Ifmygodsonhadbeenanolderman，andmorefixedinanydefinitegroove，thisiswhatIshouldhavedone，buthewasstillveryyoung，andmorethancommonlyunformedforhisage。If，again，I
hadknownofhisillnessIshouldnothavedaredtolayanyheavierburdenonhisbackthanhehadtobearalready；butnotbeinguneasyabouthishealth，Ithoughtafewyearsofroughingitandofexperienceconcerningtheimportanceofnotplayingtrickswithmoneywoulddohimnoharm。SoIdecidedtokeepasharpeyeuponhimassoonashecameoutofprison，andtolethimsplashaboutindeepwaterasbesthecouldtillIsawwhetherhewasabletoswim，orwasabouttosink。InthefirstcaseIwouldlethimgoonswimmingtillhewasnearlyeight-and-twenty，whenIwouldpreparehimgraduallyforthegoodfortunethatawaitedhim；inthesecondI
wouldhurryuptotherescue。SoIwrotetosaythatPryerhadabsconded，andthathecouldhave100poundsfromhisfatherwhenhecameoutofprison。Ithenwaitedtoseewhateffectthesetidingswouldhave，notexpectingtoreceiveananswerforthreemonths，forIhadbeentoldonenquirythatnolettercouldbereceivedbyaprisonertillafterhehadbeenthreemonthsingaol。IalsowrotetoTheobaldandtoldhimofPryer’sdisappearance。
Asamatteroffact，whenmyletterarrivedthegovernorofthegaolreadit，andinacaseofsuchimportancewouldhaverelaxedtherulesifErnest’sstatehadallowedit；hisillnesspreventedthis，andthegovernorleftittothechaplainandthedoctortobreakthenewstohimwhentheythoughthimstrongenoughtobearit，whichwasnowthecase。InthemeantimeIreceivedaformalofficialdocumentsayingthatmyletterhadbeenreceivedandwouldbecommunicatedtotheprisonerinduecourse；IbelieveitwassimplythroughamistakeonthepartofaclerkthatIwasnotinformedofErnest’sillness，butIheardnothingofittillIsawhimbyhisowndesireafewdaysafterthechaplinhadbrokentohimthesubstanceofwhatIhadwritten。
Ernestwasterriblyshockedwhenheheardofthelossofhismoney，buthisignoranceoftheworldpreventedhimfromseeingthefullextentofthemischief。Hehadneverbeeninseriouswantofmoneyyet，anddidnotknowwhatitmeant。Inreality，moneylossesarethehardesttobearofanybythosewhoareoldenoughtocomprehendthem。
Amancanstandbeingtoldthathemustsubmittoaseveresurgicaloperation，orthathehassomediseasewhichwillshortlykillhim，orthathewillbeacrippleorblindfortherestofhislife；
dreadfulassuchtidingsmustbe，wedonotfindthattheyunnervethegreaternumberofmankind；mostmen，indeed，gocoollyenougheventobehanged，butthestrongestquailbeforefinancialruin，andthebettermentheyare，themorecomplete，asageneralrule，istheirprostration。Suicideisacommonconsequenceofmoneylosses；itisrarelysoughtasameansofescapefrombodilysuffering。Ifwefeelthatwehaveacompetenceatourbacks，sothatwecandiewarmandquietlyinourbeds，withnoneedtoworryaboutexpense，weliveourlivesouttothedregs，nomatterhowexcruciatingourtorments。Jobprobablyfeltthelossofhisflocksandherdsmorethanthatofhiswifeandfamily，forhecouldenjoyhisflocksandherdswithouthisfamily，butnothisfamily——notforlong——ifhehadlostallhismoney。Lossofmoneyindeedisnotonlytheworstpaininitself，butitistheparentofallothers。
Letamanhavebeenbroughtuptoamoderatecompetence，andhavenospecially；thenlethismoneybesuddenlytakenfromhim，andhowlongishishealthlikelytosurvivethechangeinallhislittlewayswhichlossofmoneywillentail？Howlongagainistheesteemandsympathyoffriendslikelytosurviveruin？Peoplemaybeverysorryforus，buttheirattitudetowardsushithertohasbeenbaseduponthesuppositionthatweweresituatedthusorthusinmoneymatters；whenthisbreaksdowntheremustbearestatementofthesocialproblemsofarasweareconcerned；wehavebeenobtainingesteemunderfalsepretences。Granted，then，thatthethreemostseriouslosseswhichamancansufferarethoseaffectingmoney，healthandreputation。Lossofmoneyisfartheworst，thencomesill-health，andthenlossofreputation；lossofreputationisabadthird，for，ifamankeepshealthandmoneyunimpaired，itwillbegenerallyfoundthathislossofreputationisduetobreachesofparvenuconventionsonly，andnottoviolationsofthoseolder，betterestablishedcanonswhoseauthorityisunquestionable。Inthiscaseamanmaygrowanewreputationaseasilyasalobstergrowsanewclaw，or，ifhehavehealthandmoney，maythriveingreatpeaceofmindwithoutanyreputationatall。Theonlychanceforamanwhohaslosthismoneyisthatheshallstillbeyoungenoughtostanduprootingandtransplantingwithoutmorethantemporaryderangement，andthisIbelievedmygodsonstilltobe。
Bytheprisonruleshemightreceiveandsendaletterafterhehadbeeningaolthreemonths，andmightalsoreceiveonevisitfromafriend。Whenhereceivedmyletter，heatonceaskedmetocomeandseehim，whichofcourseIdid。Ifoundhimverymuchchanged，andstillsofeeble，thattheexertionofcomingfromtheinfirmarytothecellinwhichIwasallowedtoseehim，andtheagitationofseeingmeweretoomuchforhim。Atfirsthequitebrokedown，andIwassopainedatthestateinwhichIfoundhim，thatIwasonthepointofbreakingmyinstructionsthenandthere。Icontentedmyself，however，forthetime，withassuringhimthatIwouldhelphimassoonashecameoutofprison，andthat，whenhehadmadeuphismindwhathewoulddo，hewastocometomeforwhatmoneymightbenecessary，ifhecouldnotgetitfromhisfather。TomakeiteasierforhimItoldhimthathisaunt，onherdeathbed，haddesiredmetodosomethingofthissortshouldanemergencyarise，sothathewouldonlybetakingwhathisaunthadlefthim。
“Then。”saidhe，“Iwillnottakethe100poundsfrommyfather，andIwillneverseehimormymotheragain。”
Isaid：“Takethe100pounds，Ernest，andasmuchmoreasyoucanget，andthendonotseethemagainifyoudonotlike。”
ThisErnestwouldnotdo。Ifhetookmoneyfromthem，hecouldnotcutthem，andhewantedtocutthem。Ithoughtmygodsonwouldgetonagreatdealbetterifhewouldonlyhavethefirmnesstodoasheproposed，asregardsbreakingcompletelywithhisfatherandmother，andsaidso。“Thendon’tyoulikethem？”saidhe，withalookofsurprise。
“Likethem！”saidI，“Ithinkthey’rehorrid。”
“Oh，that’sthekindestthingofallyouhavedoneforme。”heexclaimed，“Ithoughtall——allmiddle-agedpeoplelikedmyfatherandmother。”
Hehadbeenabouttocallmeold，butIwasonlyfifty-seven，andwasnotgoingtohavethis，soImadeafacewhenIsawhimhesitating，whichdrovehiminto“middle-aged。”
“Ifyoulikeit。”saidI，“IwillsayallyourfamilyarehorridexceptyourselfandyourauntAlethea。Thegreaterpartofeveryfamilyisalwaysodious；ifthereareoneortwogoodonesinaverylargefamily，itisasmuchascanbeexpected。”
“Thankyou。”hereplied，gratefully，“IthinkIcannowstandalmostanything。IwillcomeandseeyouassoonasIcomeoutofgaol。
Goodbye。”Forthewarderhadtoldusthatthetimeallowedforourinterviewwasatanend。
AssoonasErnestfoundthathehadnomoneytolooktouponleavingprisonhesawthathisdreamsaboutemigratingandfarmingmustcometoanend，forheknewthathewasincapableofworkingattheploughorwiththeaxeforlongtogetherhimself。Andnowitseemedheshouldhavenomoneytopayanyoneelsefordoingso。Itwasthisthatresolvedhimtopartonceandforallwithhisparents。
Ifhehadbeengoingabroadhecouldhavekeptuprelationswiththem，fortheywouldhavebeentoofarofftointerferewithhim。
Heknewhisfatherandmotherwouldobjecttobeingcut；theywouldwishtoappearkindandforgiving；theywouldalsodislikehavingnofurtherpowertoplaguehim；butheknewalsoverywellthatsolongasheandtheyraninharnesstogethertheywouldbealwayspullingonewayandheanother。Hewantedtodropthegentlemanandgodownintotheranks，beginningonthelowestrungoftheladder，wherenoonewouldknowofhisdisgraceorminditifhedidknow；hisfatherandmotherontheotherhandwouldwishhimtoclutchontothefag-
endofgentilityatastarvationsalaryandwithnoprospectofadvancement。ErnesthadseenenoughinAshpitPlacetoknowthatatailor，ifhedidnotdrinkandattendedtohisbusiness，couldearnmoremoneythanaclerkoracurate，whilemuchlessexpensebywayofshowwasrequiredofhim。Thetailoralsohadmoreliberty，andabetterchanceofrising。Ernestresolvedatonce，ashehadfallensofar，tofallstilllower——promptly，gracefullyandwiththeideaofrisingagain，ratherthanclingtotheskirtsofarespectabilitywhichwouldpermithimtoexistonsufferanceonly，andmakehimpayanutterlyextortionatepriceforanarticlewhichhecoulddobetterwithout。
Hearrivedatthisresultmorequicklythanhemightotherwisehavedonethroughrememberingsomethinghehadonceheardhisauntsayabout“kissingthesoil。”Thishadimpressedhimandstuckbyhimperhapsbyreasonofitsbrevity；whenlateronhecametoknowthestoryofHerculesandAntaeus，hefounditoneoftheveryfewancientfableswhichhadaholdoverhim——hischiefestdebttoclassicalliterature。Hisaunthadwantedhimtolearncarpentering，asameansofkissingthesoilshouldhisHerculeseverthrowhim。Itwastoolateforthisnow——orhethoughtitwas——
butthemodeofcarryingouthisaunt’sideawasadetail；therewereahundredwaysofkissingthesoilbesidesbecomingacarpenter。
Hehadtoldmethisduringourinterview，andIhadencouragedhimtotheutmostofmypower。HeshowedsomuchmoregoodsensethanI
hadgivenhimcreditforthatIbecamecomparativelyeasyabouthim，anddeterminedtolethimplayhisowngame，beingalways，however，readytohandincasethingswenttoofarwrong。Itwasnotsimplybecausehedislikedhisfatherandmotherthathewantedtohavenomoretodowiththem；ifithadbeenonlythishewouldhaveputupwiththem；butawarningvoicewithintoldhimdistinctlyenoughthatifhewascleancutawayfromthemhemightstillhaveachanceofsuccess，whereasiftheyhadanythingwhatevertodowithhim，orevenknewwherehewas，theywouldhamperhimandintheendruinhim。Absoluteindependencehebelievedtobehisonlychanceofverylifeitself。
Overandabovethis——ifthiswerenotenough——Ernesthadafaithinhisowndestinysuchasmostyoungmen，Isuppose，feel，butthegroundsofwhichwerenotapparenttoanyonebuthimself。Rightlyorwrongly，inaquietwayhebelievedhepossessedastrengthwhich，ifhewereonlyfreetouseitinhisownway，mightdogreatthingssomeday。Hedidnotknowwhen，norwhere，norhowhisopportunitywastocome，butheneverdoubtedthatitwouldcomeinspiteofallthathadhappened，andaboveallelsehecherishedthehopethathemightknowhowtoseizeitifitcame，forwhateveritwasitwouldbesomethingthatnooneelsecoulddosowellashecould。Peoplesaidtherewerenodragonsandgiantsforadventurousmentofightwithnowadays；itwasbeginningtodawnuponhimthattherewerejustasmanynowasatanypasttime。