Ernestwasnowwellturnedtwenty-sixyearsold，andinlittlemorethananotheryearandahalfwouldcomeintopossessionofhismoney。IsawnoreasonforlettinghimhaveitearlierthanthedatefixedbyMissPontifexherself；atthesametimeIdidnotlikehiscontinuingtheshopatBlackfriarsafterthepresentcrisis。ItwasnottillnowthatIfullyunderstoodhowmuchhehadsuffered，norhownearlyhissupposedwife’shabitshadbroughthimtoactualwant。
Ihadindeednotedtheoldwanwornlooksettlinguponhisface，butwaseithertooindolentortoohopelessofbeingabletosustainaprotractedandsuccessfulwarfarewithEllentoextendthesympathyandmaketheinquirieswhichIsupposeIoughttohavemade。AndyetIhardlyknowwhatIcouldhavedone，fornothingshortofhisfindingoutwhathehadfoundoutwouldhavedetachedhimfromhiswife，andnothingcoulddohimmuchgoodaslongashecontinuedtolivewithher。
AfterallIsupposeIwasright；Isupposethingsdidturnoutallthebetterintheendforhavingbeenlefttosettlethemselves——atanyratewhethertheydidordidnot，thewholethingwasintoogreatamuddleformetoventuretotackleitsolongasEllenwasuponthescene；now，however，thatshewasremoved，allmyinterestinmygodsonrevived，andIturnedovermanytimesinmymind，whatIhadbetterdowithhim。
ItwasnowthreeandahalfyearssincehehadcomeuptoLondonandbeguntolive，sotospeak，uponhisownaccount。Oftheseyears，sixmonthshadbeenspentasaclergyman，sixmonthsingaol，andfortwoandahalfyearshehadbeenacquiringtwofoldexperienceinthewaysofbusinessandofmarriage。Hehadfailed，Imaysay，ineverythingthathehadundertaken，evenasaprisoner；yethisdefeatshadbeenalways，asitseemedtome，somethingsolikevictories，thatIwassatisfiedofhisbeingworthallthepainsI
couldbestowuponhim；myonlyfearwaslestIshouldmeddlewithhimwhenitmightbebetterforhimtobeletalone。OnthewholeI