Reallyfromhisownstandpointtherewasnothingveryoutrageousinwhathewasdoing。HehadknownandbeenveryfondofEllenyearsbefore。Heknewhertocomeofrespectablepeople，andtohaveborneagoodcharacter，andtohavebeenuniversallylikedatBattersby。Shewasthenaquick，smart，hard-workinggirl——andaveryprettyone。Whenatlasttheymetagainshewasonherbestbehaviour，infact，shewasmodestyanddemurenessitself。Whatwonder，then，thathisimaginationshouldfailtorealisethechangesthateightyearsmusthaveworked？Heknewtoomuchagainsthimself，andwastoobankruptinlovetobesqueamish；ifEllenhadbeenonlywhathethoughther，andifhisprospectshadbeeninrealitynobetterthanhebelievedtheywere，IdonotknowthatthereisanythingmuchmoreimprudentinwhatErnestproposedthanthereisinhalfthemarriagesthattakeplaceeveryday。
Therewasnothingforit，however，buttomakethebestoftheinevitable，soIwishedmyyoungfriendgoodfortune，andtoldhimhecouldhavewhatevermoneyhewantedtostarthisshopwith，ifwhathehadinhandwasnotsufficient。Hethankedme，askedmetobekindenoughtolethimdoallmymendingandrepairing，andtogethimanyotherlikeordersthatIcould，andleftmetomyownreflections。
IwasevenmoreangrywhenhewasgonethanIhadbeenwhilehewaswithme。Hisfrank，boyishfacehadbeamedwithahappinessthathadrarelyvisitedit。ExceptatCambridgehehadhardlyknownwhathappinessmeant，andeventherehislifehadbeencloudedasofamanforwhomwisdomatthegreatestofitsentranceswasquiteshutout。Ihadseenenoughoftheworldandofhimtohaveobservedthis，butitwasimpossible，orIthoughtithadbeenimpossible，formetohavehelpedhim。
WhetherIoughttohavetriedtohelphimornotIdonotknow，butIamsurethattheyoungofallanimalsoftendowanthelpuponmattersaboutwhichanyonewouldsayapriorithatthereshouldbenodifficulty。Onewouldthinkthatayoungsealwouldwantnoteachinghowtoswim，noryetabirdtofly，butinpracticeayoungsealdrownsifputoutofitsdepthbeforeitsparentshavetaughtittoswim；andsoagain，eventheyounghawkmustbetaughttoflybeforeitcandoso。
Igrantthatthetendencyofthetimesistoexaggeratethegoodwhichteachingcando，butintryingtoteachtoomuch，inmostmatters，wehaveneglectedothersinrespectofwhichalittlesensibleteachingwoulddonoharm。
Iknowitisthefashiontosaythatyoungpeoplemustfindoutthingsforthemselves，andsotheyprobablywouldiftheyhadfairplaytotheextentofnothavingobstaclesputintheirway。Buttheyseldomhavefairplay；asageneralruletheymeetwithfoulplay，andfoulplayfromthosewholivebysellingthemstonesmadeintoagreatvarietyofshapesandsizessoastoformatolerableimitationofbread。
Someareluckyenoughtomeetwithfewobstacles，somearepluckyenoughtoover-ridethem，butinthegreaternumberofcases，ifpeoplearesavedatalltheyaresavedsoasbyfire。
WhileErnestwaswithmeEllenwaslookingoutforashoponthesouthsideoftheThamesnearthe“ElephantandCastle。”whichwasthenalmostanewandaveryrisingneighbourhood。Byoneo’clockshehadfoundseveralfromwhichaselectionwastobemade，andbeforenightthepairhadmadetheirchoice。
ErnestbroughtEllentome。Ididnotwanttoseeher，butcouldnotwellrefuse。Hehadlaidoutafewofhisshillingsuponherwardrobe，sothatshewasneatlydressed，and，indeed，shelookedveryprettyandsogoodthatIcouldhardlybesurprisedatErnest’sinfatuationwhentheothercircumstancesofthecaseweretakenintoconsideration。Ofcoursewehatedoneanotherinstinctivelyfromthefirstmomentweseteyesononeanother，butweeachtoldErnestthatwehadbeenmostfavourablyimpressed。
ThenIwastakentoseetheshop。Anemptyhouseislikeastraydogorabodyfromwhichlifehasdeparted。Decaysetsinatonceineverypartofit，andwhatmouldandwindandweatherwouldspare，streetboyscommonlydestroy。Ernest’sshopinitsuntenantedstatewasadirtyunsavouryplaceenough。Thehousewasnotold，butithadbeenrunupbyajerry-builderanditsconstitutionhadnostaminawhatever。Itwasonlybybeingkeptwarmandquietthatitwouldremaininhealthformanymonthstogether。Nowithadbeenemptyforsomeweeksandthecatshadgotinbynight，whiletheboyshadbrokenthewindowsbyday。Theparlourfloorwascoveredwithstonesanddirt，andintheareawasadeaddogwhichhadbeenkilledinthestreetandbeenthrowndownintothefirstunprotectedplacethatcouldbefound。Therewasastrongsmellthroughoutthehouse，butwhetheritwasbugs，orrats，orcats，ordrains，oracompoundofallfour，Icouldnotdetermine。Thesashesdidnotfit，theflimsydoorshungbadly；theskirtingwasgoneinseveralplaces，andtherewerenotafewholesinthefloor；thelockswereloose，andpaperwastornanddirty；
thestairswereweakandonefeltthetreadsgiveasonewentupthem。
Overandabovethesedrawbacksthehousehadanillname，byreasonofthefactthatthewifeofthelastoccupanthadhangedherselfinitnotverymanyweekspreviously。Shehadsetdownabloaterbeforethefireforherhusband’stea，andhadmadehimaroundoftoast。Shethenlefttheroomasthoughabouttoreturntoitshortly，butinsteadofdoingsoshewentintothebackkitchenandhangedherselfwithoutaword。Itwasthiswhichhadkeptthehouseemptysolonginspiteofitsexcellentpositionasacornershop。
Thelasttenanthadleftimmediatelyaftertheinquest，andiftheownerhadhaditdoneupthenpeoplewouldhavegotoverthetragedythathadbeenenactedinit，butthecombinationofbadconditionandbadfamehadhinderedmanyfromtakingit，wholikeEllen，couldseethatithadgreatbusinesscapabilities。Almostanythingwouldhavesoldthere，butithappenedalsothattherewasnosecond-handclothesshopincloseproximitysothateverythingcombinedinitsfavour，exceptitsfilthystateanditsreputation。
WhenIsawit，IthoughtIwouldratherdiethanliveinsuchanawfulplace——butthenIhadbeenlivingintheTempleforthelastfiveandtwentyyears。ErnestwaslodginginLaystallStreetandhadjustcomeoutofprison；beforethishehadlivedinAshpitPlacesothatthishousehadnoterrorsforhimprovidedhecouldgetitdoneup。Thedifficultywasthatthelandlordwashardtomoveinthisrespect。Itendedinmyfindingthemoneytodoeverythingthatwaswanted，andtakingaleaseofthehouseforfiveyearsatthesamerentalasthatpaidbythelastoccupant。IthensubletittoErnest，ofcoursetakingcarethatitwasputmoreefficientlyintorepairthanhislandlordwasatalllikelytohaveputit。
AweeklaterIcalledandfoundeverythingsocompletelytransformedthatIshouldhardlyhaverecognisedthehouse。Alltheceilingshadbeenwhitewashed，alltheroomspapered，thebrokenglasshackedoutandreinstated，thedefectivewood-workrenewed，allthesashes，cupboardsanddoorshadbeenpainted。Thedrainshadbeenthoroughlyoverhauled，everythinginfact，thatcouldbedonehadbeendone，andtheroomsnowlookedascheerfulastheyhadbeenforbiddingwhenIhadlastseenthem。Thepeoplewhohaddonetherepairsweresupposedtohavecleanedthehousedownbeforeleaving，butEllenhadgivenitanotherscrubfromtoptobottomherselfaftertheyweregone，anditwasascleanasanewpin。IalmostfeltasthoughIcouldhavelivedinitmyself，andasforErnest，hewasintheseventhheaven。HesaiditwasallmydoingandEllen’s。
Therewasalreadyacounterintheshopandafewfittings，sothatnothingnowremainedbuttogetsomestockandsetthemoutforsale。Ernestsaidhecouldnotbeginbetterthanbysellinghisclericalwardrobeandhisbooks，forthoughtheshopwasintendedespeciallyforthesaleofsecond-handclothes，yetEllensaidtherewasnoreasonwhytheyshouldnotsellafewbookstoo；soabeginningwastobemadebysellingthebookshehadhadatschoolandcollegeataboutoneshillingavolume，takingthemallround，andIhaveheardhimsaythathelearnedmorethatprovedofpracticalusetohimthroughstockinghisbooksonabenchinfrontofhisshopandsellingthem，thanhehaddonefromalltheyearsofstudywhichhehadbestowedupontheircontents。
Fortheenquiriesthatweremadeofhimwhetherhehadsuchandsuchabooktaughthimwhathecouldsellandwhathecouldnot；howmuchhecouldgetforthis，andhowmuchforthat。Havingmadeeversuchalittlebeginningwithbooks，hetooktoattendingbooksalesaswellasclothessales，anderelongthisbranchofhisbusinessbecamenolessimportantthanthetailoring，andwould，Ihavenodoubt，havebeentheonewhichhewouldhavesettleddowntoexclusively，ifhehadbeencalledupontoremainatradesman；butthisisanticipating。
Imadeacontributionandastipulation。Ernestwantedtosinkthegentlemancompletely，untilsuchtimeashecouldworkhiswayupagain。IfhehadbeenlefttohimselfhewouldhavelivedwithEllenintheshopbackparlourandkitchen，andhaveletoutboththeupperfloorsaccordingtohisoriginalprogramme。Ididnotwanthim，however，tocuthimselfadriftfrommusic，lettersandpolitelife，andfearedthatunlesshehadsomekindofdenintowhichhecouldretirehewoulderelongbecomethetradesmanandnothingelse。Ithereforeinsistedontakingthefirstfloorfrontandbackmyself，andfurnishingthemwiththethingswhichhadbeenleftatMrsJupp’s。Iboughtthesethingsofhimforasmallsumandhadthemmovedintohispresentabode。
IwenttoMrsJupp’stoarrangeallthis，asErnestdidnotlikegoingtoAshpitPlace。IhadhalfexpectedtofindthefurnituresoldandMrsJuppgone，butitwasnotso；withallherfaultsthepooroldwomanwasperfectlyhonest。
ItoldherthatPryerhadtakenallErnest’smoneyandrunawaywithit。ShehatedPryer。“Ineverknewanyone。”sheexclaimed，“aswhite-liveredinthefaceasthatPryer；hehasn’tgotanuprightveininhiswholebody。Why，allthattimewhenheusedtocomebreakfastingwithMrPontifexmorningaftermorning，ittookmetoaperfectshadowthewayhecarriedon。Therewasnodoinganythingtopleasehimright。FirstIusedtogetthemeggsandbacon，andhedidn’tlikethat；andthenIgothimabitoffish，andhedidn’tlikethat，orelseitwastoodear，andyouknowfishisdearerthanever；andthenIgothimabitofGerman，andhesaiditroseonhim；thenItriedsausages，andhesaidtheyhithimintheeyeworseeventhanGerman；oh！howIusedtowandermyroomandfretaboutitinwardlyandcryforhours，andallaboutthempaltrybreakfasts——anditwasn’tMrPontifex；he’dlikeanythingthatanyonechosetogivehim。
“Andsothepiano’stogo。”shecontinued。“WhatbeautifultunesMrPontifexdidplayuponit，tobesure；andtherewasoneIlikedbetterthananyIeverheard。IwasintheroomwhenheplayeditonceandwhenIsaid，’Oh，MrPontifex，that’sthekindofwomanI
am，’hesaid，’No，MrsJupp，itisn’t，forthistuneisold，butnoonecansayyouareold。’But，blessyou，hemeantnothingbyit，itwasonlyhismuckyflattery。”
Likemyself，shewasvexedathisgettingmarried。Shedidn’tlikehisbeingmarried，andshedidn’tlikehisnotbeingmarried——but，anyhow，itwasEllen’sfault，nothis，andshehopedhewouldbehappy。“Butafterall。”sheconcluded，“itain’tyouanditain’tme，anditain’thimanditain’ther。It’swhatyoumustcallthefortunesofmatterimony，forthereain’tnootherwordforit。”
InthecourseoftheafternoonthefurniturearrivedatErnest’snewabode。Inthefirstfloorweplacedthepiano，table，pictures，bookshelves，acoupleofarm-chairs，andallthelittlehouseholdgodswhichhehadbroughtfromCambridge。ThebackroomwasfurnishedexactlyashisbedroomatAshpitPlacehadbeen——newthingsbeinggotforthebridalapartmentdownstairs。Thesetwofirst-floorroomsIinsistedonretainingasmyown，butErnestwastousethemwheneverhepleased；hewasnevertosubleteventhebedroom，butwastokeepitforhimselfincasehiswifeshouldbeillatanytime，orincasehemightbeillhimself。
