Sohefellawayfromalloldfriendsexceptmyselfandthreeorfouroldintimatesofmyown，whowereassuretotaketohimashetothem，andwholikemyselfenjoyedgettingholdofayoungfreshmind。Ernestattendedtothekeepingofmyaccountbookswhenevertherewasanythingwhichcouldpossiblybeattendedto，whichthereseldomwas，andspentthegreaterpartoftherestofhistimeinaddingtothemanynotesandtentativeessayswhichhadalreadyaccumulatedinhisportfolios。Anyonewhowasusedtowritingcouldseeataglancethatliteraturewashisnaturaldevelopment，andI
waspleasedatseeinghimsettledowntoitsospontaneously。Iwaslesspleased，however，toobservethathewouldstilloccupyhimselfwithnonebutthemostserious，Ihadalmostsaidsolemn，subjects，justashenevercaredaboutanybutthemostseriouskindofmusic。
IsaidtohimonedaythattheveryslenderrewardwhichGodhadattachedtothepursuitofseriousinquirywasasufficientproofthatHedisapprovedofit，oratanyratethatHedidnotsetmuchstorebyitnorwishtoencourageit。
Hesaid：“Oh，don’ttalkaboutrewards。LookatMilton，whoonlygot5poundsfor’ParadiseLost。’“
“Andagreatdealtoomuch。”Irejoinedpromptly。“Iwouldhavegivenhimtwiceasmuchmyselfnottohavewrittenitatall。”
Ernestwasalittleshocked。“Atanyrate。”hesaidlaughingly，“I
don’twritepoetry。”
Thiswasacutatme，formyburlesqueswere，ofcourse，writteninrhyme。SoIdroppedthematter。
Afteratimehetookitintohisheadtore-openthequestionofhisgetting300poundsayearfordoing，ashesaid，absolutelynothing，andsaidhewouldtrytofindsomeemploymentwhichshouldbringhiminenoughtoliveupon。
Ilaughedatthisbutlethimalone。Hetriedandtriedveryhardforalongwhile，butIneedhardlysaywasunsuccessful。TheolderIgrow，themoreconvincedIbecomeofthefollyandcredulityofthepublic；butatthesametimetheharderdoIseeitistoimposeoneselfuponthatfollyandcredulity。
Hetriededitoraftereditorwitharticleafterarticle。Sometimesaneditorlistenedtohimandtoldhimtoleavehisarticles；healmostinvariably，however，hadthemreturnedtohimintheendwithapolitenotesayingthattheywerenotsuitedfortheparticularpapertowhichhehadsentthem。Andyetmanyoftheseveryarticlesappearedinhislaterworks，andnoonecomplainedofthem，notatleastonthescoreofbadliteraryworkmanship。“Isee。”hesaidtomeoneday，“thatdemandisveryimperious，andsupplymustbeverysuppliant。”
Once，indeed，theeditorofanimportantmonthlymagazineacceptedanarticlefromhim，andhethoughthehadnowgotafootingintheliteraryworld。Thearticlewastoappearinthenextissuebutone，andhewastoreceiveprooffromtheprintersinabouttendaysorafortnight；butweekafterweekpassedandtherewasnoproof；
monthaftermonthwentbyandtherewasstillnoroomforErnest’sarticle；atlengthafteraboutsixmonthstheeditoronemorningtoldhimthathehadfilledeverynumberofhisreviewforthenexttenmonths，butthathisarticleshoulddefinitelyappear。OnthisheinsistedonhavinghisMS。returnedtohim。
Sometimeshisarticleswereactuallypublished，andhefoundtheeditorhadeditedthemaccordingtohisownfancy，puttinginjokeswhichhethoughtwerefunny，orcuttingouttheverypassagewhichErnesthadconsideredthepointofthewholething，andthen，thoughthearticlesappeared，whenitcametopayingforthemitwasanothermatter，andheneversawhismoney。“Editors。”hesaidtomeonedayaboutthistime，“arelikethepeoplewhoboughtandsoldinthebookofRevelation；thereisnotonebuthasthemarkofthebeastuponhim。”
Atlastaftermonthsofdisappointmentandmanyatedioushourwastedindingyante-rooms(andofallanteroomsthoseofeditorsappeartometobethedreariest)，hegotabonafideofferofemploymentfromoneofthefirstclassweeklypapersthroughanintroductionIwasabletogetforhimfromonewhohadpowerfulinfluencewiththepaperinquestion。Theeditorsenthimadozenlongbooksuponvariedanddifficultsubjects，andtoldhimtoreviewtheminasinglearticlewithinaweek。Inonebooktherewasaneditorialnotetotheeffectthatthewriterwastobecondemned。Ernestparticularlyadmiredthebookhewasdesiredtocondemn，andfeelinghowhopelessitwasforhimtodoanythinglikejusticetothebookssubmittedtohim，returnedthemtotheeditor。
Atlastonepaperdidactuallytakeadozenorsoofarticlesfromhim，andgavehimcashdownacoupleofguineasapieceforthem，buthavingdonethisitexpiredwithinafortnightafterthelastofErnest’sarticleshadappeared。Itcertainlylookedverymuchasiftheothereditorsknewtheirbusinessindecliningtohaveanythingtodowithmyunluckygodson。
Iwasnotsorrythathefailedwithperiodicalliterature，forwritingforreviewsornewspapersisbadtrainingforonewhomayaspiretowriteworksofmorepermanentinterest。Ayoungwritershouldhavemoretimeforreflectionthanhecangetasacontributortothedailyorevenweeklypress。Ernesthimself，however，waschagrinedatfindinghowunmarketablehewas。“Why。”
hesaidtome，“IfIwasawell-bredhorse，orsheep，orapure-bredpigeonorlop-earedrabbitIshouldbemoresaleable。IfIwasevenacathedralinacolonialtownpeoplewouldgivemesomething，butasitistheydonotwantme“；andnowthathewaswellandrestedhewantedtosetupashopagain，butthis，ofcourse，Iwouldnothearof。
“WhatcareI。”saidhetomeoneday，“aboutbeingwhattheycallagentleman？”Andhismannerwasalmostfierce。
“Whathasbeingagentlemaneverdoneformeexceptmakemelessabletopreyandmoreeasytobepreyedupon？Ithaschangedthemannerofmybeingswindled，thatisall。ButforyourkindnesstomeIshouldbepenniless。ThankheavenIhaveplacedmychildrenwhereIhave。”
Ibeggedhimtokeepquietalittlelongerandnottalkabouttakingashop。
“Willbeingagentleman。”hesaid，“bringmemoneyatthelast，andwillanythingbringmeasmuchpeaceatthelastasmoneywill？
TheysaythatthosewhohaverichesenterhardlyintothekingdomofHeaven。ByJove，theydo；theyarelikeStruldbrugs；theyliveandliveandliveandarehappyformanyalongyearaftertheywouldhaveenteredintothekingdomofHeaveniftheyhadbeenpoor。I
wanttolivelongandtoraisemychildren，ifIseetheywouldbehappierfortheraising；thatiswhatIwant，anditisnotwhatI
amdoingnowthatwillhelpme。BeingagentlemanisaluxurywhichIcannotafford，thereforeIdonotwantit。Letmegobacktomyshopagain，anddothingsforpeoplewhichtheywantdoneandwillpaymefordoingforthem。TheyknowwhattheywantandwhatisgoodforthembetterthanIcantellthem。”
Itwashardtodenythesoundnessofthis，andifhehadbeendependentonlyonthe300poundsayearwhichhewasgettingfrommeIshouldhaveadvisedhimtoopenhisshopagainnextmorning。Asitwas，Itemporisedandraisedobstacles，andquietedhimfromtimetotimeasbestIcould。
OfcoursehereadMrDarwin’sbooksasfastastheycameoutandadoptedevolutionasanarticleoffaith。“Itseemstome。”hesaidonce，“thatIamlikeoneofthosecaterpillarswhich，iftheyhavebeeninterruptedinmakingtheirhammock，mustbeginagainfromthebeginning。SolongasIwentbackalongwaydowninthesocialscaleIgotonallright，andshouldhavemademoneybutforEllen；
whenItrytotakeuptheworkatahigherstageIfailcompletely。”
Idonotknowwhethertheanalogyholdsgoodornot，butIamsureErnest’sinstinctwasrightintellinghimthatafteraheavyfallhehadbetterbeginlifeagainataverylowstage，andasIhavejustsaid，IwouldhavelethimgobacktohisshopifIhadnotknownwhatIdid。
AsthetimefixeduponbyhisauntdrewnearerIpreparedhimmoreandmoreforwhatwascoming，andatlast，onhistwenty-eighthbirthday，Iwasabletotellhimallandtoshowhimthelettersignedbyhisauntuponherdeath-bedtotheeffectthatIwastoholdthemoneyintrustforhim。Hisbirthdayhappenedthatyear(1863)tobeonaSunday，butonthefollowingdayItransferredhissharesintohisownname，andpresentedhimwiththeaccountbookswhichhehadbeenkeepingforthelastyearandahalf。
InspiteofallthatIhaddonetopreparehim，itwasalongwhilebeforeIcouldgethimactuallytobelievethatthemoneywashisown。Hedidnotsaymuch——nomoredidI，forIamnotsurethatI
didnotfeelasmuchmovedathavingbroughtmylongtrusteeshiptoasatisfactoryconclusionasErnestdidatfindinghimselfownerofmorethan70，000pounds。Whenhedidspeakitwastojerkoutasentenceortwoofreflectionatatime。“IfIwererenderingthismomentinmusic。”hesaid，“Ishouldallowmyselffreeuseoftheaugmentedsixth。”AlittlelaterIrememberhissayingwithalaughthathadsomethingofafamilylikenesstohisaunt’s：“ItisnotthepleasureitcausesmewhichIenjoyso，itisthepainitwillcausetoallmyfriendsexceptyourselfandTowneley。”
Isaid：“Youcannottellyourfatherandmother——itwoulddrivethemmad。”
“No，no，no。”saidhe，“itwouldbetoocruel；itwouldbelikeIsaacofferingupAbrahamandnothicketwitharaminitnearathand。BesideswhyshouldI？Wehavecuteachotherthesefouryears。”
ItalmostseemedasthoughourcasualmentionofTheobaldandChristinahadinsomewayexcitedthemfromadormanttoanactivestate。DuringtheyearsthathadelapsedsincetheylastappeareduponthescenetheyhadremainedatBattersby，andhadconcentratedtheiraffectionupontheirotherchildren。
IthadbeenabitterpilltoTheobaldtolosehispowerofplaguinghisfirst-born；ifthetruthwereknownIbelievehehadfeltthismoreacutelythananydisgracewhichmighthavebeensheduponhimbyErnest’simprisonment。Hehadmadeoneortwoattemptstoreopennegotiationsthroughme，butIneversaidanythingaboutthemtoErnest，forIknewitwouldupsethim。Iwrote，however，toTheobaldthatIhadfoundhissoninexorable，andrecommendedhimforthepresent，atanyrate，todesistfromreturningtothesubject。ThisIthoughtwouldbeatoncewhatErnestwouldlikebestandTheobaldleast。
Afewdays，however，afterErnesthadcomeintohisproperty，I
receivedaletterfromTheobaldenclosingoneforErnestwhichI
couldnotwithhold。
Theletterranthus：-
“TomysonErnest，——AlthoughyouhavemorethanoncerejectedmyoverturesIappealyetagaintoyourbetternature。Yourmother，whohaslongbeenailing，is，Ibelieve，nearherend；sheisunabletokeepanythingonherstomach，andDrMartinholdsoutbutlittlehopesofherrecovery。Shehasexpressedawishtoseeyou，andsayssheknowsyouwillnotrefusetocometoher，which，consideringhercondition，Iamunwillingtosupposeyouwill。
