“YouneverbroughtdownFigginswhenyouwereatRoughborough；nowI
　　shouldhavethoughtFigginswouldhavebeenjustthekindofboywhomyoumighthaveaskedtocomeandseeus。”
　　Figginshadbeengonethroughtimesoutofnumberalready。Ernesthadhardlyknownhim，andFiggins，beingnearlythreeyearsolderthanErnest，hadleftlongbeforehedid。Besideshehadnotbeenaniceboy，andhadmadehimselfunpleasanttoErnestinmanyways。
　　“Now。”continuedhismother，“there’sTowneley。IhaveheardyouspeakofTowneleyashavingrowedwithyouinaboatatCambridge。
　　Iwish，mydear，youwouldcultivateyouracquaintancewithTowneley，andaskhimtopayusavisit。Thenamehasanaristocraticsound，andIthinkIhaveheardyousayheisaneldestson。”
　　ErnestflushedatthesoundofTowneley’sname。
　　WhathadreallyhappenedinrespectofErnest’sfriendswasbrieflythis。Hismotherlikedtogetholdofthenamesoftheboysandespeciallyofanywhowereatallintimatewithherson；themoresheheard，themoreshewantedtoknow；therewasnogorginghertosatiety；shewaslikearavenousyoungcuckoobeingfeduponagrassplotbyawaterwag-tail，shewouldswallowallthatErnestcouldbringher，andyetbeashungryasbefore。AndshealwayswenttoErnestforhermealsratherthantoJoey，forJoeywaseithermorestupidormoreimpenetrable——atanyrateshecouldpumpErnestmuchthebetterofthetwo。
　　Fromtimetotimeanactualliveboyhadbeenthrowntoher，eitherbybeingcaughtandbroughttoBattersby，orbybeingaskedtomeetherifatanytimeshecametoRoughborough。Shehadgenerallymadeherselfagreeable，orfairlyagreeable，aslongastheboywaspresent，butassoonasshegotErnesttoherselfagainshechangedhernote。Intowhateverformshemightthrowhercriticismsitcamealwaysintheendtothis，thathisfriendwasnogood，thatErnestwasnotmuchbetter，andthatheshouldhavebroughthersomeoneelse，forthisonewouldnotdoatall。
　　ThemoreintimatetheboyhadbeenorwassupposedtobewithErnestthemorehewasdeclaredtobenaught，tillintheendhehadhitupontheplanofsaying，concerninganyboywhomheparticularlyliked，thathewasnotoneofhisespecialchums，andthatindeedhehardlyknewwhyhehadaskedhim；buthefoundheonlyfellonScyllaintryingtoavoidCharybdis，forthoughtheboywasdeclaredtobemoresuccessfulitwasErnestwhowasnaughtfornotthinkingmorehighlyofhim。
　　Whenshehadoncegotholdofanamesheneverforgotit。“AndhowisSo-and-so？”shewouldexclaim，mentioningsomeformerfriendofErnest’swithwhomhehadeithernowquarrelled，orwhohadlongsinceprovedtobeamerecometandnofixedstaratall。HowErnestwishedhehadnevermentionedSo-and-so’sname，andvowedtohimselfthathewouldnevertalkabouthisfriendsinfuture，butinafewhourshewouldforgetandwouldprattleawayasimprudentlyasever；thenhismotherwouldpouncenoiselesslyonhisremarksasabarn-owlpouncesuponamouse，andwouldbringthemupinapelletsixmonthsafterwardswhentheywerenolongerinharmonywiththeirsurroundings。
　　ThentherewasTheobald。IfaboyorcollegefriendhadbeeninvitedtoBattersby，Theobaldwouldlayhimselfoutatfirsttobeagreeable。Hecoulddothiswellenoughwhenheliked，andasregardstheoutsideworldhegenerallydidlike。Hisclericalneighbours，andindeedallhisneighbours，respectedhimyearlymoreandmore，andwouldhavegivenErnestsufficientcausetoregrethisimprudenceifhehaddaredtohintthathehadanything，howeverlittle，tocomplainof。Theobald’smindworkedinthisway：“Now，IknowErnesthastoldthisboywhatadisagreeablepersonIam，andIwilljustshowhimthatIamnotdisagreeableatall，butagoodoldfellow，ajollyoldboy，infactaregularoldbrick，andthatitisErnestwhoisinfaultallthrough。”
　　Sohewouldbehaveverynicelytotheboyatfirst，andtheboywouldbedelightedwithhim，andsidewithhimagainstErnest。OfcourseifErnesthadgottheboytocometoBattersbyhewantedhimtoenjoyhisvisit，andwasthereforepleasedthatTheobaldshouldbehavesowell，butatthesametimehestoodsomuchinneedofmoralsupportthatitwaspainfultohimtoseeoneofhisownfamiliarfriendsgoovertotheenemy’scamp。Fornomatterhowwellwemayknowathing——howclearlywemayseeacertainpatchofcolour，forexample，asred，itshakesusandknocksusabouttofindanotherseeit，orbemorethanhalfinclinedtoseeit，asgreen。
　　Theobaldhadgenerallybeguntogetalittleimpatientbeforetheendofthevisit，buttheimpressionformedduringtheearlierpartwastheonewhichthevisitorhadcarriedawaywithhim。TheobaldneverdiscussedanyoftheboyswithErnest。ItwasChristinawhodidthis。Theobaldletthemcome，becauseChristinainaquiet，persistentwayinsistedonit；whentheydidcomehebehaved，asI
　　havesaid，civilly，buthedidnotlikeit，whereasChristinadidlikeitverymuch；shewouldhavehadhalfRoughboroughandhalfCambridgetocomeandstayatBattersbyifshecouldhavemanagedit，andifitwouldnothavecostsomuchmoney：shelikedtheircoming，sothatshemightmakeanewacquaintance，andshelikedtearingthemtopiecesandflingingthebitsoverErnestassoonasshehadhadenoughofthem。
　　Theworstofitwasthatshehadsooftenprovedtoberight。Boysandyoungmenareviolentintheiraffections，buttheyareseldomveryconstant；itisnottilltheygetolderthattheyreallyknowthekindoffriendtheywant；intheirearlieressaysyoungmenaresimplylearningtojudgecharacter。Ernesthadbeennoexceptiontothegeneralrule。Hisswanshadoneaftertheotherprovedtobemoreorlessgeeseeveninhisownestimation，andhewasbeginningalmosttothinkthathismotherwasabetterjudgeofcharacterthanhewas；butIthinkitmaybeassumedwithsomecertaintythatifErnesthadbroughtherarealyoungswanshewouldhavedeclaredittobetheugliestandworstgooseofallthatshehadyetseen。
　　AtfirsthehadnotsuspectedthathisfriendswerewantedwithaviewtoCharlotte；itwasunderstoodthatCharlotteandtheymightperhapstakeafancyforoneanother；andthatwouldbesoverynice，woulditnot？Buthedidnotseethattherewasanydeliberatemaliceinthearrangement。Now，however，thathehadawoketowhatitallmeant，hewaslessinclinedtobringanyfriendofhistoBattersby。Itseemedtohissillyyoungmindalmostdishonesttoaskyourfriendtocomeandseeyouwhenallyoureallymeantwas“Please，marrymysister。”Itwasliketryingtoobtainmoneyunderfalsepretences。IfhehadbeenfondofCharlotteitmighthavebeenanothermatter，buthethoughtheroneofthemostdisagreeableyoungwomeninthewholecircleofhisacquaintance。
　　Shewassupposedtobeveryclever。Allyoungladiesareeitherveryprettyorverycleverorverysweet；theymaytaketheirchoiceastowhichcategorytheywillgoinfor，butgoinforoneofthethreetheymust。ItwashopelesstotryandpassCharlotteoffaseitherprettyorsweet。Soshebecamecleverastheonlyremainingalternative。Ernestneverknewwhatparticularbranchofstudyitwasinwhichsheshowedhertalent，forshecouldneitherplaynorsingnordraw，butsoastutearewomenthathismotherandCharlottereallydidpersuadehimintothinkingthatshe，Charlotte，hadsomethingmoreakintotruegeniusthananyothermemberofthefamily。Notone，however，ofallthefriendswhomErnesthadbeeninveigledintotryingtoinveiglehadshowntheleastsignofbeingsofarstruckwithCharlotte’scommandingpowers，astowishtomakethemhisown，andthismayhavehadsomethingtodowiththerapidityandcompletenesswithwhichChristinahaddismissedthemoneafteranotherandhadwantedanewone。
　　AndnowshewantedTowneley。Ernesthadseenthiscomingandhadtriedtoavoidit，forheknewhowimpossibleitwasforhimtoaskTowneley，evenifhehadwishedtodoso。
　　TowneleybelongedtooneofthemostexclusivesetsinCambridge，andwasperhapsthemostpopularmanamongthewholenumberofundergraduates。Hewasbigandveryhandsome——asitseemedtoErnestthehandsomestmanwhomheeverhadseenorevercouldsee，foritwasimpossibletoimagineamorelivelyandagreeablecountenance。Hewasgoodatcricketandboating，verygood-natured，singularlyfreefromconceit，notcleverbutverysensible，and，lastly，hisfatherandmotherhadbeendrownedbytheoverturningofaboatwhenhewasonlytwoyearsoldandhadlefthimastheironlychildandheirtooneofthefinestestatesintheSouthofEngland。
　　Fortuneeverynowandthendoesthingshandsomelybyamanallround；Towneleywasoneofthosetowhomshehadtakenafancy，andtheuniversalverdictinthiscasewasthatshehadchosenwisely。
　　ErnesthadseenTowneleyaseveryoneelseintheUniversityexcept，ofcourse，donshadseenhim，forhewasamanofmark，andbeingverysusceptiblehehadlikedTowneleyevenmorethanmostpeopledid，butatthesametimeitneversomuchasenteredhisheadthatheshouldcometoknowhim。Helikedlookingathimifhegotachance，andwasverymuchashamedofhimselffordoingso，buttherethematterended。
　　Byastrangeaccident，however，duringErnest’slastyear，whenthenamesofthecrewsforthescratchfoursweredrawnhehadfoundhimselfcoxswainofacrew，amongwhomwasnoneotherthanhisespecialheroTowneley；thethreeotherswereordinarymortals，buttheycouldrowfairlywell，andthecrewonthewholewasratheragoodone。
　　Ernestwasfrightenedoutofhiswits。When，however，thetwomet，hefoundTowneleynolessremarkableforhisentirewantofanythinglike“side。”andforhispowerofsettingthosewhomhecameacrossattheirease，thanhewasforoutwardaccomplishments；theonlydifferencehefoundbetweenTowneleyandotherpeoplewasthathewassoverymucheasiertogetonwith。OfcourseErnestworshippedhimmoreandmore。
　　Thescratchfoursbeingendedtheconnectionbetweenthetwocametoanend，butTowneleyneverpassedErnestthenceforwardwithoutanodandafewgood-naturedwords。InanevilmomenthehadmentionedTowneley’snameatBattersby，andnowwhatwastheresult？HerewashismotherplaguinghimtoaskTowneleytocomedowntoBattersbyandmarryCharlotte。Why，ifhehadthoughttherewastheremotestchanceofTowneley’smarryingCharlottehewouldhavegonedownonhiskneestohimandtoldhimwhatanodiousyoungwomanshewas，andimploredhimtosavehimselfwhiletherewasyettime。
　　ButErnesthadnotprayedtobemade“trulyhonestandconscientious“forasmanyyearsasChristinahad。Hetriedtoconcealwhathefeltandthoughtaswellashecould，andledtheconversationbacktothedifficultieswhichaclergymanmightfeeltostandinthewayofhisbeingordained——notbecausehehadanymisgivings，butasadiversion。Hismother，however，thoughtshehadsettledallthat，andhegotnomoreoutofher。Soonafterwardshefoundthemeansofescaping，andwasnotslowtoavailhimselfofthem。