Onemorning，ashewasreturningfromahouseattheWestEndwherehehadboughtsomeclothesfromoneoftheservants，hewasstruckbyasmallcrowdwhichhadgatheredroundaspacethathadbeenrailedoffonthegrassnearoneofthepathsintheGreenPark。
ItwasalovelysoftspringmorningattheendofMarch，andunusuallybalmyforthetimeofyear；evenErnest’smelancholywasrelievedforawhilebythelookofspringthatpervadedearthandsky；butitsoonreturned，andsmilingsadlyhesaidtohimself：
“Itmaybringhopetoothers，butformetherecanbenohopehenceforth。”
Asthesewordswereinhismindhejoinedthesmallcrowdwhoweregatheredroundtherailings，andsawthattheywerelookingatthreesheepwithverysmalllambsonlyadayortwoold，whichhadbeenpennedoffforshelterandprotectionfromtheothersthatrangedthepark。
Theywereverypretty，andLondonerssoseldomgetachanceofseeinglambsthatitwasnowondereveryonestoppedtolookatthem。Ernestobservedthatnooneseemedfonderofthemthanagreatlubberlybutcherboy，wholeanedupagainsttherailingswithatrayofmeatuponhisshoulder。Hewaslookingatthisboyandsmilingatthegrotesquenessofhisadmiration，whenhebecameawarethathewasbeingwatchedintentlybyamanincoachman’slivery，whohadalsostoppedtoadmirethelambs，andwasleaningagainsttheoppositesideoftheenclosure。ErnestknewhiminamomentasJohn，hisfather’soldcoachmanatBattersby，andwentuptohimatonce。
“Why，MasterErnest。”saidhe，withhisstrongnorthernaccent，“I
wasthinkingofyouonlythisverymorning。”andthepairshookhandsheartily。JohnwasinanexcellentplaceattheWestEnd。Hehaddoneverywell，hesaid，eversincehehadleftBattersby，exceptforthefirstyearortwo，andthat，hesaid，withascrewoftheface，hadwellnighbrokehim。
Ernestaskedhowthiswas。
“Why，yousee。”saidJohn，“IwasalwaysmainfondofthatlassEllen，whomyourememberrunningafter，MasterErnest，andgivingyourwatchto。Iexpectyouhaven’tforgottenthatday，haveyou？”
Andherehelaughed。“Idon’tknowasIbethefatherofthechildshecarriedawaywithherfromBattersby，butIveryeasilymayhavebeen。Anyhow，afterIhadleftyourpapa’splaceafewdaysIwrotetoEllentoanaddresswehadagreedupon，andtoldherIwoulddowhatIoughttodo，andsoIdid，forImarriedherwithinamonthafterwards。Why，Lordlovetheman，whateveristhematterwithhim？”——forashehadspokenthelastfewwordsofhisstoryErnesthadturnedwhiteasasheet，andwasleaningagainsttherailings。
“John。”saidmyhero，gaspingforbreath，“areyousureofwhatyousay——areyouquitesureyoureallymarriedher？”
“OfcourseIam。”saidJohn，“ImarriedherbeforetheregistraratLetchburyonthe15thofAugust1851。
“Givemeyourarm。”saidErnest，“andtakemeintoPiccadilly，andputmeintoacab，andcomewithmeatonce，ifyoucansparetime，toMrOverton’sattheTemple。”
IdonotthinkErnesthimselfwasmuchmorepleasedatfindingthathehadneverbeenmarriedthanIwas。Tohim，however，theshockofpleasurewaspositivelynumbinginitsintensity。Ashefelthisburdenremoved，hereeledfortheunaccustomedlightnessofhismovements；hispositionwassoshatteredthathisidentityseemedtohavebeenshatteredalso；hewasasonewakingupfromahorriblenightmaretofindhimselfsafeandsoundinbed，butwhocanhardlyevenyetbelievethattheroomisnotfullofarmedmenwhoareabouttospringuponhim。
“AnditisI。”hesaid，“whonotanhouragocomplainedthatIwaswithouthope。ItisI，whoforweekshavebeenrailingatfortune，andsayingthatthoughshesmiledonotherssheneversmiledatme。
Why，neverwasanyonehalfsofortunateasIam。”
“Yes。”saidI，“youhavebeeninoculatedformarriage，andhaverecovered。”
“Andyet。”hesaid，“Iwasveryfondofhertillshetooktodrinking。”
“Perhaps；butisitnotTennysonwhohassaid：’’Tisbettertohavelovedandlost，thannevertohavelostatall’？”
“Youareaninveteratebachelor。”wastherejoinder。
ThenwehadalongtalkwithJohn，towhomIgavea5poundnoteuponthespot。Hesaid，“EllenhadusedtodrinkatBattersby；thecookhadtaughther；hehadknownit，butwassofondofher，thathehadchanceditandmarriedhertosaveherfromthestreetsandinthehopeofbeingabletokeepherstraight。ShehaddonewithhimjustasshehaddonewithErnest——madehimanexcellentwifeaslongasshekeptsober，butaverybadoneafterwards。”
“Thereisn’t。”saidJohn，“asweeter-tempered，handier，prettiergirlthanshewasinallEngland，noroneasknowsbetterwhatamanlikes，andhowtomakehimhappy，ifyoucankeepherfromdrink；
butyoucan’tkeepher；she’sthatartfulshe’llgetitunderyourveryeyes，withoutyouknowingit。Ifshecan’tgetanymoreofyourthingstopawnorsell，she’llstealherneighbours’。That’showshegotintotroublefirstwhenIwaswithher。DuringthesixmonthsshewasinprisonIshouldhavefelthappyifIhadnotknownshewouldcomeoutagain。Andthenshedidcomeout，andbeforeshehadbeenfreeafortnight，shebeganshop-liftingandgoingonthelooseagain——andalltogetmoneytodrinkwith。SoseeingIcoulddonothingwithherandthatshewasjusta-killingofme，Ilefther，andcameuptoLondon，andwentintoserviceagain，andIdidnotknowwhathadbecomeofhertillyouandMrErnestheretoldme。
Ihopeyou’llneitherofyousayyou’veseenme。”
Weassuredhimwewouldkeephiscounsel，andthenheleftus，withmanyprotestationsofaffectiontowardsErnest，towhomhehadbeenalwaysmuchattached。
Wetalkedthesituationover，anddecidedfirsttogetthechildrenaway，andthentocometotermswithEllenconcerningtheirfuturecustody；asforherself，Iproposedthatweshouldmakeheranallowanceof，say，apoundaweektobepaidsolongasshegavenotrouble。Ernestdidnotseewherethepoundaweekwastocomefrom，soIeasedhismindbysayingIwouldpayitmyself。Beforethedaywastwohoursolderwehadgotthechildren，aboutwhomEllenhadalwaysappearedtobeindifferent，andhadconfidedthemtothecareofmylaundress，agoodmotherlysortofwoman，whotooktothemandtowhomtheytookatonce。
Thencametheodioustaskofgettingridoftheirunhappymother。
Ernest’sheartsmotehimatthenotionoftheshockthebreak-upwouldbetoher。Hewasalwaysthinkingthatpeoplehadaclaimuponhimforsomeinestimableservicetheyhadrenderedhim，orforsomeirreparablemischiefdonetothembyhimself；thecasehoweverwassoclear，thatErnest’sscruplesdidnotofferseriousresistance。
Ididnotseewhyheshouldhavethepainofanotherinterviewwithhiswife，soIgotMrOtterytomanagethewholebusiness。ItturnedoutthatweneednothaveharrowedourselvessomuchabouttheagonyofmindwhichEllenwouldsufferonbecominganoutcastagain。ErnestsawMrsRichards，theneighbourwhohadcalledhimdownonthenightwhenhehadfirstdiscoveredhiswife’sdrunkenness，andgotfromhersomedetailsofEllen’sopinionsuponthematter。Shedidnotseemintheleastconscience-stricken；shesaid：“Thankgoodness，atlast！”Andalthoughawarethathermarriagewasnotavalidone，evidentlyregardedthisasameredetailwhichitwouldnotbeworthanybody’swhiletogointomoreparticularly。Asregardshisbreakingwithher，shesaiditwasagoodjobbothforhimandforher。
“Thislife。”shecontinued，“don’tsuitme。Ernestistoogoodforme；hewantsawomanasshallbeabitbetterthanme，andIwantamanthatshallbeabitworsethanhim。Weshouldhavegotonallverywellifwehadnotlivedtogetherasmarriedfolks，butI’vebeenusedtohavealittleplaceofmyown，howeversmall，foramanyyears，andIdon’twantErnest，oranyotherman，alwayshangingaboutit。Besidesheistoosteady：hisbeinginprisonhasn’tdonehimabitofgood——he’sjustasgraveasthoseashaveneverbeeninprisonatall，andheneverswearsnorcurses，comewhatmay；itmakesmeafearedofhim，andthereforeIdrinktheworse。Whatuspoorgirlswantsisnottobejumpedupallofasuddenandmadehonestwomenof；thisistoomuchforusandthrowsusoffourperch；whatwewantsisaregularfriendortwo，who’lljustkeepusfromstarving，andforceustobegoodforabittogethernowandagain。That’saboutasmuchaswecanstand。Hemayhavethechildren；hecandobetterforthemthanIcan；andasforhismoney，hemaygiveitorkeepitashelikes，he’sneverdonemeanyharm，andIshalllethimalone；butifhemeansmetohaveit，IsupposeI’dbetterhaveit。”——Andhaveitshedid。
“AndI。”thoughtErnesttohimselfagainwhenthearrangementwasconcluded，“amthemanwhothoughthimselfunlucky！”
ImayaswellsayhereallthatneedbesaidfurtheraboutEllen。
ForthenextthreeyearssheusedtocallregularlyatMrOttery’severyMondaymorningforherpound。Shewasalwaysneatlydressed，andlookedsoquietandprettythatnoonewouldhavesuspectedherantecedents。Atfirstshewantedsometimestoanticipate，butafterthreeorfourineffectualattempts——oneachofwhichoccasionsshetoldamostpitifulstory——shegaveitupandtookhermoneyregularlywithoutaword。Onceshecamewithabadblackeye，“whichaboyhadthrowedastoneandhitherbymistake“；butonthewholeshelookedprettymuchthesameattheendofthethreeyearsasshehaddoneatthebeginning。Thensheexplainedthatshewasgoingtobemarriedagain。MrOtterysawheronthis，andpointedouttoherthatshewouldverylikelybeagaincommittingbigamybydoingso。“Youmaycallitwhatyoulike。”shereplied，“butIamgoingofftoAmericawithBillthebutcher’sman，andwehopeMrPontifexwon’tbetoohardonusandstoptheallowance。”Ernestwaslittlelikelytodothis，sothepairwentinpeace。IbelieveitwasBillwhohadblackedhereye，andshelikedhimallthebetterforit。
FromoneortwolittlethingsIhavebeenabletogatherthatthecouplegotonverywelltogether，andthatinBillshehasfoundapartnerbettersuitedtoherthaneitherJohnorErnest。OnhisbirthdayErnestgenerallyreceivesanenvelopewithanAmericanpost-markcontainingabook-markerwithaflauntingtextuponit，oramoralkettle-holder，orsomeothersimilarsmalltokenofrecognition，butnoletter。Ofthechildrenshehastakennonotice。
