notwithstanding　outward　agreement；　were　nevertheless　not　as　his
  ways。　　Mrs　Pontifex　felt　nothing　of　this；　to　her　George　was　pure　and
  absolute　perfection；　and　she　saw；　or　thought　she　saw；　with　pleasure；
  that　he　resembled　her　and　her　family　in　feature　as　well　as　in
  disposition　rather　than　her　husband　and　his。
  When　George　was　about　twenty…five　years　old　his　uncle　took　him　into
  partnership　on　very　liberal　terms。　　He　had　little　cause　to　regret
  this　step。　　The　young　man　infused　fresh　vigour　into　a　concern　that
  was　already　vigorous；　and　by　the　time　he　was　thirty　found　himself　in
  the　receipt　of　not　less　than　1500　pounds　a　year　as　his　share　of　the
  profits。　　Two　years　later　he　married　a　lady　about　seven　years
  younger　than　himself；　who　brought　him　a　handsome　dowry。　　She　died　in
  1805；　when　her　youngest　child　Alethea　was　born；　and　her　husband　did
  not　marry　again。
  CHAPTER　III
  In　the　early　years　of　the　century　five　little　children　and　a　couple
  of　nurses　began　to　make　periodical　visits　to　Paleham。　　It　is
  needless　to　say　they　were　a　rising　generation　of　Pontifexes；　towards
  whom　the　old　couple；　their　grandparents；　were　as　tenderly
  deferential　as　they　would　have　been　to　the　children　of　the　Lord
  Lieutenant　of　the　County。　　Their　names　were　Eliza；　Maria；　John；
  Theobald　（who　like　myself　was　born　in　1802）；　and　Alethea。　　Mr
  Pontifex　always　put　the　prefix　〃master〃　or　〃miss〃　before　the　names
  of　his　grandchildren；　except　in　the　case　of　Alethea；　who　was　his
  favourite。　　To　have　resisted　his　grandchildren　would　have　been　as
  impossible　for　him　as　to　have　resisted　his　wife；　even　old　Mrs
  Pontifex　yielded　before　her　son's　children；　and　gave　them　all　manner
  of　licence　which　she　would　never　have　allowed　even　to　my　sisters　and
  myself；　who　stood　next　in　her　regard。　　Two　regulations　only　they
  must　attend　to；　they　must　wipe　their　shoes　well　on　coming　into　the
  house；　and　they　must　not　overfeed　Mr　Pontifex's　organ　with　wind；　nor
  take　the　pipes　out。
  By　us　at　the　Rectory　there　was　no　time　so　much　looked　forward　to　as
  the　annual　visit　of　the　little　Pontifexes　to　Paleham。　　We　came　in
  for　some　of　the　prevailing　licence；　we　went　to　tea　with　Mrs　Pontifex
  to　meet　her　grandchildren；　and　then　our　young　friends　were　asked　to
  the　Rectory　to　have　tea　with　us；　and　we　had　what　we　considered　great
  times。　　I　fell　desperately　in　love　with　Alethea；　indeed　we　all　fell
  in　love　with　each　other；　plurality　and　exchange　whether　of　wives　or
  husbands　being　openly　and　unblushingly　advocated　in　the　very
  presence　of　our　nurses。　　We　were　very　merry；　but　it　is　so　long　ago
  that　I　have　forgotten　nearly　everything　save　that　we　WERE　very
  merry。　　Almost　the　only　thing　that　remains　with　me　as　a　permanent
  impression　was　the　fact　that　Theobald　one　day　beat　his　nurse　and
  teased　her；　and　when　she　said　she　should　go　away　cried　out；　〃You
  shan't　go　awayI'll　keep　you　on　purpose　to　torment　you。〃
  One　winter's　morning；　however；　in　the　year　1811；　we　heard　the　church
  bell　tolling　while　we　were　dressing　in　the　back　nursery　and　were
  told　it　was　for　old　Mrs　Pontifex。　　Our　manservant　John　told　us　and
  added　with　grim　levity　that　they　were　ringing　the　bell　to　come　and
  take　her　away。　　She　had　had　a　fit　of　paralysis　which　had　carried　her
  off　quite　suddenly。　　It　was　very　shocking；　the　more　so　because　our
  nurse　assured　us　that　if　God　chose　we　might　all　have　fits　of
  paralysis　ourselves　that　very　day　and　be　taken　straight　off　to　the
  Day　of　Judgement。　　The　Day　of　Judgement　indeed；　according　to　the
  opinion　of　those　who　were　most　likely　to　know；　would　not　under　any
  circumstances　be　delayed　more　than　a　few　years　longer；　and　then　the
  whole　world　would　be　burned；　and　we　ourselves　be　consigned　to　an
  eternity　of　torture；　unless　we　mended　our　ways　more　than　we　at
  present　seemed　at　all　likely　to　do。　　All　this　was　so　alarming　that
  we　fell　to　screaming　and　made　such　a　hullabaloo　that　the　nurse　was
  obliged　for　her　own　peace　to　reassure　us。　　Then　we　wept；　but　more
  composedly；　as　we　remembered　that　there　would　be　no　more　tea　and
  cakes　for　us　now　at　old　Mrs　Pontifex's。
  On　the　day　of　the　funeral；　however；　we　had　a　great　excitement；　old
  Mr　Pontifex　sent　round　a　penny　loaf　to　every　inhabitant　of　the
  village　according　to　a　custom　still　not　uncommon　at　the　beginning　of
  the　century；　the　loaf　was　called　a　dole。　　We　had　never　heard　of　this
  custom　before；　besides；　though　we　had　often　heard　of　penny　loaves；
  we　had　never　before　seen　one；　moreover；　they　were　presents　to　us　as
  inhabitants　of　the　village；　and　we　were　treated　as　grown　up　people；
  for　our　father　and　mother　and　the　servants　had　each　one　loaf　sent
  them；　but　only　one。　　We　had　never　yet　suspected　that　we　were
  inhabitants　at　all；　finally；　the　little　loaves　were　new；　and　we　were
  passionately　fond　of　new　bread；　which　we　were　seldom　or　never
  allowed　to　have；　as　it　was　supposed　not　to　be　good　for　us。　　Our
  affection；　therefore；　for　our　old　friend　had　to　stand　against　the
  combined　attacks　of　archaeological　interest；　the　rights　of
  citizenship　and　property；　the　pleasantness　to　the　eye　and　goodness
  for　food　of　the　little　loaves　themselves；　and　the　sense　of
  importance　which　was　given　us　by　our　having　been　intimate　with
  someone　who　had　actually　died。　　It　seemed　upon　further　inquiry　that
  there　was　little　reason　to　anticipate　an　early　death　for　anyone　of
  ourselves；　and　this　being　so；　we　rather　liked　the　idea　of　someone
  else's　being　put　away　into　the　churchyard；　we　passed；　therefore；　in
  a　short　time　from　extreme　depression　to　a　no　less　extreme
  exultation；　a　new　heaven　and　a　new　earth　had　been　revealed　to　us　in
  our　perception　of　the　possibility　of　benefiting　by　the　death　of　our
  friends；　and　I　fear　that　for　some　time　we　took　an　interest　in　the
  health　of　everyone　in　the　village　whose　position　rendered　a
  repetition　of　the　dole　in　the　least　likely。
  Those　were　the　days　in　which　all　great　things　seemed　far　off；　and　we
  were　astonished　to　find　that　Napoleon　Buonaparte　was　an　actually
  living　person。　　We　had　thought　such　a　great　man　could　only　have
  lived　a　very　long　time　ago；　and　here　he　was　after　all　almost　as　it
  were　at　our　own　doors。　　This　lent　colour　to　the　view　that　the　Day　of
  Judgement　might　indeed　be　nearer　than　we　had　thought；　but　nurse　said
  that　was　all　right　now；　and　she　knew。　　In　those　days　the　snow　lay
  longer　and　drifted　deeper　in　the　lanes　than　it　does　now；　and　the
  milk　was　sometimes　brought　in　frozen　in　winter；　and　we　were　taken
  down　into　the　back　kitchen　to　see　it。　　I　suppose　there　are　rectories
  up　and　down　the　country　now　where　the　milk　comes　in　frozen　sometimes
  in　winter；　and　the　children　go　down　to　wonder　at　it；　but　I　never　see
  any　frozen　milk　in　London；　so　I　suppose　the　winters　are　warmer　than
  they　used　to　be。
  About　one　year　after　his　wife's　death　Mr　Pontifex　also　was　gathered
  to　his　fathers。　　My　father　saw　him　the　day　before　he　died。　　The　old
  man　had　a　theory　about　sunsets；　and　had　had　two　steps　built　up
  against　a　wall　in　the　kitchen　garden　on　which　he　used　to　stand　and
  watch　the　sun　go　down　whenever　it　was　clear。　　My　father　came　on　him
  in　the　afternoon；　just　as　the　sun　was　setting；　and　saw　him　with　his
  arms　resting　on　the　top　of　the　wall　looking　towards　the　sun　over　a
  field　through　which　there　was　a　path　on　which　my　father　was。　　My
  father　heard　him　say　〃Good…bye；　sun；　good…bye；　sun；〃　as　the　sun
  sank；　and　saw　by　his　tone　and　manner　that　he　was　feeling　very
  feeble。　　Before　the　next　sunset　he　was　gone。
  There　was　no　dole。　　Some　of　his　grandchildren　were　brought　to　the
  funeral　and　we　remonstrated　with　them；　but　did　not　take　much　by
  doing　so。　　John　Pontifex；　who　was　a　year　older　than　I　was；　sneered
  at　penny　loaves；　and　intimated　that　if　I　wanted　one　it　must　be
  because　my　papa　and　mamma　could　not　afford　to　buy　me　one；　whereon　I
  believe　we　did　something　like　fighting；　and　I　rather　think　John
  Pontifex　got　the　worst　of　it；　but　it　may　have　been　the　other　way。　　I
  remember　my　sister's　nurse；　for　I　was　just　outgrowing　nurses　myself；
  reported　the　matter　to　higher　quarters；　and　we　were　all　of　us　put　to
  some　ignominy；　but　we　had　been　thoroughly　awakened　from　our　dream；
  and　it　was　long　enough　before　we　could　hear　the　words　〃penny　loaf〃
  mentioned　without　our　ears　tingling　with　shame。　　If　there　had　been　a
  dozen　doles　afterwards　we　should　not　have　deigned　to　touch　one　of
  them。
  George　Pontifex　put　up　a　monument　to　his　parents；　a　plain　slab　in
  Paleham　church；　inscribed　with　the　following　epitaph：…
  SACRED　TO　THE　MEMORY
  OF
  JOHN　PONTIFEX
  WHO　WAS　BORN　AUGUST　16TH；
  1727；　AND　DIED　FEBRUARY　8；　1812；
  IN　HIS　85TH　YEAR；
  AND　OF
  RUTH　PONTIFEX；　HIS　WIFE；
  WHO　WAS　BORN　OCTOBER　13；　1727；　AND　DIED　JANUARY　10；　1811；
  IN　HER　84TH　YEAR。
  THEY　WERE　UNOSTENTATIOUS　BUT　EXEMPLARY
  IN　THE　DISCHARGE　OF　THEIR
  RELIGIOUS；　MORAL；　AND　SOCIAL　DUTIES。
  THIS　MONUMENT　WAS　PLACED
  BY　THEIR　ONLY　SON。
  CHAPTER　IV
  In　a　year　or　two　more　came　Waterloo　and　the　European　peace。　　Then　Mr
  George　Pontifex　went　abroad　more　than　once。　　I　remember　seeing　at
  Battersby　in　after　years　the　diary　which　he　kept　on　the　first　of
  these　occasions。　　It　is　a　characteristic　document。　　I　felt　as　I　read
  it　that　the　author　before　starting　had　made　up　his　mind　to　admire
  only　what　he　thought　it　would　be　creditable　in　him