’There!’saidMrMeagles，’nowyouknowallaboutDoyce。Except，whichIowndoesnotimprovemystateofmind，thatevennowyoudon’thearhimcomplain。’
’Youmusthavegreatpatience，’saidArthurClennam，lookingathimwithsomewonder，’greatforbearance。’
’No，’hereturned，’Idon’tknowthatIhavemorethananotherman。’
’BytheLord，youhavemorethanIhave，though!’criedMrMeagles。
Doycesmiled，ashesaidtoClennam，’Yousee，myexperienceofthesethingsdoesnotbeginwithmyself。Ithasbeeninmywaytoknowalittleaboutthemfromtimetotime。Mineisnotaparticularcase。Iamnotworseusedthanahundredotherswhohaveputthemselvesinthesameposition——thanalltheothers，I
wasgoingtosay。’
’Idon’tknowthatIshouldfindthataconsolation，ifitweremycase；butIamverygladthatyoudo。’
’Understandme!Idon’tsay，’herepliedinhissteady，planningway，andlookingintothedistancebeforehimasifhisgreyeyeweremeasuringit，’thatit’srecompenseforaman’stoilandhope；
butit’sacertainsortofrelieftoknowthatImighthavecountedonthis。’
Hespokeinthatquietdeliberatemanner，andinthatundertone，whichisoftenobservableinmechanicswhoconsiderandadjustwithgreatnicety。Itbelongedtohimlikehissupplenessofthumb，orhispeculiarwayoftiltinguphishatatthebackeverynowandthen，asifhewerecontemplatingsomehalf-finishedworkofhishandandthinkingaboutit。
’Disappointed？’hewenton，ashewalkedbetweenthemunderthetrees。’Yes。NodoubtIamdisappointed。Hurt？Yes。NodoubtIamhurt。That’sonlynatural。ButwhatImeanwhenIsaythatpeoplewhoputthemselvesinthesamepositionaremostlyusedinthesameway——’
’InEngland，’saidMrMeagles。
’Oh!ofcourseImeaninEngland。Whentheytaketheirinventionsintoforeigncountries，that’squitedifferent。Andthat’sthereasonwhysomanygothere。’
MrMeaglesveryhotindeedagain。
’WhatImeanis，thathoweverthiscomestobetheregularwayofourgovernment，itisitsregularway。Haveyoueverheardofanyprojectororinventorwhofailedtofinditallbutinaccessible，andwhomitdidnotdiscourageandill-treat？’
’IcannotsaythatIeverhave。’
’Haveyoueverknownittobebeforehandintheadoptionofanyusefulthing？Everknownittosetanexampleofanyusefulkind？’
’Iamagooddealolderthanmyfriendhere，’saidMrMeagles，’andI’llanswerthat。Never。’
’Butweallthreehaveknown，Iexpect，’saidtheinventor，’aprettymanycasesofitsfixeddeterminationtobemilesuponmiles，andyearsuponyears，behindtherestofus；andofitsbeingfoundoutpersistingintheuseofthingslongsuperseded，evenafterthebetterthingswerewellknownandgenerallytakenup？’
Theyallagreeduponthat。
’Wellthen，’saidDoyce，withasigh，’asIknowwhatsuchametalwilldoatsuchatemperature，andsuchabodyundersuchapressure，soImayknowifIwillonlyconsider，howthesegreatlordsandgentlemenwillcertainlydealwithsuchamatterasmine。
Ihavenorighttobesurprised，withaheaduponmyshoulders，andmemoryinit，thatIfallintotherankswithallwhocamebeforeme。Ioughttohaveletitalone。Ihavehadwarningenough，Iamsure。’
Withthatheputuphisspectacle-case，andsaidtoArthur，’IfI
don’tcomplain，MrClennam，Icanfeelgratitude；andIassureyouthatIfeelittowardsourmutualfriend。Many’stheday，andmany’sthewayinwhichhehasbackedme。’
’Stuffandnonsense，’saidMrMeagles。
ArthurcouldnotbutglanceatDanielDoyceintheensuingsilence。
Thoughitwasevidentlyinthegrainofhischaracter，andofhisrespectforhisowncase，thatheshouldabstainfromidlemurmuring，itwasevidentthathehadgrowntheolder，thesterner，andthepoorer，forhislongendeavour。Hecouldnotbutthinkwhatablessedthingitwouldhavebeenforthisman，ifhehadtakenalessonfromthegentlemenwhoweresokindastotakeanation’saffairsincharge，andhadlearntHownottodoit。
MrMeagleswashotanddespondentforaboutfiveminutes，andthenbegantocoolandclearup。
’Come，come!’saidhe。’Weshallnotmakethisthebetterbybeinggrim。Wheredoyouthinkofgoing，Dan？’
’Ishallgobacktothefactory，’saidDan。
’Whythen，we’llallgobacktothefactory，orwalkinthatdirection，’returnedMrMeaglescheerfully。’MrClennamwon’tbedeterredbyitsbeinginBleedingHeartYard。’
’BleedingHeartYard？’saidClennam。’Iwanttogothere。’
’Somuchthebetter，’criedMrMeagles。’Comealong!’
Astheywentalong，certainlyoneoftheparty，andprobablymorethanone，thoughtthatBleedingHeartYardwasnoinappropriatedestinationforamanwhohadbeeninofficialcorrespondencewithmylordsandtheBarnacles——andperhapshadamisgivingalsothatBritanniaherselfmightcometolookforlodgingsinBleedingHeartYardsomeuglydayorother，ifsheover-didtheCircumlocutionOffice。
CHAPTER11
LetLooseAlate，dullautumnnightwasclosinginupontheriverSaone。Thestream，likeasulliedlooking-glassinagloomyplace，reflectedthecloudsheavily；andthelowbanksleanedoverhereandthere，asiftheywerehalfcurious，andhalfafraid，toseetheirdarkeningpicturesinthewater。TheflatexpanseofcountryaboutChalonslayalongheavystreak，occasionallymadealittleraggedbyarowofpoplartreesagainstthewrathfulsunset。OnthebanksoftheriverSaoneitwaswet，depressing，solitary；andthenightdeepenedfast。
OnemanslowlymovingontowardsChalonswastheonlyvisiblefigureinthelandscape。Cainmighthavelookedaslonelyandavoided。Withanoldsheepskinknapsackathisback，andarough，unbarkedstickcutoutofsomewoodinhishand；miry，footsore，hisshoesandgaiterstroddenout，hishairandbearduntrimmed；
thecloakhecarriedoverhisshoulder，andtheclotheshewore，soddenwithwet；limpingalonginpainanddifficulty；helookedasifthecloudswerehurryingfromhim，asifthewailofthewindandtheshudderingofthegrassweredirectedagainsthim，asifthelowmysteriousplashingofthewatermurmuredathim，asifthefitfulautumnnightweredisturbedbyhim。
Heglancedhere，andheglancedthere，sullenlybutshrinkingly；
andsometimesstoppedandturnedabout，andlookedallroundhim。
Thenhelimpedonagain，toilingandmuttering。
’Tothedevilwiththisplainthathasnoend!Tothedevilwiththesestonesthatcutlikeknives!Tothedevilwiththisdismaldarkness，wrappingitselfaboutonewithachill!Ihateyou!’
Andhewouldhavevisitedhishatreduponitallwiththescowlhethrewabouthim，ifhecould。Hetrudgedalittlefurther；andlookingintothedistancebeforehim，stoppedagain。
’I，hungry，thirsty，weary。You，imbeciles，wherethelightsareyonder，eatinganddrinking，andwarmingyourselvesatfires!I
wishIhadthesackingofyourtown；Iwouldrepayyou，mychildren!’
Buttheteethhesetatthetown，andthehandheshookatthetown，broughtthetownnonearer；andthemanwasyethungrier，andthirstier，andwearier，whenhisfeetwereonitsjaggedpavement，andhestoodlookingabouthim。
Therewasthehotelwithitsgateway，anditssavourysmellofcooking；therewasthecafewithitsbrightwindows，anditsrattlingofdominoes；therewasthedyer’swithitsstripsofredclothonthedoorposts；therewasthesilversmith’swithitsearrings，anditsofferingsforaltars；therewasthetobaccodealer’swithitslivelygroupofsoldiercustomerscomingoutpipeinmouth；therewerethebadodoursofthetown，andtherainandtherefuseinthekennels，andthefaintlampsslungacrosstheroad，andthehugeDiligence，anditsmountainofluggage，anditssixgreyhorseswiththeirtailstiedup，gettingunderweighatthecoachoffice。Butnosmallcabaretforastraitenedtravellerbeingwithinsight，hehadtoseekoneroundthedarkcorner，wherethecabbageleaveslaythickest，troddenaboutthepubliccisternatwhichwomenhadnotyetleftoffdrawingwater。There，inthebackstreethefoundone，theBreakofDay。ThecurtainedwindowscloudedtheBreakofDay，butitseemedlightandwarm，anditannouncedinlegibleinscriptionswithappropriatepictorialembellishmentofbilliardcueandball，thatattheBreakofDayonecouldplaybilliards；thatthereonecouldfindmeat，drink，andlodgings，whetheronecameonhorseback，orcameonfoot；andthatitkeptgoodwines，liqueurs，andbrandy。ThemanturnedthehandleoftheBreakofDaydoor，andlimpedin。
Hetouchedhisdiscolouredslouchedhat，ashecameinatthedoor，toafewmenwhooccupiedtheroom。Twowereplayingdominoesatoneofthelittletables；threeorfourwereseatedroundthestove，conversingastheysmoked；thebilliard-tableinthecentrewasleftaloneforthetime；thelandladyoftheDaybreaksatbehindherlittlecounteramonghercloudybottlesofsyrups，basketsofcakes，andleadendrainageforglasses，workingatherneedle。
Makinghiswaytoanemptylittletableinacorneroftheroombehindthestove，heputdownhisknapsackandhiscloakupontheground。Asheraisedhisheadfromstoopingtodoso，hefoundthelandladybesidehim。