HehadcrossedhisRubicon——notperhapsveryheroicallyordramatically，butthenitisonlyindramasthatpeopleactdramatically。Atanyrate，byhookorbycrook，hehadscrambledover，andwasoutupontheotherside。Alreadyhethoughtofmuchwhichhewouldgladlyhavesaid，andblamedhiswantofpresenceofmind；but，afterall，itmatteredverylittle。Inclinedthoughhewastomakeverygreatallowancesforhisfatherandmother，hewasindignantattheirhavingthrustthemselvesuponhimwithoutwarningatamomentwhentheexcitementofleavingprisonwasalreadyasmuchashewasfitfor。Itwasameanadvantagetohavetakenoverhim，buthewasgladtheyhadtakenit，foritmadehimrealisemorefullythaneverthathisonechancelayinseparatinghimselfcompletelyfromthem。
Themorningwasgrey，andthefirstsignsofwinterfogwerebeginningtoshowthemselves，foritwasnowthe30thofSeptember。
Ernestworetheclothesinwhichhehadenteredprison，andwasthereforedressedasaclergyman。Noonewholookedathimwouldhaveseenanydifferencebetweenhispresentappearanceandhisappearancesixmonthspreviously；indeed，ashewalkedslowlythroughthedingycrowdedlanecalledEyreStreetHillwhichhewellknew，forhehadclericalfriendsinthatneighbourhood，themonthshehadpassedinprisonseemedtodropoutofhislife，andsopowerfullydidassociationcarryhimawaythat，findinghimselfinhisolddressandinhisoldsurroundings，hefeltdraggedbackintohisoldself——asthoughhissixmonthsofprisonlifehadbeenadreamfromwhichhewasnowwakingtotakethingsupashehadleftthem。Thiswastheeffectofunchangedsurroundingsupontheunchangedpartofhim。Buttherewasachangedpart，andtheeffectofunchangedsurroundingsuponthiswastomakeeverythingseemalmostasstrangeasthoughhehadneverhadanylifebuthisprisonone，andwasnowbornintoanewworld。
Allourliveslong，everydayandeveryhour，weareengagedintheprocessofaccommodatingourchangedandunchangedselvestochangedandunchangedsurroundings；living，infact，innothingelsethanthisprocessofaccommodation；whenwefailinitalittlewearestupid，whenwefailflagrantlywearemad，whenwesuspendittemporarilywesleep，whenwegiveuptheattemptaltogetherwedie。
Inquiet，uneventfullivesthechangesinternalandexternalaresosmallthatthereislittleornostrainintheprocessoffusionandaccommodation；inotherlivesthereisgreatstrain，butthereisalsogreatfusingandaccommodatingpower；inothersgreatstrainwithlittleaccommodatingpower。Alifewillbesuccessfulornotaccordingasthepowerofaccommodationisequaltoorunequaltothestrainoffusingandadjustinginternalandexternalchanges。