AshethoughtfurtherherememberedthatallthingsworktogetherforgoodtothemthatloveGod；wasitpossible，heaskedhimself，thathetoo，howeverimperfectly，hadbeentryingtolovehim？HedarednotanswerYes，buthewouldtryhardthatitshouldbeso。
　　ThentherecameintohismindthatnobleairofHandel’s：“GreatGod，whoyetbutdarklyknown。”andhefeltitashehadneverfeltitbefore。HehadlosthisfaithinChristianity，buthisfaithinsomething——heknewnotwhat，butthattherewasasomethingasyetbutdarklyknownwhichmaderightrightandwrongwrong——hisfaithinthisgrewstrongerandstrongerdaily。
　　Againtherecrossedhismindthoughtsofthepowerwhichhefelttobeinhim，andofhowandwhereitwastofinditsvent。Thesameinstinctwhichhadledhimtoliveamongthepoorbecauseitwasthenearestthingtohimwhichhecouldlayholdofwithanyclearnesscametohisassistanceheretoo。HethoughtoftheAustraliangoldandhowthosewholivedamongithadneverseenitthoughitaboundedallaroundthem：“Thereisgoldeverywhere。”heexclaimedinwardly，“tothosewholookforit。”Mightnothisopportunitybecloseuponhimifhelookedcarefullyenoughathisimmediatesurroundings？Whatwashisposition？Hehadlostall。Couldhenotturnhishavinglostallintoanopportunity？Mighthenot，ifhetoosoughtthestrengthoftheLord，find，likeStPaul，thatitwasperfectedinweakness？
　　Hehadnothingmoretolose；money，friends，character，allweregoneforaverylongtimeifnotforever；buttherewassomethingelsealsothathadtakenitsflightalongwiththese。Imeanthefearofthatwhichmancoulddountohim。Cantabilvacuus。Whocouldhurthimmorethanhehadbeenhurtalready？Lethimbutbeabletoearnhisbread，andheknewofnothingwhichhedarednotventureifitwouldmaketheworldahappierplaceforthosewhowereyoungandloveable。Hereinhefoundsomuchcomfortthathealmostwishedhehadlosthisreputationevenmorecompletely——forhesawthatitwaslikeaman’slifewhichmaybefoundofthemthatloseitandlostofthemthatwouldfindit。HeshouldnothavehadthecouragetogiveupallforChrist’ssake，butnowChristhadmercifullytakenall，andlo！itseemedasthoughallwerefound。
　　AsthedayswentslowlybyhecametoseethatChristianityandthedenialofChristianityafterallmetasmuchasanyotherextremesdo；itwasafightaboutnames——notaboutthings；practicallytheChurchofRome，theChurchofEngland，andthefreethinkerhavethesameidealstandardandmeetinthegentleman；forheisthemostperfectsaintwhoisthemostperfectgentleman。Thenhesawalsothatitmatterslittlewhatprofession，whetherofreligionorirreligion，amanmaymake，providedonlyhefollowsitoutwithcharitableinconsistency，andwithoutinsistingonittothebitterend。Itisintheuncompromisingnesswithwhichdogmaisheldandnotinthedogmaorwantofdogmathatthedangerlies。Thiswasthecrowningpointoftheedifice；whenhehadgotherehenolongerwishedtomolesteventhePope。TheArchbishopofCanterburymighthavehoppedaboutallroundhimandevenpickedcrumbsoutofhishandwithoutrunningriskofgettingaslysprinkleofsalt。Thatwaryprelatehimselfmightperhapshavebeenofadifferentopinion，buttherobinsandthrushesthathopaboutourlawnsarenotmoreneedlesslydistrustfulofthehandthatthrowsthemoutcrumbsofbreadinwinter，thantheArchbishopwouldhavebeenofmyhero。
　　Perhapshewashelpedtoarriveattheforegoingconclusionbyaneventwhichalmostthrustinconsistencyuponhim。Afewdaysafterhehadlefttheinfirmarythechaplaincametohiscellandtoldhimthattheprisonerwhoplayedtheorganinchapelhadjustfinishedhissentenceandwasleavingtheprison；hethereforeofferedtheposttoErnest，whohealreadyknewplayedtheorgan。Ernestwasatfirstindoubtwhetheritwouldberightforhimtoassistatreligiousservicesmorethanhewasactuallycompelledtodo，butthepleasureofplayingtheorgan，andtheprivilegeswhichthepostinvolved，madehimseeexcellentreasonsfornotridingconsistencytodeath。Having，then，onceintroducedanelementofinconsistencyintohissystem，hewasfartooconsistentnottobeinconsistentconsistently，andhelapsederelongintoanamiableindifferentismwhichtooutwardappearancedifferedbutlittlefromtheindifferentismfromwhichMrHawkehadarousedhim。
　　Bybecomingorganisthewassavedfromthetreadmill，forwhichthedoctorhadsaidhewasunfitasyet，butwhichhewouldprobablyhavebeenputtoinduecourseassoonashewasstronger。Hemighthaveescapedthetailor’sshopaltogetheranddoneonlythecomparativelylightworkofattendingtothechaplain’sroomsifhehadliked，buthewantedtolearnasmuchtailoringashecould，anddidnotthereforetakeadvantageofthisoffer；hewasallowed，however，twohoursadayintheafternoonforpractice。Fromthatmomenthisprisonlifeceasedtobemonotonous，andtheremainingtwomonthsofhissentenceslippedbyalmostasrapidlyastheywouldhavedoneifhehadbeenfree。Whatwithmusic，books，learninghistrade，andconversationwiththechaplain，whowasjustthekindly，sensiblepersonthatErnestwantedinordertosteadyhimalittle，thedayswentbysopleasantlythatwhenthetimecameforhimtoleaveprison，hedidso，orthoughthedidso，notwithoutregret。
　　IncomingtotheconclusionthathewouldsevertheconnectionbetweenhimselfandhisfamilyonceforallErnesthadreckonedwithouthisfamily。Theobaldwantedtoberidofhisson，itistrue，insofarashewishedhimtobenoneareratanyratethantheAntipodes；buthehadnoideaofentirelybreakingwithhim。HeknewhissonwellenoughtohaveaprettyshrewdideathatthiswaswhatErnestwouldwishhimself，andperhapsasmuchforthisreasonasforanyotherhewasdeterminedtokeepuptheconnection，provideditdidnotinvolveErnest’scomingtoBattersbynoranyrecurringoutlay。
　　Whenthetimeapproachedforhimtoleaveprison，hisfatherandmotherconsultedastowhatcoursetheyshouldadopt。
　　“Wemustneverleavehimtohimself。”saidTheobaldimpressively；
　　“wecanneitherofuswishthat。”
　　“Oh，no！no！dearestTheobald。”exclaimedChristina。“Whoeverelsedesertshim，andhoweverdistanthemaybefromus，hemuststillfeelthathehasparentswhoseheartsbeatwithaffectionforhimnomatterhowcruellyhehaspainedthem。”
　　“Hehasbeenhisownworstenemy。”saidTheobald。“Hehasneverlovedusaswedeserved，andnowhewillbewithheldbyfalseshamefromwishingtoseeus。Hewillavoidusifhecan。”
　　“Thenwemustgotohimourselves。”saidChristina，“whetherhelikesitornotwemustbeathissidetosupporthimasheentersagainupontheworld。”
　　“Ifwedonotwanthimtogiveustheslipwemustcatchhimasheleavesprison。”
　　“Wewill，wewill；ourfacesshallbethefirsttogladdenhiseyesashecomesout，andourvoicesthefirsttoexhorthimtoreturntothepathsofvirtue。”
　　“Ithink。”saidTheobald，“ifheseesusinthestreethewillturnroundandrunawayfromus。Heisintenselyselfish。”
　　“Thenwemustgetleavetogoinsidetheprison，andseehimbeforehegetsoutside。”
　　Afteragooddealofdiscussionthiswastheplantheydecidedonadopting，andhavingsodecided，TheobaldwrotetothegovernorofthegaolaskingwhetherhecouldbeadmittedinsidethegaoltoreceiveErnestwhenhissentencehadexpired。Hereceivedanswerintheaffirmative，andthepairleftBattersbythedaybeforeErnestwastocomeoutofprison。
　　Ernesthadnotreckonedonthis，andwasrathersurprisedonbeingtoldafewminutesbeforeninethathewastogointothereceivingroombeforehelefttheprisonastherewerevisitorswaitingtoseehim。Hisheartfell，forheguessedwhotheywere，buthescreweduphiscourageandhastenedtothereceivingroom。There，sureenough，standingattheendofthetablenearestthedoorwerethetwopeoplewhomheregardedasthemostdangerousenemieshehadinalltheworld——hisfatherandmother。
　　Hecouldnotfly，butheknewthatifhewaveredhewaslost。
　　Hismotherwascrying，butshesprangforwardtomeethimandclaspedhiminherarms。“Oh，myboy，myboy。”shesobbed，andshecouldsaynomore。
　　Ernestwasaswhiteasasheet。Hisheartbeatsothathecouldhardlybreathe。Helethismotherembracehim，andthenwithdrawinghimselfstoodsilentlybeforeherwiththetearsfallingfromhiseyes。
　　Atfirsthecouldnotspeak。Foraminuteorsothesilenceonallsideswascomplete。Then，gatheringstrength，hesaidinalowvoice：
　　“Mother。”itwasthefirsttimehehadcalledheranythingbut“mamma“？“wemustpart。”Onthis，turningtothewarder，hesaid：
　　“IbelieveIamfreetoleavetheprisonifIwishtodoso。Youcannotcompelmetoremainherelonger。Pleasetakemetothegates。”
　　Theobaldsteppedforward。“Ernest，youmustnot，shallnot，leaveusinthisway。”
　　“Donotspeaktome。”saidErnest，hiseyesflashingwithafirethatwasunwontedinthem。AnotherwarderthencameupandtookTheobaldaside，whilethefirstconductedErnesttothegates。
　　“Tellthem。”saidErnest，“frommethattheymustthinkofmeasonedead，forIamdeadtothem。SaythatmygreatestpainisthethoughtofthedisgraceIhaveinflicteduponthem，andthataboveallthingselseIwillstudytoavoidpainingthemhereafter；butsayalsothatiftheywritetomeIwillreturntheirlettersunopened，andthatiftheycomeandseemeIwillprotectmyselfinwhateverwayIcan。”
　　Bythistimehewasattheprisongate，andinanothermomentwasatliberty。Afterhehadgotafewstepsoutheturnedhisfacetotheprisonwall，leantagainstitforsupport，andweptasthoughhisheartwouldbreak。
　　GivingupfatherandmotherforChrist’ssakewasnotsuchaneasymatterafterall。Ifamanhasbeenpossessedbydevilsforlongenoughtheywillrendhimastheyleavehim，howeverimperativelytheymayhavebeencastout。Ernestdidnotstaylongwherehewas，forhefearedeachmomentthathisfatherandmotherwouldcomeout。
　　Hepulledhimselftogetherandturnedintothelabyrinthofsmallstreetswhichopenedoutinfrontofhim。