“Andnowletmeaskyouwhatansweryouhavemadetothisquestionhitherto？Whosefriendshiphaveyouchosen？If，knowingwhatyouknow，youhavenotyetbeguntoactaccordingtotheimmensityoftheknowledgethatisinyou，thenhewhobuildshishouseandlaysuphistreasureontheedgeofacraterofmoltenlavaisasane，sensiblepersonincomparisonwithyourselves。Isaythisasnofigureofspeechorbugbearwithwhichtofrightenyou，butasanunvarnishedunexaggeratedstatementwhichwillbenomoredisputedbyyourselvesthanbyme。”
AndnowMrHawke，whouptothistimehadspokenwithsingularquietness，changedhismannertooneofgreaterwarmthandcontinued-
“Oh！myyoungfriendsturn，turn，turn，nowwhileitiscalledto-
day——nowfromthishour，fromthisinstant；staynoteventogirdupyourloins；looknotbehindyouforasecond，butflyintothebosomofthatChristwhoistobefoundofallwhoseekhim，andfromthatfearfulwrathofGodwhichliethinwaitforthosewhoknownotthethingsbelongingtotheirpeace。FortheSonofMancomethasathiefinthenight，andthereisnotoneofuscantellbutwhatthisdayhissoulmayberequiredofhim。Ifthereisevenoneherewhohasheededme。”——andhelethiseyefallforaninstantuponalmostallhishearers，butespeciallyontheErnestset——“IshallknowthatitwasnotfornothingthatIfeltthecalloftheLord，andheardasIthoughtavoicebynightthatbademecomehitherquickly，fortherewasachosenvesselwhohadneedofme。”
HereMrHawkeendedratherabruptly；hisearnestmanner，strikingcountenanceandexcellentdeliveryhadproducedaneffectgreaterthantheactualwordsIhavegivencanconveytothereader；thevirtuelayinthemanmorethaninwhathesaid；asforthelastfewmysteriouswordsabouthishavingheardavoicebynight，theireffectwasmagical；therewasnotonewhodidnotlookdowntotheground，norwhoinhisheartdidnothalfbelievethathewasthechosenvesselonwhoseespecialbehalfGodhadsentMrHawketoCambridge。Evenifthiswerenotso，eachoneofthemfeltthathewasnowforthefirsttimeintheactualpresenceofonewhohadhadadirectcommunicationfromtheAlmighty，andtheywerethussuddenlybroughtahundredfoldnearertotheNewTestamentmiracles。
Theywereamazed，nottosayscared，andasthoughbytacitconsenttheygatheredtogether，thankedMrHawkeforhissermon，saidgood-
nightinahumbledeferentialmannertoBadcockandtheotherSimeonites，andlefttheroomtogether。Theyhadheardnothingbutwhattheyhadbeenhearingalltheirlives；howwasit，then，thattheyweresodumbfounderedbyit？Isupposepartlybecausetheyhadlatelybeguntothinkmoreseriously，andwereinafitstatetobeimpressed，partlyfromthegreaterdirectnesswithwhicheachfelthimselfaddressed，throughthesermonbeingdeliveredinaroom，andpartlytothelogicalconsistency，freedomfromexaggeration，andprofoundairofconvictionwithwhichMrHawkehadspoken。Hissimplicityandobviousearnestnesshadimpressedthemevenbeforehehadalludedtohisspecialmission，butthisclenchedeverything，andthewords“Lord，isitI？”wereupontheheartsofeachastheywalkedpensivelyhomethroughmoonlitcourtsandcloisters。
IdonotknowwhatpassedamongtheSimeonitesaftertheErnestsethadleftthem，buttheywouldhavebeenmorethanmortaliftheyhadnotbeenagooddealelatedwiththeresultsoftheevening。Why，oneofErnest’sfriendswasintheUniversityeleven，andhehadactuallybeeninBadcock’sroomsandhadslunkoffonsayinggood-
nightasmeeklyasanyofthem。Itwasnosmallthingtohavescoredasuccesslikethis。
Ernestfeltnowthattheturningpointofhislifehadcome。HewouldgiveupallforChrist——evenhistobacco。
Sohegatheredtogetherhispipesandpouches，andlockedthemupinhisportmanteauunderhisbedwheretheyshouldbeoutofsight，andasmuchoutofmindaspossible。Hedidnotburnthem，becausesomeonemightcomeinwhowantedtosmoke，andthoughhemightabridgehisownliberty，yet，assmokingwasnotasin，therewasnoreasonwhyheshouldbehardonotherpeople。
AfterbreakfasthelefthisroomstocallonamannamedDawson，whohadbeenoneofMrHawke’shearersontheprecedingevening，andwhowasreadingforordinationattheforthcomingEmberWeeks，nowonlyfourmonthsdistant。Thismanhadbeenalwaysofaratherseriousturnofmind——alittletoomuchsoforErnest’staste；buttimeshadchanged，andDawson’sundoubtedsincerityseemedtorenderhimafittingcounsellorforErnestatthepresenttime。AshewasgoingthroughthefirstcourtofJohn’sonhiswaytoDawson’srooms，hemetBadcock，andgreetedhimwithsomedeference。HisadvancewasreceivedwithoneofthoseecstaticgleamswhichshoneoccasionallyuponthefaceofBadcock，andwhich，ifErnesthadknownmore，wouldhaveremindedhimofRobespierre。Asitwas，hesawitandunconsciouslyrecognisedtheunrestandself-seekingnessoftheman，butcouldnotyetformulatethem；hedislikedBadcockmorethanever，butashewasgoingtoprofitbythespiritualbenefitswhichhehadputinhisway，hewasboundtobeciviltohim，andcivilhethereforewas。
BadcocktoldhimthatMrHawkehadreturnedtotownimmediatelyhisdiscoursewasover，butthatbeforedoingsohehadenquiredparticularlywhoErnestandtwoorthreeotherswere。IbelieveeachoneofErnest’sfriendswasgiventounderstandthathehadbeenmoreorlessparticularlyenquiredafter。Ernest’svanity——forhewashismother’sson——wastickledatthis；theideaagainpresenteditselftohimthathemightbetheoneforwhosebenefitMrHawkehadbeensent。Therewassomething，too，inBadcock’smannerwhichconveyedtheideathathecouldsaymoreifhechose，buthadbeenenjoinedtosilence。
OnreachingDawson’srooms，hefoundhisfriendinrapturesoverthediscourseoftheprecedingevening。HardlylessdelightedwashewiththeeffectithadproducedonErnest。Hehadalwaysknown，hesaid，thatErnestwouldcomeround；hehadbeensureofit，buthehadhardlyexpectedtheconversiontobesosudden。Ernestsaidnomorehadhe，butnowthathesawhisdutysoclearlyhewouldgetordainedassoonaspossible，andtakeacuracy，eventhoughthedoingsowouldmakehimhavetogodownfromCambridgeearlier，whichwouldbeagreatgrieftohim。Dawsonapplaudedthisdetermination，anditwasarrangedthatasErnestwasstillmoreorlessofaweakbrother，Dawsonshouldtakehim，sotospeak，inspiritualtowforawhile，andstrengthenandconfirmhisfaith。
Anoffensiveanddefensivealliancethereforewasstruckupbetweenthispair(whowereinrealitysingularlyillassorted)，andErnestsettoworktomasterthebooksonwhichtheBishopwouldexaminehim。Othersgraduallyjoinedthemtilltheyformedasmallsetorchurch(forthesearethesamethings)，andtheeffectofMrHawke’ssermoninsteadofwearingoffinafewdays，asmighthavebeenexpected，becamemoreandmoremarked，somuchsothatitwasnecessaryforErnest’sfriendstoholdhimbackratherthanurgehimon，forheseemedlikelytodevelop——asindeedhedidforatime——
intoareligiousenthusiast。
Inonematteronly，didheopenlybackslide。Hehad，asIsaidabove，lockeduphispipesandtobacco，sothathemightnotbetemptedtousethem。AlldaylongonthedayafterMrHawke’ssermonheletthemlieinhisportmanteaubravely；butthiswasnotverydifficult，ashehadforsometimegivenupsmokingtillafterhall。Afterhallthisdayhedidnotsmoketillchapeltime，andthenwenttochapelinself-defence。Whenhereturnedhedeterminedtolookatthematterfromacommonsensepointofview。Onthishesawthat，providedtobaccodidnotinjurehishealth——andhereallycouldnotseethatitdid——itstoodmuchonthesamefootingasteaorcoffee。
TobaccohadnowherebeenforbiddenintheBible，butthenithadnotyetbeendiscovered，andhadprobablyonlyescapedproscriptionforthisreason。WecanconceiveofStPaulorevenourLordHimselfasdrinkingacupoftea，butwecannotimagineeitherofthemassmokingacigaretteorachurchwarden。Ernestcouldnotdenythis，andadmittedthatPaulwouldalmostcertainlyhavecondemnedtobaccoingoodroundtermsifhehadknownofitsexistence。WasitnotthentakingratherameanadvantageoftheApostletostandonhisnothavingactuallyforbiddenit？Ontheotherhand，itwaspossiblethatGodknewPaulwouldhaveforbiddensmoking，andhadpurposelyarrangedthediscoveryoftobaccoforaperiodatwhichPaulshouldbenolongerliving。ThismightseemratherhardonPaul，consideringallhehaddoneforChristianity，butitwouldbemadeuptohiminotherways。
ThesereflectionssatisfiedErnestthatonthewholehehadbettersmoke，sohesneakedtohisportmanteauandbroughtouthispipesandtobaccoagain。Thereshouldbemoderationhefeltinallthings，eveninvirtue；soforthatnighthesmokedimmoderately。
Itwasapity，however，thathehadbraggedtoDawsonaboutgivingupsmoking。Thepipeshadbetterbekeptinacupboardforaweekortwo，tillinotherandeasierrespectsErnestshouldhaveprovedhissteadfastness。Thentheymightstealoutagainlittlebylittle——andsotheydid。
Ernestnowwrotehomealettercouchedinaveindifferentfromhisordinaryones。Hisletterswereusuallyallcommonformandpadding，forasIhavealreadyexplained，ifhewroteaboutanythingthatreallyinterestedhim，hismotheralwayswantedtoknowmoreandmoreaboutit——everyfreshanswerbeingastheloppingoffofahydra’sheadandgivingbirthtohalfadozenormorenewquestions——
butintheenditcameinvariablytothesameresult，namely，thatheoughttohavedonesomethingelse，oroughtnottogoondoingasheproposed。Now，however，therewasanewdeparture，andforthethousandthtimeheconcludedthathewasabouttotakeacourseofwhichhisfatherandmotherwouldapprove，andinwhichtheywouldbeinterested，sothatatlastheandtheymightgetonmoresympatheticallythanheretofore。Hethereforewroteagushingimpulsiveletter，whichaffordedmuchamusementtomyselfasIreadit，butwhichistoolongforreproduction。Onepassageran：“IamnowgoingtowardsChrist；thegreaternumberofmycollegefriendsare，Ifear，goingawayfromHim；wemustprayforthemthattheymayfindthepeacethatisinChristevenasIhavemyselffoundit。”Ernestcoveredhisfacewithhishandsforshameashereadthisextractfromthebundleoflettershehadputintomyhands——
theyhadbeenreturnedtohimbyhisfatheronhismother’sdeath，hismotherhavingcarefullypreservedthem。
“ShallIcutitout？”saidI，“Iwillifyoulike。”
“Certainlynot。”heanswered，“andifgood-naturedfriendshavekeptmorerecordsofmyfollies，pickoutanyplumsthatmayamusethereader，andlethimhavehislaughoverthem。”Butfancywhateffectaletterlikethis——sounledupto——musthaveproducedatBattersby！EvenChristinarefrainedfromecstasyoverherson’shavingdiscoveredthepowerofChrist’sword，whileTheobaldwasfrightenedoutofhiswits。Itwaswellhissonwasnotgoingtohaveanydoubtsordifficulties，andthathewouldbeordainedwithoutmakingafussoverit，buthesmeltmischiefinthissuddenconversionofonewhohadneveryetshownanyinclinationtowardsreligion。Hehatedpeoplewhodidnotknowwheretostop。Ernestwasalwayssooutreandstrange；therewasneveranyknowingwhathewoulddonext，exceptthatitwouldbesomethingunusualandsilly。
