OutsideTellson\'s——neverbyanymeansinit，unlesscalledin——wasanodd-job-man，anoccasionalporterandmessenger，whoservedasthelivesignofthehouse。Hewasneverabsentduringbusinesshours，unlessuponanerrand，andthenhewasrepresentedbyhisson:agrislyurchinoftwelve，whowashisexpressimage。PeopleunderstoodthatTellson\'s，inastatelyway，toleratedtheodd-job-man。Thehousehadalwaystoleratedsomepersoninthatcapacity，andtimeandtidehaddriftedthispersontothepost。
HissurnamewasCruncher，andontheyouthfuloccasionofhisrenouncingbyproxytheworksofdarkness，intheeasterlyparishchurchofHoundsditch，hehadreceivedtheaddedappellationofJerry。
ThescenewasMr。Cruncher\'sprivatelodginginHanging-sword-alley，Whitefriars:thetime，half-pastsevenoftheclockonawindyMarchmorning，AnnoDominiseventeenhundredandeighty。Mr。CruncherhimselfalwaysspokeoftheyearofourLordasAnnaDominoes:apparentlyundertheimpressionthattheChristianeradatedfromtheinventionofapopulargame，byaladywhohadbestowedhernameuponit。
Mr。Cruncher\'sapartmentswerenotinasavouryneighbourhood，andwerebuttwoinnumber，evenifaclosetwithasinglepaneofglassinitmightbecountedasone。Buttheywereverydecentlykept。Earlyasitwas，onthewindyMarchmorning，theroominwhichhelaya-bedwasalreadyscrubbedthroughout；andbetweenthecupsandsaucersarrangedforbreakfast，andthelumberingdealtable，averycleanwhiteclothwasspread。
Mr。Cruncherreposedunderapatchworkcounterpane，likeaHarlequinathome。Atfirst，hesleptheavily，but，bydegrees，begantorollandsurgeinbed，untilheroseabovethesurface，withhisspikyhairlookingasifitmusttearthesheetstoribbons。Atwhichjuncture，heexclaimed，inavoiceofdireexasperation: