AndnowImustbringmystorytoaclose。
　　Theprecedingchapterwaswrittensoonaftertheeventsitrecords——
　　thatistosayinthespringof1867。Bythattimemystoryhadbeenwrittenuptothispoint；butithasbeenalteredhereandtherefromtimetotimeoccasionally。Itisnowtheautumnof1882，andifIamtosaymoreIshoulddosoquickly，forIameightyyearsoldandthoughwellinhealthcannotconcealfrommyselfthatIamnolongeryoung。Ernesthimselfisforty-seven，thoughhehardlylooksit。
　　Heisricherthanever，forhehasnevermarriedandhisLondonandNorth-Westernshareshavenearlydoubledthemselves。Throughsheerinabilitytospendhisincomehehasbeenobligedtohoardinself-
　　defence。HestilllivesintheTempleinthesameroomsItookforhimwhenhegaveuphisshop，fornoonehasbeenabletoinducehimtotakeahouse。Hishouse，hesays，iswhereverthereisagoodhotel。Whenheisintownhelikestoworkandtobequiet。Whenoutoftownhefeelsthathehasleftlittlebehindhimthatcangowrong，andhewouldnotliketobetiedtoasinglelocality。“I
　　knownoexception。”hesays，“totherulethatitischeapertobuymilkthantokeepacow。”
　　AsIhavementionedMrsJupp，Imayaswellsayherethelittlethatremainstobesaidabouther。Sheisaveryoldwomannow，butnoonenowliving，asshesaystriumphantly，cansayhowold，forthewomanintheOldKentRoadisdead，andpresumablyhascarriedhersecrettothegrave。Old，however，thoughsheis，shelivesinthesamehouse，andfindsithardworktomakethetwoendsmeet，butI
　　donotknowthatshemindsthisverymuch，andithaspreventedherfromgettingmoretodrinkthanwouldbegoodforher。Itisnousetryingtodoanythingforherbeyondpayingherallowanceweekly，andabsolutelyrefusingtoletheranticipateit。ShepawnsherflatironeverySaturdayfor4d。，andtakesitouteveryMondaymorningfor4。5d。whenshegetsherallowance，andhasdonethisforthelasttenyearsasregularlyastheweekcomesround。Aslongasshedoesnotlettheflatironactuallygoweknowthatshecanstillworryoutherfinancialproblemsinherownhugger-muggerwayandhadbetterbelefttodoso。Iftheflatironweretogobeyondredemption，weshouldknowthatitwastimetointerfere。Idonotknowwhy，butthereissomethingaboutherwhichalwaysremindsmeofawomanwhowasasunlikeherasonepersoncanbetoanother——I
　　meanErnest’smother。
　　ThelasttimeIhadalonggossipwithherwasabouttwoyearsagowhenshecametomeinsteadoftoErnest。Shesaidshehadseenacabdriveupjustasshewasgoingtoenterthestaircase，andhadseenMrPontifex’spaputhisBeelzebuboldheadoutofthewindow，soshehadcomeontome，forshehadn’tgreasedhersidesfornocurtsey，notforthelikesofhim。Sheprofessedtobeverymuchdownonherluck。Herlodgersdidusehersodreadful，goingawaywithoutpayingandleavingnotsomuchasastickbehind，butto-dayshewasaspleasedasapennycarrot。Shehadhadsuchalovelydinner——acushionofhamandgreenpeas。Shehadhadagoodcryoverit，butthenshewassosilly，shewas。
　　“Andthere’sthatBell。”shecontinued，thoughIcouldnotdetectanyappearanceofconnection，“it’senoughtogiveanyonethehumptoseehimnowthathe’stakentochapel-going，andhismother’spreparedtomeetJesusandallthattome，andnowsheain’ta-goingtodie，anddrinkshalfabottleofchampagneaday，andthenGrigg，himaspreaches，youknow，askedBellifIreallywastoogay，notbutwhatwhenIwasyoungI’dsnapmyfingersatany’flybynight’
　　inHolborn，andifIwastoggedoutandhadmyteethI’ddoitnow。
　　IlostmypoordearWatkins，butofcoursethatcouldn’tbehelped，andthenIlostmydearRose。Sillyfaggottogoandrideonacartandcatchthebronchitics。IneverthoughtwhenIkissedmydearRoseinPullen’sPassageandshegavemethechop，thatIshouldneverseeheragain，andhergentlemanfriendwasfondofhertoo，thoughhewasamarriedman。Idaresayshe’sgonetobitsbynow。
　　Ifshecouldriseandseemewithmybadfinger，shewouldcry，andIshouldsay，’Nevermind，ducky，I’mallright。’Oh！dear，it’scomingontorain。IdohateawetSaturdaynight——poorwomenwiththeirnicewhitestockingsandtheirlivingtoget。”etc。，etc。
　　Andyetagedoesnotwitherthisgodlessoldsinner，aspeoplewouldsayitoughttodo。Whateverlifeshehasled，ithasagreedwithherverysufficiently。Attimesshegivesustounderstandthatsheisstillmuchsolicited；atothersshetakesquiteadifferenttone。
　　ShehasnotallowedevenJoeKingsomuchastoputhislipstohersthistenyears。Shewouldratherhaveamuttonchopanyday。“Butah！youshouldhaveseenmewhenIwassweetseventeen。Iwastheverymoralofmypoordearmother，andshewasaprettywoman，thoughIsayitthatshouldn’t。Shehadsuchasplendidmouthofteeth。Itwasasintoburyherinherteeth。”
　　Ionlyknewofonethingatwhichsheprofessestobeshocked。ItisthathersonTomandhiswifeTopsyareteachingthebabytoswear。“Oh！it’stoodreadfulawful。”sheexclaimed，“Idon’tknowthemeaningofthewords，butItellhimhe’sadrunkensot。”I
　　believetheoldwomaninrealityratherlikesit。
　　“Butsurely，MrsJupp。”saidI，“Tom’swifeusednottobeTopsy。
　　YouusedtospeakofherasPheeb。”
　　“Ah！yes。”sheanswered，“butPheebbehavedbad，andit’sTopsynow。”
　　Ernest’sdaughterAlicemarriedtheboywhohadbeenherplaymatemorethanayearago。Ernestgavethemalltheysaidtheywantedandagooddealmore。Theyhavealreadypresentedhimwithagrandson，andIdoubtnot，willdosowithmanymore。Georgiethoughonlytwenty-oneisownerofafinesteamerwhichhisfatherhasboughtforhim。HebeganwhenaboutthirteengoingwitholdRollingsandJackinthebargefromRochestertotheupperThameswithbricks；thenhisfatherboughthimandJackbargesoftheirown，andthenheboughtthembothships，andthensteamers。Idonotexactlyknowhowpeoplemakemoneybyhavingasteamer，buthedoeswhateverisusual，andfromallIcangathermakesitpayextremelywell。Heisagooddeallikehisfatherintheface，butwithoutaspark——sofarasIhavebeenabletoobserve——anyliteraryability；hehasafairsenseofhumourandabundanceofcommonsense，buthisinstinctisclearlyapracticalone。IamnotsurethathedoesnotputmeinmindalmostmoreofwhatTheobaldwouldhavebeenifhehadbeenasailor，thanofErnest。ErnestusedtogodowntoBattersbyandstaywithhisfatherforafewdaystwiceayearuntilTheobald’sdeath，andthepaircontinuedonexcellentterms，inspiteofwhattheneighbouringclergycall“theatrociousbookswhichMrErnestPontifex“haswritten。Perhapstheharmony，orratherabsenceofdiscordwhichsubsistedbetweenthepairwasduetothefactthatTheobaldhadneverlookedintotheinsideofoneofhisson’sworks，andErnest，ofcourse，neveralludedtotheminhisfather’spresence。Thepair，asIhavesaid，gotonexcellently，butitwasdoubtlessaswellthatErnest’svisitswereshortandnottoofrequent。OnceTheobaldwantedErnesttobringhischildren，butErnestknewtheywouldnotlikeit，sothiswasnotdone。
　　SometimesTheobaldcameuptotownonsmallbusinessmattersandpaidavisittoErnest’schambers；hegenerallybroughtwithhimacoupleoflettuces，oracabbage，orhalf-a-dozenturnipsdoneupinapieceofbrownpaper，andtoldErnestthatheknewfreshvegetableswereratherhardtogetinLondon，andhehadbroughthimsome。Ernesthadoftenexplainedtohimthatthevegetableswereofnousetohim，andthathehadratherhewouldnotbringthem；butTheobaldpersisted，Ibelievethroughsheerloveofdoingsomethingwhichhissondidnotlike，butwhichwastoosmalltotakenoticeof。
　　Heliveduntilabouttwelvemonthsago，whenhewasfounddeadinhisbedonthemorningafterhavingwrittenthefollowinglettertohisson：-
　　“DearErnest，——I’venothingparticulartowriteabout，butyourletterhasbeenlyingforsomedaysinthelimboofunansweredletters，towitmypocket，andit’stimeitwasanswered。
　　“Ikeepwonderfullywellandamabletowalkmyfiveorsixmileswithcomfort，butatmyagethere’snoknowinghowlongitwilllast，andtimefliesquickly。Ihavebeenbusypottingplantsallthemorning，butthisafternooniswet。
　　“WhatisthishorridGovernmentgoingtodowithIreland？Idon’texactlywishthey’dblowupMrGladstone，butifamadbullwouldchivyhimthere，andhewouldnevercomebackanymore，Ishouldnotbesorry。LordHartingtonisnotexactlythemanIshouldliketosetinhisplace，buthewouldbeimmeasurablybetterthanGladstone。
　　“ImissyoursisterCharlottemorethanIcanexpress。Shekeptmyhouseholdaccounts，andIcouldpourouttoheralllittleworries，andnowthatJoeyismarriedtoo，Idon’tknowwhatIshoulddoifoneorotherofthemdidnotcomesometimesandtakecareofme。MyonlycomfortisthatCharlottewillmakeherhusbandhappy，andthatheisasnearlyworthyofherasahusbandcanwellbe——Believeme，Youraffectionatefather，“THEOBALDPONTIFEX。”
　　ImaysayinpassingthatthoughTheobaldspeaksofCharlotte’smarriageasthoughitwererecent，ithadreallytakenplacesomesixyearspreviously，shebeingthenaboutthirty-eightyearsold，andherhusbandaboutsevenyearsyounger。
　　TherewasnodoubtthatTheobaldpassedpeacefullyawayduringhissleep。Canamanwhodiedthusbesaidtohavediedatall？Hehaspresentedthephenomenaofdeathtootherpeople，butinrespectofhimselfhehasnotonlynotdied，buthasnoteventhoughtthathewasgoingtodie。Thisisnotmorethanhalfdying，butthenneitherwashislifemorethanhalfliving。HepresentedsomanyofthephenomenaoflivingthatIsupposeonthewholeitwouldbelesstroubletothinkofhimashavingbeenalivethanasneverhavingbeenbornatall，butthisisonlypossiblebecauseassociationdoesnotsticktothestrictletterofitsbond。
　　This，however，wasnotthegeneralverdictconcerninghim，andthegeneralverdictisoftenthetruest。
　　Ernestwasoverwhelmedwithexpressionsofcondolenceandrespectforhisfather’smemory。“Henever。”saidDrMartin，theolddoctorwhobroughtErnestintotheworld，“spokeanillwordagainstanyone。Hewasnotonlyliked，hewasbelovedbyallwhohadanythingtodowithhim。”