“IremityouaPostOfficeorderforyourfare，andwillpayyourreturnjourney。
“Ifyouwantclothestocomein，orderwhatyouconsidersuitable，anddesirethatthebillbesenttome；Iwillpayitimmediately，toanamountnotexceedingeightorninepounds，andifyouwillletmeknowwhattrainyouwillcomeby，Iwillsendthecarriagetomeetyou。Believeme，Youraffectionatefather，T。PONTIFEX。”
OfcoursetherecouldbenohesitationonErnest’spart。Hecouldaffordtosmilenowathisfather’sofferingtopayforhisclothes，andhissendinghimaPostOfficeorderfortheexactpriceofasecond-classticket，andhewasofcourseshockedatlearningthestatehismotherwassaidtobein，andtouchedatherdesiretoseehim。Hetelegraphedthathewouldcomedownatonce。Isawhimalittlebeforehestarted，andwaspleasedtoseehowwellhistailorhaddonebyhim。Towneleyhimselfcouldnothavebeenappointedmorebecomingly。Hisportmanteau，hisrailwaywrapper，everythinghehadabouthim，wasinkeeping。Ithoughthehadgrownmuchbetter-lookingthanhehadbeenattwoorthreeandtwenty。Hisyearandahalfofpeacehadeffacedalltheilleffectsofhisprevioussuffering，andnowthathehadbecomeactuallyrichtherewasanairofinsoucianceandgoodhumouruponhisface，asofamanwithwhomeverythingwasgoingperfectlyright，whichwouldhavemadeamuchplainermangood-looking。Iwasproudofhimanddelightedwithhim。“Iamsure。”Isaidtomyself，“thatwhateverelsehemaydo，hewillnevermarryagain。”
Thejourneywasapainfulone。Ashedrewneartothestationandcaughtsightofeachfamiliarfeature，sostrongwastheforceofassociationthathefeltasthoughhiscomingintohisaunt’smoneyhadbeenadream，andhewereagainreturningtohisfather’shouseashehadreturnedtoitfromCambridgeforthevacations。Dowhathewould，theolddullweightofhome-sicknessbegantooppresshim，hisheartbeatfastashethoughtofhisapproachingmeetingwithhisfatherandmother，“andIshallhave。”hesaidtohimself，“tokissCharlotte。”
Wouldhisfathermeethimatthestation？Wouldhegreethimasthoughnothinghadhappened，orwouldhebecoldanddistant？How，again，wouldhetakethenewsofhisson’sgoodfortune？Asthetraindrewuptotheplatform，Ernest’seyeranhurriedlyoverthefewpeoplewhowereinthestation。Hisfather’swell-knownformwasnotamongthem，butontheothersideofthepalingswhichdividedthestationyardfromtheplatform，hesawtheponycarriage，looking，ashethought，rathershabby，andrecognisedhisfather’scoachman。InafewminutesmorehewasinthecarriagedrivingtowardsBattersby。Hecouldnothelpsmilingashesawthecoachmangivealookofsurpriseatfindinghimsomuchchangedinpersonalappearance。ThecoachmanwasthemoresurprisedbecausewhenErnesthadlastbeenathomehehadbeendressedasaclergyman，andnowhewasnotonlyalayman，butalaymanwhowasgotupregardlessofexpense。ThechangewassogreatthatitwasnottillErnestactuallyspoketohimthatthecoachmanknewhim。
“Howaremyfatherandmother？”heaskedhurriedly，ashegotintothecarriage。“TheMaster’swell，sir。”wastheanswer，“buttheMissisisverysadly。”Thehorseknewthathewasgoinghomeandpulledhardatthereins。Theweatherwascoldandraw——theveryidealofaNovemberday；inonepartoftheroadthefloodswereout，andnearheretheyhadtopassthroughanumberofhorsemenanddogs，forthehoundshadmetthatmorningataplacenearBattersby。
Ernestsawseveralpeoplewhomheknew，buttheyeither，asismostlikely，didnotrecognisehim，ordidnotknowofhisgoodluck。
WhenBattersbychurchtowerdrewnear，andhesawtheRectoryonthetopofthehill，itschimneysjustshowingabovetheleaflesstreeswithwhichitwassurrounded，hethrewhimselfbackinthecarriageandcoveredhisfacewithhishands。
Itcametoanend，aseventheworstquartersofanhourdo，andinafewminutesmorehewasonthestepsinfrontofhisfather’shouse。Hisfather，hearingthecarriagearrive，camealittlewaydownthestepstomeethim。LikethecoachmanhesawataglancethatErnestwasappointedasthoughmoneywereabundantwithhim，andthathewaslookingrobustandfullofhealthandvigour。
Thiswasnotwhathehadbargainedfor。HewantedErnesttoreturn，buthewastoreturnasanyrespectable，well-regulatedprodigaloughttoreturn——abject，broken-hearted，askingforgivenessfromthetenderestandmostlong-sufferingfatherinthewholeworld。Ifheshouldhaveshoesandstockingsandwholeclothesatall，itshouldbeonlybecauseabsoluteragsandtattershadbeengraciouslydispensedwith，whereasherehewasswaggeringinagreyulsterandablueandwhiteneck-tie，andlookingbetterthanTheobaldhadeverseenhiminhislife。Itwasunprincipled。WasitforthisthathehadbeengenerousenoughtooffertoprovideErnestwithdecentclothesinwhichtocomeandvisithismother’sdeath-bed？CouldanyadvantagebemeanerthantheonewhichErnesthadtaken？Well，hewouldnotgoapennybeyondtheeightorninepoundswhichhehadpromised。Itwasfortunatehehadgivenalimit。Whyhe，Theobald，hadneverbeenabletoaffordsuchaportmanteauinhislife。HewasstillusinganoldonewhichhisfatherhadturnedovertohimwhenhewentuptoCambridge。Besides，hehadsaidclothes，notaportmanteau。
Ernestsawwhatwaspassingthroughhisfather’smind，andfeltthatheoughttohavepreparedhiminsomewayforwhathenowsaw；buthehadsenthistelegramsoimmediatelyonreceivinghisfather’sletter，andhadfolloweditsopromptlythatitwouldnothavebeeneasytodosoevenifhehadthoughtofit。Heputouthishandandsaidlaughingly，“Oh，it’sallpaidfor——IamafraidyoudonotknowthatMrOvertonhashandedovertomeAuntAlethea’smoney。”
Theobaldflushedscarlet。“Butwhy。”hesaid，andthesewerethefirstwordsthatactuallycrossedhislips——“ifthemoneywasnothistokeep，didhenothanditovertomybrotherJohnandme？”Hestammeredagooddealandlookedsheepish，buthegotthewordsout。
“Because，mydearfather。”saidErneststilllaughing，“myauntleftittohimintrustforme，notintrusteitherforyouorformyUncleJohn——andithasaccumulatedtillitisnowover70，000
pounds。Buttellmehowismymother？”
“No，Ernest。”saidTheobaldexcitedly，“themattercannotresthere，Imustknowthatthisisallopenandaboveboard。”
ThishadthetrueTheobaldringandinstantlybroughtthewholetrainofideaswhichinErnest’smindwereconnectedwithhisfather。Thesurroundingsweretheoldfamiliarones，butthesurroundedwerechangedalmostbeyondpowerofrecognition。HeturnedsharplyonTheobaldinamoment。Iwillnotrepeatthewordsheused，fortheycameoutbeforehehadtimetoconsiderthem，andtheymightstrikesomeofmyreadersasdisrespectful；therewerenotmanyofthem，buttheywereeffectual。Theobaldsaidnothing，butturnedalmostofanashencolour；heneveragainspoketohissoninsuchawayastomakeitnecessaryforhimtorepeatwhathehadsaidonthisoccasion。Ernestquicklyrecoveredhistemperandagainaskedafterhismother。Theobaldwasgladenoughtotakethisopeningnow，andrepliedatonceinthetonehewouldhaveassumedtowardsonehemostparticularlydesiredtoconciliate，thatshewasgettingrapidlyworseinspiteofallhehadbeenabletodoforher，andconcludedbysayingshehadbeenthecomfortandmainstayofhislifeformorethanthirtyyears，butthathecouldnotwishitprolonged。
ThepairthenwentupstairstoChristina’sroom，theoneinwhichErnesthadbeenborn。Hisfatherwentbeforehimandpreparedherforherson’sapproach。Thepoorwomanraisedherselfinbedashecametowardsher，andweepingassheflungherarmsaroundhim，cried：“Oh，Iknewhewouldcome，Iknew，Iknewhecouldcome。”
Ernestbrokedownandweptashehadnotdoneforyears。
“Oh，myboy，myboy。”shesaidassoonasshecouldrecoverhervoice。“Haveyouneverreallybeennearusforalltheseyears？
Ah，youdonotknowhowwehavelovedyouandmournedoveryou，papajustasmuchasIhave。Youknowheshowshisfeelingsless，butI
cannevertellyouhowvery，verydeeplyhehasfeltforyou。
SometimesatnightIhavethoughtIhaveheardfootstepsinthegarden，andhavegotquietlyoutofbedlestIshouldwakehim，andgonetothewindowtolookout，buttherehasbeenonlydarkorthegreynessofthemorning，andIhavegonecryingbacktobedagain。
StillIthinkyouhavebeennearusthoughyouweretooproudtoletusknow——andnowatlastIhaveyouinmyarmsoncemore，mydearest，dearestboy。”
Howcruel，howinfamouslyunfeelingErnestthoughthehadbeen。
“Mother。”hesaid，“forgiveme——thefaultwasmine，Ioughtnottohavebeensohard；Iwaswrong，verywrong“；thepoorblubberingfellowmeantwhathesaid，andhisheartyearnedtohismotherashehadneverthoughtthatitcouldyearnagain。“Buthaveyounever。”
shecontinued，“comealthoughitwasinthedarkandwedidnotknowit——oh，letmethinkthatyouhavenotbeensocruelaswehavethoughtyou。Tellmethatyoucameifonlytocomfortmeandmakemehappier。”
Ernestwasready。“Ihadnomoneytocomewith，mother，tilljustlately。”
ThiswasanexcuseChristinacouldunderstandandmakeallowancefor；“Oh，thenyouwouldhavecome，andIwilltakethewillforthedeed——andnowthatIhaveyousafeagain，saythatyouwillnever，neverleaveme——nottill——nottill——oh，myboy，havetheytoldyouI
amdying？”Sheweptbitterly，andburiedherheadinherpillow。
