“Youthinkyouhave。”saidMrShaw；“youOxfordandCambridgegentlementhinkyouhaveexaminedeverything。Ihaveexaminedverylittlemyselfexceptthebottomsofoldkettlesandsaucepans，butifyouwillanswermeafewquestions，IwilltellyouwhetherornoyouhaveexaminedmuchmorethanIhave。”
Ernestexpressedhisreadinesstobequestioned。
“Then。”saidthetinker，“givemethestoryoftheResurrectionofJesusChristastoldinStJohn’sgospel。”
IamsorrytosaythatErnestmixedupthefouraccountsinadeplorablemanner；heevenmadetheangelcomedownandrollawaythestoneandsituponit。Hewascoveredwithconfusionwhenthetinkerfirsttoldhimwithoutthebookofsomeofhismanyinaccuracies，andthenverifiedhiscriticismsbyreferringtotheNewTestamentitself。
“Now。”saidMrShawgoodnaturedly，“Iamanoldmanandyouareayoungone，soperhapsyou’llnotmindmygivingyouapieceofadvice。Ilikeyou，forIbelieveyoumeanwell，butyou’vebeenrealbadbroughtup，andIdon’tthinkyouhaveeverhadsomuchasachanceyet。Youknownothingofoursideofthequestion，andI
havejustshownyouthatyoudonotknowmuchmoreofyourown，butIthinkyouwillmakeakindofCarlylesortofamansomeday。NowgoupstairsandreadtheaccountsoftheResurrectioncorrectlywithoutmixingthemup，andhaveaclearideaofwhatitisthateachwritertellsus，thenifyoufeelinclinedtopaymeanothervisitIshallbegladtoseeyou，forIshallknowyouhavemadeagoodbeginningandmeanbusiness。Tillthen，Sir，Imustwishyouaverygoodmorning。”
Ernestretreatedabashed。AnhoursufficedhimtoperformthetaskenjoineduponhimbyMrShaw；andattheendofthathourthe“No，no，no。”whichstillsoundedinhisearsashehearditfromTowneley，cameringingupmoreloudlystillfromtheverypagesoftheBibleitself，andinrespectofthemostimportantofalltheeventswhicharerecordedinit。SurelyErnest’sfirstday’sattemptatmorepromiscuousvisiting，andatcarryingouthisprinciplesmorethoroughly，hadnotbeenunfruitful。ButhemustgoandhaveatalkwithPryer。HethereforegothislunchandwenttoPryer’slodgings。Pryernotbeingathome，heloungedtotheBritishMuseumReadingRoom，thenrecentlyopened，sentforthe“VestigesofCreation。”whichhehadneveryetseen，andspenttherestoftheafternooninreadingit。
ErnestdidnotseePryeronthedayofhisconversationwithMrShaw，buthedidsonextmorningandfoundhiminagoodtemper，whichoflatehehadrarelybeen。Sometimes，indeed，hehadbehavedtoErnestinawaywhichdidnotbodewellfortheharmonywithwhichtheCollegeofSpiritualPathologywouldworkwhenithadoncebeenfounded。Italmostseemedasthoughheweretryingtogetacompletemoralascendencyoverhim，soastomakehimacreatureofhisown。
Hedidnotthinkitpossiblethathecouldgotoofar，andindeed，whenIreflectuponmyhero’sfollyandinexperience，thereismuchtobesaidinexcusefortheconclusionwhichPryercameto。
Asamatteroffact，however，itwasnotso。Ernest’sfaithinPryerhadbeentoogreattobeshakendownallinamoment，butithadbeenweakenedlatelymorethanonce。Ernesthadfoughthardagainstallowinghimselftoseethis，neverthelessanythirdpersonwhoknewthepairwouldhavebeenabletoseethattheconnectionbetweenthetwomightendatanymoment，forwhenthetimeforoneofErnest’ssnipe-likechangesofflightcame，hewasquickinmakingit；thetime，however，wasnotyetcome，andtheintimacybetweenthetwowasapparentlyallthatithadeverbeen。ItwasonlythathorridmoneybusinesssosaidErnesttohimselfthatcausedanyunpleasantnessbetweenthem，andnodoubtPryerwasright，andhe，Ernest，muchtoonervous。However，thatmightstandoverforthepresent。
Inlikemanner，thoughhehadreceivedashockbyreasonofhisconversationwithMrShaw，andbylookingatthe“Vestiges。”hewasasyettoomuchstunnedtorealisethechangewhichwascomingoverhim。Ineachcasethemomentumofoldhabitscarriedhimforwardintheolddirection。HethereforecalledonPryer，andspentanhourandmorewithhim。
Hedidnotsaythathehadbeenvisitingamonghisneighbours；thistoPryerwouldhavebeenlikearedragtoabull。HeonlytalkedinmuchhisusualveinabouttheproposedCollege，thelamentablewantofinterestinspiritualthingswhichwascharacteristicofmodernsociety，andotherkindredmatters；heconcludedbysayingthatforthepresenthefearedPryerwasindeedright，andthatnothingcouldbedone。
“Asregardsthelaity。”saidPryer，“nothing；notuntilwehaveadisciplinewhichwecanenforcewithpainsandpenalties。Howcanasheepdogworkaflockofsheepunlesshecanbiteoccasionallyaswellasbark？Butasregardsourselveswecandomuch。”
Pryer’smannerwasstrangethroughouttheconversation，asthoughhewerethinkingallthetimeofsomethingelse。HiseyeswanderedcuriouslyoverErnest，asErnesthadoftennoticedthemwanderbefore：thewordswereaboutChurchdiscipline，butsomehoworotherthedisciplinepartofthestoryhadaknackofdroppingoutafterhavingbeenagainandagainemphaticallydeclaredtoapplytothelaityandnottotheclergy：onceindeedPryerhadpettishlyexclaimed：“Oh，bothertheCollegeofSpiritualPathology。”Asregardstheclergy，glimpsesofaprettylargeclovenhoofkeptpeepingoutfromunderthesaintlyrobeofPryer’sconversation，totheeffect，thatsolongastheyweretheoreticallyperfect，practicalpeccadilloes——orevenpeccadaccios，ifthereissuchaword，wereoflessimportance。Hewasrestless，asthoughwantingtoapproachasubjectwhichhedidnotquiteventuretotouchupon，andkeptharpinghedidthisabouteverythirddayonthewretchedlackofdefinitionconcerningthelimitsofviceandvirtue，andthewayinwhichhalftheviceswantedregulatingratherthanprohibiting。Hedweltalsoontheadvantagesofcompleteunreserve，andhintedthatthereweremysteriesintowhichErnesthadnotyetbeeninitiated，butwhichwouldenlightenhimwhenhegottoknowthem，ashewouldbeallowedtodowhenhisfriendssawthathewasstrongenough。
Pryerhadoftenbeenlikethisbefore，butneversonearly，asitseemedtoErnest，comingtoapoint——thoughwhatthepointwashecouldnotfullyunderstand。HisinquietudewascommunicatingitselftoErnest，whowouldprobablyerelonghavecometoknowasmuchasPryercouldtellhim，buttheconversationwasabruptlyinterruptedbytheappearanceofavisitor。Weshallneverknowhowitwouldhaveended，forthiswastheverylasttimethatErnesteversawPryer。PerhapsPryerwasgoingtobreaktohimsomebadnewsabouthisspeculations。
ErnestnowwenthomeandoccupiedhimselftillluncheonwithstudyingDeanAlford’snotesuponthevariousEvangelisticrecordsoftheResurrection，doingasMrShawhadtoldhim，andtryingtofindoutnotthattheywereallaccurate，butwhethertheywereallaccurateorno。Hedidnotcarewhichresultheshouldarriveat，buthewasresolvedthathewouldreachoneortheother。WhenhehadfinishedDeanAlford’snoteshefoundthemcometothis，namely，thatnooneyethadsucceededinbringingthefouraccountsintotolerableharmonywitheachother，andthattheDean，seeingnochanceofsucceedingbetterthanhispredecessorshaddone，recommendedthatthewholestoryshouldbetakenontrust——andthisErnestwasnotpreparedtodo。
Hegothisluncheon，wentoutforalongwalk，andreturnedtodinnerathalfpastsix。WhileMrsJuppwasgettinghimhisdinner——
asteakandapintofstout——shetoldhimthatMissSnowwouldbeveryhappytoseehiminaboutanhour’stime。Thisdisconcertedhim，forhismindwastoounsettledforhimtowishtoconvertanyonejustthen。Hereflectedalittle，andfoundthat，inspiteofthesuddenshocktohisopinions，hewasbeingirresistiblydrawntopaythevisitasthoughnothinghadhappened。Itwouldnotlookwellforhimnottogo，forhewasknowntobeinthehouse。HeoughtnottobeintoogreatahurrytochangehisopinionsonsuchamatterastheevidenceforChrist’sResurrectionallofasudden——
besidesheneednottalktoMissSnowaboutthissubjectto-day——
therewereotherthingshemighttalkabout。Whatotherthings？
Ernestfelthisheartbeatfastandfiercely，andaninwardmonitorwarnedhimthathewasthinkingofanythingratherthanofMissSnow’ssoul。
Whatshouldhedo？Fly，fly，fly——itwastheonlysafety。ButwouldChristhavefled？EventhoughChristhadnotdiedandrisenfromthedeadtherecouldbenoquestionthatHewasthemodelwhoseexamplewewereboundtofollow。ChristwouldnothavefledfromMissSnow；hewassureofthat，forHewentaboutmoreespeciallywithprostitutesanddisreputablepeople。Now，asthen，itwasthebusinessofthetrueChristiantocallnottherighteousbutsinnerstorepentance。Itwouldbeinconvenienttohimtochangehislodgings，andhecouldnotaskMrsJupptoturnMissSnowandMissMaitlandoutofthehouse。Wherewashetodrawtheline？Whowouldbejustgoodenoughtoliveinthesamehousewithhim，andwhojustnotgoodenough？
Besides，wherewerethesepoorgirlstogo？Washetodrivethemfromhousetohousetilltheyhadnoplacetoliein？Itwasabsurd；hisdutywasclear：hewouldgoandseeMissSnowatonce，andtryifhecouldnotinducehertochangeherpresentmodeoflife；ifhefoundtemptationbecomingtoostrongforhimhewouldflythen——sohewentupstairswithhisBibleunderhisarm，andaconsumingfireinhisheart。
HefoundMissSnowlookingveryprettyinaneatly，nottosaydemurely，furnishedroom。Ithinkshehadboughtanilluminatedtextortwo，andpinneditupoverherfire-placethatmorning。
Ernestwasverymuchpleasedwithher，andmechanicallyplacedhisBibleuponthetable。Hehadjustopenedatimidconversationandwasdeepinblushes，whenahurriedstepcameboundingupthestairsasthoughofoneoverwhomtheforceofgravityhadlittlepower，andamanburstintotheroomsaying，“I’mcomebeforemytime。”ItwasTowneley。
HisfacedroppedashecaughtsightofErnest。“What，youhere，Pontifex！Well，uponmyword！”
Icannotdescribethehurriedexplanationsthatpassedquicklybetweenthethree——enoughthatinlessthanaminuteErnest，blushingmorescarletthanever，slunkoff，Bibleandall，deeplyhumiliatedashecontrastedhimselfandTowneley。BeforehehadreachedthebottomofthestaircaseleadingtohisownroomheheardTowneley’sheartylaughthroughMissSnow’sdoor，andcursedthehourthathewasborn。
ThenitflasheduponhimthatifhecouldnotseeMissSnowhecouldatanyrateseeMissMaitland。Heknewwellenoughwhathewantednow，andasfortheBible，hepusheditfromhimtotheotherendofhistable。Itfelloverontothefloor，andhekickeditintoacorner。ItwastheBiblegivenhimathischristeningbyhisaffectionateaunt，ElizabethAllaby。True，heknewverylittleofMissMaitland，butignorantyoungfoolsinErnest’sstatedonotreflectorreasonclosely。MrsBaxterhadsaidthatMissMaitlandandMissSnowwerebirdsofafeather，andMrsBaxterprobablyknewbetterthanthatoldliar，MrsJupp。Shakespearesays：
OOpportunity，thyguiltisgreat’Tisthouthatexecut’stthetraitor’streason：