Inlessthanafortnightfromthetimeofhisleavingprisonallthesearrangementshadbeencompleted，andErnestfeltthathehadagainlinkedhimselfontothelifewhichhehadledbeforehisimprisonment——withafewimportantdifferences，however，whichweregreatlytohisadvantage。Hewasnolongeraclergyman；hewasabouttomarryawomantowhomhewasmuchattached，andhehadpartedcompanyforeverwithhisfatherandmother。
　　True，hehadlostallhismoney，hisreputation，andhispositionasagentleman；hehad，infact，hadtoburnhishousedowninordertogethisroastsuckingpig；butifaskedwhetherhewouldratherbeashewasnoworashewasonthedaybeforehisarrest，hewouldnothavehadamoment’shesitationinpreferringhispresenttohispast。Ifhispresentcouldonlyhavebeenpurchasedattheexpenseofallthathehadgonethrough，itwasstillworthpurchasingattheprice，andhewouldgothroughitallagainifnecessary。Thelossofthemoneywastheworst，butEllensaidshewassuretheywouldgeton，andsheknewallaboutit。Asforthelossofreputation——consideringthathehadEllenandmeleft，itdidnotcometomuch。
　　Isawthehouseontheafternoonofthedayonwhichallwasfinished，andthereremainednothingbuttobuysomestockandbeginselling。WhenIwasgone，afterhehadhadhistea，hestoleuptohiscastle——thefirstfloorfront。Helithispipeandsatdowntothepiano。HeplayedHandelforanhourorso，andthensethimselftothetabletoreadandwrite。Hetookallhissermonsandallthetheologicalworkshehadbeguntocomposeduringthetimehehadbeenaclergymanandputtheminthefire；ashesawthemconsumehefeltasthoughhehadgotridofanotherincubus。ThenhetookupsomeofthelittlepieceshehadbeguntowriteduringthelatterpartofhisundergraduatelifeatCambridge，andbegantocutthemaboutandre-writethem。Asheworkedquietlyatthesetillheheardtheclockstriketenanditwastimetogotobed，hefeltthathewasnownotonlyhappybutsupremelyhappy。
　　NextdayEllentookhimtoDebenham’sauctionrooms，andtheysurveyedthelotsofclotheswhichwerehungupallroundtheauctionroomtobeviewed。Ellenhadhadsufficientexperiencetoknowabouthowmucheachlotoughttofetch；sheoverhauledlotafterlot，andvaluedit；inaveryshorttimeErnesthimselfbegantohaveaprettyfairideawhateachlotshouldgofor，andbeforethemorningwasovervaluedadozenlotsrunningatpricesaboutwhichEllensaidhewouldnothurtifhecouldgetthemforthat。
　　Sofarfromdislikingthisworkorfindingittedious，helikeditverymuch，indeedhewouldhavelikedanythingwhichdidnotovertaxhisphysicalstrength，andwhichheldoutaprospectofbringinghiminmoney。Ellenwouldnotlethimbuyanythingontheoccasionofthissale；shesaidhehadbetterseeonesalefirstandwatchhowpricesactuallywent。Soattwelveo’clockwhenthesalebegan，hesawthelotssoldwhichheandEllenhadmarked，andbythetimethesalewasoverheknewenoughtobeabletobidwithsafetywheneverheshouldactuallywanttobuy。Knowledgeofthissortisveryeasilyacquiredbyanyonewhoisinbonafidewantofit。
　　ButEllendidnotwanthimtobuyatauctions——notmuchatleastatpresent。Privatedealing，shesaid，wasbest。IfI，forexample，hadanycast-offclothes，hewastobuythemfrommylaundress，andgetaconnectionwithotherlaundresses，towhomhemightgiveatriflemorethantheygotatpresentforwhateverclothestheirmastersmightgivethem，andyetmakeagoodprofit。Ifgentlemensoldtheirthings，hewastotryandgetthemtoselltohim。Heflinchedatnothing；perhapshewouldhaveflinchedifhehadhadanyideahowoutrehisproceedingswere，buttheveryignoranceoftheworldwhichhadruinedhimuptillnow，byahappyironybegantoworkitsowncure。Ifsomemalignantfairyhadmeanttocursehiminthisrespect，shehadoverdonehermalice。Hedidnotknowhewasdoinganythingstrange。Heonlyknewthathehadnomoney，andmustprovideforhimself，awife，andapossiblefamily。Morethanthis，hewantedtohavesomeleisureinanevening，sothathemightreadandwriteandkeepuphismusic。Ifanyonewouldshowhimhowhecoulddobetterthanhewasdoing，heshouldbemuchobligedtothem，buttohimselfitseemedthathewasdoingsufficientlywell；forattheendofthefirstweekthepairfoundtheyhadmadeaclearprofitof3pounds。Inafewweeksthishadincreasedto4pounds，andbytheNewYeartheyhadmadeaprofitof5poundsinoneweek。
　　Ernesthadbythistimebeenmarriedsometwomonths，forhehadstucktohisoriginalplanofmarryingEllenonthefirstdayhecouldlegallydoso。ThisdatewasalittledelayedbythechangeofabodefromLaystallStreettoBlackfriars，butonthefirstdaythatitcouldbedoneitwasdone。Hehadneverhadmorethan250
　　poundsayear，eveninthetimesofhisaffluence，sothataprofitof5poundsaweek，ifitcouldbemaintainedsteadily，wouldplacehimwherehehadbeenasfarasincomewent，and，thoughheshouldhavetofeedtwomouthsinsteadofone，yethisexpensesinotherwaysweresomuchcurtailedbyhischangedsocialposition，that，takeitallround，hisincomewaspracticallywhatithadbeenatwelvemonthbefore。Thenextthingtodowastoincreaseit，andputbymoney。
　　Prosperitydepends，asweallknow，ingreatmeasureuponenergyandgoodsense，butitalsodependsnotalittleuponpureluck——thatistosay，uponconnectionswhichareinsuchatanglethatitismoreeasytosaythattheydonotexist，thantotrytotracethem。A
　　neighbourhoodmayhaveanexcellentreputationasbeinglikelytobearisingone，andyetmaybecomesuddenlyeclipsedbyanother，whichnoonewouldhavethoughtsopromising。Afeverhospitalmaydivertthestreamofbusiness，oranewstationattractit；solittle，indeed，canbecertainlyknown，thatitisbetternottotrytoknowmorethanisineverybody’smouth，andtoleavetheresttochance。
　　Luck，whichcertainlyhadnotbeentookindtomyherohitherto，nowseemedtohavetakenhimunderherprotection。Theneighbourhoodprospered，andhewithit。Itseemedasthoughhenosoonerboughtathingandputitintohisshop，thanitsoldwithaprofitoffromthirtytofiftypercent。Helearnedbook-keeping，andwatchedhisaccountscarefully，followingupanysuccessimmediately；hebegantobuyotherthingsbesidesclothes——suchasbooks，music，oddsandendsoffurniture，etc。Whetheritwasluckorbusinessaptitude，orenergy，orthepolitenesswithwhichhetreatedallhiscustomers，Icannotsay——buttothesurpriseofnoonemorethanhimself，hewentaheadfasterthanhehadanticipated，eveninhiswildestdreams，andbyEasterwasestablishedinastrongpositionastheownerofabusinesswhichwasbringinghiminbetweenfourandfivehundredayear，andwhichheunderstoodhowtoextend。
　　Ellenandhegotoncapitally，allthebetter，perhaps，becausethedisparitybetweenthemwassogreat，thatneitherdidEllenwanttobeelevated，nordidErnestwanttoelevateher。Hewasveryfondofher，andverykindtoher；theyhadinterestswhichtheycouldserveincommon；theyhadantecedentswithagoodpartofwhicheachwasfamiliar；theyhadeachofthemexcellenttempers，andthiswasenough。EllendidnotseemjealousatErnest’spreferringtositthegreaterpartofhistimeaftertheday’sworkwasdoneinthefirstfloorfrontwhereIoccasionallyvisitedhim。Shemighthavecomeandsatwithhimifshehadliked，but，somehoworother，shegenerallyfoundenoughtooccupyherdownbelow。Shehadthetactalsotoencouragehimtogooutofaneveningwheneverhehadamind，withoutintheleastcaringthatheshouldtakehertoo——andthissuitedErnestverywell。Hewas，Ishouldsay，muchhappierinhismarriedlifethanpeoplegenerallyare。
　　Atfirstithadbeenverypainfultohimtomeetanyofhisoldfriends，ashesometimesaccidentallydid，butthissoonpassed；
　　eithertheycuthim，orhecutthem；itwasnotnicebeingcutforthefirsttimeortwo，butafterthat，itbecameratherpleasantthannot，andwhenhebegantoseethathewasgoingahead，hecaredverylittlewhatpeoplemightsayabouthisantecedents。Theordealisapainfulone，butifaman’smoralandintellectualconstitutionarenaturallysound，thereisnothingwhichwillgivehimsomuchstrengthofcharacterashavingbeenwellcut。
　　Itwaseasyforhimtokeephisexpendituredown，forhistasteswerenotluxurious。Helikedtheatres，outingsintothecountryonaSunday，andtobacco，buthedidnotcareformuchelse，exceptwritingandmusic。Asfortheusualrunofconcerts，hehatedthem。
　　HeworshippedHandel；helikedOffenbach，andtheairsthatwentaboutthestreets，buthecaredfornothingbetweenthesetwoextremes。Music，therefore，costhimlittle。Asfortheatres，I
　　gothimandEllenasmanyordersastheyliked，sothesecostthemnothing。TheSundayoutingswereasmallitem；forashillingortwohecouldgetareturntickettosomeplacefarenoughoutoftowntogivehimagoodwalkandathoroughchangefortheday。
　　Ellenwentwithhimthefirstfewtimes，butshesaidshefoundittoomuchforher，therewereafewofheroldfriendswhomsheshouldsometimesliketosee，andtheyandhe，shesaid，wouldnothititoffperhapstoowell，soitwouldbebetterforhimtogoalone。Thisseemedsosensible，andsuitedErnestsoexactlythathereadilyfellintoit，nordidhesuspectdangerswhichwereapparentenoughtomewhenIheardhowshehadtreatedthematter。
　　Ikeptsilence，however，andforatimeallcontinuedtogowell。
　　AsIhavesaid，oneofhischiefpleasureswasinwriting。Ifamancarrieswithhimalittlesketchbookandiscontinuallyjottingdownsketches，hehastheartisticinstinct；ahundredthingsmayhinderhisduedevelopment，buttheinstinctisthere。Theliteraryinstinctmaybeknownbyaman’skeepingasmallnote-bookinhiswaistcoatpocket，intowhichhejotsdownanythingthatstrikeshim，oranygoodthingthathehearssaid，orareferencetoanypassagewhichhethinkswillcomeinusefultohim。Ernesthadsuchanote-
　　bookalwayswithhim。EvenwhenhewasatCambridgehehadbegunthepracticewithoutanyone’shavingsuggestedittohim。Thesenoteshecopiedoutfromtimetotimeintoabook，whichastheyaccumulated，hewasdrivenintoindexingapproximately，ashewentalong。WhenIfoundoutthis，Iknewthathehadtheliteraryinstinct，andwhenIsawhisnotesIbegantohopegreatthingsofhim。
　　ForalongtimeIwasdisappointed。Hewaskeptbackbythenatureofthesubjectshechose——whichweregenerallymetaphysical。InvainItriedtogethimawayfromthesetomatterswhichhadagreaterinterestforthegeneralpublic。WhenIbeggedhimtotryhishandatsomepretty，graceful，littlestorywhichshouldbefullofwhateverpeopleknewandlikedbest，hewouldimmediatelysettoworkuponatreatisetoshowthegroundsonwhichallbeliefrested。
　　“Youarestirringmud。”saidI，“orpokingatasleepingdog。Youaretryingtomakepeopleresumeconsciousnessaboutthings，which，withsensiblemen，havealreadypassedintotheunconsciousstage。
　　Themenwhomyouwoulddisturbareinfrontofyou，andnot，asyoufancy，behindyou；itisyouwhoarethelagger，notthey。”
　　Hecouldnotseeit。Hesaidhewasengagedonanessayuponthefamousquodsemper，quodubique，quodabomnibusofStVincentdeLerins。Thiswasthemoreprovokingbecauseheshowedhimselfabletodobetterthingsifhehadliked。