Butsixmonthshadnowelapsedfromthedateofthisletter，andwehadheardnofurtherintelligenceofmybrother。Myfather’scomplaintincreased；thegout，hisprincipalenemy，occasionallymountedhighupinhissystem，andwehadconsiderabledifficultyinkeepingitfromthestomach，whereitgenerallyprovesfatal。I
nowdevotedalmostthewholeofmytimetomyfather，onwhomhisfaithfulpartneralsolavishedeveryattentionandcare。IreadtheBibletohim，whichwashischiefdelight；andalsooccasionallysuchotherbooksasIthoughtmightproveentertainingtohim。Hisspiritsweregenerallyratherdepressed。Theabsenceofmybrotherappearedtopreyuponhismind。’Iwishhewerehere，’hewouldfrequentlyexclaim；’Ican’timaginewhatcanhavebecomeofhim；Itrust，however，hewillarriveintime。’Hestillsometimesrallied，andItookadvantageofthosemomentsofcomparativeeasetoquestionhimupontheeventsofhisearlylife。
Myattentionstohimhadnotpassedunnoticed，andhewaskind，fatherly，andunreserved。Ihadneverknownmyfathersoentertainingasatthesemoments，whenhislifewasbuttooevidentlydrawingtoaclose。Ihadnoideathatheknewandhadseensomuch；myrespectforhimincreased，andIlookeduponhimalmostwithadmiration。Hisanecdoteswereingeneralhighlycurious；someofthemrelatedtopeopleinthehigheststations，andtomenwhosenameswerecloselyconnectedwithsomeofthebrightestgloriesofournativeland。Hehadfrequentlyconversed-almostontermsoffamiliarity-withgoodoldGeorge。HehadknowntheconquerorofTippooSaib；andwasthefriendofTownshend，who，whenWolfefell，ledtheBritishgrenadiersagainsttheshrinkingregimentsofMontcalm。’Pity，’headded，’thatwhenold-oldasIamnow-heshouldhavedrivenhisownsonmadbyrobbinghimofhisplightedbride；butsoitwas；hemarriedhisson’sbride。Isawhimleadhertothealtar；ifevertherewasanangeliccountenance，itwasthatgirl’s；shewasalmosttoofairtobeoneofthedaughtersofwomen。Isthereanything，boy，thatyouwouldwishtoaskme？nowisthetime。’
’Yes，father；thereisoneaboutwhomIwouldfainquestionyou。’
’Whoisit？shallItellyouaboutElliot？’
’No，father，notaboutElliot；butpraydon’tbeangry；IshouldliketoknowsomethingaboutBigBen。’
’Youareastrangelad，’saidmyfather；’and，thoughoflateI
havebeguntoentertainamorefavourableopinionthanheretofore，thereisstillmuchaboutyouthatIdonotunderstand。Whydoyoubringupthatname？Don’tyouknowthatitisoneofmytemptations：youwishtoknowsomethingabouthim。Well!Iwillobligeyouthisonce，andthenfarewelltosuchvanities-
somethingabouthim。Iwilltellyou-his-skinwhenheflungoffhisclothes-andhehadaparticularknackindoingso-hisskin，whenhebaredhismightychestandbackforcombat；andwhenhefoughthestood，so……ifIrememberright-hisskin，I
say，wasbrownandduskyasthatofatoad。Ohme!Iwishmyeldersonwashere。’
CHAPTERXXVIII
Mybrother’sarrival-Theinterview-Night-Adyingfather-
Christ。
ATlastmybrotherarrived；helookedpaleandunwell；Imethimatthedoor。’Youhavebeenlongabsent，’saidI。
’Yes，’saidhe，’perhapstoolong；buthowismyfather？’
’Verypoorly，’saidI，’hehashadafreshattack；butwherehaveyoubeenoflate？’
’Farandwide，’saidmybrother；’butIcan’ttellyouanythingnow，Imustgotomyfather。ItwasonlybychancethatIheardofhisillness。’
’Stayamoment，’saidI。’Istheworldsuchafineplaceasyousupposedittobebeforeyouwentaway？’
’Notquite，’saidmybrother，’notquite；indeedIwish-butaskmenoquestionsnow，Imusthastentomyfather。’Therewasanotherquestiononmytongue，butIforbore；fortheeyesoftheyoungmanwerefulloftears。Ipointedwithmyfinger，andtheyoungmanhastenedpastmetothearmsofhisfather。
IforboretoaskmybrotherwhetherhehadbeentooldRome。
WhatpassedbetweenmyfatherandbrotherIdonotknow；theinterview，nodoubt，wastenderenough，fortheytenderlylovedeachother；butmybrother’sarrivaldidnotproducethebeneficialeffectuponmyfatherwhichIatfirsthopeditwould；itdidnotevenappeartohaveraisedhisspirits。Hewascomposedenough，however：’Ioughttobegrateful，’saidhe；’Iwishedtoseemyson，andGodhasgrantedmemywish；whatmorehaveItodonowthantoblessmylittlefamilyandgo？’
Myfather’sendwasevidentlyathand。
AnddidIshednotears？didIbreathenosighs？didIneverwringmyhandsatthisperiod？thereaderwillperhapsbeasking。
WhateverIdidandthoughtisbestknowntoGodandmyself；butitwillbeaswelltoobserve，thatitispossibletofeeldeeply，andyetmakenooutwardsign。
Andnowfortheclosingscene。
Atthedeadhourofnight，itmightbeabouttwo，IwasawakenedfromsleepbyacrywhichsoundedfromtheroomimmediatelybelowthatinwhichIslept。Iknewthecry，itwasthecryofmymother；andIalsoknewitsimport，yetImadenoefforttorise，forIwasforthemomentparalysed。Againthecrysounded，yetstillIlaymotionless-thestupidityofhorrorwasuponme。A
thirdtime，anditwasthenthat，byaviolenteffort，burstingthespellwhichappearedtobindme，Isprangfromthebedandrusheddownstairs。Mymotherwasrunningwildlyabouttheroom；shehadawoke，andfoundmyfathersenselessinthebedbyherside。I
essayedtoraisehim，andafterafeweffortssupportedhiminthebedinasittingposture。Mybrothernowrushedin，and，snatchingupalightthatwasburning，heheldittomyfather’sface。’Thesurgeon，thesurgeon!’hecried；then，droppingthelight，heranoutoftheroomfollowedbymymother；Iremainedalone，supportingthesenselessformofmyfather；thelighthadbeenextinguishedbythefall，andanalmosttotaldarknessreignedintheroom。Theformpressedheavilyagainstmybosom-atlastmethoughtitmoved。
Yes，Iwasright，therewasaheavingofthebreast，andthenagasping。WerethosewordswhichIheard？Yes，theywerewords，lowandindistinctatfirst，andthenaudible。Themindofthedyingmanwasrevertingtoformerscenes。IheardhimmentionnameswhichIhadoftenheardhimmentionbefore。Itwasanawfulmoment；Ifeltstupefied，butIstillcontrivedtosupportmydyingfather。Therewasapause，againmyfatherspoke：IheardhimspeakofMinden，andofMeredith，theoldMindensergeant，andthenheutteredanothername，whichatoneperiodofhislifewasmuchinhislips，thenameof……butthisisasolemnmoment!Therewasadeepgasp：Ishook，andthoughtallwasover；butIwasmistaken-myfathermoved，andrevivedforamoment；hesupportedhimselfinbedwithoutmyassistance。Imakenodoubtthatforamomenthewasperfectlysensible，anditwasthenthat，claspinghishands，heutteredanothernameclearly，distinctly-itwasthenameofChrist。Withthatnameuponhislips，thebraveoldsoldiersankbackuponmybosom，and，withhishandsstillclasped，yieldeduphissoul。
CHAPTERXXIX
Thegreeting-Queerfigure-Cheerup-Thecheerfulfire-Itwilldo-Thesallyforth-Trepidation-Lethimcomein。
’ONE-AND-NINEPENCE，sir，orthethingswhichyouhavebroughtwithyouwillbetakenawayfromyou!’
Suchwerethefirstwordswhichgreetedmyears，onedampmistymorninginMarch，asIdismountedfromthetopofacoachintheyardofaLondoninn。
Iturnedround，forIfeltthatthewordswereaddressedtomyself。
Plentyofpeoplewereintheyard-porters，passengers，coachmen，hostlers，andothers，whoappearedtobeintentonanythingbutmyself，withtheexceptionofoneindividual，whosebusinessappearedtoliewithme，andwhonowconfrontedmeatthedistanceofabouttwoyards。
Ilookedhardattheman-andaqueerkindofindividualhewastolookat-arakishfigure，aboutthirty，andofthemiddlesize，dressedinacoatsmartlycut，butthreadbare，verytightpantaloonsofbluestuff，tiedattheankles，dirtywhitestockingsandthinshoes，likethoseofadancing-master；hisfeatureswerenotugly，butratherhaggard，andheappearedtoowehiscomplexionlesstonaturethancarmine；infact，ineveryrespect，averyqueerfigure。
’One-and-ninepence，sir，oryourthingswillbetakenawayfromyou!’hesaid，inakindoflispingtone，comingyetnearertome。
Istillremainedstaringfixedlyathim，butneverawordanswered。
Oureyesmet；whereuponhesuddenlylosttheeasyimpudentairwhichhebeforewore。Heglanced，foramoment，atmyfist，whichIhadbythistimeclenched，andhisfeaturesbecameyetmorehaggard；hefaltered；afresh’one-and-ninepence，’whichhewasabouttoutter，diedonhislips；heshrankback，disappearedbehindacoach，andIsawnomoreofhim。
’One-and-ninepence，ormythingswillbetakenawayfromme!’saidItomyself，musingly，asIfollowedtheportertowhomIhaddeliveredmyscantybaggage；’amItoexpectmanyofthesegreetingsinthebigworld？Well，nevermind!IthinkIknowthecounter-sign!’AndIclenchedmyfistyetharderthanbefore。
SoIfollowedtheporter，throughthestreetsofLondon，toalodgingwhichhadbeenpreparedformebyanacquaintance。Themorning，asIhavebeforesaid，wasgloomy，andthestreetsthroughwhichIpassedweredankandfilthy；thepeople，also，lookeddankandfilthy；andso，probably，didI，forthenighthadbeenrainy，andIhadcomeupwardsofahundredmilesonthetopofacoach；myhearthadsunkwithinme，bythetimewereachedadarknarrowstreet，inwhichwasthelodging。
’Cheerup，youngman，’saidtheporter，’weshallhaveafineafternoon!’
AndpresentlyIfoundmyselfinthelodgingwhichhadbeenpreparedforme。Itconsistedofasmallroom，uptwopairofstairs，inwhichIwastosit，andanotherstillsmalleraboveit，inwhichI
wastosleep。IrememberthatIsatdown，andlookeddisconsolateaboutme-everythingseemedsocoldanddingy。Yethowlittleisrequiredtomakeasituation-howevercheerlessatfirstsight-
cheerfulandcomfortable。Thepeopleofthehouse，wholookedkindlyuponme，lightedafireinthedingygrate；and，then，whatachange!-thedingyroomseemeddingynomore!Ohtheluxuryofacheerfulfireafterachillnight’sjourney!Idrewneartotheblazinggrate，rubbedmyhands，andfeltglad。
And，whenIhadwarmedmyself，Iturnedtothetable，onwhich，bythistime，thepeopleofthehousehadplacedmybreakfast；andI