OnthewallsofhisbedroomwereaseriesofFrenchRevolutionprintsrepresentingeventsinthelifeofLycurgus。Therewas“Grandeurd’amedeLycurgue。”and“Lycurgueconsultel’oracle。”andthentherewas“CalciopealaCour。”UnderthiswaswritteninFrenchandSpanish：“Modeledegraceetdebeaute，lajeuneCalciopenonmoinssagequebelleavaitmeritel’estimeetl’attachementduvertueuxLycurgue。Vivementeprisdetantdecharmes，l’illustrephilosophelaconduisaitdansletempledeJunon，ouilss’unirentparunsermentsacre。Aprescetteaugusteceremonie，Lycurgues’empressadeconduiresajeuneepouseaupalaisdesonfrerePolydecte，RoideLacedemon。Seigneur，luidit-il，lavertueuseCalciopevientderecevoirmesvoeuxauxpiedsdesautels，j’osevousprierd’approuvercetteunion。LeRoitemoignad’abordquelquesurprise，maisl’estimequ’ilavaitpoursonfrereluiinspiraunereponsepleinedebeinveillance。Ils’approchaaussitotdeCalciopequ’ilembrassatendrement，comblaensuiteLycurguedeprevenancesetparuttressatisfait。”
HecalledmyattentiontothisandthensaidsomewhattimidlythathewouldratherhavemarriedEllenthanCalciope。Isawhewashardeningandmadenohesitationaboutproposingthatinanotherdayortwoweshouldproceeduponourjourney。
Iwillnotwearythereaderbytakinghimwithusoverbeatenground。WestoppedatSiena，Cortona，Orvieto，Perugiaandmanyothercities，andthenafterafortnightpassedbetweenRomeandNapleswenttotheVenetianprovincesandvisitedallthosewondroustownsthatliebetweenthesouthernslopesoftheAlpsandthenorthernonesoftheApennines，comingbackatlastbytheS。
Gothard。IdoubtwhetherhehadenjoyedthetripmorethanIdidmyself，butitwasnottillwewereonthepointofreturningthatErnesthadrecoveredstrengthenoughtobecalledfairlywell，anditwasnotformanymonthsthathesocompletelylostallsenseofthewoundswhichthelastfouryearshadinflictedonhimastofeelasthoughtherewereascarandascaronlyremaining。
Theysaythatwhenpeoplehavelostanarmorafoottheyfeelpainsinitnowandagainforalongwhileaftertheyhavelostit。OnepainwhichhehadalmostforgottencameuponhimonhisreturntoEngland，Imeanthestingofhishavingbeenimprisoned。Aslongashewasonlyasmallshop-keeperhisimprisonmentmatterednothing；
nobodyknewofit，andiftheyhadknowntheywouldnothavecared；
now，however，thoughhewasreturningtohisoldpositionhewasreturningtoitdisgraced，andthepainfromwhichhehadbeensavedinthefirstinstancebysurroundingssonewthathehadhardlyrecognisedhisownidentityinthemiddleofthem，cameonhimasfromawoundinflictedyesterday。
Hethoughtofthehighresolveswhichhehadmadeinprisonaboutusinghisdisgraceasavantagegroundofstrengthratherthantryingtomakepeopleforgetit。“Thatwasallverywellthen。”hethoughttohimself，“whenthegrapeswerebeyondmyreach，butnowitisdifferent。”Besides，whobutaprigwouldsethimselfhighaims，ormakehighresolvesatall？
Someofhisoldfriends，onlearningthathehadgotridofhissupposedwifeandwasnowcomfortablyoffagain，wantedtorenewtheiracquaintance；hewasgratefultothemandsometimestriedtomeettheiradvanceshalfway，butitdidnotdo，anderelongheshrankbackintohimself，pretendingnottoknowthem。Aninfernaldemonofhonestyhauntedhimwhichmadehimsaytohimself：“Thesemenknowagreatdeal，butdonotknowall——iftheydidtheywouldcutme——andthereforeIhavenorighttotheiracquaintance。”
Hethoughtthateveryoneexcepthimselfwassanspeuretsansreproche。Ofcoursetheymustbe，foriftheyhadnotbeen，wouldtheynothavebeenboundtowarnallwhohadanythingtodowiththemoftheirdeficiencies？Well，hecouldnotdothis，andhewouldnothavepeople’sacquaintanceunderfalsepretences，sohegaveupevenhankeringafterrehabilitationandfellbackuponhisoldtastesformusicandliterature。
Ofcoursehehaslongsincefoundouthowsillyallthiswas，howsillyImeanintheory，forinpracticeitworkedbetterthanitoughttohavedone，bykeepinghimfreefromliaisonswhichwouldhavetiedhistongueandmadehimseesuccesselsewherethanwherehecameintimetoseeit。Hedidwhathedidinstinctivelyandfornootherreasonthanbecauseitwasmostnaturaltohim。Sofarashethoughtatall，hethoughtwrong，butwhathedidwasright。I
saidsomethingofthiskindtohimoncenotsoverylongago，andtoldhimhehadalwaysaimedhigh。“Ineveraimedatall。”herepliedalittleindignantly，“andyoumaybesureIshouldhaveaimedlowenoughifIhadthoughtIhadgotthechance。”
Isupposeafterallthatnoonewhosemindwasnot，toputitmildly，abnormal，everyetaimedveryhighoutofpuremaliceaforethought。Ioncesawaflyalightonacupofhotcoffeeonwhichthemilkhadformedathinskin；heperceivedhisextremedanger，andInotedwithwhatamplestridesandalmostsupermuscanefforthestruckacrossthetreacheroussurfaceandmadefortheedgeofthecup——forthegroundwasnotsolidenoughtolethimraisehimselffromitbyhiswings。AsIwatchedhimIfanciedthatsosupremeamomentofdifficultyanddangermightleavehimwithanincreaseofmoralandphysicalpowerwhichmightevendescendinsomemeasuretohisoffspring。Butsurelyhewouldnothavegottheincreasedmoralpowerifhecouldhavehelpedit，andhewillnotknowinglyalightuponanothercupofhotcoffee。ThemoreIseethemoresureIamthatitdoesnotmatterwhypeopledotherightthingsolongonlyastheydoit，norwhytheymayhavedonethewrongiftheyhavedoneit。Theresultdependsuponthethingdoneandthemotivegoesfornothing。Ihavereadsomewhere，butcannotrememberwhere，thatinsomecountrydistricttherewasonceagreatscarcityoffood，duringwhichthepoorsufferedacutely；manyindeedactuallydiedofstarvation，andallwerehardputtoit。Inonevillage，however，therewasapoorwidowwithafamilyofyoungchildren，who，thoughshehadsmallvisiblemeansofsubsistence，stilllookedwell-fedandcomfortable，asalsodidallherlittleones。“How。”everyoneasked，“didtheymanagetolive？”Itwasplaintheyhadasecret，anditwasequallyplainthatitcouldbenogoodone；fortherecameahurried，huntedlookoverthepoorwoman’sfaceifanyonealludedtothewayinwhichsheandhersthrovewhenothersstarved；thefamily，moreover，weresometimesseenoutatunusualhoursofthenight，andevidentlybroughtthingshome，whichcouldhardlyhavebeenhonestlycomeby。Theyknewtheywereundersuspicion，and，beinghithertoofexcellentname，itmadethemveryunhappy，foritmustbeconfessedthattheybelievedwhattheydidtobeuncannyifnotabsolutelywicked；nevertheless，inspiteofthistheythrove，andkepttheirstrengthwhenalltheirneighbourswerepinched。
Atlengthmatterscametoaheadandtheclergymanoftheparishcross-questionedthepoorwomansocloselythatwithmanytearsandabittersenseofdegradationsheconfessedthetruth；sheandherchildrenwentintothehedgesandgatheredsnails，whichtheymadeintobrothandate——couldsheeverbeforgiven？Wasthereanyhopeofsalvationforhereitherinthisworldorthenextaftersuchunnaturalconduct？
SoagainIhaveheardofanolddowagercountesswhosemoneywasallinConsols；shehadhadmanysons，andinheranxietytogivetheyoungeronesagoodstart，wantedalargerincomethanConsolswouldgiveher。SheconsultedhersolicitorandwasadvisedtosellherConsolsandinvestintheLondonandNorth-WesternRailway，thenatabout85。ThiswastoherwhateatingsnailswastothepoorwidowwhosestoryIhavetoldabove。Withshameandgrief，asofonedoinganuncleanthing——butherboysmusthavetheirstart——shedidasshewasadvised。Thenforalongwhileshecouldnotsleepatnightandwashauntedbyapresageofdisaster。Yetwhathappened？
Shestartedherboys，andinafewyearsfoundhercapitaldoubledintothebargain，onwhichshesoldoutandwentbackagaintoConsolsanddiedinthefullblessednessoffund-holding。
Shethought，indeed，thatshewasdoingawronganddangerousthing，butthishadabsolutelynothingtodowithit。SupposeshehadinvestedinthefullconfidenceofarecommendationbysomeeminentLondonbankerwhoseadvicewasbad，andsohadlostallhermoney，andsupposeshehaddonethiswithalightheartandwithnoconvictionofsin——wouldherinnocenceofevilpurposeandtheexcellenceofhermotivehavestoodherinanystead？Notthey。
Buttoreturntomystory。Towneleygavemyheromosttrouble。
Towneley，asIhavesaid，knewthatErnestwouldhavemoneysoon，butErnestdidnotofcourseknowthatheknewit。Towneleywasrichhimself，andwasmarriednow；Ernestwouldberichsoon，hadbonafideintendedtobemarriedalready，andwoulddoubtlessmarryalawfulwifelateron。Suchamanwasworthtakingpainswith，andwhenTowneleyonedaymetErnestinthestreet，andErnesttriedtoavoidhim，Towneleywouldnothaveit，butwithhisusualquickgoodnaturereadhisthoughts，caughthim，morallyspeaking，bythescruffofhisneck，andturnedhimlaughinglyinsideout，tellinghimhewouldhavenosuchnonsense。
TowneleywasjustasmuchErnest’sidolnowashehadeverbeen，andErnest，whowasveryeasilytouched，feltmoregratefullyandwarmlythanevertowardshim，buttherewasanunconscioussomethingwhichwasstrongerthanTowneley，andmademyherodeterminetobreakwithhimmoredeterminedlyperhapsthanwithanyotherlivingperson；hethankedhiminalowhurriedvoiceandpressedhishand，whiletearscameintohiseyesinspiteofallhiseffortstorepressthem。“Ifwemeetagain。”hesaid，“donotlookatme，butifhereafteryouhearofmewritingthingsyoudonotlike，thinkofmeascharitablyasyoucan。”andsotheyparted。
“Towneleyisagoodfellow。”saidI，gravely，“andyoushouldnothavecuthim。”
“Towneley。”heanswered，“isnotonlyagoodfellow，butheiswithoutexceptiontheverybestmanIeversawinmylife——except。”
hepaidmethecomplimentofsaying，“yourself；TowneleyismynotionofeverythingwhichIshouldmostliketobe——butthereisnorealsolidaritybetweenus。IshouldbeinperpetualfearoflosinghisgoodopinionifIsaidthingshedidnotlike，andImeantosayagreatmanythings。”hecontinuedmoremerrily，“whichTowneleywillnotlike。”
Aman，asIhavesaidalready，cangiveupfatherandmotherforChrist’ssaketolerablyeasilyforthemostpart，butitisnotsoeasytogiveuppeoplelikeTowneley。
