“YouneverbroughtdownFigginswhenyouwereatRoughborough；nowI
shouldhavethoughtFigginswouldhavebeenjustthekindofboywhomyoumighthaveaskedtocomeandseeus。”
Figginshadbeengonethroughtimesoutofnumberalready。Ernesthadhardlyknownhim，andFiggins，beingnearlythreeyearsolderthanErnest，hadleftlongbeforehedid。Besideshehadnotbeenaniceboy，andhadmadehimselfunpleasanttoErnestinmanyways。
“Now。”continuedhismother，“there’sTowneley。IhaveheardyouspeakofTowneleyashavingrowedwithyouinaboatatCambridge。
Iwish，mydear，youwouldcultivateyouracquaintancewithTowneley，andaskhimtopayusavisit。Thenamehasanaristocraticsound，andIthinkIhaveheardyousayheisaneldestson。”
ErnestflushedatthesoundofTowneley’sname。
WhathadreallyhappenedinrespectofErnest’sfriendswasbrieflythis。Hismotherlikedtogetholdofthenamesoftheboysandespeciallyofanywhowereatallintimatewithherson；themoresheheard，themoreshewantedtoknow；therewasnogorginghertosatiety；shewaslikearavenousyoungcuckoobeingfeduponagrassplotbyawaterwag-tail，shewouldswallowallthatErnestcouldbringher，andyetbeashungryasbefore。AndshealwayswenttoErnestforhermealsratherthantoJoey，forJoeywaseithermorestupidormoreimpenetrable——atanyrateshecouldpumpErnestmuchthebetterofthetwo。
Fromtimetotimeanactualliveboyhadbeenthrowntoher，eitherbybeingcaughtandbroughttoBattersby，orbybeingaskedtomeetherifatanytimeshecametoRoughborough。Shehadgenerallymadeherselfagreeable，orfairlyagreeable，aslongastheboywaspresent，butassoonasshegotErnesttoherselfagainshechangedhernote。Intowhateverformshemightthrowhercriticismsitcamealwaysintheendtothis，thathisfriendwasnogood，thatErnestwasnotmuchbetter，andthatheshouldhavebroughthersomeoneelse，forthisonewouldnotdoatall。
ThemoreintimatetheboyhadbeenorwassupposedtobewithErnestthemorehewasdeclaredtobenaught，tillintheendhehadhitupontheplanofsaying，concerninganyboywhomheparticularlyliked，thathewasnotoneofhisespecialchums，andthatindeedhehardlyknewwhyhehadaskedhim；buthefoundheonlyfellonScyllaintryingtoavoidCharybdis，forthoughtheboywasdeclaredtobemoresuccessfulitwasErnestwhowasnaughtfornotthinkingmorehighlyofhim。
Whenshehadoncegotholdofanamesheneverforgotit。“AndhowisSo-and-so？”shewouldexclaim，mentioningsomeformerfriendofErnest’swithwhomhehadeithernowquarrelled，orwhohadlongsinceprovedtobeamerecometandnofixedstaratall。HowErnestwishedhehadnevermentionedSo-and-so’sname，andvowedtohimselfthathewouldnevertalkabouthisfriendsinfuture，butinafewhourshewouldforgetandwouldprattleawayasimprudentlyasever；thenhismotherwouldpouncenoiselesslyonhisremarksasabarn-owlpouncesuponamouse，andwouldbringthemupinapelletsixmonthsafterwardswhentheywerenolongerinharmonywiththeirsurroundings。
ThentherewasTheobald。IfaboyorcollegefriendhadbeeninvitedtoBattersby，Theobaldwouldlayhimselfoutatfirsttobeagreeable。Hecoulddothiswellenoughwhenheliked，andasregardstheoutsideworldhegenerallydidlike。Hisclericalneighbours，andindeedallhisneighbours，respectedhimyearlymoreandmore，andwouldhavegivenErnestsufficientcausetoregrethisimprudenceifhehaddaredtohintthathehadanything，howeverlittle，tocomplainof。Theobald’smindworkedinthisway：“Now，IknowErnesthastoldthisboywhatadisagreeablepersonIam，andIwilljustshowhimthatIamnotdisagreeableatall，butagoodoldfellow，ajollyoldboy，infactaregularoldbrick，andthatitisErnestwhoisinfaultallthrough。”
Sohewouldbehaveverynicelytotheboyatfirst，andtheboywouldbedelightedwithhim，andsidewithhimagainstErnest。OfcourseifErnesthadgottheboytocometoBattersbyhewantedhimtoenjoyhisvisit，andwasthereforepleasedthatTheobaldshouldbehavesowell，butatthesametimehestoodsomuchinneedofmoralsupportthatitwaspainfultohimtoseeoneofhisownfamiliarfriendsgoovertotheenemy’scamp。Fornomatterhowwellwemayknowathing——howclearlywemayseeacertainpatchofcolour，forexample，asred，itshakesusandknocksusabouttofindanotherseeit，orbemorethanhalfinclinedtoseeit，asgreen。
Theobaldhadgenerallybeguntogetalittleimpatientbeforetheendofthevisit，buttheimpressionformedduringtheearlierpartwastheonewhichthevisitorhadcarriedawaywithhim。TheobaldneverdiscussedanyoftheboyswithErnest。ItwasChristinawhodidthis。Theobaldletthemcome，becauseChristinainaquiet，persistentwayinsistedonit；whentheydidcomehebehaved，asI
havesaid，civilly，buthedidnotlikeit，whereasChristinadidlikeitverymuch；shewouldhavehadhalfRoughboroughandhalfCambridgetocomeandstayatBattersbyifshecouldhavemanagedit，andifitwouldnothavecostsomuchmoney：shelikedtheircoming，sothatshemightmakeanewacquaintance，andshelikedtearingthemtopiecesandflingingthebitsoverErnestassoonasshehadhadenoughofthem。
Theworstofitwasthatshehadsooftenprovedtoberight。Boysandyoungmenareviolentintheiraffections，buttheyareseldomveryconstant；itisnottilltheygetolderthattheyreallyknowthekindoffriendtheywant；intheirearlieressaysyoungmenaresimplylearningtojudgecharacter。Ernesthadbeennoexceptiontothegeneralrule。Hisswanshadoneaftertheotherprovedtobemoreorlessgeeseeveninhisownestimation，andhewasbeginningalmosttothinkthathismotherwasabetterjudgeofcharacterthanhewas；butIthinkitmaybeassumedwithsomecertaintythatifErnesthadbroughtherarealyoungswanshewouldhavedeclaredittobetheugliestandworstgooseofallthatshehadyetseen。
AtfirsthehadnotsuspectedthathisfriendswerewantedwithaviewtoCharlotte；itwasunderstoodthatCharlotteandtheymightperhapstakeafancyforoneanother；andthatwouldbesoverynice，woulditnot？Buthedidnotseethattherewasanydeliberatemaliceinthearrangement。Now，however，thathehadawoketowhatitallmeant，hewaslessinclinedtobringanyfriendofhistoBattersby。Itseemedtohissillyyoungmindalmostdishonesttoaskyourfriendtocomeandseeyouwhenallyoureallymeantwas“Please，marrymysister。”Itwasliketryingtoobtainmoneyunderfalsepretences。IfhehadbeenfondofCharlotteitmighthavebeenanothermatter，buthethoughtheroneofthemostdisagreeableyoungwomeninthewholecircleofhisacquaintance。
Shewassupposedtobeveryclever。Allyoungladiesareeitherveryprettyorverycleverorverysweet；theymaytaketheirchoiceastowhichcategorytheywillgoinfor，butgoinforoneofthethreetheymust。ItwashopelesstotryandpassCharlotteoffaseitherprettyorsweet。Soshebecamecleverastheonlyremainingalternative。Ernestneverknewwhatparticularbranchofstudyitwasinwhichsheshowedhertalent，forshecouldneitherplaynorsingnordraw，butsoastutearewomenthathismotherandCharlottereallydidpersuadehimintothinkingthatshe，Charlotte，hadsomethingmoreakintotruegeniusthananyothermemberofthefamily。Notone，however，ofallthefriendswhomErnesthadbeeninveigledintotryingtoinveiglehadshowntheleastsignofbeingsofarstruckwithCharlotte’scommandingpowers，astowishtomakethemhisown，andthismayhavehadsomethingtodowiththerapidityandcompletenesswithwhichChristinahaddismissedthemoneafteranotherandhadwantedanewone。
AndnowshewantedTowneley。Ernesthadseenthiscomingandhadtriedtoavoidit，forheknewhowimpossibleitwasforhimtoaskTowneley，evenifhehadwishedtodoso。
TowneleybelongedtooneofthemostexclusivesetsinCambridge，andwasperhapsthemostpopularmanamongthewholenumberofundergraduates。Hewasbigandveryhandsome——asitseemedtoErnestthehandsomestmanwhomheeverhadseenorevercouldsee，foritwasimpossibletoimagineamorelivelyandagreeablecountenance。Hewasgoodatcricketandboating，verygood-natured，singularlyfreefromconceit，notcleverbutverysensible，and，lastly，hisfatherandmotherhadbeendrownedbytheoverturningofaboatwhenhewasonlytwoyearsoldandhadlefthimastheironlychildandheirtooneofthefinestestatesintheSouthofEngland。
Fortuneeverynowandthendoesthingshandsomelybyamanallround；Towneleywasoneofthosetowhomshehadtakenafancy，andtheuniversalverdictinthiscasewasthatshehadchosenwisely。
ErnesthadseenTowneleyaseveryoneelseintheUniversityexcept，ofcourse，donshadseenhim，forhewasamanofmark，andbeingverysusceptiblehehadlikedTowneleyevenmorethanmostpeopledid，butatthesametimeitneversomuchasenteredhisheadthatheshouldcometoknowhim。Helikedlookingathimifhegotachance，andwasverymuchashamedofhimselffordoingso，buttherethematterended。
Byastrangeaccident，however，duringErnest’slastyear，whenthenamesofthecrewsforthescratchfoursweredrawnhehadfoundhimselfcoxswainofacrew，amongwhomwasnoneotherthanhisespecialheroTowneley；thethreeotherswereordinarymortals，buttheycouldrowfairlywell，andthecrewonthewholewasratheragoodone。
Ernestwasfrightenedoutofhiswits。When，however，thetwomet，hefoundTowneleynolessremarkableforhisentirewantofanythinglike“side。”andforhispowerofsettingthosewhomhecameacrossattheirease，thanhewasforoutwardaccomplishments；theonlydifferencehefoundbetweenTowneleyandotherpeoplewasthathewassoverymucheasiertogetonwith。OfcourseErnestworshippedhimmoreandmore。
Thescratchfoursbeingendedtheconnectionbetweenthetwocametoanend，butTowneleyneverpassedErnestthenceforwardwithoutanodandafewgood-naturedwords。InanevilmomenthehadmentionedTowneley’snameatBattersby，andnowwhatwastheresult？HerewashismotherplaguinghimtoaskTowneleytocomedowntoBattersbyandmarryCharlotte。Why，ifhehadthoughttherewastheremotestchanceofTowneley’smarryingCharlottehewouldhavegonedownonhiskneestohimandtoldhimwhatanodiousyoungwomanshewas，andimploredhimtosavehimselfwhiletherewasyettime。
ButErnesthadnotprayedtobemade“trulyhonestandconscientious“forasmanyyearsasChristinahad。Hetriedtoconcealwhathefeltandthoughtaswellashecould，andledtheconversationbacktothedifficultieswhichaclergymanmightfeeltostandinthewayofhisbeingordained——notbecausehehadanymisgivings，butasadiversion。Hismother，however，thoughtshehadsettledallthat，andhegotnomoreoutofher。Soonafterwardshefoundthemeansofescaping，andwasnotslowtoavailhimselfofthem。