Overandoveragainhadshewheedledfromhimallshewantedtoknow，andafterwardsgothimintothemosthorriblescrapebytellingthewholetoTheobald。Ernesthadremonstratedmorethanonceupontheseoccasions，andhadpointedouttohismotherhowdisastroustohimhisconfidenceshadbeen，butChristinahadalwaysjoinedissuewithhimandshowedhimintheclearestpossiblemannerthatineachcaseshehadbeenright，andthathecouldnotreasonablycomplain。Generallyitwasherconsciencethatforbadehertobesilent，andagainstthistherewasnoappeal，forweareallboundtofollowthedictatesofourconscience。Ernestusedtohavetoreciteahymnaboutconscience。Itwastotheeffectthatifyoudidnotpayattentiontoitsvoiceitwouldsoonleaveoffspeaking。“Mymamma’sconsciencehasnotleftoffspeaking。”saidErnesttooneofhischumsatRoughborough；“it’salwaysjabbering。”
Whenaboyhasoncespokensodisrespectfullyasthisabouthismother’sconscienceitispracticallyalloverbetweenhimandher。
Ernestthroughsheerforceofhabit，ofthesofa，andofthereturnoftheassociatedideas，wasstillsomovedbythesiren’svoiceastoyearntosailtowardsher，andflinghimselfintoherarms，butitwouldnotdo；therewereotherassociatedideasthatreturnedalso，andthemangledbonesoftoomanymurderedconfessionswerelyingwhiteningroundtheskirtsofhismother’sdress，toallowhimbyanypossibilitytotrustherfurther。Sohehunghisheadandlookedsheepish，butkepthisowncounsel。
“Isee，mydearest。”continuedhismother，“eitherthatIammistaken，andthatthereisnothingonyourmind，orthatyouwillnotunburdenyourselftome：butoh，Ernest，tellmeatleastthismuch；istherenothingthatyourepentof，nothingwhichmakesyouunhappyinconnectionwiththatmiserablegirlEllen？”
Ernest’sheartfailedhim。“Iamadeadboynow。”hesaidtohimself。Hehadnotthefaintestconceptionwhathismotherwasdrivingat，andthoughtshesuspectedaboutthewatch；butheheldhisground。
Idonotbelievehewasmuchmoreofacowardthanhisneighbours，onlyhedidnotknowthatallsensiblepeoplearecowardswhentheyareofftheirbeat，orwhentheythinktheyaregoingtoberoughlyhandled。Ibelieve，thatifthetruthwereknown，itwouldbefoundthateventhevaliantStMichaelhimselftriedhardtoshirkhisfamouscombatwiththedragon；hepretendednottoseeallsortsofmisconductonthedragon’spart；shuthiseyestotheeatingupofI
donotknowhowmanyhundredsofmen，womenandchildrenwhomhehadpromisedtoprotect；allowedhimselftobepubliclyinsultedadozentimesoverwithoutresentingit；andintheendwhenevenanangelcouldstanditnolongerheshilly-shalliedandtemporisedanunconscionabletimebeforehewouldfixthedayandhourfortheencounter。Asfortheactualcombatitwasmuchsuchanotherwurra-
wurraasMrsAllabyhadhadwiththeyoungmanwhohadintheendmarriedhereldestdaughter，tillafteratimebehold，therewasthedragonlyingdead，whilehewashimselfaliveandnotveryseriouslyhurtafterall。
“Idonotknowwhatyoumean，mamma。”exclaimedErnestanxiouslyandmoreorlesshurriedly。Hismotherconstruedhismannerintoindignationatbeingsuspected，andbeingratherfrightenedherselfsheturnedtailandscuttledoffasfastashertonguecouldcarryher。
“Oh！”shesaid，“Iseebyyourtonethatyouareinnocent！Oh！oh！
howIthankmyheavenlyFatherforthis；mayHeforHisdearSon’ssakekeepyoualwayspure。Yourfather，mydear“——hereshespokehurriedlybutgavehimasearchinglook“wasaspureasaspotlessangelwhenhecametome。Likehim，alwaysbeself-denying，trulytruthfulbothinwordanddeed，neverforgetfulwhosesonandgrandsonyouare，norofthenamewegaveyou，ofthesacredstreaminwhosewatersyoursinswerewashedoutofyouthroughthebloodandblessingofChrist。”etc。
ButErnestcutthis——Iwillnotsayshort——butagreatdealshorterthanitwouldhavebeenifChristinahadhadhersayout，byextricatinghimselffromhismamma’sembraceandshowingacleanpairofheels。Ashegotnearthepurlieusofthekitchenwherehewasmoreateaseheheardhisfathercallingforhismother，andagainhisguiltyconscienceroseagainsthim。“Hehasfoundalloutnow。”itcried，“andheisgoingtotellmamma——thistimeIamdonefor。”Buttherewasnothinginit；hisfatheronlywantedthekeyofthecellaret。ThenErnestslunkoffintoacoppiceorspinneybehindtheRectorypaddock，andconsoledhimselfwithapipeoftobacco。HereinthewoodwiththesummersunstreamingthroughthetreesandabookandhispipetheboyforgothiscaresandhadanintervalofthatrestwithoutwhichIverilybelievehislifewouldhavebeeninsupportable。
Ofcourse，Ernestwasmadetolookforhislostproperty，andarewardwasofferedforit，butitseemedhehadwanderedagooddealoffthepath，thinkingtofindalark’snest，morethanonce，andlookingforawatchandpurseonBattersbypiewipeswasverylikelookingforaneedleinabundleofhay：besidesitmighthavebeenfoundandtakenbysometramp，orbyamagpieofwhichthereweremanyintheneighbourhood，sothatafteraweekortendaysthesearchwasdiscontinued，andtheunpleasantfacthadtobefacedthatErnestmusthaveanotherwatch，anotherknife，andasmallsumofpocketmoney。
Itwasonlyright，however，thatErnestshouldpayhalfthecostofthewatch；thisshouldbemadeeasyforhim，foritshouldbedeductedfromhispocketmoneyinhalf-yearlyinstalmentsextendingovertwo，orevenitmightbethreeyears。InErnest’sowninterests，then，aswellasthoseofhisfatherandmother，itwouldbewellthatthewatchshouldcostaslittleaspossible，soitwasresolvedtobuyasecond-handone。NothingwastobesaidtoErnest，butitwastobebought，andlaiduponhisplateasasurprisejustbeforetheholidayswereover。Theobaldwouldhavetogotothecountytowninafewdays，andcouldthenfindsomesecond-handwatchwhichwouldanswersufficientlywell。Inthecourseoftime，therefore，Theobaldwent，furnishedwithalonglistofhouseholdcommissions，amongwhichwasthepurchaseofawatchforErnest。
Those，asIhavesaid，werealwayshappytimes，whenTheobaldwasawayforawholedaycertain；theboywasbeginningtofeeleasyinhismindasthoughGodhadheardhisprayers，andhewasnotgoingtobefoundout。Altogetherthedayhadprovedanunusuallytranquilone，but，alas！itwasnottocloseasithadbegun；thefickleatmosphereinwhichhelivedwasnevermorelikelytobreedastormthanaftersuchanintervalofbrilliantcalm，andwhenTheobaldreturnedErnesthadonlytolookinhisfacetoseethatahurricanewasapproaching。
Christinasawthatsomethinghadgoneverywrong，andwasquitefrightenedlestTheobaldshouldhaveheardofsomeseriousmoneyloss；hedidnot，however，atonceunbosomhimself，butrangthebellandsaidtotheservant，“TellMasterErnestIwishtospeaktohiminthedining-room。”
LongbeforeErnestreachedthedining-roomhisill-diviningsoulhadtoldhimthathissinhadfoundhimout。Whatheadofafamilyeversendsforanyofitsmembersintothedining-roomifhisintentionsarehonourable？
Whenhereachedithefounditempty——hisfatherhavingbeencalledawayforafewminutesunexpectedlyuponsomeparishbusiness——andhewasleftinthesamekindofsuspenseaspeopleareinaftertheyhavebeenusheredintotheirdentist’sante-room。
Ofalltheroomsinthehousehehatedthedining-roomworst。ItwasherethathehadhadtodohisLatinandGreeklessonswithhisfather。Ithadasmellofsomeparticularkindofpolishorvarnishwhichwasusedinpolishingthefurniture，andneitherInorErnestcanevennowcomewithinrangeofthesmellofthiskindofvarnishwithoutourheartsfailingus。
Overthechimney-piecetherewasaveritableoldmaster，oneofthefeworiginalpictureswhichMrGeorgePontifexhadbroughtfromItaly。ItwassupposedtobeaSalvatorRosa，andhadbeenboughtasagreatbargain。ThesubjectwasElijahorElishawhicheveritwasbeingfedbytheravensinthedesert。Thereweretheravensintheupperright-handcornerwithbreadandmeatintheirbeaksandclaws，andtherewastheprophetinquestioninthelowerleft-
handcornerlookinglonginglyuptowardsthem。WhenErnestwasaverysmallboyithadbeenaconstantmatterofregrettohimthatthefoodwhichtheravenscarriedneveractuallyreachedtheprophet；hedidnotunderstandthelimitationofthepainter’sart，andwantedthemeatandtheprophettobebroughtintodirectcontact。Oneday，withthehelpofsomestepswhichhadbeenleftintheroom，hehadclambereduptothepictureandwithapieceofbreadandbuttertracedagreasylinerightacrossitfromtheravenstoElisha’smouth，afterwhichhehadfeltmorecomfortable。
Ernest’smindwasdriftingbacktothisyouthfulescapadewhenheheardhisfather’shandonthedoor，andinanothersecondTheobaldentered。
“Oh，Ernest。”saidhe，inanoff-hand，rathercheerymanner，“there’salittlematterwhichIshouldlikeyoutoexplaintome，asIhavenodoubtyouveryeasilycan。”Thump，thump，thump，wentErnest’sheartagainsthisribs；buthisfather’smannerwassomuchnicerthanusualthathebegantothinkitmightbeafterallonlyanotherfalsealarm。
“Ithadoccurredtoyourmotherandmyselfthatweshouldliketosetyouupwithawatchagainbeforeyouwentbacktoschool““Oh，that’sall。”saidErnesttohimselfquiterelieved，“andIhavebeento-daytolookoutforasecond-handonewhichshouldanswereverypurposesolongasyou’reatschool。”
Theobaldspokeasifwatcheshadhalf-a-dozenpurposesbesidestime-
keeping，buthecouldhardlyopenhismouthwithoutusingoneorotherofhistags，and“answeringeverypurpose“wasoneofthem。
Ernestwasbreakingoutintotheusualexpressionsofgratitude，whenTheobaldcontinued，“Youareinterruptingme。”andErnest’sheartthumpedagain。
“Youareinterruptingme，Ernest。Ihavenotyetdone。”Ernestwasinstantlydumb。
“Ipassedseveralshopswithsecond-handwatchesforsale，butIsawnoneofadescriptionandpricewhichpleasedme，tillatlastIwasshownonewhichhad，sotheshopmansaid，beenleftwithhimrecentlyforsale，andwhichIatoncerecognisedastheonewhichhadbeengivenyoubyyourAuntAlethea。EvenifIhadfailedtorecogniseit，asperhapsImighthavedone，Ishouldhaveidentifieditdirectlyitreachedmyhands，inasmuchasithad’E。P。，apresentfromA。P。’engravedupontheinside。Ineedsaynomoretoshowthatthiswastheverywatchwhichyoutoldyourmotherandmethatyouhaddroppedoutofyourpocket。”