“Oh，yourpore，porema！”saidEllen。“Shewasalwayssoveryfondofyou，MasterErnest：youwasalwaysherfavourite；Ican’tabeartothinkofanythingbetweenyouandher。Tothinknowofthewaysheusedtohavemeintothedining-roomandteachmemycatechism，thatshedid！Oh，MasterErnest，youreallymustgoandmakeitallupwithher；indeedyoumust。”
Ernestfeltrueful，buthehadresistedsovaliantlyalreadythatthedevilmighthavesavedhimselfthetroubleoftryingtogetathimthroughElleninthematterofhisfatherandmother。Hechangedthesubject，andthepairwarmedtooneanotherastheyhadtheirtripeandpotsofbeer。OfallpeopleintheworldEllenwasperhapstheonetowhomErnestcouldhavespokenmostfreelyatthisjuncture。Hetoldherwhathethoughthecouldhavetoldtonooneelse。
“Youknow，Ellen。”heconcluded，“IhadlearntasaboythingsthatIoughtnottohavelearnt，andhadneverhadachanceofthatwhichwouldhavesetmestraight。”
“Gentlefolksisalwayslikethat。”saidEllenmusingly。
“Ibelieveyouareright，butIamnolongeragentleman，Ellen，andIdon’tseewhyIshouldbe’likethat’anylonger，mydear。Iwantyoutohelpmetobelikesomethingelseassoonaspossible。”