第24章

Hewasasuselessandillateasewithcricketaswithfootball，norinspiteofallhiseffortscouldheeverthrowaballorastone。

Itsoonbecameplain，therefore，toeveryonethatPontifexwasayoungmuff，amollycoddle，nottobetortured，butstillnottoberatedhighly。Hewasnothowever，activelyunpopular，foritwasseenthathewasquitesquareinterpares，notatallvindictive，easilypleased，perfectlyfreewithwhateverlittlemoneyhehad，nogreaterloverofhisschoolworkthanofthegames，andgenerallymoreinclinabletomoderatevicethantoimmoderatevirtue。

Thesequalitieswillpreventanyboyfromsinkingverylowintheopinionofhisschool-fellows；butErnestthoughthehadfallenlowerthanheprobablyhad，andhatedanddespisedhimselfforwhathe，asmuchasanyoneelse，believedtobehiscowardice。Hedidnotliketheboyswhomhethoughtlikehimself。Hisheroeswerestrongandvigorous，andthelesstheyinclinedtowardshimthemoreheworshippedthem。Allthismadehimveryunhappy，foritneveroccurredtohimthattheinstinctwhichmadehimkeepoutofgamesforwhichhewasilladapted，wasmorereasonablethanthereasonwhichwouldhavedrivenhimintothem。Neverthelesshefollowedhisinstinctforthemostpart，ratherthanhisreason。Sapienssuamsisapientiamnorit。

WiththemastersErnestwaserelonginabsolutedisgrace。Hehadmorelibertynowthanhehadknownheretofore。TheheavyhandandwatchfuleyeofTheobaldwerenolongerabouthispathandabouthisbedandspyingoutallhisways；andpunishmentbywayofcopyingoutlinesofVirgilwasaverydifferentthingfromthesavagebeatingsofhisfather。Thecopyingoutinfactwasoftenlesstroublethanthelesson。LatinandGreekhadnothinginthemwhichcommendedthemtohisinstinctaslikelytobringhimpeaceevenatthelast；stilllessdidtheyholdoutanyhopeofdoingsowithinsomemorereasonabletime。Thedeadnessinherentinthesedefunctlanguagesthemselveshadneverbeenartificiallycounteractedbyasystemofbonafiderewardsforapplication。Therehadbeenanyamountofpunishmentsforwantofapplication，butnogoodcomfortablebribeshadbaitedthehookwhichwastoallurehimtohisgood。

Indeed，themorepleasantsideoflearningtodothisorthathadalwaysbeentreatedassomethingwithwhichErnesthadnoconcern。

Wehadnobusinesswithpleasantthingsatall，atanyrateverylittlebusiness，atanyratenothe，Ernest。Wewereputintothisworldnotforpleasurebutduty，andpleasurehadinitsomethingmoreorlesssinfulinitsveryessence。Ifweweredoinganythingweliked，we，oratanyratehe，Ernest，shouldapologiseandthinkhewasbeingverymercifullydealtwith，ifnotatoncetoldtogoanddosomethingelse。Withwhathedidnotlike，however，itwasdifferent；themorehedislikedathingthegreaterthepresumptionthatitwasright。Itneveroccurredtohimthatthepresumptionwasinfavouroftherightnessofwhatwasmostpleasant，andthattheonusofprovingthatitwasnotrightlaywiththosewhodisputeditsbeingso。Ihavesaidmorethanoncethathebelievedinhisowndepravity；neverwastherealittlemortalmorereadytoacceptwithoutcavilwhateverhewastoldbythosewhowereinauthorityoverhim：hethought，atleast，thathebelievedit，forasyetheknewnothingofthatotherErnestthatdweltwithinhim，andwassomuchstrongerandmorerealthantheErnestofwhichhewasconscious。ThedumbErnestpersuadedwithinarticulatefeelingstooswiftandsuretobetranslatedintosuchdebateablethingsaswords，butpracticallyinsistedasfollows-

“Growingisnottheeasyplainsailingbusinessthatitiscommonlysupposedtobe：itishardwork——harderthananybutagrowingboycanunderstand；itrequiresattention，andyouarenotstrongenoughtoattendtoyourbodilygrowth，andtoyourlessonstoo。Besides，