第31章

thereforelethimgivetheewhatheisminded。”

Ellendidwhatshewastold，andthetwopartedwithmanytears，thegirl’slastwordsbeingthatsheshouldneverforgethim，andthattheyshouldmeetagainhereafter，shewassuretheyshould，andthenshewouldrepayhim。

ThenErnestgotintoafieldbytheroadside，flunghimselfonthegrass，andwaitedundertheshadowofahedgetillthecarriageshouldpassonitsreturnfromthestationandpickhimup，forhewasdeadbeat。Thoughtswhichhadalreadyoccurredtohimwithsomeforcenowcamemorestronglybeforehim，andhesawthathehadgothimselfintoonemess——orratherintohalf-a-dozenmesses——themore。

Inthefirstplaceheshouldbelatefordinner，andthiswasoneoftheoffencesonwhichTheobaldhadnomercy。Alsoheshouldhavetosaywherehehadbeen，andtherewasadangerofbeingfoundoutifhedidnotspeakthetruth。Notonlythis，butsoonerorlateritmustcomeoutthathewasnolongerpossessedofthebeautifulwatchwhichhisdearaunthadgivenhim——andwhat，pray，hadhedonewithit，orhowhadhelostit？Thereaderwillknowverywellwhatheoughttohavedone。Heshouldhavegonestraighthome，andifquestionedshouldhavesaid，“IhavebeenrunningafterthecarriagetocatchourhousemaidEllen，whomIamveryfondof；Ihavegivenhermywatch，myknifeandallmypocketmoney，sothatIhavenownopocketmoneyatallandshallprobablyaskyouforsomemoresoonerthanIotherwisemighthavedone，andyouwillalsohavetobuymeanewwatchandaknife。”Butthenfancytheconsternationwhichsuchanannouncementwouldhaveoccasioned！FancythescowlandflashingeyesoftheinfuriatedTheobald！“Youunprincipledyoungscoundrel。”hewouldexclaim，“doyoumeantovilifyyourownparentsbyimplyingthattheyhavedealtharshlybyonewhoseprofligacyhasdisgracedtheirhouse？”

Orhemighttakeitwithoneofthosesalliesofsarcasticcalm，ofwhichhebelievedhimselftobeamaster。

“Verywell，Ernest，verywell：Ishallsaynothing；youcanpleaseyourself；youarenotyettwenty-one，butprayactasifyouwereyourownmaster；yourpoorauntdoubtlessgaveyouthewatchthatyoumightflingitawayuponthefirstimpropercharacteryoucameacross；IthinkIcannowunderstand，however，whyshedidnotleaveyouhermoney；and，afterall，yourgodfathermayjustaswellhaveitasthekindofpeopleonwhomyouwouldlavishitifitwereyours。”

Thenhismotherwouldburstintotearsandimplorehimtorepentandseekthethingsbelongingtohispeacewhiletherewasyettime，byfallingonhiskneestoTheobaldandassuringhimofhisunfailingloveforhimasthekindestandtenderestfatherintheuniverse。

Ernestcoulddoallthisjustaswellastheycould，andnow，ashelayonthegrass，speeches，someoneorotherofwhichwasascertaintocomeasthesuntoset，keptrunninginhisheadtilltheyconfutedtheideaoftellingthetruthbyreducingittoanabsurdity。Truthmightbeheroic，butitwasnotwithintherangeofpracticaldomesticpolitics。

Havingsettledthenthathewastotellalie，whatlieshouldhetell？Shouldhesayhehadbeenrobbed？Hehadenoughimaginationtoknowthathehadnotenoughimaginationtocarryhimouthere。

Youngashewas，hisinstincttoldhimthatthebestliarishewhomakesthesmallestamountoflyinggothelongestway——whohusbandsittoocarefullytowasteitwhereitcanbedispensedwith。Thesimplestcoursewouldbetosaythathehadlostthewatch，andwaslatefordinnerbecausehehadbeenlookingforit。Hehadbeenoutforalongwalk——hechosethelineacrossthefieldsthathehadactuallytaken——andtheweatherbeingveryhot，hehadtakenoffhiscoatandwaistcoat；incarryingthemoverhisarmhiswatch，hismoney，andhisknifehaddroppedoutofthem。Hehadgotnearlyhomew