AshethoughtfurtherherememberedthatallthingsworktogetherforgoodtothemthatloveGod；wasitpossible，heaskedhimself，thathetoo，howeverimperfectly，hadbeentryingtolovehim？HedarednotanswerYes，buthewouldtryhardthatitshouldbeso。
ThentherecameintohismindthatnobleairofHandel’s：“GreatGod，whoyetbutdarklyknown。”andhefeltitashehadneverfeltitbefore。HehadlosthisfaithinChristianity，buthisfaithinsomething——heknewnotwhat，butthattherewasasomethingasyetbutdarklyknownwhichmaderightrightandwrongwrong——hisfaithinthisgrewstrongerandstrongerdaily。
Againtherecrossedhismindthoughtsofthepowerwhichhefelttobeinhim，andofhowandwhereitwastofinditsvent。Thesameinstinctwhichhadledhimtoliveamongthepoorbecauseitwasthenearestthingtohimwhichhecouldlayholdofwithanyclearnesscametohisassistanceheretoo。HethoughtoftheAustraliangoldandhowthosewholivedamongithadneverseenitthoughitaboundedallaroundthem：“Thereisgoldeverywhere。”heexclaimedinwardly，“tothosewholookforit。”Mightnothisopportunitybecloseuponhimifhelookedcarefullyenoughathisimmediatesurroundings？Whatwashisposition？Hehadlostall。Couldhenotturnhishavinglostallintoanopportunity？Mighthenot，ifhetoosoughtthestrengthoftheLord，find，likeStPaul，thatitwasperfectedinweakness？
Hehadnothingmoretolose；money，friends，character，allweregoneforaverylongtimeifnotforever；buttherewassomethingelsealsothathadtakenitsflightalongwiththese。Imeanthefearofthatwhichmancoulddountohim。Cantabilvacuus。Whocouldhurthimmorethanhehadbeenhurtalready？Lethimbutbeabletoearnhisbread，andheknewofnothingwhichhedarednotventureifitwouldmaketheworldahappierplaceforthosewhowereyoungandloveable。Hereinhefoundsomuchcomfortthathealmostwishedhehadlosthisreputationevenmorecompletely——forhesawthatitwaslikeaman’slifewhichmaybefoundofthemthatloseitandlostofthemthatwouldfindit。HeshouldnothavehadthecouragetogiveupallforChrist’ssake，butnowChristhadmercifullytakenall，andlo！itseemedasthoughallwerefound。
AsthedayswentslowlybyhecametoseethatChristianityandthedenialofChristianityafterallmetasmuchasanyotherextremesdo；itwasafightaboutnames——notaboutthings；practicallytheChurchofRome，theChurchofEngland，andthefreethinkerhavethesameidealstandardandmeetinthegentleman；forheisthemostperfectsaintwhoisthemostperfectgentleman。Thenhesawalsothatitmatterslittlewhatprofession，whetherofreligionorirreligion，amanmaymake，providedonlyhefollowsitoutwithcharitableinconsistency，andwithoutinsistingonittothebitterend。Itisintheuncompromisingnesswithwhichdogmaisheldandnotinthedogmaorwantofdogmathatthedangerlies。Thiswasthecrowningpointoftheedifice；whenhehadgotherehenolongerwishedtomolesteventhePope。TheArchbishopofCanterburymighthavehoppedaboutallroundhimandevenpickedcrumbsoutofhishandwithoutrunningriskofgettingaslysprinkleofsalt。Thatwaryprelatehimselfmightperhapshavebeenofadifferentopinion，buttherobinsandthrushesthathopaboutourlawnsarenotmoreneedlesslydistrustfulofthehandthatthrowsthemoutcrumbsofbreadinwinter，thantheArchbishopwouldhavebeenofmyhero。
Perhapshewashelpedtoarriveattheforegoingconclusionbyaneventwhichalmostthrustinconsistencyuponhim。Afewdaysafterhehadlefttheinfirmarythechaplaincametohiscellandtoldhimthattheprisonerwhoplayedtheorganinchapelhadjustfinishedhissentenceandwasleavingtheprison；hethereforeofferedtheposttoErnest，whohealreadyknewplayedtheorgan。Ernestwasatfirstindoubtwhetheritwouldberightforhimtoassistatreligiousservicesmorethanhewasactuallycompelledtodo，butthepleasureofplayingtheorgan，andtheprivilegeswhichthepostinvolved，madehimseeexcellentreasonsfornotridingconsistencytodeath。Having，then，onceintroducedanelementofinconsistencyintohissystem，hewasfartooconsistentnottobeinconsistentconsistently，andhelapsederelongintoanamiableindifferentismwhichtooutwardappearancedifferedbutlittlefromtheindifferentismfromwhichMrHawkehadarousedhim。
Bybecomingorganisthewassavedfromthetreadmill，forwhichthedoctorhadsaidhewasunfitasyet，butwhichhewouldprobablyhavebeenputtoinduecourseassoonashewasstronger。Hemighthaveescapedthetailor’sshopaltogetheranddoneonlythecomparativelylightworkofattendingtothechaplain’sroomsifhehadliked，buthewantedtolearnasmuchtailoringashecould，anddidnotthereforetakeadvantageofthisoffer；hewasallowed，however，twohoursadayintheafternoonforpractice。Fromthatmomenthisprisonlifeceasedtobemonotonous，andtheremainingtwomonthsofhissentenceslippedbyalmostasrapidlyastheywouldhavedoneifhehadbeenfree。Whatwithmusic，books，learninghistrade，andconversationwiththechaplain，whowasjustthekindly，sensiblepersonthatErnestwantedinordertosteadyhimalittle，thedayswentbysopleasantlythatwhenthetimecameforhimtoleaveprison，hedidso，orthoughthedidso，notwithoutregret。
IncomingtotheconclusionthathewouldsevertheconnectionbetweenhimselfandhisfamilyonceforallErnesthadreckonedwithouthisfamily。Theobaldwantedtoberidofhisson，itistrue，insofarashewishedhimtobenoneareratanyratethantheAntipodes；buthehadnoideaofentirelybreakingwithhim。HeknewhissonwellenoughtohaveaprettyshrewdideathatthiswaswhatErnestwouldwishhimself，andperhapsasmuchforthisreasonasforanyotherhewasdeterminedtokeepuptheconnection，provideditdidnotinvolveErnest’scomingtoBattersbynoranyrecurringoutlay。
Whenthetimeapproachedforhimtoleaveprison，hisfatherandmotherconsultedastowhatcoursetheyshouldadopt。
“Wemustneverleavehimtohimself。”saidTheobaldimpressively；
“wecanneitherofuswishthat。”
“Oh，no！no！dearestTheobald。”exclaimedChristina。“Whoeverelsedesertshim，andhoweverdistanthemaybefromus，hemuststillfeelthathehasparentswhoseheartsbeatwithaffectionforhimnomatterhowcruellyhehaspainedthem。”
“Hehasbeenhisownworstenemy。”saidTheobald。“Hehasneverlovedusaswedeserved，andnowhewillbewithheldbyfalseshamefromwishingtoseeus。Hewillavoidusifhecan。”
“Thenwemustgotohimourselves。”saidChristina，“whetherhelikesitornotwemustbeathissidetosupporthimasheentersagainupontheworld。”
“Ifwedonotwanthimtogiveustheslipwemustcatchhimasheleavesprison。”
“Wewill，wewill；ourfacesshallbethefirsttogladdenhiseyesashecomesout，andourvoicesthefirsttoexhorthimtoreturntothepathsofvirtue。”
“Ithink。”saidTheobald，“ifheseesusinthestreethewillturnroundandrunawayfromus。Heisintenselyselfish。”
“Thenwemustgetleavetogoinsidetheprison，andseehimbeforehegetsoutside。”
Afteragooddealofdiscussionthiswastheplantheydecidedonadopting，andhavingsodecided，TheobaldwrotetothegovernorofthegaolaskingwhetherhecouldbeadmittedinsidethegaoltoreceiveErnestwhenhissentencehadexpired。Hereceivedanswerintheaffirmative，andthepairleftBattersbythedaybeforeErnestwastocomeoutofprison。
Ernesthadnotreckonedonthis，andwasrathersurprisedonbeingtoldafewminutesbeforeninethathewastogointothereceivingroombeforehelefttheprisonastherewerevisitorswaitingtoseehim。Hisheartfell，forheguessedwhotheywere，buthescreweduphiscourageandhastenedtothereceivingroom。There，sureenough，standingattheendofthetablenearestthedoorwerethetwopeoplewhomheregardedasthemostdangerousenemieshehadinalltheworld——hisfatherandmother。
Hecouldnotfly，butheknewthatifhewaveredhewaslost。
Hismotherwascrying，butshesprangforwardtomeethimandclaspedhiminherarms。“Oh，myboy，myboy。”shesobbed，andshecouldsaynomore。
Ernestwasaswhiteasasheet。Hisheartbeatsothathecouldhardlybreathe。Helethismotherembracehim，andthenwithdrawinghimselfstoodsilentlybeforeherwiththetearsfallingfromhiseyes。
Atfirsthecouldnotspeak。Foraminuteorsothesilenceonallsideswascomplete。Then，gatheringstrength，hesaidinalowvoice：
“Mother。”itwasthefirsttimehehadcalledheranythingbut“mamma“？“wemustpart。”Onthis，turningtothewarder，hesaid：
“IbelieveIamfreetoleavetheprisonifIwishtodoso。Youcannotcompelmetoremainherelonger。Pleasetakemetothegates。”
Theobaldsteppedforward。“Ernest，youmustnot，shallnot，leaveusinthisway。”
“Donotspeaktome。”saidErnest，hiseyesflashingwithafirethatwasunwontedinthem。AnotherwarderthencameupandtookTheobaldaside，whilethefirstconductedErnesttothegates。
“Tellthem。”saidErnest，“frommethattheymustthinkofmeasonedead，forIamdeadtothem。SaythatmygreatestpainisthethoughtofthedisgraceIhaveinflicteduponthem，andthataboveallthingselseIwillstudytoavoidpainingthemhereafter；butsayalsothatiftheywritetomeIwillreturntheirlettersunopened，andthatiftheycomeandseemeIwillprotectmyselfinwhateverwayIcan。”
Bythistimehewasattheprisongate，andinanothermomentwasatliberty。Afterhehadgotafewstepsoutheturnedhisfacetotheprisonwall，leantagainstitforsupport，andweptasthoughhisheartwouldbreak。
GivingupfatherandmotherforChrist’ssakewasnotsuchaneasymatterafterall。Ifamanhasbeenpossessedbydevilsforlongenoughtheywillrendhimastheyleavehim，howeverimperativelytheymayhavebeencastout。Ernestdidnotstaylongwherehewas，forhefearedeachmomentthathisfatherandmotherwouldcomeout。
Hepulledhimselftogetherandturnedintothelabyrinthofsmallstreetswhichopenedoutinfrontofhim。