“Oh，yourpore，porema！”saidEllen。“Shewasalwayssoveryfondofyou，MasterErnest：youwasalwaysherfavourite；Ican’tabeartothinkofanythingbetweenyouandher。Tothinknowofthewaysheusedtohavemeintothedining-roomandteachmemycatechism，thatshedid！Oh，MasterErnest，youreallymustgoandmakeitallupwithher；indeedyoumust。”
Ernestfeltrueful，buthehadresistedsovaliantlyalreadythatthedevilmighthavesavedhimselfthetroubleoftryingtogetathimthroughElleninthematterofhisfatherandmother。Hechangedthesubject，andthepairwarmedtooneanotherastheyhadtheirtripeandpotsofbeer。OfallpeopleintheworldEllenwasperhapstheonetowhomErnestcouldhavespokenmostfreelyatthisjuncture。Hetoldherwhathethoughthecouldhavetoldtonooneelse。
“Youknow，Ellen。”heconcluded，“IhadlearntasaboythingsthatIoughtnottohavelearnt，andhadneverhadachanceofthatwhichwouldhavesetmestraight。”
“Gentlefolksisalwayslikethat。”saidEllenmusingly。
“Ibelieveyouareright，butIamnolongeragentleman，Ellen，andIdon’tseewhyIshouldbe’likethat’anylonger，mydear。Iwantyoutohelpmetobelikesomethingelseassoonaspossible。”
“Lor’！MasterErnest，whatevercanyoubemeaning？”
Thepairsoonafterwardslefttheeating-houseandwalkedupFetterLanetogether。
EllenhadhadhardtimessinceshehadleftBattersby，buttheyhadleftlittletraceuponher。
Ernestsawonlythefresh-lookingsmilingface，thedimpledcheek，theclearblueeyesandlovelysphinx-likelipswhichhehadrememberedasaboy。Atnineteenshehadlookedolderthanshewas，nowshelookedmuchyounger；indeedshelookedhardlyolderthanwhenErnesthadlastseenher，anditwouldhavetakenamanofmuchgreaterexperiencethanhepossessedtosuspecthowcompletelyshehadfallenfromherfirstestate。Itneveroccurredtohimthatthepoorconditionofherwardrobewasduetoherpassionforardentspirits，andthatfirstandlastshehadservedfiveorsixtimesasmuchtimeingaolashehad。Heascribedthepovertyofherattiretotheattemptstokeepherselfrespectable，whichEllenduringsupperhadmorethanoncealludedto。Hehadbeencharmedwiththewayinwhichshehaddeclaredthatapintofbeerwouldmakehertipsy，andhadonlyallowedherselftobeforcedintodrinkingthewholeafteragooddealofremonstrance。Tohimsheappearedaveryangeldroppedfromthesky，andallthemoreeasytogetonwithforbeingafallenone。
AshewalkedupFetterLanewithhertowardsLaystallStreet，hethoughtofthewonderfulgoodnessofGodtowardshiminthrowinginhiswaytheverypersonofallotherswhomhewasmostgladtosee，andwhom，ofallothers，inspiteofherlivingsonearhim，hemighthaveneverfalleninwithbutforahappyaccident。
WhenpeoplegetitintotheirheadsthattheyarebeingspeciallyfavouredbytheAlmighty，theyhadbetterasageneralrulemindtheirp’sandq’s，andwhentheythinktheyseethedevil’sdriftwithmorespecialclearness，letthemrememberthathehashadmuchmoreexperiencethantheyhave，andisprobablymeditatingmischief。
AlreadyduringsupperthethoughtthatinEllenatlasthehadfoundawomanwhomhecouldlovewellenoughtowishtolivewithandmarryhadflittedacrosshismind，andthemoretheyhadchattedthemorereasonskeptsuggestingthemselvesforthinkingthatwhatmightbefollyinordinarycaseswouldnotbefollyinhis。
Hemustmarrysomeone；thatwasalreadysettled。Hecouldnotmarryalady；thatwasabsurd。Hemustmarryapoorwoman。Yes，butafallenone？Washenotfallenhimself？Ellenwouldfallnomore。
Hehadonlytolookathertobesureofthis。Hecouldnotlivewithherinsin，notformorethantheshortesttimethatcouldelapsebeforetheirmarriage；henolongerbelievedinthesupernaturalelementofChristianity，buttheChristianmoralityatanyratewasindisputable。Besides，theymighthavechildren，andastigmawouldrestuponthem。Whomhadhetoconsultbuthimselfnow？Hisfatherandmotherneverneedknow，andeveniftheydid，theyshouldbethankfultoseehimmarriedtoanywomanwhowouldmakehimhappyasEllenwould。Asfornotbeingabletoaffordmarriage，howdidpoorpeopledo？Didnotagoodwiferatherhelpmattersthannot？Whereonecouldlivetwocoulddoso，andifEllenwasthreeorfouryearsolderthanhewas——well，whatwasthat？
Haveyou，gentlereader，everlovedatfirstsight？Whenyoufellinloveatfirstsight，howlong，letmeask，didittakeyoutobecomereadytoflingeveryotherconsiderationtothewindsexceptthatofobtainingpossessionofthelovedone？Orrather，howlongwouldithavetakenyouifyouhadhadnofatherormother，nothingtoloseinthewayofmoney，position，friends，professionaladvancement，orwhatnot，andiftheobjectofyouraffectionswasasfreefromalltheseimpedimentaasyouwereyourself？
IfyouwereayoungJohnStuartMill，perhapsitwouldhavetakenyousometime，butsupposeyournaturewasQuixotic，impulsive，altruistic，guileless；supposeyouwereahungrymanstarvingforsomethingtoloveandleanupon，foronewhoseburdensyoumightbear，andwhomighthelpyoutobearyours。Supposeyouweredownonyourluck，stillstunnedbyahorribleshock，andthisbrightvistaofahappyfuturefloatedsuddenlybeforeyou，howlongunderthesecircumstancesdoyouthinkyouwouldreflectbeforeyouwoulddecideonembracingwhatchancehadthrowninyourway？
Itdidnottakemyherolong，forbeforehegotpastthehamandbeefshopnearthetopofFetterLane，hehadtoldEllenthatshemustcomehomewithhimandlivewithhimtilltheycouldgetmarried，whichtheywoulddouponthefirstdaythatthelawallowed。
Ithinkthedevilmusthavechuckledandmadetolerablysureofhisgamethistime。
ErnesttoldEllenofhisdifficultyaboutfindingemployment。
“Butwhatdoyouthinkofgoingintoashopfor，mydear。”saidEllen。“Whynottakealittleshopyourself？”
Ernestaskedhowmuchthiswouldcost。Ellentoldhimthathemighttakeahouseinsomesmallstreet，saynearthe“ElephantandCastle。”for17s。or18s。aweek，andletoffthetwotopfloorsfor10s。，keepingthebackparlourandshopforthemselves。Ifhecouldraisefiveorsixpoundstobuysomesecond-handclothestostocktheshopwith，theycouldmendthemandcleanthem，andshecouldlookafterthewomen’sclotheswhilehedidthemen’s。Thenhecouldmendandmake，ifhecouldgettheorders。
Theycouldsoonmakeabusinessof2poundsaweekinthisway；shehadafriendwhobeganlikethatandhadnowmovedtoabettershop，whereshemade5poundsor6poundsaweekatleast——andshe，Ellen，haddonethegreaterpartofthebuyingandsellingherself。
Herewasanewlightindeed。Itwasasthoughhehadgothis5000
poundsbackagainallofasudden，andperhapseversomuchmorelateronintothebargain。Ellenseemedmorethanevertobehisgoodgenius。
Shewentoutandgotafewrashersofbaconforhisandherbreakfast。Shecookedthemmuchmorenicelythanhehadbeenabletodo，andlaidbreakfastforhimandmadecoffee，andsomenicebrowntoast。Ernesthadbeenhisowncookandhousemaidforthelastfewdaysandhadnotgivenhimselfsatisfaction。Herehesuddenlyfoundhimselfwithsomeonetowaitonhimagain。NotonlyhadEllenpointedouttohimhowhecouldearnalivingwhennooneexcepthimselfhadknownhowtoadvisehim，buthereshewassoprettyandsmiling，lookingafterevenhiscomforts，andrestoringhimpracticallyinallrespectsthathemuchcaredabouttothepositionwhichhehadlost——orratherputtinghiminonethathealreadylikedmuchbetter。Nowonderhewasradiantwhenhecametoexplainhisplanstome。
Hehadsomedifficultyintellingallthathadhappened。Hehesitated，blushed，hummedandhawed。Misgivingsbegantocrosshismindwhenhefoundhimselfobligedtotellhisstorytosomeoneelse。Hefeltinclinedtoslurthingsover，butIwantedtogetatthefacts，soIhelpedhimoverthebadplaces，andquestionedhimtillIhadgotoutprettynearlythewholestoryasIhavegivenitabove。
IhopeIdidnotshowit，butIwasveryangry。IhadbeguntolikeErnest。Idon’tknowwhy，butIneverhaveheardthatanyyoungmantowhomIhadbecomeattachedwasgoingtogetmarriedwithouthatinghisintendedinstinctively，thoughIhadneverseenher；I
haveobservedthatmostbachelorsfeelthesamething，thoughwearegenerallyatsomepainstohidethefact。Perhapsitisbecauseweknowweoughttohavegotmarriedourselves。Ordinarilywesaywearedelighted——inthepresentcaseIdidnotfeelobligedtodothis，thoughImadeanefforttoconcealmyvexation。Thatayoungmanofmuchpromisewhowasheiralsotowhatwasnowahandsomefortune，shouldflinghimselfawayuponsuchapersonasEllenwasquitetooprovoking，andthemoresobecauseoftheunexpectednessofthewholeaffair。
IbeggedhimnottomarryEllenyet——notatleastuntilhehadknownherforalongertime。Hewouldnothearofit；hehadgivenhisword，andifhehadnotgivenitheshouldgoandgiveitatonce。
Ihadhithertofoundhimuponmostmatterssingularlydocileandeasytomanage，butonthispointIcoulddonothingwithhim。Hisrecentvictoryoverhisfatherandmotherhadincreasedhisstrength，andIwasnowhere。Iwouldhavetoldhimofhistrueposition，butIknewverywellthatthiswouldonlymakehimmorebentonhavinghisownway——forwithsomuchmoneywhyshouldhenotpleasehimself？Isaidnothing，therefore，onthishead，andyetallthatIcouldurgewentforverylittlewithonewhobelievedhimselftobeanartisanornothing。