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He had not taken me into his confidence upon this matter； and I had
not enquired what he did with himself in the evenings。 At last he
had concluded that； however painful it might be to him； he would
call on Mrs Jupp； who he thought would be able to help him if anyone
could。 He had been walking moodily from seven till about nine； and
now resolved to go straight to Ashpit Place and make a mother
confessor of Mrs Jupp without more delay。
Of all tasks that could be performed by mortal woman there was none
which Mrs Jupp would have liked better than the one Ernest was
thinking of imposing upon her； nor do I know that in his scared and
broken…down state he could have done much better than he now
proposed。 Miss Jupp would have made it very easy for him to open
his grief to her； indeed； she would have coaxed it all out of him
before he knew where he was； but the fates were against Mrs Jupp；
and the meeting between my hero and his former landlady was
postponed sine die； for his determination had hardly been formed and
he had not gone more than a hundred yards in the direction of Mrs
Jupp's house； when a woman accosted him。
He was turning from her； as he had turned from so many others； when
she started back with a movement that aroused his curiosity。 He had
hardly seen her face； but being determined to catch sight of it；
followed her as she hurried away； and passed her； then turning round
he saw that she was none other than Ellen； the housemaid who had
been dismissed by his mother eight years previously。
He ought to have assigned Ellen's unwillingness to see him to its
true cause； but a guilty conscience made him think she had heard of
his disgrace and was turning away from him in contempt。 Brave as
had been his resolutions about facing the world； this was more than
he was prepared for； 〃What！ you too shun me； Ellen？〃 he exclaimed。
The girl was crying bitterly and did not understand him。 〃Oh；
Master Ernest；〃 she sobbed； 〃let me go； you are too good for the
likes of me to speak to now。〃
〃Why； Ellen；〃 said he； 〃what nonsense you talk； you haven't been in
prison； have you？〃
〃Oh； no； no； no； not so bad as that；〃 she exclaimed passionately。
〃Well； I have；〃 said Ernest； with a forced laugh； 〃I came out three
or four days ago after six months with hard labour。〃
Ellen did not believe him； but she looked at him with a 〃Lor'！
Master Ernest；〃 and dried her eyes at once。 The ice was broken
between them； for as a matter of fact Ellen had been in prison
several times； and though she did not believe Ernest； his merely
saying he had been in prison made her feel more at ease with him。
For her there were two classes of people； those who had been in
prison and those who had not。 The first she looked upon as fellow…
creatures and more or less Christians； the second； with few
exceptions； she regarded with suspicion； not wholly unmingled with
contempt。
Then Ernest told her what had happened to him during the last six
months； and by…and…by she believed him。
〃Master Ernest；〃 said she； after they had talked for a quarter of an
hour or so； 〃There's a place over the way where they sell tripe and
onions。 I know you was always very fond of tripe and onions； let's
go over and have some； and we can talk better there。〃
So the pair crossed the street and entered the tripe shop； Ernest
ordered supper。
〃And how is your pore dear mamma； and your dear papa； Master
Ernest；〃 said Ellen； who had now recovered herself and was quite at
home with my hero。 〃Oh； dear； dear me；〃 she said； 〃I did love your
pa； he was a good gentleman； he was； and your ma too； it would do
anyone good to live with her； I'm sure。〃
Ernest was surprised and hardly knew what to say。 He had expected
to find Ellen indignant at the way she had been treated； and
inclined to lay the blame of her having fallen to her present state
at his father's and mother's door。 It was not so。 Her only
recollection of Battersby was as of a place where she had had plenty
to eat and drink； not too much hard work； and where she had not been
scolded。 When she heard that Ernest had quarrelled with his father
and mother she assumed as a matter of course that the fault must lie
entirely with Ernest。
〃Oh； your pore； pore ma！〃 said Ellen。 〃She was always so very fond
of you； Master Ernest： you was always her favourite； I can't abear
to think of anything between you and her。 To think now of the way
she used to have me into the dining…room and teach me my catechism；
that she did！ Oh； Master Ernest； you really must go and make it all
up with her； indeed you must。〃
Ernest felt rueful； but he had resisted so valiantly already that
the devil might have saved himself the trouble of trying to get at
him through Ellen in the matter of his father and mother。 He
changed the subject； and the pair warmed to one another as they had
their tripe and pots of beer。 Of all people in the world Ellen was
perhaps the one to whom Ernest could have spoken most freely at this
juncture。 He told her what he thought he could have told to no one
else。
〃You know； Ellen；〃 he concluded； 〃I had learnt as a boy things that
I ought not to have learnt； and had never had a chance of that which
would have set me straight。〃
〃Gentlefolks is always like that；〃 said Ellen musingly。
〃I believe you are right； but I am no longer a gentleman； Ellen； and
I don't see why I should be 'like that' any longer； my dear。 I want
you to help me to be like something else as soon as possible。〃
〃Lor'！ Master Ernest； whatever can you be meaning？〃
The pair soon afterwards left the eating…house and walked up Fetter
Lane together。
Ellen had had hard times since she had left Battersby； but they had
left little trace upon her。
Ernest saw only the fresh…looking smiling face； the dimpled cheek；
the clear blue eyes and lovely sphinx…like lips which he had
remembered as a boy。 At nineteen she had looked older than she was；
now she looked much younger； indeed she looked hardly older than
when Ernest had last seen her； and it would have taken a man of much
greater experience than he possessed to suspect how completely she
had fallen from her first estate。 It never occurred to him that the
poor condition of her wardrobe was due to her passion for ardent
spirits； and that first and last she had served five or six times as
much time in gaol as he had。 He ascribed the poverty of her attire
to the attempts to keep herself respectable； which Ellen during
supper had more than once alluded to。 He had been charmed with the
way in which she had declared that a pint of beer would make her
tipsy； and had only allowed herself to be forced into drinking the
whole after a good deal of remonstrance。 To him she appeared a very
angel dropped from the sky； and all the more easy to get on with for
being a fallen one。
As he walked up Fetter Lane with her towards Laystall Street； he
thought of the wonderful goodness of God towards him in throwing in
his way the very person of all others whom he was most glad to see；
and whom； of all others； in spite of her living so near him； he
might have never fallen in with but for a happy accident。
When