第34章

Howhadhecometogetintodebt？Didtheotherboysdoso？Ernestreluctantlyadmittedthattheydid。

Withwhatshopsdidtheygetintodebt？

Thiswasaskingtoomuch，Ernestsaidhedidn’tknow！

“Oh，Ernest，Ernest。”exclaimedhismother，whowasintheroom，“donotsosoonasecondtimepresumeupontheforbearanceofthetenderest-heartedfatherintheworld。Givetimeforonestabtohealbeforeyouwoundhimwithanother。”

Thiswasallveryfine，butwhatwasErnesttodo？Howcouldhegettheschoolshopkeepersintotroublebyowningthattheyletsomeoftheboysgoontickwiththem？TherewasMrsCross，agoodoldsoul，whousedtosellhotrollsandbutterforbreakfast，oreggsandtoast，oritmightbethequarterofafowlwithbreadsauceandmashedpotatoesforwhichshewouldcharge6d。Ifshemadeafarthingoutofthesixpenceitwasasmuchasshedid。Whentheboyswouldcometroopingintohershopafter“thehounds“howoftenhadnotErnestheardhersaytoherservantgirls，“Nowthen，youwanches，gitsomecheers。”Alltheboyswerefondofher，andwashe，Ernest，totelltalesabouther？Itwashorrible。

“Nowlookhere，Ernest。”saidhisfatherwithhisblackestscowl，“I

amgoingtoputastoptothisnonsenseonceforall。Eithertakemefullyintoyourconfidence，asasonshouldtakeafather，andtrustmetodealwiththismatterasaclergymanandamanoftheworld——orunderstanddistinctlythatIshalltakethewholestorytoDrSkinner，who，Iimagine，willtakemuchsternermeasuresthanI

should。”

“Oh，Ernest，Ernest。”sobbedChristina，“bewiseintime，andtrustthosewhohavealreadyshownyouthattheyknowbuttoowellhowtobeforbearing。”

Nogenuineheroofromanceshouldhavehesitatedforamoment。

Nothingshouldhavecajoledorfrightenedhimintotellingtalesoutofschool。Ernestthoughtofhisidealboys：they，hewellknew，wouldhavelettheirtonguesbecutoutofthembeforeinformationcouldhavebeenwrungfromanywordoftheirs。ButErnestwasnotanidealboy，andhewasnotstrongenoughforhissurroundings；I

doubthowfaranyboycouldwithstandthemoralpressurewhichwasbroughttobearuponhim；atanyratehecouldnotdoso，andafteralittlemorewrithingheyieldedhimselfapassivepreytotheenemy。Heconsoledhimselfwiththereflectionthathispapahadnotplayedtheconfidencetrickonhimquiteasoftenashismammahad，andthatprobablyitwasbetterheshouldtellhisfather，thanthathisfathershouldinsistonDrSkinner’smakinganinquiry。

Hispapa’sconscience“jabbered“agooddeal，butnotasmuchashismamma’s。ThelittlefoolforgotthathehadnotgivenhisfatherasmanychancesofbetrayinghimashehadgiventoChristina。

Thenitallcameout。HeowedthisatMrsCross’s，andthistoMrsJones，andthisatthe“SwanandBottle“publichouse，tosaynothingofanothershillingorsixpenceortwoinotherquarters。

Nevertheless，TheobaldandChristinawerenotsatiated，butratherthemoretheydiscoveredthegreatergrewtheirappetitefordiscovery；itwastheirobviousdutytofindouteverything，forthoughtheymightrescuetheirowndarlingfromthishotbedofiniquitywithoutgettingtoknowmorethantheyknewatpresent，weretherenototherpapasandmammaswithdarlingswhomalsotheywereboundtorescueifitwereyetpossible？Whatboys，then，owedmoneytotheseharpiesaswellasErnest？

Here，again，therewasafeebleshowofresistance，butthethumbscrewswereinstantlyapplied，andErnest，demoralisedashealreadywas，recantedandsubmittedhimselftothepowersthatwere。

Hetoldonlyalittlelessthanhekneworthoughtheknew。Hewasexamined，re-examined，cross-examined，senttotheretirementofhisownbedroomandcross-examinedagain；thesmokinginMrsJones’

kitchenallcameout；whichboyssmokedandwhichdidnot；whichboysowedmoneyand，roughly，howmuchandwhere；whichboyssworeandusedbadlanguage。TheobaldwasresolvedthatthistimeErnestshould，ashecalledit，takehimintoh