His tutor's and
cook's bills were paid for him; his father sent him his wine; over and
above this he had L50 a year with which to keep himself in clothes and
all other expenses; this was about the usual thing at Emmanuel in
Ernest's day, though many had much less than this. Ernest did as he
had done at school- he spent what he could, soon after he received his
money; he then incurred a few modest liabilities, and then lived
penuriously till next term, when he would immediately pay his debts,
and start new ones to much the same extent as those which he had
just got rid of. When he came into his L5000 and became independent of
his father, L15 or L20 served to cover the whole of his unauthorised
expenditure.
He joined the boat club, and was constant in his attendance at the
boats. He still smoked, but never took more wine or beer than was good
for him, except perhaps on the occasion of a boating supper, but
even then he found the consequences unpleasant, and soon learned how
to keep within safe limits. He attended chapel as often as he was
compelled to do so; he communicated two or three times a year, because
his tutor told him he ought to; in fact he set himself to live soberly
and cleanly, as I imagine all his instincts prompted him to do, and
when he fell -as who that is born of woman can help sometimes doing?
-it was not till after a sharp tussle with a temptation that was
more than his flesh and blood could stand; then he was very penitent
and would go a fairly long while without sinning again; and this was
how it had always been with him since he had arrived at years of
indiscretion.
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