ThisrelievedErnestofagooddealoftrouble，andwasbetterafterallfortheinvestmentsthemselves；for，asPryerjustlysaid，amanmustnothaveafaintheartifhehopestosucceedinbuyingandsellingupontheStockExchange，andseeingErnestnervousmadePryernervoustoo——atleast，hesaiditdid。SothemoneydriftedmoreandmoreintoPryer’shands。AsforPryerhimself，hehadnothingbuthiscuracyandasmallallowancefromhisfather。
SomeofErnest’soldfriendsgotaninklingfromhislettersofwhathewasdoing，anddidtheirutmosttodissuadehim，buthewasasinfatuatedasayoungloveroftwoandtwenty。Findingthatthesefriendsdisapproved，hedroppedawayfromthem，andthey，beingboredwithhisegotismandhigh-flownideas，werenotsorrytolethimdoso。Ofcourse，hesaidnothingabouthisspeculations——
indeed，hehardlyknewthatanythingdoneinsogoodacausecouldbecalledspeculation。AtBattersby，whenhisfatherurgedhimtolookoutforanextpresentation，andevenbroughtoneortwopromisingonesunderhisnotice，hemadeobjectionsandexcuses，thoughalwayspromisingtodoashisfatherdesiredveryshortly。
Byandbyasubtle，indefinablemalaisebegantotakepossessionofhim。Ioncesawaveryyoungfoaltryingtoeatsomemostobjectionablerefuse，andunabletomakeupitsmindwhetheritwasgoodorno。Clearlyitwantedtobetold。Ifitsmotherhadseenwhatitwasdoingshewouldhavesetitrightinamoment，andassoonaseverithadbeentoldthatwhatitwaseatingwasfilth，thefoalwouldhaverecogniseditandneverhavewantedtobetoldagain；butthefoalcouldnotsettlethematterforitself，ormakeupitsmindwhetheritlikedwhatitwastryingtoeatorno，withoutassistancefromwithout。Isupposeitwouldhavecometodosobyandby，butitwaswastingtimeandtrouble，whichasinglelookfromitsmotherwouldhavesaved，justaswortwillintimefermentofitself，butwillfermentmuchmorequicklyifalittleyeastbeaddedtoit。Inthematterofknowingwhatgivesuspleasurewearealllikewort，andifunaidedfromwithoutcanonlyfermentslowlyandtoilsomely。
Myunhappyheroaboutthistimewasverymuchlikethefoal，orratherhefeltmuchwhatthefoalwouldhavefeltifitsmotherandalltheothergrown-uphorsesinthefieldhadvowedthatwhatitwaseatingwasthemostexcellentandnutritiousfoodtobefoundanywhere。Hewassoanxioustodowhatwasright，andsoreadytobelievethateveryoneknewbetterthanhimself，thatheneverventuredtoadmittohimselfthathemightbeallthewhileonahopelesslywrongtack。Itdidnotoccurtohimthattheremightbeablunderanywhere，muchlessdiditoccurtohimtotryandfindoutwheretheblunderwas。Neverthelesshebecamedailymorefullofmalaise，anddaily，onlyheknewitnot，moreripeforanexplosionshouldasparkfalluponhim。
Onething，however，didbegintoloomoutofthegeneralvagueness，andtothisheinstinctivelyturnedastryingtoseizeit——Imean，thefactthathewassavingveryfewsouls，whereastherewerethousandsandthousandsbeinglosthourlyallaroundhimwhichalittleenergysuchasMrHawke’smightsave。Dayafterdaywentby，andwhatwashedoing？Standingonprofessionaletiquette，andprayingthathissharesmightgoupanddownashewantedthem，sothattheymightgivehimmoneyenoughtoenablehimtoregeneratetheuniverse。Butinthemeantimethepeopleweredying。Howmanysoulswouldnotbedoomedtoendlessagesofthemostfrightfultormentsthatthemindcouldthinkof，beforehecouldbringhisspiritualpathologyenginetobearuponthem？WhymighthenotstandandpreachashesawtheDissentersdoingsometimesinLincoln’sInnFieldsandotherthoroughfares？HecouldsayallthatMrHawkehadsaid。MrHawkewasaverypoorcreatureinErnest’seyesnow，forhewasaLowChurchman，butweshouldnotbeabovelearningfromanyone，andsurelyhecouldaffecthishearersaspowerfullyasMrHawkehadaffectedhimifheonlyhadthecouragetosettowork。Thepeoplewhomhesawpreachinginthesquaressometimesdrewlargeaudiences。Hecouldatanyratepreachbetterthanthey。
ErnestbroachedthistoPryer，whotreateditassomethingtoooutrageoustobeeventhoughtof。Nothing，hesaid，couldmoretendtolowerthedignityoftheclergyandbringtheChurchintocontempt。Hismannerwasbrusque，andevenrude。
Ernestventuredalittlemilddissent；headmitteditwasnotusual，butsomethingatanyratemustbedone，andthatquickly。ThiswashowWesleyandWhitfieldhadbegunthatgreatmovementwhichhadkindledreligiouslifeinthemindsofhundredsofthousands。Thiswasnotimetobestandingondignity。ItwasjustbecauseWesleyandWhitfieldhaddonewhattheChurchwouldnotthattheyhadwonmentofollowthemwhomtheChurchhadnowlost。
PryereyedErnestsearchingly，andafterapausesaid，“Idon’tknowwhattomakeofyou，Pontifex；youareatoncesoveryrightandsoverywrong。Iagreewithyouheartilythatsomethingshouldbedone，butitmustnotbedoneinawaywhichexperiencehasshownleadstonothingbutfanaticismanddissent。DoyouapproveoftheseWesleyans？DoyouholdyourordinationvowssocheaplyastothinkthatitdoesnotmatterwhethertheservicesoftheChurchareperformedinherchurchesandwithalldueceremonyornot？Ifyoudo——then，frankly，youhadnobusinesstobeordained；ifyoudonot，thenrememberthatoneofthefirstdutiesofayoungdeaconisobediencetoauthority。NeithertheCatholicChurch，noryettheChurchofEnglandallowsherclergytopreachinthestreetsofcitieswherethereisnolackofchurches。”
Ernestfelttheforceofthis，andPryersawthathewavered。
“Weareliving。”hecontinuedmoregenially，“inanageoftransition，andinacountrywhich，thoughithasgainedmuchbytheReformation，doesnotperceivehowmuchithasalsolost。YoucannotandmustnothawkChristaboutinthestreetsasthoughyouwereinaheathencountrywhoseinhabitantshadneverheardofhim。
ThepeoplehereinLondonhavehadamplewarning。Everychurchtheypassisaprotesttothemagainsttheirlives，andacalltothemtorepent。Everychurch-belltheyhearisawitnessagainstthem，everyoneofthosewhomtheymeetonSundaysgoingtoorcomingfromchurchisawarningvoicefromGod。Ifthesecountlessinfluencesproducenoeffectuponthem，neitherwillthefewtransientwordswhichtheywouldhearfromyou。YouarelikeDives，andthinkthatifonerosefromthedeadtheywouldhearhim。Perhapstheymight；
butthenyoucannotpretendthatyouhaverisenfromthedead。”
Thoughthelastfewwordswerespokenlaughingly，therewasasub-
sneeraboutthemwhichmadeErnestwince；buthewasquitesubdued，andsotheconversationended。ItleftErnest，however，notforthefirsttime，consciouslydissatisfiedwithPryer，andinclinedtosethisfriend’sopinionononeside——notopenly，butquietly，andwithouttellingPryeranythingaboutit。
HehadhardlypartedfromPryerbeforethereoccurredanotherincidentwhichstrengthenedhisdiscontent。Hehadfallen，asI
haveshown，amongagangofspiritualthievesorcoiners，whopassedthebasestmetaluponhimwithouthisfindingitout，sochildishandinexperiencedwasheinthewaysofanythingbutthosebackeddiesoftheworld，schoolsanduniversities。Amongthebadthreepennypieceswhichhadbeenpassedoffuponhim，andwhichhekeptforsmallhourlydisbursement，wasaremarkthatpoorpeopleweremuchnicerthanthericherandbettereducated。Ernestnowsaidthathealwaystravelledthirdclassnotbecauseitwascheaper，butbecausethepeoplewhomhemetinthirdclasscarriagesweresomuchpleasanterandbetterbehaved。AsfortheyoungmenwhoattendedErnest’seveningclasses，theywerepronouncedtobemoreintelligentandbetterorderedgenerallythantheaveragerunofOxfordandCambridgemen。OurfoolishyoungfriendhavingheardPryertalktothiseffect，caughtupallhesaidandreproduceditmoresuo。
Oneevening，however，aboutthistime，whomshouldheseecomingalongasmallstreetnotfarfromhisownbut，ofallpersonsintheworld，Towneley，lookingasfulloflifeandgoodspiritsasever，andifpossibleevenhandsomerthanhehadbeenatCambridge。MuchasErnestlikedhimhefoundhimselfshrinkingfromspeakingtohim，andwasendeavouringtopasshimwithoutdoingsowhenTowneleysawhimandstoppedhimatonce，beingpleasedtoseeanoldCambridgeface。Heseemedforthemomentalittleconfusedatbeingseeninsuchaneighbourhood，butrecoveredhimselfsosoonthatErnesthardlynoticedit，andthenplungedintoafewkindlyremarksaboutoldtimes。ErnestfeltthathequailedashesawTowneley’seyewandertohiswhitenecktieandsawthathewasbeingreckonedup，andratherdisapprovinglyreckonedup，asaparson。ItwasthemerestpassingshadeuponTowneley’sface，butErnesthadfeltit。
TowneleysaidafewwordsofcommonformtoErnestabouthisprofessionasbeingwhathethoughtwouldbemostlikelytointeresthim，andErnest，stillconfusedandshy，gavehimforlackofsomethingbettertosayhislittlethreepenny-bitaboutpoorpeoplebeingsoverynice。Towneleytookthisforwhatitwasworthandnoddedassent，whereonErnestimprudentlywentfurtherandsaid“Don’tyoulikepoorpeopleverymuchyourself？”
Towneleygavehisfaceacomicalbutgood-naturedscrew，andsaidquietly，butslowlyanddecidedly，“No，no，no。”andescaped。
ItwasalloverwithErnestfromthatmoment。Asusualhedidnotknowit，buthehadenterednonethelessuponanotherreaction。
TowneleyhadjusttakenErnest’sthreepenny-bitintohishands，lookedatitandreturnedittohimasabadone。Whydidheseeinamomentthatitwasabadonenow，thoughhehadbeenunabletoseeitwhenhehadtakenitfromPryer？Ofcoursesomepoorpeoplewereverynice，andalwayswouldbeso，butasthoughscaleshadfallensuddenlyfromhiseyeshesawthatnoonewasnicerforbeingpoor，andthatbetweentheupperandlowerclassestherewasagulfwhichamountedpracticallytoanimpassablebarrier。
Thateveninghereflectedagooddeal。IfTowneleywasright，andErnestfeltthatthe“No“hadappliednottotheremarkaboutpoorpeopleonly，buttothewholeschemeandscopeofhisownrecentlyadoptedideas，heandPryermustsurelybeonawrongtrack。
Towneleyhadnotarguedwithhim；hehadsaidonewordonly，andthatoneoftheshortestinthelanguage，butErnestwasinafitstateforinoculation，andtheminuteparticleofvirussetaboutworkingimmediately。
Whichdidhenowthinkwasmostlikelytohavetakenthejusterviewoflifeandthings，andwhomwoulditbebesttoimitate，TowneleyorPryer？Hisheartreturnedanswertoitselfwithoutamoment’shesitation。ThefacesofmenlikeTowneleywereopenandkindly；
theylookedasifateasethemselves，andasthoughtheywouldsetallwhohadtodowiththemateaseasfarasmightbe。ThefacesofPryerandhisfriendswerenotlikethis。WhyhadhefelttacitlyrebukedassoonashehadmetTowneley？WashenotaChristian？Certainly；hebelievedintheChurchofEnglandasamatterofcourse。ThenhowcouldhebehimselfwrongintryingtoactuptothefaiththatheandTowneleyheldincommon？Hewastryingtoleadaquiet，unobtrusivelifeofself-devotion，whereasTowneleywasnot，sofarashecouldsee，tryingtodoanythingofthekind；hewasonlytryingtogetoncomfortablyintheworld，andtolookandbeasniceaspossible。Andhewasnice，andErnestknewthatsuchmenashimselfandPryerwerenotnice，andhisolddejectioncameoverhim。