’smaintenanceandeducation，andthemoneyhadaccumulatedtillitwasnowaboutfivethousandpounds；hehadonlytalkedaboutmakingdeductionsinordertostimulatetheboytoexertionasfaraspossible，bymakinghimthinkthatthiswashisonlychanceofescapingstarvation——orperhapsfrompureloveofteasing。
WhenErnesthadalivingof600poundsor700poundsayearwithahouse，andnottoomanyparishioners——why，hemightaddtohisincomebytakingpupils，orevenkeepingaschool，andthen，sayatthirty，hemightmarry。ItwasnoteasyforTheobaldtohitonanymuchmoresensibleplan。HecouldnotgetErnestintobusiness，forhehadnobusinessconnections——besideshedidnotknowwhatbusinessmeant；hehadnointerest，again，attheBar；medicinewasaprofessionwhichsubjecteditsstudentstoordealsandtemptationswhichthesefondparentsshrankfromonbehalfoftheirboy；hewouldbethrownamongcompanionsandfamiliarisedwithdetailswhichmightsullyhim，andthoughhemightstand，itwas“onlytoopossible“thathewouldfall。Besides，ordinationwastheroadwhichTheobaldknewandunderstood，andindeedtheonlyroadaboutwhichheknewanythingatall，sonotunnaturallyitwastheonehechoseforErnest。
Theforegoinghadbeeninstilledintomyherofromearliestboyhood，muchasithadbeeninstilledintoTheobaldhimself，andwiththesameresult——theconviction，namely，thathewascertainlytobeaclergyman，butthatitwasalongwayoffyet，andhesupposeditwasallright。Asforthedutyofreadinghard，andtakingasgoodadegreeashecould，thiswasplainenough，sohesethimselftowork，asIhavesaid，steadily，andtothesurpriseofeveryoneaswellashimselfgotacollegescholarship，ofnogreatvalue，butstillascholarship，inhisfreshman’sterm。ItishardlynecessarytosaythatTheobaldstucktothewholeofthismoney，believingthepocket-moneyheallowedErnesttobesufficientforhim，andknowinghowdangerousitwasforyoungmentohavemoneyatcommand。Idonotsupposeitevenoccurredtohimtotryandrememberwhathehadfeltwhenhisfathertookalikecourseinregardtohimself。
Ernest’spositioninthisrespectwasmuchwhatithadbeenatschoolexceptthatthingswereonalargerscale。Histutor’sandcook’sbillswerepaidforhim；hisfathersenthimhiswine；overandabovethishehad50poundsayearwithwhichtokeephimselfinclothesandallotherexpenses；thiswasabouttheusualthingatEmmanuelinErnest’sday，thoughmanyhadmuchlessthanthis。
Ernestdidashehaddoneatschool——hespentwhathecould，soonafterhereceivedhismoney；hethenincurredafewmodestliabilities，andthenlivedpenuriouslytillnextterm，whenhewouldimmediatelypayhisdebts，andstartnewonestomuchthesameextentasthosewhichhehadjustgotridof。Whenhecameintohis5000poundsandbecameindependentofhisfather，15poundsor20
poundsservedtocoverthewholeofhisunauthorisedexpenditure。
Hejoinedtheboatclub，andwasconstantinhisattendanceattheboats。Hestillsmoked，butnevertookmorewineorbeerthanwasgoodforhim，exceptperhapsontheoccasionofaboatingsupper，buteventhenhefoundtheconsequencesunpleasant，andsoonlearnedhowtokeepwithinsafelimits。Heattendedchapelasoftenashewascompelledtodoso；hecommunicatedtwoorthreetimesayear，becausehistutortoldhimheoughtto；infacthesethimselftolivesoberlyandcleanly，asIimagineallhisinstinctspromptedhimtodo，andwhenhefell——aswhothatisbornofwomancanhelpsometimesdoing？——itwasnottillafterasharptusslewithatemptationthatwasmorethanhisfleshandbloodcouldstand；thenhewasverypenitentandwouldgoafairlylongwhilewithoutsinningagain；andthiswashowithadalwaysbeenwithhimsincehehadarrivedatyearsofindiscretion。
EventotheendofhiscareeratCambridgehewasnotawarethathehaditinhimtodoanything，butothershadbeguntoseethathewasnotwantinginabilityandsometimestoldhimso。Hedidnotbelieveit；indeedheknewverywellthatiftheythoughthimclevertheywerebeingtakenin，butitpleasedhimtohavebeenabletotakethemin，andhetriedtodosostillfurther；hewasthereforeagooddealonthelook-outforcantsthathecouldcatchandapplyinseason，andmighthavedonehimselfsomemischiefthusifhehadnotbeenreadytothrowoveranycantassoonashehadcomeacrossanothermorenearlytohisfancy；hisfriendsusedtosaythatwhenheroseheflewlikeasnipe，dartingseveraltimesinvariousdirectionsbeforehesettleddowntoasteadystraightflight，butwhenhehadoncegotintothishewouldkeeptoit。
