“Theyaren’tmine。”thoughtErnest，“andneverhavebeen“——“andsecondly，thatyoubringnosmellofglueorshavingsintothehousehere，ifyoumakeanypartoftheorganduringyourholidays。”
Ernestwasstilltooyoungtoknowhowunpleasantaletterhewasreceiving。Hebelievedtheinnuendoescontainedinittobeperfectlyjust。Heknewhewassadlydeficientinperseverance。Helikedsomethingsforalittlewhile，andthenfoundhedidnotlikethemanymore——andthiswasasbadasanythingwellcouldbe。Hisfather’slettergavehimoneofhismanyfitsofmelancholyoverhisownworthlessness，butthethoughtoftheorganconsoledhim，andhefeltsurethathereatanyratewassomethingtowhichhecouldapplyhimselfsteadilywithoutgrowingtiredofit。
ItwassettledthattheorganwasnottobebegunbeforetheChristmasholidayswereover，andthattillthenErnestshoulddoalittleplaincarpentering，soastogettoknowhowtousehistools。MissPontifexhadacarpenter’sbenchsetupinanouthouseuponherownpremises，andmadetermswiththemostrespectablecarpenterinRoughborough，bywhichoneofhismenwastocomeforacoupleofhourstwiceaweekandsetErnestontherightway；thenshediscoveredshewantedthisorthatsimplepieceofworkdone，andgavetheboyacommissiontodoit，payinghimhandsomelyaswellasfindinghimintoolsandmaterials。Shenevergavehimasyllableofgoodadvice，ortalkedtohimabouteverything’sdependinguponhisownexertions，butshekissedhimoften，andwouldcomeintotheworkshopandactthepartofonewhotookaninterestinwhatwasbeingdonesocleverlyaserelongtobecomereallyinterested。
Whatboywouldnottakekindlytoalmostanythingwithsuchassistance？Allboyslikemakingthings；theexerciseofsawing，planingandhammering，provedexactlywhathisaunthadwantedtofind——somethingthatshouldexercise，butnottoomuch，andatthesametimeamusehim；whenErnest’ssallowfacewasflushedwithhiswork，andhiseyesweresparklingwithpleasure，helookedquiteadifferentboyfromtheonehisaunthadtakeninhandonlyafewmonthsearlier。Hisinnerselfnevertoldhimthatthiswashumbug，asitdidaboutLatinandGreek。Makingstoolsanddrawerswasworthlivingfor，andafterChristmasthereloomedtheorgan，whichwasscarcelyeverabsentfromhismind。
Hisauntlethiminvitehisfriends，encouraginghimtobringthosewhomherquicksensetoldherwerethemostdesirable。Shesmartenedhimupalsoinhispersonalappearance，alwayswithoutpreachingtohim。Indeedsheworkedwondersduringtheshorttimethatwasallowedher，andifherlifehadbeensparedIcannotthinkthatmyherowouldhavecomeundertheshadowofthatcloudwhichcastsoheavyagloomoverhisyoungermanhood；butunfortunatelyforhimhisgleamofsunshinewastoohotandtoobrillianttolast，andhehadmanyastormyettoweather，beforehebecamefairlyhappy。Forthepresent，however，hewassupremelyso，andhisauntwashappyandgratefulforhishappiness，theimprovementshesawinhim，andhisunrepressedaffectionforherself。Shebecamefonderofhimfromdaytodayinspiteofhismanyfaultsandalmostincrediblefoolishnesses。Itwasperhapsonaccountoftheseverythingsthatshesawhowmuchhehadneedofher；butatanyrate，fromwhatevercause，shebecamestrengthenedinherdeterminationtobetohimintheplaceofparents，andtofindinhimasonratherthananephew。Butstillshemadenowill。
Allwentwellforthefirstpartofthefollowinghalfyear。MissPontifexspentthegreaterpartofherholidaysinLondon，andI
alsosawheratRoughborough，whereIspentafewdays，stayingatthe“Swan。”Iheardallaboutmygodsoninwhom，however，ItooklessinterestthanIsaidIdid。Itookmoreinterestinthestageatthattimethaninanythingelse，andasforErnest，Ifoundhimanuisanceforengrossingsomuchofhisaunt’sattention，andtakinghersomuchfromLondon。Theorganwasbegun，andmadefairprogressduringthefirsttwomonthsofthehalfyear。Ernestwashappierthanhehadeverbeenbefore，andwasstrugglingupwards。
Thebestboystookmorenoticeofhimforhisaunt’ssake，andheconsortedlesswiththosewholedhimintomischief。
ButmuchasMissPontifexhaddone，shecouldnotallatonceundotheeffectofsuchsurroundingsastheboyhadhadatBattersby。
Muchashefearedanddislikedhisfatherthoughhestillknewnothowmuchthiswas，hehadcaughtmuchfromhim；ifTheobaldhadbeenkinderErnestwouldhavemodelledhimselfuponhimentirely，anderelongwouldprobablyhavebecomeasthoroughalittleprigascouldhaveeasilybeenfound。
Fortunatelyhistemperhadcometohimfromhismother，who，whennotfrightened，andwhentherewasnothingonthehorizonwhichmightcrosstheslightestwhimofherhusband，wasanamiable，good-
naturedwoman。Ifitwasnotsuchanawfulthingtosayofanyone，Ishouldsaythatshemeantwell。
Ernesthadalsoinheritedhismother’sloveofbuildingcastlesintheair，and——soIsupposeitmustbecalled——hervanity。Hewasveryfondofshowingoff，and，providedhecouldattractattention，caredlittlefromwhomitcame，norwhatitwasfor。Hecaughtup，parrot-like，whateverjargonheheardfromhiselders，whichhethoughtwasthecorrectthing，andaireditinseasonandoutofseason，asthoughitwerehisown。
MissPontifexwasoldenoughandwiseenoughtoknowthatthisisthewayinwhicheventhegreatestmenasageneralrulebegintodevelop，andwasmorepleasedwithhisreceptivenessandreproductivenessthanalarmedatthethingshecaughtandreproduced。
Shesawthathewasmuchattachedtoherself，andtrustedtothisratherthantoanythingelse。Shesawalsothathisconceitwasnotveryprofound，andthathisfitsofself-abasementwereasextremeashisexaltationhadbeen。Hisimpulsivenessandsanguinetrustfulnessinanyonewhosmiledpleasantlyathim，orindeedwasnotabsolutelyunkindtohim，madehermoreanxiousabouthimthananyotherpointinhischaracter；shesawclearlythathewouldhavetofindhimselfrudelyundeceivedmanyatimeandoft，beforehewouldlearntodistinguishfriendfromfoewithinreasonabletime。
Itwasherperceptionofthiswhichledhertotaketheactionwhichshewassosooncalledupontotake。
Herhealthwasforthemostpartexcellent，andshehadneverhadaseriousillnessinherlife。Onemorning，however，soonafterEaster1850，sheawokefeelingseriouslyunwell。Forsomelittletimetherehadbeenatalkoffeverintheneighbourhood，butinthosedaystheprecautionsthatoughttobetakenagainstthespreadofinfectionwerenotsowellunderstoodasnow，andnobodydidanything。InadayortwoitbecameplainthatMissPontifexhadgotanattackoftyphoidfeverandwasdangerouslyill。Onthisshesentoffamessengertotown，anddesiredhimnottoreturnwithoutherlawyerandmyself。
Wearrivedontheafternoonofthedayonwhichwehadbeensummoned，andfoundherstillfreefromdelirium：indeed，thecheerywayinwhichshereceivedusmadeitdifficulttothinkshecouldbeindanger。Sheatonceexplainedherwishes，whichhadreference，asIexpected，tohernephew，andrepeatedthesubstanceofwhatIhavealreadyreferredtoashermainsourceofuneasinessconcerninghim。Thenshebeggedmebyourlongandcloseintimacy，bythesuddennessofthedangerthathadfallenonherandherpowerlessnesstoavertit，toundertakewhatshesaidshewellknew，ifshedied，wouldbeanunpleasantandinvidioustrust。
Shewantedtoleavethebulkofhermoneyostensiblytome，butinrealitytohernephew，sothatIshouldholditintrustforhimtillhewastwenty-eightyearsold，butneitherhenoranyoneelse，exceptherlawyerandmyself，wastoknowanythingaboutit。Shewouldleave5000poundsinotherlegacies，and15，000poundstoErnest——whichbythetimehewastwenty-eightwouldhaveaccumulatedto，say，30，000pounds。“Selloutthedebentures。”shesaid，“wherethemoneynowis——andputitintoMidlandOrdinary。”
“Lethimmakehismistakes。”shesaid，“uponthemoneyhisgrandfatherlefthim。Iamnoprophet，butevenIcanseethatitwilltakethatboymanyyearstoseethingsashisneighboursseethem。Hewillgetnohelpfromhisfatherandmother，whowouldneverforgivehimforhisgoodluckifIlefthimthemoneyoutright；IdaresayIamwrong，butIthinkhewillhavetolosethegreaterpartorallofwhathehas，beforehewillknowhowtokeepwhathewillgetfromme。”
Supposinghewentbankruptbeforehewastwenty-eightyearsold，themoneywastobemineabsolutely，butshecouldtrustme，shesaid，tohanditovertoErnestinduetime。
“If。”shecontinued，“Iammistaken，theworstthatcanhappenisthathewillcomeintoalargersumattwenty-eightinsteadofasmallersumat，say，twenty-three，forIwouldnevertrusthimwithitearlier，and——ifheknowsnothingaboutithewillnotbeunhappyforthewantofit。”
Shebeggedmetotake2000poundsinreturnforthetroubleIshouldhaveintakingchargeoftheboy’sestate，andasasignofthetestatrix’shopethatIwouldnowandagainlookafterhimwhilehewasstillyoung。Theremaining3000poundsIwastopayinlegaciesandannuitiestofriendsandservants。
Invainbothherlawyerandmyselfremonstratedwithherontheunusualandhazardousnatureofthisarrangement。WetoldherthatsensiblepeoplewillnottakeamoresanguineviewconcerninghumannaturethantheCourtsofChancerydo。Wesaid，infact，everythingthatanyoneelsewouldsay。Sheadmittedeverything，buturgedthathertimewasshort，thatnothingwouldinducehertoleavehermoneytohernephewintheusualway。“Itisanunusuallyfoolishwill。”
shesaid，“butheisanunusuallyfoolishboy；“andshesmiledquitemerrilyatherlittlesally。Likealltherestofherfamily，shewasverystubbornwhenhermindwasmadeup。Sothethingwasdoneasshewishedit。
NoprovisionwasmadeforeithermydeathorErnest’s——MissPontifexhadsettleditthatwewereneitherofusgoingtodie，andwastooilltogointodetails；shewassoanxious，moreover，tosignherwillwhilestillabletodosothatwehadpracticallynoalternativebuttodoasshetoldus。Ifsherecoveredwecouldseethingsputonamoresatisfactoryfooting，andfurtherdiscussionwouldevidentlyimpairherchancesofrecovery；itseemedthenonlytoolikelythatitwasacaseofthiswillornowillatall。
WhenthewillwassignedIwrotealetterinduplicate，sayingthatIheldallMissPontifexhadleftmeintrustforErnestexceptasregards5000pounds，butthathewasnottocomeintothebequest，andwastoknownothingwhateveraboutitdirectlyorindirectly，tillhewastwenty-eightyearsold，andifhewasbankruptbeforehecameintoitthemoneywastobemineabsolutely。AtthefootofeachletterMissPontifexwrote，“TheabovewasmyunderstandingwhenImademywill。”andthensignedhername。Thesolicitorandhisclerkwitnessed；IkeptonecopymyselfandhandedtheothertoMissPontifex’ssolicitor。