An offensive and defensive alliance therefore was struck up between this pair (who were in reality singularly ill assorted), and Ernest set to work to master the books on which the Bishop would examine him.  Others gradually joined them till they formed a small set or church (for these are the same things), and the effect of Mr Hawke’s sermon instead of wearing off in a few days, as might have been expected, became more and more marked, so much so that it was necessary for Ernest’s friends to hold him back rather than urge him on, for he seemed likely to develop—­as indeed he did for a time—­into a religious enthusiast.

In one matter only, did he openly backslide.  He had, as I said above, locked up his pipes and tobacco, so that he might not be tempted to use them.  All day long on the day after Mr Hawke’s sermon he let them lie in his portmanteau bravely; but this was not very difficult, as he had for some time given up smoking till after hall.  After hall this day he did not smoke till chapel time, and then went to chapel in self-defence.  When he returned he determined to look at the matter from a common sense point of view.  On this he saw that, provided tobacco did not injure his health—­and he really could not see that it did—­it stood much on the same footing as tea or coffee.

Tobacco had nowhere been forbidden in the Bible, but then it had not yet been discovered, and had probably only escaped proscription for this reason.  We can conceive of St Paul or even our Lord Himself as drinking a cup of tea, but we cannot imagine either of them as smoking a cigarette or a churchwarden.  Ernest could not deny this, and admitted that Paul would almost certainly have condemned tobacco in good round terms if he had known of its existence.  Was it not then taking rather a mean advantage of the Apostle to stand on his not having actually forbidden it?  On the other hand, it was possible that God knew Paul would have forbidden smoking, and had purposely arranged the discovery of tobacco for a period at which Paul should be no longer living.  This might seem rather hard on Paul, considering all he had done for Christianity, but it would be made up to him in other ways.

These reflections satisfied Ernest that on the whole he had better smoke, so he sneaked to his portmanteau and brought out his pipes and tobacco again.  There should be moderation he felt in all things, even in virtue; so for that night he smoked immoderately.  It was a pity, however, that he had bragged to Dawson about giving up smoking.  The pipes had better be kept in a cupboard for a week or two, till in other and easier respects Ernest should have proved his steadfastness.  Then they might steal out again little by little—­and so they did.