t before, and would parley no more with such
thoughts. He had chosen his profession, and his duty was to persevere
with it. If he was unhappy it was probably because he was not giving up
all for Christ. Let him see whether he could not do more than he was
doing now, and then perhaps a light would be shed upon his path.

It was all very well to have made the discovery that he didn't very much
like poor people, but he had got to put up with them, for it was among
them that his work must lie. Such men as Towneley were very kind and
considerate, but he knew well enough it was only on condition that he did
not preach to them. He could manage the poor better, and, let Pryer
sneer as he liked, he was resolved to go more among them, and try the
effect of bringing Christ to them if they would not come and seek Christ
of themselves. He would begin with his own house.

Who then should he take first? Surely he could not do better than begin
with the tailor who lived immediately over his head. This would be
desirable, not only because he was the one who seemed to stand most in
need of conversion, but also because, if he were once converted, he would
no longer beat his wife at two o'clock in the morning, and the house
would be much pleasanter in consequence. He would therefore go upstairs
at once, and have a quiet talk with this man.

Before doing so, he thought it would be well if he were to draw up
something like a plan of a campaign; he therefore reflected over some
pretty conversations which would do very nicely if Mr Holt would be kind
enough to make the answers proposed for him in their proper places. But
the man was a great hulking fellow, of a savage temper, and Ernest was
forced to admit that unforeseen developments might arise to disconcert
him. They say it takes nine tailors to make a man, but Ernest felt that
it would take at least nine Ernests to make a Mr Holt. How if, as soon
as Ernest came in, the tailor were to become violent and abusive? What
could he do? Mr Holt was in his own lodgings, and had a right to be
undisturbed. A legal right, yes, but had he a moral right? Ernest
thought not, considering his mode of life. But put this on one side; if
the man were to be violent, what should he do? Paul had fought with wild
beasts at Ephesus--that must indeed have been awful--but perhaps they
were not very wild wild beasts; a rabbit and a canary are wild beasts;
but, formidable or not as wild beasts go, t