第64章

Ernestwasnowwellturnedtwenty-sixyearsold，andinlittlemorethananotheryearandahalfwouldcomeintopossessionofhismoney。IsawnoreasonforlettinghimhaveitearlierthanthedatefixedbyMissPontifexherself；atthesametimeIdidnotlikehiscontinuingtheshopatBlackfriarsafterthepresentcrisis。ItwasnottillnowthatIfullyunderstoodhowmuchhehadsuffered，norhownearlyhissupposedwife’shabitshadbroughthimtoactualwant。

Ihadindeednotedtheoldwanwornlooksettlinguponhisface，butwaseithertooindolentortoohopelessofbeingabletosustainaprotractedandsuccessfulwarfarewithEllentoextendthesympathyandmaketheinquirieswhichIsupposeIoughttohavemade。AndyetIhardlyknowwhatIcouldhavedone，fornothingshortofhisfindingoutwhathehadfoundoutwouldhavedetachedhimfromhiswife，andnothingcoulddohimmuchgoodaslongashecontinuedtolivewithher。

AfterallIsupposeIwasright；Isupposethingsdidturnoutallthebetterintheendforhavingbeenlefttosettlethemselves——atanyratewhethertheydidordidnot，thewholethingwasintoogreatamuddleformetoventuretotackleitsolongasEllenwasuponthescene；now，however，thatshewasremoved，allmyinterestinmygodsonrevived，andIturnedovermanytimesinmymind，whatIhadbetterdowithhim。

ItwasnowthreeandahalfyearssincehehadcomeuptoLondonandbeguntolive，sotospeak，uponhisownaccount。Oftheseyears，sixmonthshadbeenspentasaclergyman，sixmonthsingaol，andfortwoandahalfyearshehadbeenacquiringtwofoldexperienceinthewaysofbusinessandofmarriage。Hehadfailed，Imaysay，ineverythingthathehadundertaken，evenasaprisoner；yethisdefeatshadbeenalways，asitseemedtome，somethingsolikevictories，thatIwassatisfiedofhisbeingworthallthepainsI

couldbestowuponhim；myonlyfearwaslestIshouldmeddlewithhimwhenitmightbebetterforhimtobeletalone。OnthewholeI

concludedthatathreeandahalfyears’apprenticeshiptoaroughlifewasenough；theshophaddonemuchforhim；ithadkepthimgoingafterafashion，whenhewasingreatneed；ithadthrownhimuponhisownresources，andtaughthimtoseeprofitableopeningsallaroundhim，whereafewmonthsbeforehewouldhaveseennothingbutinsuperabledifficulties；ithadenlargedhissympathiesbymakinghimunderstandthelowerclasses，andnotconfininghisviewoflifetothattakenbygentlemenonly。Whenhewentaboutthestreetsandsawthebooksoutsidethesecond-handbook-stalls，thebric-a-bracinthecuriosityshops，andtheinfinitecommercialactivitywhichisomnipresentaroundus，heunderstooditandsympathisedwithitashecouldneverhavedoneifhehadnotkeptashophimself。

Hehasoftentoldmethatwhenheusedtotravelonarailwaythatoverlookedpopuloussuburbs，andlookeddownuponstreetafterstreetofdingyhouses，heusedtowonderwhatkindofpeoplelivedinthem，whattheydidandfelt，andhowfaritwaslikewhathedidandfelthimself。Now，hesaidheknewallaboutit。IamnotveryfamiliarwiththewriteroftheOdyssey(who，bytheway，Isuspectstronglyofhavingbeenaclergyman)，butheassuredlyhittherightnailontheheadwhenheepitomisedhistypicalwisemanasknowing“thewaysandfaringsofmanymen。”Whatcultureiscomparabletothis？Whatalie，whatasicklydebilitatingdebauchdidnotErnest’sschoolanduniversitycareernowseemtohim，incomparisonwithhislifeinprisonandasatailorinBlackfriars。IhaveheardhimsayhewouldhavegonethroughallhehadsufferedifitwereonlyforthedeeperinsightitgavehimintothespiritoftheGrecianandtheSurreypantomimes。Whatconfidenceagaininhisownpowertoswimifthrownintodeepwatershadnothewonthroughhisexperiencesduringthelastthreeyears！

But，asIhavesaid，