Nevertheless,
what he wanted was in reality so easily to be found that it took a
highly educated scholar like himself to be unable to find it. But,
however this may be, he had been scared, and now saw lions where there
were none, and was shocked and frightened, and night after night his
courage had failed him and he had returned to his lodgings in Laystall
Street without accomplishing his errand. He had not taken me into
his confidence upon this matter, and I had not enquired what he did
with himself in the evenings. At last he had concluded that, however
painful it might be to him, he would call on Mrs. Jupp, who he thought
would be able to help him if anyone could. He had been walking moodily
from seven till about nine, and now resolved to go straight to
Ashpit Place and make a mother confessor of Mrs. Jupp without more
delay.
Of all tasks that could be performed by mortal woman there was
none which Mrs. Jupp would have liked better than the one Ernest was
thinking of imposing upon her; nor do I know that in his scared and
broken-down state he could have done much better than he now proposed.
Mrs. Jupp would have made it very easy for him to open his grief to
her; indeed, she would have coaxed it all out of him before he knew
where he was; but the fates were against Mrs.
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