iately.

Which did he now think was most likely to have taken the juster view of
life and things, and whom would it be best to imitate, Towneley or Pryer?
His heart returned answer to itself without a moment's hesitation. The
faces of men like Towneley were open and kindly; they looked as if at
ease themselves, and as though they would set all who had to do with them
at ease as far as might be. The faces of Pryer and his friends were not
like this. Why had he felt tacitly rebuked as soon as he had met
Towneley? Was he not a Christian? Certainly; he believed in the Church
of England as a matter of course. Then how could he be himself wrong in
trying to act up to the faith that he and Towneley held in common? He
was trying to lead a quiet, unobtrusive life of self-devotion, whereas
Towneley was not, so far as he could see, trying to do anything of the
kind; he was only trying to get on comfortably in the world, and to look
and be as nice as possible. And he was nice, and Ernest knew that such
men as himself and Pryer were not nice, and his old dejection came over
him.

Then came an even worse reflection; how if he had fallen among material
thieves as well as spiritual ones? He knew very little of how his money
was going on; he had put it all now into Pryer's hands, and though Pryer
gave him cash to spend whenever he wanted it, he seemed impatient of
being questioned as to what was being done with the principal. It was
part of the understanding, he said, that that was to be left to him, and
Ernest had better stick to this, or he, Pryer, would throw up the College
of Spiritual Pathology altogether; and so Ernest was cowed into
acquiescence, or cajoled, according to the humour in which Pryer saw him
to be. Ernest thought that further questions would look as if he doubted
Pryer's word, and also that he had gone too far to be able to recede in
decency or honour. This, however, he felt was riding out to meet trouble
unnecessarily. Pryer had been a little impatient, but he was a gentleman
and an admirable man of business, so his money would doubtless come back
to him all right some day.

Ernest comforted himself as regards this last source of anxiety, but as
regards the other, he began to feel as though, if he was to be saved, a
good Samaritan must hurry up from somewhere--he knew not whence.

CHAPTER LVIII

Next day he felt stronger again. He had been listening to the voice of
the evil one on the nigh