His birthday happened that year (1863) to be on a Sunday, but
on the following day I transferred his shares into his own name, and
presented him with the account books which he had been keeping for the
last year and a half.
In spite of all that I had done to prepare him, it was a long while
before I could get him actually to believe that the money was his own. He
did not say much--no more did I, for I am not sure that I did not feel as
much moved at having brought my long trusteeship to a satisfactory
conclusion as Ernest did at finding himself owner of more than 70,000
pounds. When he did speak it was to jerk out a sentence or two of
reflection at a time. "If I were rendering this moment in music," he
said, "I should allow myself free use of the augmented sixth." A little
later I remember his saying with a laugh that had something of a family
likeness to his aunt's: "It is not the pleasure it causes me which I
enjoy so, it is the pain it will cause to all my friends except yourself
and Towneley."
I said: "You cannot tell your father and mother--it would drive them
mad."
"No, no, no," said he, "it would be too cruel; it would be like Isaac
offering up Abraham and no thicket with a ram in it near at hand.
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