第58章

“Oh，yourpore，porema！”saidEllen。“Shewasalwayssoveryfondofyou，MasterErnest：youwasalwaysherfavourite；Ican’tabeartothinkofanythingbetweenyouandher。Tothinknowofthewaysheusedtohavemeintothedining-roomandteachmemycatechism，thatshedid！Oh，MasterErnest，youreallymustgoandmakeitallupwithher；indeedyoumust。”

Ernestfeltrueful，buthehadresistedsovaliantlyalreadythatthedevilmighthavesavedhimselfthetroubleoftryingtogetathimthroughElleninthematterofhisfatherandmother。Hechangedthesubject，andthepairwarmedtooneanotherastheyhadtheirtripeandpotsofbeer。OfallpeopleintheworldEllenwasperhapstheonetowhomErnestcouldhavespokenmostfreelyatthisjuncture。Hetoldherwhathethoughthecouldhavetoldtonooneelse。

“Youknow，Ellen。”heconcluded，“IhadlearntasaboythingsthatIoughtnottohavelearnt，andhadneverhadachanceofthatwhichwouldhavesetmestraight。”

“Gentlefolksisalwayslikethat。”saidEllenmusingly。

“Ibelieveyouareright，butIamnolongeragentleman，Ellen，andIdon’tseewhyIshouldbe’likethat’anylonger，mydear。Iwantyoutohelpmetobelikesomethingelseassoonaspossible。”

“Lor’！MasterErnest，whatevercanyoubemeaning？”

Thepairsoonafterwardslefttheeating-houseandwalkedupFetterLanetogether。

EllenhadhadhardtimessinceshehadleftBattersby，buttheyhadleftlittletraceuponher。

Ernestsawonlythefresh-lookingsmilingface，thedimpledcheek，theclearblueeyesandlovelysphinx-likelipswhichhehadrememberedasaboy。Atnineteenshehadlookedolderthanshewas，nowshelookedmuchyounger；indeedshelookedhardlyolderthanwhenErnesthadlastseenher，anditwouldhavetakenamanofmuchgreaterexperiencethanhepossessedtosuspecthowcompletelyshehadfallenfromherfirstestate。Itneveroccurredtohimthatthepoorconditionofherwardrobewasduetoherpassionforardentspirits，andthatfirstandlastshehadservedfiveorsixtimesasmuchtimeingaolashehad。Heascribedthepovertyofherattiretotheattemptstokeepherselfrespectable，whichEllenduringsupperhadmorethanoncealludedto。Hehadbeencharmedwiththewayinwhichshehaddeclaredthatapintofbeerwouldmakehertipsy，andhadonlyallowedherselftobeforcedintodrinkingthewholeafteragooddealofremonstrance。Tohimsheappearedaveryangeldroppedfromthesky，andallthemoreeasytogetonwithforbeingafallenone。

AshewalkedupFetterLanewithhertowardsLaystallStreet，hethoughtofthewonderfulgoodnessofGodtowardshiminthrowinginhiswaytheverypersonofallotherswhomhewasmostgladtosee，andwhom，ofallothers，inspiteofherlivingsonearhim，hemighthaveneverfalleninwithbutforahappyaccident。

WhenpeoplegetitintotheirheadsthattheyarebeingspeciallyfavouredbytheAlmighty，theyhadbetterasageneralrulemindtheirp’sandq’s，andwhentheythinktheyseethedevil’sdriftwithmorespecialclearness，letthemrememberthathehashadmuchmoreexperiencethantheyhave，andisprobablymeditatingmischief。

AlreadyduringsupperthethoughtthatinEllenatlasthehadfo