IcalledadayortwoafterwardsandfoundMrPontifexstillatBattersby，laidupwithoneofthoseattacksofliveranddepressiontowhichhewasbecomingmoreandmoresubject。Istayedtoluncheon。Theoldgentlemanwascrossandverydifficult；hecouldeatnothing——hadnoappetiteatall。Christinatriedtocoaxhimwithalittlebitofthefleshypartofamuttonchop。“HowinthenameofreasoncanIbeaskedtoeatamuttonchop？”heexclaimedangrily；“youforget，mydearChristina，thatyouhavetodealwithastomachthatistotallydisorganised。”andhepushedtheplatefromhim，poutingandfrowninglikeanaughtyoldchild。WritingasIdobythelightofalaterknowledge，IsupposeIshouldhaveseennothinginthisbuttheworld’sgrowingpains，thedisturbanceinseparablefromtransitioninhumanthings。Isupposeinrealitynotaleafgoesyellowinautumnwithoutceasingtocareaboutitssapandmakingtheparenttreeveryuncomfortablebylonggrowlingandgrumbling——butsurelynaturemightfindsomelessirritatingwayofcarryingonbusinessifshewouldgivehermindtoit。Whyshouldthegenerationsoverlaponeanotheratall？WhycannotwebeburiedaseggsinneatlittlecellswithtenortwentythousandpoundseachwrappedroundusinBankofEnglandnotes，andwakeup，asthesphexwaspdoes，tofindthatitspapaandmammahavenotonlyleftampleprovisionatitselbow，buthavebeeneatenbysparrowssomeweeksbeforeitbegantoliveconsciouslyonitsownaccount？
AboutayearandahalfafterwardsthetableswereturnedonBattersby——forMrsJohnPontifexwassafelydeliveredofaboy。A
yearorsolaterstill，GeorgePontifexwashimselfstruckdownsuddenlybyafitofparalysis，muchashismotherhadbeen，buthedidnotseetheyearsofhismother。Whenhiswillwasopened，itwasfoundthatanoriginalbequestof20，000poundstoTheobaldhimselfoverandabovethesumthathadbeensettleduponhimandChristinaatthetimeofhismarriagehadbeencutdownto17，500
poundswhenMrPontifexleft“something“toErnest。The“something“
provedtobe2500pounds，whichwastoaccumulateinthehandsoftrustees。TherestofthepropertywenttoJohnPontifex，exceptthateachofthedaughterswasleftwithabout15，000poundsoverandabove5000poundsapiecewhichtheyinheritedfromtheirmother。