Reallyfromhisownstandpointtherewasnothingveryoutrageousinwhathewasdoing。HehadknownandbeenveryfondofEllenyearsbefore。Heknewhertocomeofrespectablepeople，andtohaveborneagoodcharacter，andtohavebeenuniversallylikedatBattersby。Shewasthenaquick，smart，hard-workinggirl——andaveryprettyone。Whenatlasttheymetagainshewasonherbestbehaviour，infact，shewasmodestyanddemurenessitself。Whatwonder，then，thathisimaginationshouldfailtorealisethechangesthateightyearsmusthaveworked？Heknewtoomuchagainsthimself，andwastoobankruptinlovetobesqueamish；ifEllenhadbeenonlywhathethoughther，andifhisprospectshadbeeninrealitynobetterthanhebelievedtheywere，IdonotknowthatthereisanythingmuchmoreimprudentinwhatErnestproposedthanthereisinhalfthemarriagesthattakeplaceeveryday。
Therewasnothingforit，however，buttomakethebestoftheinevitable，soIwishedmyyoungfriendgoodfortune，andtoldhimhecouldhavewhatevermoneyhewantedtostarthisshopwith，ifwhathehadinhandwasnotsufficient。Hethankedme，askedmetobekindenoughtolethimdoallmymendingandrepairing，andtogethimanyotherlikeordersthatIcould，andleftmetomyownreflections。
IwasevenmoreangrywhenhewasgonethanIhadbeenwhilehewaswithme。Hisfrank，boyishfacehadbeamedwithahappinessthathadrarelyvisitedit。ExceptatCambridgehehadhardlyknownwhathappinessmeant，andeventherehislifehadbeencloudedasofamanforwhomwisdomatthegreatestofitsentranceswasquiteshutout。Ihadseenenoughoftheworldandofhimtohaveobservedthis，butitwasimpossible，orIthoughtithadbeenimpossible，formetohavehelpedhim。
WhetherIoughttohavetriedtohelphimornotIdonotknow，butIamsurethattheyoungofallanimalsoftendowanthelpuponmattersaboutwhichanyonewouldsayapriorithatthereshouldbenodifficulty。Onewouldthinkthatayoungsealwouldwantnoteachinghowtoswim，noryetabirdtofly，butinpracticeayoungsealdrownsifputoutofitsdepthbeforeitsparentshavetaughtittoswim；andsoagain，eventheyounghawkmustbetaughttoflybeforeitcandoso。
Igrantthatthetendencyofthetimesistoexaggeratethegoodwhichteachingcando，butintryingtoteachtoomuch，inmostmatters，wehaveneglectedothersinrespectofwhichalittlesensibleteachingwoulddonoharm。