tookhimtotheOlympic，whereRobsonwasthenactinginaburlesqueonMacbeth，MrsKeeley，ifIrememberrightly，takingthepartofLadyMacbeth。Inthescenebeforethemurder，MacbethhadsaidhecouldnotkillDuncanwhenhesawhisbootsuponthelanding。LadyMacbethputastoptoherhusband’shesitationbywhippinghimupunderherarm，andcarryinghimoffthestage，kickingandscreaming。Ernestlaughedtillhecried。“WhatrotShakespeareisafterthis。”heexclaimed，involuntarily。IrememberedhisessayontheGreektragedians，andwasmoreIepriswithhimthanever。
Nextdayhesetaboutlookingforemployment，andIdidnotseehimtillaboutfiveo’clock，whenhecameandsaidthathehadhadnosuccess。Thesamethinghappenedthenextdayandthedayafterthat。Whereverhewenthewasinvariablyrefusedandoftenorderedpointblankoutoftheshop；Icouldseebytheexpressionofhisface，thoughhesaidnothing，thathewasgettingfrightened，andbegantothinkIshouldhavetocometotherescue。Hesaidhehadmadeagreatmanyenquiriesandhadalwaysbeentoldthesamestory。
Hefoundthatitwaseasytokeeponinanoldline，butveryhardtostrikeoutintoanewone。
HetalkedtothefishmongerinLeatherLane，wherehewenttobuyabloaterforhistea，casuallyasthoughfromcuriosityandwithoutanyinterestedmotive。“Sell。”saidthemasteroftheshop，“Whynobodywouldn’tbelievewhatcanbesoldbypenn’orthsandtwopenn’orthsifyougotherightwaytowork。Lookatwhelks，forinstance。LastSaturdaynightmeandmylittleEmmahere，wesold7
poundsworthofwhelksbetweeneightandhalfpasteleveno’clock——
andalmostallinpenn’orthsandtwopenn’orths——afew，hap’orths，butnotmany。Itwasthesteamthatdidit。Wekepta-boilingof’emhotandhot，andwheneverthesteamcamestrongupfromthecellarontothepavement，thepeoplebought，butwheneverthesteamwentdowntheyleftoffbuying；soweboiledthemoverandoveragaintilltheywasallsold。That’sjustwhereitis；ifyouknowyourbusinessyoucansell，ifyoudon’tyou’llsoonmakeamessofit。Why，butforthesteam，Ishouldnothavesold10s。worthofwhelksallthenightthrough。”
This，andmanyanotheryarnofkindredsubstancewhichheheardfromotherpeopledeterminedErnestmorethanevertostakeontailoringastheonetradeaboutwhichheknewanythingatall，nevertheless，herewerethreeorfourdaysgonebyandemploymentseemedasfaroffasever。
InowdidwhatIoughttohavedonebefore，thatistosay，IcalledonmyowntailorwhomIhaddealtwithforoveraquarterofacenturyandaskedhisadvice。HedeclaredErnest’splantobehopeless。“If。”saidMrLarkins，forthiswasmytailor’sname，“hehadbegunatfourteen，itmighthavedone，butnomanoftwenty-fourcouldstandbeingturnedtoworkintoaworkshopfulloftailors；hewouldnotgetonwiththemen，northemenwithhim；youcouldnotexpecthimtobe’hailfellow，wellmet’withthem，andyoucouldnotexpecthisfellow-workmentolikehimifhewasnot。Amanmusthavesunklowthroughdrinkornaturaltasteforlowcompany，beforehecouldgetonwiththosewhohavehadsuchadifferenttrainingfromhisown。”
MrLarkinssaidagreatdealmoreandwoundupbytakingmetoseetheplacewherehisownmenworked。“Thisisaparadise。”hesaid，“comparedtomostworkshops。Whatgentlemancouldstandthisair，thinkyou，forafortnight？”
Iwasgladenoughtogetoutofthehot，fetidatmosphereinfiveminutes，andsawthattherewasnobrickofErnest’sprisontobeloosenedbygoingandworkingamongtailorsinaworkshop。
MrLarkinswoundupbysayingthatevenifmyprotegewereamuchbetterworkmanthanheprobablywas，nomasterwouldgivehimemployment，forfearofcreatingabotheramongthemen。
Ileft，feelingthatIoughttohavethoughtofallthismyself，andwasmorethaneverperplexedastowhetherIhadnotbetterletmyyoungfriendhaveafewthousandpoundsandsendhimouttothecolonies，when，onmyreturnhomeataboutfiveo’clock，Ifoundhimwaitingforme，radiant，anddeclaringthathehadfoundallhewanted。
Itseemshehadbeenpatrollingthestreetsforthelastthreeorfournights——Isupposeinsearchofsomethingtodo——atanyrateknowingbetterwhathewantedtogetthanhowtogetit。
Nevertheless，whathewantedwasinrealitysoeasilytobefoundthatittookahighlyeducatedscholarlikehimselftobeunabletofindit。But，howeverthismaybe，hehadbeenscared，andnowsawlionswheretherewerenone，andwasshockedandfrightened，andnightafternighthiscouragehadfailedhimandhehadreturnedtohislodgingsinLaystallStreetwithoutaccomplishinghiserrand。
Hehadnottakenmeintohisconfidenceuponthismatter，andIhadnotenquiredwhathedidwithhimselfintheevenings。Atlasthehadconcludedthat，howeverpainfulitmightbetohim，hewouldcallonMrsJupp，whohethoughtwouldbeabletohelphimifanyonecould。Hehadbeenwalkingmoodilyfromseventillaboutnine，andnowresolvedtogostraighttoAshpitPlaceandmakeamotherconfessorofMrsJuppwithoutmoredelay。
OfalltasksthatcouldbeperformedbymortalwomantherewasnonewhichMrsJuppwouldhavelikedbetterthantheoneErnestwasthinkingofimposinguponher；nordoIknowthatinhisscaredandbroken-downstatehecouldhavedonemuchbetterthanhenowproposed。MissJuppwouldhavemadeitveryeasyforhimtoopenhisgrieftoher；indeed，shewouldhavecoaxeditalloutofhimbeforeheknewwherehewas；butthefateswereagainstMrsJupp，andthemeetingbetweenmyheroandhisformerlandladywaspostponedsinedie，forhisdeterminationhadhardlybeenformedandhehadnotgonemorethanahundredyardsinthedirectionofMrsJupp’shouse，whenawomanaccostedhim。
Hewasturningfromher，ashehadturnedfromsomanyothers，whenshestartedbackwithamovementthatarousedhiscuriosity。Hehadhardlyseenherface，butbeingdeterminedtocatchsightofit，followedherasshehurriedaway，andpassedher；thenturningroundhesawthatshewasnoneotherthanEllen，thehousemaidwhohadbeendismissedbyhismothereightyearspreviously。
HeoughttohaveassignedEllen’sunwillingnesstoseehimtoitstruecause，butaguiltyconsciencemadehimthinkshehadheardofhisdisgraceandwasturningawayfromhimincontempt。Braveashadbeenhisresolutionsaboutfacingtheworld，thiswasmorethanhewaspreparedfor；“What！youtooshunme，Ellen？”heexclaimed。
Thegirlwascryingbitterlyanddidnotunderstandhim。“Oh，MasterErnest。”shesobbed，“letmego；youaretoogoodforthelikesofmetospeaktonow。”
“Why，Ellen。”saidhe，“whatnonsenseyoutalk；youhaven’tbeeninprison，haveyou？”
“Oh，no，no，no，notsobadasthat。”sheexclaimedpassionately。
“Well，Ihave。”saidErnest，withaforcedlaugh，“Icameoutthreeorfourdaysagoaftersixmonthswithhardlabour。”
Ellendidnotbelievehim，butshelookedathimwitha“Lor’！
MasterErnest。”anddriedhereyesatonce。Theicewasbrokenbetweenthem，forasamatteroffactEllenhadbeeninprisonseveraltimes，andthoughshedidnotbelieveErnest，hismerelysayinghehadbeeninprisonmadeherfeelmoreateasewithhim。
Forherthereweretwoclassesofpeople，thosewhohadbeeninprisonandthosewhohadnot。Thefirstshelookeduponasfellow-
creaturesandmoreorlessChristians，thesecond，withfewexceptions，sheregardedwithsuspicion，notwhollyunmingledwithcontempt。
ThenErnesttoldherwhathadhappenedtohimduringthelastsixmonths，andby-and-byshebelievedhim。
“MasterErnest。”saidshe，aftertheyhadtalkedforaquarterofanhourorso，“There’saplaceoverthewaywheretheyselltripeandonions。Iknowyouwasalwaysveryfondoftripeandonions，let’sgooverandhavesome，andwecantalkbetterthere。”
Sothepaircrossedthestreetandenteredthetripeshop；Ernestorderedsupper。
“Andhowisyourporedearmamma，andyourdearpapa，MasterErnest。”saidEllen，whohadnowrecoveredherselfandwasquiteathomewithmyhero。“Oh，dear，dearme。”shesaid，“Ididloveyourpa；hewasagoodgentleman，hewas，andyourmatoo；itwoulddoanyonegoodtolivewithher，I’msure。”
Ernestwassurprisedandhardlyknewwhattosay。HehadexpectedtofindEllenindignantatthewayshehadbeentreated，andinclinedtolaytheblameofherhavingfallentoherpresentstateathisfather’sandmother’sdoor。Itwasnotso。HeronlyrecollectionofBattersbywasasofaplacewhereshehadhadplentytoeatanddrink，nottoomuchhardwork，andwhereshehadnotbeenscolded。WhensheheardthatErnesthadquarrelledwithhisfatherandmothersheassumedasamatterofcoursethatthefaultmustlieentirelywithErnest。
