JoeyandCharlottewereintheroom。Joeywasnowordained，andwascuratetoTheobald。HeandErnesthadneverbeensympathetic，andErnestsawataglancethattherewasnochanceofarapprochementbetweenthem。HewasalittlestartledatseeingJoeydressedasaclergyman，andlookingsolikewhathehadlookedhimselfafewyearsearlier，fortherewasagooddealoffamilylikenessbetweenthepair；butJoey’sfacewascoldandwasilluminedwithnosparkofBohemianism；hewasaclergymanandwasgoingtodoasotherclergymendid，neitherbetternorworse。HegreetedErnestratherdehautenbas，thatistosayhebeganbytryingtodoso，buttheaffairtailedoffunsatisfactorily。
Hissisterpresentedhercheektohimtobekissed。Howhehatedit；hehadbeendreadingitforthelastthreehours。She，too，wasdistantandreproachfulinhermanner，assuchasuperiorpersonwassuretobe。Shehadagrievanceagainsthiminasmuchasshewasstillunmarried。ShelaidtheblameofthisatErnest’sdoor；itwashismisconductshemaintainedinsecret，whichhadpreventedyoungmenfrommakingofferstoher，andsheranhimupaheavybillforconsequentialdamages。SheandJoeyhadfromthefirstdevelopedaninstinctforhuntingwiththehounds，andnowthesetwohadfairlyidentifiedthemselveswiththeoldergeneration——thatistosayasagainstErnest。Onthisheadtherewasanoffensiveanddefensivealliancebetweenthem，butbetweenthemselvestherewassubduedbutinternecinewarfare。
ThisatleastwaswhatErnestgathered，partlyfromhisrecollectionsofthepartiesconcerned，andpartlyfromhisobservationoftheirlittlewaysduringthefirsthalf-hourafterhisarrival，whiletheywerealltogetherinhismother’sbedroom——
forasyetofcoursetheydidnotknowthathehadmoney。Hecouldseethattheyeyedhimfromtimetotimewithasurprisenotunmixedwithindignation，andknewverywellwhattheywerethinking。
Christinasawthechangewhichhadcomeoverhim——howmuchfirmerandmorevigorousbothinmindandbodyheseemedthanwhenshehadlastseenhim。Shesawtoohowwellhewasdressed，and，liketheothers，inspiteofthereturnofallheraffectionforherfirst-
born，wasalittlealarmedaboutTheobald’spocket，whichshesupposedwouldhavetobemulctedforallthismagnificence。
Perceivingthis，Ernestrelievedhermindandtoldherallabouthisaunt’sbequest，andhowIhadhusbandedit，inthepresenceofhisbrotherandsister——who，however，pretendednottonotice，oratanyratetonoticeasamatterinwhichtheycouldhardlybeexpectedtotakeaninterest。
Hismotherkickedalittleatfirstagainstthemoney’shavinggonetohimasshesaid“overhispapa’shead。”“Why，mydear。”shesaidinadeprecatingtone，“thisismorethaneveryourpapahashad“；
butErnestcalmedherbysuggestingthatifMissPontifexhadknownhowlargethesumwouldbecomeshewouldhaveleftthegreaterpartofittoTheobald。ThiscompromisewasacceptedbyChristinawhoforthwith，illasshewas，enteredwithardourintothenewposition，andtakingitasafreshpointofdeparture，beganspendingErnest’smoneyforhim。
ImaysayinpassingthatChristinawasrightinsayingthatTheobaldhadneverhadsomuchmoneyashissonwasnowpossessedof。Inthefirstplacehehadnothadafourteenyears’minoritywithnooutgoingstopreventtheaccumulationofthemoney，andinthesecondhe，likemyselfandalmosteveryoneelse，hadsufferedsomewhatinthe1846times——notenoughtocripplehimorevenseriouslytohurthim，butenoughtogivehimascareandmakehimsticktodebenturesfortherestofhislife。Itwasthefactofhisson’sbeingtherichermanofthetwo，andofhisbeingrichsoyoung，whichrankledwithTheobaldevenmorethanthefactofhishavingmoneyatall。Ifhehadhadtowaittillhewassixtyorsixty-five，andbecomebrokendownfromlongfailureinthemeantime，whythenperhapshemighthavebeenallowedtohavewhateversumshouldsufficetokeephimoutoftheworkhouseandpayhisdeath-bedexpenses；butthatheshouldcomeinto70，000poundsateightandtwenty，andhavenowifeandonlytwochildren——itwasintolerable。Christinawastooillandintoogreatahurrytospendthemoneytocaremuchaboutsuchdetailsastheforegoing，andshewasnaturallymuchmoregood-naturedthanTheobald。
“Thispieceofgoodfortune“——shesawitataglance——“quitewipedoutthedisgraceofhishavingbeenimprisoned。Thereshouldbenomorenonsenseaboutthat。Thewholethingwasamistake，anunfortunatemistake，true，butthelesssaidaboutitnowthebetter。OfcourseErnestwouldcomebackandliveatBattersbyuntilhewasmarried，andhewouldpayhisfatherhandsomelyforboardandlodging。InfactitwouldbeonlyrightthatTheobaldshouldmakeaprofit，norwouldErnesthimselfwishittobeotherthanahandsomeone；thiswasfarthebestandsimplestarrangement；
andhecouldtakehissisteroutmorethanTheobaldorJoeycaredtodo，andwouldalsodoubtlessentertainveryhandsomelyatBattersby。
“OfcoursehewouldbuyJoeyaliving，andmakelargepresentsyearlytohissister——wasthereanythingelse？Oh！yes——hewouldbecomeacountymagnatenow；amanwithnearly4000poundsayearshouldcertainlybecomeacountymagnate。HemightevengointoParliament。Hehadveryfairabilities，nothingindeedapproachingsuchgeniusasDrSkinner’s，norevenasTheobald’s，stillhewasnotdeficientandifhegotintoParliament——soyoungtoo——therewasnothingtohinderhisbeingPrimeMinisterbeforehedied，andifso，ofcourse，hewouldbecomeapeer。Oh！whydidhenotsetaboutitallatonce，sothatshemightlivetohearpeoplecallherson’mylord’——LordBattersbyshethoughtwoulddoverynicely，andifshewaswellenoughtosithemustcertainlyhaveherportraitpaintedatfulllengthforoneendofhislargedining-hall。ItshouldbeexhibitedattheRoyalAcademy：’PortraitofLordBattersby’smother，’shesaidtoherself，andherheartflutteredwithallitswontedvivacity。Ifshecouldnotsit，happily，shehadbeenphotographednotsoverylongago，andtheportraithadbeenassuccessfulasanyphotographcouldbeofafacewhichdependedsoentirelyuponitsexpressionasherown。Perhapsthepaintercouldtaketheportraitsufficientlyfromthis。ItwasbetterafterallthatErnesthadgivenuptheChurch——howfarmorewiselyGodarrangesmattersforusthaneverwecandoforourselves！Shesawitallnow——itwasJoeywhowouldbecomeArchbishopofCanterburyandErnestwouldremainalaymanandbecomePrimeMinister“……andsoontillherdaughtertoldheritwastimetotakehermedicine。
Isupposethisreverie，whichisamerefragmentofwhatactuallyranthroughChristina’sbrain，occupiedaboutaminuteandahalf，butit，orthepresenceofherson，seemedtoreviveherspiritswonderfully。Ill，dyingindeed，andsufferingasshewas，shebrightenedupsoastolaughonceortwicequitemerrilyduringthecourseoftheafternoon。NextdayDrMartinsaidshewassomuchbetterthathealmostbegantohavehopesofherrecoveryagain。
Theobald，wheneverthiswastoucheduponaspossible，wouldshakehisheadandsay：“Wecan’twishitprolonged。”andthenCharlottecaughtErnestunawaresandsaid：“Youknow，dearErnest，thattheseupsanddownsoftalkareterriblyagitatingtopapa；hecouldstandwhatevercomes，butitisquitetoowearingtohimtothinkhalf-a-
dozendifferentthingsbackwardsandforwards，upanddowninthesametwenty-fourhours，anditwouldbekinderofyounottodoit——
ImeannottosayanythingtohimeventhoughDrMartindoesholdouthopes。”
CharlottehadmeanttoimplythatitwasErnestwhowasatthebottomofalltheinconveniencefeltbyTheobald，herself，Joeyandeveryoneelse，andshehadactuallygotwordsoutwhichshouldconveythis；true，shehadnotdaredtosticktothemandhadturnedthemoff，butshehadmadethemhersatanyrateforonebriefmoment，andthiswasbetterthannothing。Ernestnoticedthroughouthismother’sillness，thatCharlottefoundimmediateoccasiontomakeherselfdisagreeabletohimwhenevereitherdoctorornursepronouncedhermothertobealittlebetter。WhenshewrotetoCrampsfordtodesiretheprayersofthecongregation(shewassurehermotherwouldwishit，andthattheCrampsfordpeoplewouldbepleasedatherremembranceofthem)，shewassendinganotherletteronsomequitedifferentsubjectatthesametime，andputthetwolettersintothewrongenvelopes。Ernestwasaskedtotaketheseletterstothevillagepost-office，andimprudentlydidso；whentheerrorcametobediscoveredChristinahappenedtohaveralliedalittle。CharlotteflewatErnestimmediately，andlaidalltheblameoftheblunderuponhisshoulders。
ExceptthatJoeyandCharlotteweremorefullydeveloped，thehouseanditsinmates，organicandinorganic，werelittlechangedsinceErnesthadlastseenthem。Thefurnitureandtheornamentsonthechimney-piecewerejustastheyhadbeeneversincehecouldrememberanythingatall。Inthedrawing-room，oneithersideofthefireplacetherehungtheCarloDolciandtheSassoferratoasinoldtimes；therewasthewatercolourofasceneontheLagoMaggiore，copiedbyCharlottefromanoriginallentherbyherdrawingmaster，andfinishedunderhisdirection。Thiswasthepictureofwhichoneoftheservantshadsaidthatitmustbegood，forMrPontifexhadgiventenshillingsfortheframe。Thepaperonthewallswasunchanged；theroseswerestillwaitingforthebees；
andthewholefamilystillprayednightandmorningtobemade“trulyhonestandconscientious。”
Onepictureonlywasremoved——aphotographofhimselfwhichhadhungunderoneofhisfatherandbetweenthoseofhisbrotherandsister。
Ernestnoticedthisatprayertime，whilehisfatherwasreadingaboutNoah’sarkandhowtheydaubeditwithslime，which，asithappened，hadbeenErnest’sfavouritetextwhenhewasaboy。Nextmorning，however，thephotographhadfounditswaybackagain，alittledustyandwithabitofthegildingchippedofffromonecorneroftheframe，buttheresureenoughitwas。Isupposetheyputitbackwhentheyfoundhowrichhehadbecome。
Inthedining-roomtheravenswerestilltryingtofeedElijahoverthefireplace；whatacrowdofreminiscencesdidnotthispicturebringback！Lookingoutofthewindow，thereweretheflowerbedsinthefrontgardenexactlyastheyhadbeen，andErnestfoundhimselflookinghardagainstthebluedooratthebottomofthegardentoseeiftherewasrainfalling，ashehadbeenusedtolookwhenhewasachilddoinglessonswithhisfather。
Aftertheirearlydinner，whenJoeyandErnestandtheirfatherwereleftalone，TheobaldroseandstoodinthemiddleofthehearthrugundertheElijahpicture，andbegantowhistleinhisoldabsentway。Hehadtwotunesonly，onewas“InmyCottagenearaWood。”
andtheotherwastheEasterHymn；hehadbeentryingtowhistlethemallhislife，buthadneversucceeded；hewhistledthemasacleverbullfinchmightwhistlethem——hehadgotthem，buthehadnotgotthemright；hewouldbeasemitoneoutineverythirdnoteasthoughrevertingtosomeremotemusicalprogenitor，whohadknownnonebuttheLydianorthePhrygianmode，orwhateverwouldenablehimtogomostwrongwhilestillkeepingthetunenearenoughtoberecognised。TheobaldstoodbeforethemiddleofthefireandwhistledhistwotunessoftlyinhisownoldwaytillErnestlefttheroom；theunchangednessoftheexternalandchangednessoftheinternalhefeltwerelikelytothrowhimcompletelyoffhisbalance。
Hestrolledoutofdoorsintothesoddenspinneybehindthehouse，andsolacedhimselfwithapipe。Erelonghefoundhimselfatthedoorofthecottageofhisfather’scoachman，whohadmarriedanoldlady’smaidofhismother’s，towhomErnesthadbeenalwaysmuchattachedasshealsotohim，forshehadknownhimeversincehehadbeenfiveorsixyearsold。HernamewasSusan。Hesatdownintherocking-chairbeforeherfire，andSusanwentonironingatthetableinfrontofthewindow，andasmellofhotflannelpervadedthekitchen。
SusanhadbeenretainedtoosecurelybyChristinatobelikelytosidewithErnestallinamoment。Heknewthisverywell，anddidnotcallonherforthesakeofsupport，moralorotherwise。Hehadcalledbecausehelikedher，andalsobecauseheknewthatheshouldgathermuchinachatwithherthatheshouldnotbeabletoarriveatinanyotherway。
“Oh，MasterErnest。”saidSusan，“whydidyounotcomebackwhenyourpoorpapaandmammawantedyou？I’msureyourmahassaidtomeahundredtimesoverifshehassaiditoncethatallshouldbeexactlyasithadbeenbefore。”
Ernestsmiledtohimself。ItwasnouseexplainingtoSusanwhyhesmiled，sohesaidnothing。
