Pleasure，afterall，isasaferguidethaneitherrightorduty。
Forhardasitistoknowwhatgivesuspleasure，rightanddutyareoftenstillhardertodistinguishand，ifwegowrongwiththem，willleadusintojustassorryaplightasamistakenopinionconcerningpleasure。Whenmenburntheirfingersthroughfollowingafterpleasuretheyfindouttheirmistakeandgettoseewheretheyhavegonewrongmoreeasilythanwhentheyhaveburntthemthroughfollowingafterafanciedduty，orafanciedideaconcerningrightvirtue。Thedevil，infact，whenhedresseshimselfinangel’sclothes，canonlybedetectedbyexpertsofexceptionalskill，andsooftendoesheadoptthisdisguisethatitishardlysafetobeseentalkingtoanangelatall，andprudentpeoplewillfollowafterpleasureasamorehomelybutmorerespectableandonthewholemuchmoretrustworthyguide。
ReturningtoMrPontifex，overandabovehishavinglivedlongandprosperously，heleftnumerousoffspring，toallofwhomhecommunicatednotonlyhisphysicalandmentalcharacteristics，withnomorethantheusualamountofmodification，butalsonosmallshareofcharacteristicswhicharelesseasilytransmitted——Imeanhispecuniarycharacteristics。Itmaybesaidthatheacquiredthesebysittingstillandlettingmoneyrun，asitwere，rightupagainsthim，butagainsthowmanydoesnotmoneyrunwhodonottakeitwhenitdoes，orwho，eveniftheyholditforalittlewhile，cannotsoincorporateitwiththemselvesthatitshalldescendthroughthemtotheiroffspring？MrPontifexdidthis。Hekeptwhathemaybesaidtohavemade，andmoneyislikeareputationforability——moreeasilymadethankept。
Takehim，then，forallinall，Iamnotinclinedtobesosevereuponhimasmyfatherwas。Judgehimaccordingtoanyveryloftystandard，andheisnowhere。Judgehimaccordingtoafairaveragestandard，andthereisnotmuchfaulttobefoundwithhim。IhavesaidwhatIhavesaidintheforegoingchapteronceforall，andshallnotbreakmythreadtorepeatit。Itshouldgowithoutsayinginmodificationoftheverdictwhichthereadermaybeinclinedtopasstoohastily，notonlyuponMrGeorgePontifex，butalsouponTheobaldandChristina。AndnowIwillcontinuemystory。
ThebirthofhissonopenedTheobald’seyestoagooddealwhichhehadbutfaintlyrealisedhitherto。Hehadhadnoideahowgreatanuisanceababywas。Babiescomeintotheworldsosuddenlyattheend，andupseteverythingsoterriblywhentheydocome：whycannottheystealinuponuswithlessofashocktothedomesticsystem？