ItoldhimhowErnest’sfellowcuratehadgotholdofhismoney，andhintedthathemightverylikelybepenniless，ornearlyso，onleavingprison。Theobalddidnotseemdispleasedatthis，butaddedsoonafterwards：“Ifthisprovestobethecase，tellhimfrommethatIwillgivehimahundredpoundsifhewilltellmethroughyouwhenhewillhaveitpaid，buttellhimnottowriteandthankme，andsaythatifheattemptstoopenupdirectcommunicationeitherwithhismotherormyself，heshallnothaveapennyofthemoney。”
KnowingwhatIknew，andhavingdeterminedonviolatingMissPontifex’sinstructionsshouldtheoccasionarise，IdidnotthinkErnestwouldbeanytheworseforacompleteestrangementfromhisfamily，soIacquiescedmorereadilyinwhatTheobaldhadproposedthanthatgentlemanmayhaveexpected。
ThinkingitbetterthatIshouldnotseeChristina，IleftTheobaldnearBattersbyandwalkedbacktothestation。OnmywayIwaspleasedtoreflectthatErnest’sfatherwaslessofafoolthanI
hadtakenhimtobe，andhadthegreaterhopes，therefore，thathisson’sblundersmightbeduetopostnatal，ratherthancongenitalmisfortunes。Accidentswhichhappentoamanbeforeheisborn，inthepersonsofhisancestors，will，ifheremembersthematall，leaveanindelibleimpressiononhim；theywillhavemouldedhischaractersothat，dowhathewill，itishardlypossibleforhimtoescapetheirconsequences。IfamanistoenterintotheKingdomofHeaven，hemustdoso，notonlyasalittlechild，butasalittleembryo，orratherasalittlezoosperm——andnotonlythis，butasonethathascomeofzoospermswhichhaveenteredintotheKingdomofHeavenbeforehimformanygenerations。Accidentswhichoccurforthefirsttime，andbelongtotheperiodsinceaman’slastbirth，arenot，asageneralrule，sopermanentintheireffects，thoughofcoursetheymaysometimesbeso。Atanyrate，IwasnotdispleasedattheviewwhichErnest’sfathertookofthesituation。
AfterErnesthadbeensentenced，hewastakenbacktothecellstowaitforthevanwhichshouldtakehimtoColdbathFields，wherehewastoservehisterm。