inspector would not accept bail so we were forced to leave him.
    Towneley then went back to Mrs. Jupp's to see if he could find Miss
Maitland, and arrange matters with her. She was not there, but he traced her to
the house of her father who lived at Camberwell. The father was furious, and
would not hear of any intercession on Towneley's part. He was a dissenter, and
glad to make the most of any scandal against a clergyman; Towneley therefore had
been obliged to return unsuccessful.
    Next morning Towneley - who regarded Ernest as a drowning man who must be
picked out of the water somehow or other if possible, irrespectively of the way
in which he got into it, called on me, and we put the matter into the hands of
one of the best known attornies of the day. I was greatly pleased with Towneley,
and thought it due to him to tell him what I had told no one else, I mean that
Ernest would come into his aunt's money in a few years' time, and would
therefore then be rich.
    Towneley was doing all he could before this, but I knew that the knowledge I
had imparted to him would make him feel as though Ernest was more one of his own
class, and had therefore a greater claim upon his good offices. As for Ernest
himself his gratitude was deeper than could be expressed in words. I have heard
him say that he can call to mind many moments each one of which might well pass
for the happiest of his life, but that this night stands clearly out as the most
painful that he ever passed; yet so kind and considerate was Towneley that it
was very bearable.
    But with all the best wishes in the world neither Towneley nor I could do
much to help, beyond giving our moral support. Our attorney told us that the
magistrate before whom Ernest would appear was very severe on cases of this
description, and that the fact of his being a clergyman would tell against him.
»Ask for no remand,« he said, »and make no defence. We will call Mr. Pontifex's
rector and you two gentlemen as witnesses for previous good character; these
will be enough; let us then make a profound apology, and beg the magistrate to
deal with the case summarily instead of sending it for trial - if you can get
this, believe me, your young friend will be better out of it than he has any
right to expect.«
 

                                   Chapter 62

This advice besides being obviously sensible would end in saving Ernest both
time and suspense of