Corneliushadreceivedthem，andherelatedwhathewasdoing。
’Mindyouworkinthemorning。Whattimedoyougetup？’
Theyoungerreplied：’Half-pastfive。’
’Half-pastfourisnotaminutetoosoonthistimeoftheyear。
Thereisnotimelikethemorningforconstruing。Idon’tknowwhy，butwhenIfeeleventoodrearytoreadanovelIcantranslate——
thereissomethingmechanicalaboutitIsuppose。Now，Cornelius，youareratherbehindhand，andhavesomeheavyreadingbeforeyouifyoumeantogetoutofthisnextChristmas。’
’IamafraidIhave。’
’WemustsoonsoundtheBishop。Iamsureyouwillgetatitlewithoutdifficultywhenhehasheardall。Thesub-dean，theprincipalofmycollege，saysthatthebestplanwillbeforyoutocometherewhenhislordshipispresentatanexamination，andhe’llgetyouapersonalinterviewwithhim。Mindyoumakeagoodimpressionuponhim。Ifoundinmycasethatthatwaseverythinganddoctrinealmostnothing。You’lldoforadeacon，Corney，ifnotforapriest。’
Theyoungerremainedthoughtful。’HaveyouheardfromRosalately？’
heasked；’Ihadaletterthismorning。’
’Yes。Thelittleminxwritesrathertoooften。Sheishomesick——
thoughBrusselsmustbeanattractiveplaceenough。Butshemustmakethemostofhertimeoverthere。Ithoughtayearwouldbeenoughforher，afterthathigh-classschoolatSandbourne，butI
havedecidedtogivehertwo，andmakeagoodjobofit，expensiveastheestablishmentis。’
Theirtworatherharshfaceshadsofteneddirectlytheybegantospeakoftheirsister，whomtheylovedmoreambitiouslythantheylovedthemselves。
’Butwhereisthemoneytocomefrom，Joshua？’
’Ihavealreadygotit。’Helookedround，andfindingthatsomeboyswerenearwithdrewafewsteps。’Ihaveborroweditatfivepercent。fromthefarmerwhousedtooccupythefarmnextourfield。
Yourememberhim。’
’Butaboutpayinghim？’
’Ishallpayhimbydegreesoutofmystipend。No，Cornelius，itwasnousetodothethingbyhalves。Shepromisestobeamostattractive，nottosaybeautiful，girl。Ihaveseenthatforyears；
andifherfaceisnotherfortune，herfaceandherbrainstogetherwillbe，ifIobserveandcontrivearight。Thatsheshouldbe，everyinchofher，anaccomplishedandrefinedwoman，wasindispensableforthefulfilmentofherdestiny，andformovingonwardsandupwardswithus；andshe’lldoit，youwillsee。I’dhalfstarvemyselfratherthantakeherawayfromthatschoolnow。’
Theylookedroundtheschooltheywerein。ToCorneliusitwasnaturalandfamiliarenough，buttoJoshua，withhislimitedhumansympathies，whohadjustdroppedinfromasuperiorsortofplace，thesightjarredunpleasantly，asbeingthatofsomethinghehadleftbehind。’Ishallbegladwhenyouareoutofthis，’hesaid，’andinyourpulpit，andwellthroughyourfirstsermon。’
’Youmayaswellsayinductedintomyfatliving，whileyouareaboutit。’
’Ah，well——don’tthinklightlyoftheChurch。There’safineworkforanymanofenergyintheChurch，asyou’llfind，’hesaidfervidly。’Torrentsofinfidelitytobestemmed，newviewsofoldsubjectstobeexpounded，truthsinspirittobesubstitutedfortruthsintheletter……’Helapsedintoreveriewiththevisionofhiscareer，persuadinghimselfthatitwasardourforChristianitywhichspurredhimon，andnotprideofplace。Hehadshoulderedabodyofdoctrine，andwaspreparedtodefendittoothandnail，solelyforthehonourandglorythatwarriorswin。
’IftheChurchiselastic，andstretchestotheshapeofthetime，she’lllast，Isuppose，’saidCornelius。’Ifnot。Onlythink，I
boughtacopyofPaley’sEvidences，bestedition，broadmargins，excellentpreservation，atabookstalltheotherdayfor——ninepence；
andIthoughtthatatthisrateChristianitymustbeinratherabadway。’
’No，no!’saidtheotheralmost，angrily。’Itonlyshowsthatsuchdefencesarenolongernecessary。Men’seyescanseethetruthwithoutextraneousassistance。Besides，weareinforChristianity，andmuststicktoherwhetherorno。IamjustnowgoingrightthroughPusey’sLibraryoftheFathers。’
’You’llbeabishop，Joshua，beforeyouhavedone!’
’Ah!’saidtheotherbitterly，shakinghishead。’PerhapsImighthavebeen——Imighthavebeen!ButwhereismyD。D。orLL。D。；andhowbeabishopwithoutthatkindofappendage？ArchbishopTillotsonwasthesonofaSowerbyclothier，buthewassenttoClareCollege。TohailOxfordorCambridgeasalmamaterisnotforme——forus!MyGod!whenIthinkofwhatweshouldhavebeen——whatfairpromisehasbeenblightedbythatcursed，worthless——’
’Hush，hush!……ButIfeelit，too，asmuchasyou。Ihaveseenitmoreforciblylately。Youwouldhaveobtainedyourdegreelongbeforethistime——possiblyfellowship——andIshouldhavebeenonmywaytomine。’
’Don’ttalkofit，’saidtheother。’Wemustdothebestwecan。’
Theylookedoutofthewindowsadly，throughthedustypanes，sohighupthatonlytheskywasvisible。Bydegreesthehauntingtroubleloomedagain，andCorneliusbrokethesilencewithawhisper：’Hehascalledonme!’
ThelivingpulsesdiedonJoshua’sface，whichgrewaridasaclinker。’Whenwasthat？’heaskedquickly。
’Lastweek。’
’Howdidhegethere——somanymiles？’
’Camebyrailway。Hecametoaskformoney。’
’Ah!’
’Hesayshewillcallonyou。’
Joshuarepliedresignedly。Thethemeoftheirconversationspoilthisbuoyancyforthatafternoon。Hereturnedintheevening，Corneliusaccompanyinghimtothestation；buthedidnotreadinthetrainwhichtookhimbacktotheFountallTheologicalCollege，ashehaddoneonthewayout。Thatineradicabletroublestillremainedasasqualidspotintheexpanseofhislife。Hesatwiththeotherstudentsinthecathedralchoirnextday；andtherecollectionofthetroubleobscuredthepurplesplendourthrownbythepanesuponthefloor。
Itwasafternoon。AllwasasstillintheCloseasacathedral-greencanbebetweentheSundayservices，andtheincessantcawingoftherookswastheonlysound。JoshuaHalboroughhadfinishedhisasceticlunch，andhadgoneintothelibrary，wherehestoodforafewmomentslookingoutofthelargewindowfacingthegreen。Hesawwalkingslowlyacrossitamaninafustiancoatandabatteredwhitehatwithamuch-rufflednap，havinguponhisarmatallgipsy-womanwearinglongbrassearrings。Themanwasstaringquizzicallyatthewestfrontofthecathedral，andHalboroughrecognizedinhimtheformandfeaturesofhisfather。Whothewomanwasheknewnot。
AlmostassoonasJoshuabecameconsciousofthesethings，thesub-
dean，whowasalsotheprincipalofthecollege，andofwhomtheyoungmanstoodinmoreawethanoftheBishophimself，emergedfromthegateandenteredapathacrosstheClose。Thepairmetthedignitary，andtoJoshua’shorrorhisfatherturnedandaddressedthesub-dean。
Whatpassedbetweenthemhecouldnottell。Butashestoodinacoldsweathesawhisfatherplacehishandfamiliarlyonthesub-
dean’sshoulder；theshrinkingresponseofthelatter，andhisquickwithdrawal，toldhisfeeling。Thewomanseemedtosaynothing，butwhenthesub-deanhadpassedbytheycameontowardsthecollegegate。
Halboroughflewalongthecorridorandoutatasidedoor，soastointerceptthembeforetheycouldreachthefrontentrance，forwhichtheyweremaking。Hecaughtthembehindaclumpoflaurel。
’ByJerry，here’stheverychap!Well，you’reafinefellow，Jos，nevertosendyourfatherasmuchasatwisto’baccyonsuchanoccasion，andtoleavehimtotravelallthesemilestofindyeout!’
’First，whoisthis？’saidJoshuaHalboroughwithpaledignity，wavinghishandtowardsthebuxomwomanwiththegreatearrings。
’Dammy，themis’ess!Yourstep-mother!Didn’tyouknowI’dmarried？
Shehelpedmehomefrommarketonenight，andwecametoterms，andstruckthebargain。Didn’twe，Selinar？’
’Oi，bythegreatLordan’wedid!’simperedthelady。
’Well，whatsortofaplaceisthisyouarelivingin？’askedthemillwright。’Akindofhouse-of-correction，apparently？’
Joshualistenedabstractedly，hisfeaturessettoresignation。Sickathearthewasgoingtoaskthemiftheywereinwantofanynecessary，anymeal，whenhisfathercuthimshortbysaying，’Why，we’vecalledtoaskyetocomeroundandtakepot-luckwithusattheCock-and-Bottle，wherewe’veputupfortheday，onourwaytoseemis’ess’sfriendsatBinegarFair，wherethey’llbelyingundercanvasforanightortwo。AsforthevictualsattheCockIcan’ttestifyto’ematall；butforthedrink，they’vetherarestdropofOldTomthatI’vetastedformanyayear。’
’Thanks；butIamateetotaller；andIhavelunched，’saidJoshua，whocouldfullybelievehisfather’stestimonytothegin，fromtheodourofhisbreath。’Youseewehavetoobserveregularhabitshere；andIcouldn’tbeseenattheCock-and-Bottlejustnow。’
’Odammy，thendon’tcome，yourreverence。Perhapsyouwon’tmindstandingtreatforthosewhocanbeseenthere？’
’Notapenny，’saidtheyoungerfirmly。’You’vehadenoughalready。’
’Thankyoufornothing。Bythebye，whowasthatspindle-legged，shoe-buckledparsonfellerwemetbynow？Heseemedtothinkweshouldpoisonhim!’