advantageously　upon　the　viler　soul　of　the　prison　chaplain。　　It　was
  only　those　who　took　the　first　and　most　obvious　step　in　their　power
  who　ever　did　great　things　in　the　end；　so　one　day；　when　Mr　Hughes
  for　this　was　the　chaplain's　namewas　talking　with　him；　Ernest
  introduced　the　question　of　Christian　evidences；　and　tried　to　raise　a
  discussion　upon　them。　　Mr　Hughes　had　been　very　kind　to　him；　but　he
  was　more　than　twice　my　hero's　age；　and　had　long　taken　the　measure　of
  such　objections　as　Ernest　tried　to　put　before　him。　　I　do　not　suppose
  he　believed　in　the　actual　objective　truth　of　the　stories　about
  Christ's　Resurrection　and　Ascension　any　more　than　Ernest　did；　but　he
  knew　that　this　was　a　small　matter；　and　that　the　real　issue　lay　much
  deeper　than　this。
  Mr　Hughes　was　a　man　who　had　been　in　authority　for　many　years；　and　he
  brushed　Ernest　on　one　side　as　if　he　had　been　a　fly。　　He　did　it　so
  well　that　my　hero　never　ventured　to　tackle　him　again；　and　confined
  his　conversation　with　him　for　the　future　to　such　matters　as　what　he
  had　better　do　when　he　got　out　of　prison；　and　here　Mr　Hughes　was　ever
  ready　to　listen　to　him　with　sympathy　and　kindness。
  CHAPTER　LXVI
  Ernest　was　now　so　far　convalescent　as　to　be　able　to　sit　up　for　the
  greater　part　of　the　day。　　He　had　been　three　months　in　prison；　and；
  though　not　strong　enough　to　leave　the　infirmary；　was　beyond　all　fear
  of　a　relapse。　　He　was　talking　one　day　with　Mr　Hughes　about　his
  future；　and　again　expressed　his　intention　of　emigrating　to　Australia
  or　New　Zealand　with　the　money　he　should　recover　from　Pryer。
  Whenever　he　spoke　of　this　he　noticed　that　Mr　Hughes　looked　grave　and
  was　silent：　　he　had　thought　that　perhaps　the　chaplain　wanted　him　to
  return　to　his　profession；　and　disapproved　of　his　evident　anxiety　to
  turn　to　something　else；　now；　however；　he　asked　Mr　Hughes　point　blank
  why　it　was　that　he　disapproved　of　his　idea　of　emigrating。
  Mr　Hughes　endeavoured　to　evade　him；　but　Ernest　was　not　to　be　put
  off。　　There　was　something　in　the　chaplain's　manner　which　suggested
  that　he　knew　more　than　Ernest　did；　but　did　not　like　to　say　it。　　This
  alarmed　him　so　much　that　he　begged　him　not　to　keep　him　in　suspense；
  after　a　little　hesitation　Mr　Hughes；　thinking　him　now　strong　enough
  to　stand　it；　broke　the　news　as　gently　as　he　could　that　the　whole　of
  Ernest's　money　had　disappeared。
  The　day　after　my　return　from　Battersby　I　called　on　my　solicitor；　and
  was　told　that　he　had　written　to　Pryer；　requiring　him　to　refund　the
  monies　for　which　he　had　given　his　I。O。U。's。　　Pryer　replied　that　he
  had　given　orders　to　his　broker　to　close　his　operations；　which
  unfortunately　had　resulted　so　far　in　heavy　loss；　and　that　the
  balance　should　be　paid　to　my　solicitor　on　the　following　settling
  day；　then　about　a　week　distant。　　When　the　time　came；　we　heard
  nothing　from　Pryer；　and　going　to　his　lodgings　found　that　he　had　left
  with　his　few　effects　on　the　very　day　after　he　had　heard　from　us；　and
  had　not　been　seen　since。
  I　had　heard　from　Ernest　the　name　of　the　broker　who　had　been
  employed；　and　went　at　once　to　see　him。　　He　told　me　Pryer　had　closed
  all　his　accounts　for　cash　on　the　day　that　Ernest　had　been　sentenced；
  and　had　received　2315　pounds；　which　was　all　that　remained　of
  Ernest's　original　5000　pounds。　　With　this　he　had　decamped；　nor　had
  we　enough　clue　as　to　his　whereabouts　to　be　able　to　take　any　steps　to
  recover　the　money。　　There　was　in　fact　nothing　to　be　done　but　to
  consider　the　whole　as　lost。　　I　may　say　here　that　neither　I　nor
  Ernest　ever　heard　of　Pryer　again；　nor　have　any　idea　what　became　of
  him。
  This　placed　me　in　a　difficult　position。　　I　knew；　of　course；　that　in
  a　few　years　Ernest　would　have　many　times　over　as　much　money　as　he
  had　lost；　but　I　knew　also　that　he　did　not　know　this；　and　feared　that
  the　supposed　loss　of　all　he　had　in　the　world　might　be　more　than　he
  could　stand　when　coupled　with　his　other　misfortunes。
  The　prison　authorities　had　found　Theobald's　address　from　a　letter　in
  Ernest's　pocket；　and　had　communicated　with　him　more　than　once
  concerning　his　son's　illness；　but　Theobald　had　not　written　to　me；
  and　I　supposed　my　godson　to　be　in　good　health。　　He　would　be　just
  twenty…four　years　old　when　he　left　prison；　and　if　I　followed　out　his
  aunt's　instructions；　would　have　to　battle　with　fortune　for　another
  four　years　as　well　as　he　could。　　The　question　before　me　was　whether
  it　was　right　to　let　him　run　so　much　risk；　or　whether　I　should　not　to
  some　extent　transgress　my　instructionswhich　there　was　nothing　to
  prevent　my　doing　if　I　thought　Miss　Pontifex　would　have　wished　it
  and　let　him　have　the　same　sum　that　he　would　have　recovered　from
  Pryer。
  If　my　godson　had　been　an　older　man；　and　more　fixed　in　any　definite
  groove；　this　is　what　I　should　have　done；　but　he　was　still　very
  young；　and　more　than　commonly　unformed　for　his　age。　　If；　again；　I
  had　known　of　his　illness　I　should　not　have　dared　to　lay　any　heavier
  burden　on　his　back　than　he　had　to　bear　already；　but　not　being　uneasy
  about　his　health；　I　thought　a　few　years　of　roughing　it　and　of
  experience　concerning　the　importance　of　not　playing　tricks　with
  money　would　do　him　no　harm。　　So　I　decided　to　keep　a　sharp　eye　upon
  him　as　soon　as　he　came　out　of　prison；　and　to　let　him　splash　about　in
  deep　water　as　best　he　could　till　I　saw　whether　he　was　able　to　swim；
  or　was　about　to　sink。　　In　the　first　case　I　would　let　him　go　on
  swimming　till　he　was　nearly　eight…and…twenty；　when　I　would　prepare
  him　gradually　for　the　good　fortune　that　awaited　him；　in　the　second　I
  would　hurry　up　to　the　rescue。　　So　I　wrote　to　say　that　Pryer　had
  absconded；　and　that　he　could　have　100　pounds　from　his　father　when　he
  came　out　of　prison。　　I　then　waited　to　see　what　effect　these　tidings
  would　have；　not　expecting　to　receive　an　answer　for　three　months；　for
  I　had　been　told　on　enquiry　that　no　letter　could　be　received　by　a
  prisoner　till　after　he　had　been　three　months　in　gaol。　　I　also　wrote
  to　Theobald　and　told　him　of　Pryer's　disappearance。
  As　a　matter　of　fact；　when　my　letter　arrived　the　governor　of　the　gaol
  read　it；　and　in　a　case　of　such　importance　would　have　relaxed　the
  rules　if　Ernest's　state　had　allowed　it；　his　illness　prevented　this；
  and　the　governor　left　it　to　the　chaplain　and　the　doctor　to　break　the
  news　to　him　when　they　thought　him　strong　enough　to　bear　it；　which
  was　now　the　case。　　In　the　meantime　I　received　a　formal　official
  document　saying　that　my　letter　had　been　received　and　would　be
  communicated　to　the　prisoner　in　due　course；　I　believe　it　was　simply
  through　a　mistake　on　the　part　of　a　clerk　that　I　was　not　informed　of
  Ernest's　illness；　but　I　heard　nothing　of　it　till　I　saw　him　by　his
  own　desire　a　few　days　after　the　chaplin　had　broken　to　him　the
  substance　of　what　I　had　written。
  Ernest　was　terribly　shocked　when　he　heard　of　the　loss　of　his　money；
  but　his　ignorance　of　the　world　prevented　him　from　seeing　the　full
  extent　of　the　mischief。　　He　had　never　been　in　serious　want　of　money
  yet；　and　did　not　know　what　it　meant。　　In　reality；　money　losses　are
  the　hardest　to　bear　of　any　by　those　who　are　old　enough　to　comprehend
  them。
  A　man　can　stand　being　told　that　he　must　submit　to　a　severe　surgical
  operation；　or　that　he　has　some　disease　which　will　shortly　kill　him；
  or　that　he　will　be　a　cripple　or　blind　for　the　rest　of　his　life；
  dreadful　as　such　tidings　must　be；　we　do　not　find　that　they　unnerve
  the　greater　number　of　mankind；　most　men；　indeed；　go　coolly　enough
  even　to　be　hanged；　but　the　strongest　quail　before　financial　ruin；
  and　the　better　men　they　are；　the　more　complete；　as　a　general　rule；
  is　their　prostration。　　Suicide　is　a　common　consequence　of　money
  losses；　it　is　rarely　sought　as　a　means　of　escape　from　bodily
  suffering。　　If　we　feel　that　we　have　a　competence　at　our　backs；　so
  that　we　can　die　warm　and　quietly　in　our　beds；　with　no　need　to　worry
  about　expense；　we　live　our　lives　out　to　the　dregs；　no　matter　how
  excruciating　our　torments。　　Job　probably　felt　the　loss　of　his　flocks
  and　herds　more　than　that　of　his　wife　and　family；　for　he　could　enjoy
  his　flocks　and　herds　without　his　family；　but　not　his　familynot　for
  longif　he　had　lost　all　his　money。　　Loss　of　money　indeed　is　not
  only　the　worst　pain　in　itself；　but　it　is　the　parent　of　all　others。
  Let　a　man　have　been　brought　up　to　a　moderate　competence；　and　have　no
  specially；　then　let　his　money　be　suddenly　taken　from　him；　and　how
  long　is　his　health　likely　to　survive　the　change　in　all　his　little
  ways　which　loss　of　money　will　entail？　　How　long　again　is　the　esteem
  and　sympathy　of　friends　likely　to　survive　ruin？　　People　may　be　very
  sorry　for　us；　but　their　attitude　towards　us　hitherto　has　been　based
  upon　the　supposition　that　we　were　situated　thus　or　thus　in　money
  matters；　when　this　breaks　down　there　must　be　a　restatement　of　the
  social　problem　so　far　as　we　are　concerned；　we　have　been　obtaining
  esteem　under　false　pretences。　　Granted；　then；　that　the　three　most
  serious　losses　which　a　man　can　suffer　are　those　affecting　money；
  health　and　reputation。　　Loss　of　money　is　far　the　worst；　then　comes
  ill…health；　and　then　loss　of　reputation；　loss　of　reputation　is　a　bad
  third；　for；　if　a　man　keeps　health　and　money　unimpaired；　it　will　be
  generally　found　that　his　loss　of　reputation　is　due　to　breaches　of
  parven