Itisonethinghowevertoresolvethatone’ssonshallwinsomeoflife’slargerprizes，andanothertosquarematterswithfortuneinthisrespect。GeorgePontifexmighthavebeenbroughtupasacarpenterandsucceededinnootherwaythanassucceedinghisfatherasoneoftheminormagnatesofPaleham，andyethavebeenamoretrulysuccessfulmanthanheactuallywas——forItakeitthereisnotmuchmoresolidsuccessinthisworldthanwhatfelltothelotofoldMrandMrsPontifex；ithappened，however，thatabouttheyear1780，whenGeorgewasaboyoffifteen，asisterofMrsPontifex’s，whohadmarriedaMrFairlie，cametopayafewdays’
visitatPaleham。MrFairliewasapublisher，chieflyofreligiousworks，andhadanestablishmentinPaternosterRow；hehadriseninlife，andhiswifehadrisenwithhim。Noverycloserelationshadbeenmaintainedbetweenthesistersforsomeyears，andIforgetexactlyhowitcameaboutthatMrandMrsFairliewereguestsinthequietbutexceedinglycomfortablehouseoftheirsisterandbrother-
in-law；butforsomereasonorotherthevisitwaspaid，andlittleGeorgesoonsucceededinmakinghiswayintohisuncleandaunt’sgoodgraces。Aquick，intelligentboywithagoodaddress，asoundconstitution，andcomingofrespectableparents，hasapotentialvaluewhichapractisedbusinessmanwhohasneedofmanysubordinatesislittlelikelytooverlook。BeforehisvisitwasoverMrFairlieproposedtothelad’sfatherandmotherthatheshouldputhimintohisownbusiness，atthesametimepromisingthatiftheboydidwellheshouldnotwantsomeonetobringhimforward。MrsPontifexhadherson’sinteresttoomuchathearttorefusesuchanoffer，sothematterwassoonarranged，andaboutafortnightaftertheFairlieshadleft，GeorgewassentupbycoachtoLondon，wherehewasmetbyhisuncleandaunt，withwhomitwasarrangedthatheshouldlive。
ThiswasGeorge’sgreatstartinlife。Henowworemorefashionableclothesthanhehadyetbeenaccustomedto，andanylittlerusticityofgaitorpronunciationwhichhehadbroughtfromPaleham，wassoquicklyandcompletelylostthatitwaserelongimpossibletodetectthathehadnotbeenbornandbredamongpeopleofwhatiscommonlycallededucation。Theboypaidgreatattentiontohiswork，andmorethanjustifiedthefavourableopinionwhichMrFairliehadformedconcerninghim。SometimesMrFairliewouldsendhimdowntoPalehamforafewdays’holiday，anderelonghisparentsperceivedthathehadacquiredanairandmanneroftalkingdifferentfromanythathehadtakenwithhimfromPaleham。Theywereproudofhim，andsoonfellintotheirproperplaces，resigningallappearanceofaparentalcontrol，forwhichindeedtherewasnokindofnecessity。Inreturn，Georgewasalwayskindlytothem，andtotheendofhisliferetainedamoreaffectionatefeelingtowardshisfatherandmotherthanIimaginehimevertohavefeltagainforman，woman，orchild。
George’svisitstoPalehamwereneverlong，forthedistancefromLondonwasunderfiftymilesandtherewasadirectcoach，sothatthejourneywaseasy；therewasnottime，therefore，forthenoveltytowearoffeitheronthepartoftheyoungmanorofhisparents。