’Hush!What’sthematter？Keepquiet!It’sI。Youknowme？’
criedtheother，inasuppressedvoice。
ButJohnBaptist，widelystaring，mutteringanumberofinvocationsandejaculations，tremblinglybackingintoacorner，slippingonhistrousers，andtyinghiscoatbythetwosleevesroundhisneck，manifestedanunmistakabledesiretoescapebythedoorratherthanrenewtheacquaintance。Seeingthis，hisoldprisoncomradefellbackuponthedoor，andsethisshouldersagainstit。
’Cavalletto!Wake，boy!Rubyoureyesandlookatme。Notthenameyouusedtocallme——don’tusethat——Lagnier，sayLagnier!’
JohnBaptist，staringathimwitheyesopenedtotheirutmostwidth，madeanumberofthosenational，backhandedshakesoftherightforefingerintheair，asifhewereresolvedonnegativingbeforehandeverythingthattheothercouldpossiblyadvanceduringthewholetermofhislife。
’Cavalletto!Givemeyourhand。YouknowLagnier，thegentleman。
Touchthehandofagentleman!’
Submittinghimselftotheoldtoneofcondescendingauthority，JohnBaptist，notatallsteadyonhislegsasyet，advancedandputhishandinhispatron’s。MonsieurLagnierlaughed；andhavinggivenitasqueeze，tosseditupandletitgo。
’Thenyouwere——’falteredJohnBaptist。
’Notshaved？No。Seehere!’criedLagnier，givinghisheadatwirl；’astightonasyourown。’
JohnBaptist，withaslightshiver，lookedallroundtheroomasiftorecallwherehewas。Hispatrontookthatopportunityofturningthekeyinthedoor，andthensatdownuponhisbed。
’Look!’hesaid，holdinguphisshoesandgaiters。’That’sapoortrimforagentleman，you’llsay。Nomatter，youshallseehowSoonI’llmendit。Comeandsitdown。Takeyouroldplace!’
JohnBaptist，lookinganythingbutreassured，satdownontheflooratthebedside，keepinghiseyesuponhispatronallthetime。
’That’swell!’criedLagnier。’Nowwemightbeintheoldinfernalholeagain，hey？Howlonghaveyoubeenout？’
’Twodaysafteryou，mymaster。’
’Howdoyoucomehere？’
’Iwascautionednottostaythere，andsoIleftthetownatonce，andsincethenIhavechangedabout。IhavebeendoingoddsandendsatAvignon，atPontEsprit，atLyons；upontheRhone，upontheSaone。’Ashespoke，herapidlymappedtheplacesoutwithhissunburnthanduponthefloor。
’Andwhereareyougoing？’
’Going，mymaster？’
’Ay!’
JohnBaptistseemedtodesiretoevadethequestionwithoutknowinghow。’ByBacchus!’hesaidatlast，asifhewereforcedtotheadmission，’IhavesometimeshadathoughtofgoingtoParis，andperhapstoEngland。’
’Cavalletto。Thisisinconfidence。IalsoamgoingtoParisandperhapstoEngland。We’llgotogether。’
Thelittlemannoddedhishead，andshowedhisteeth；andyetseemednotquiteconvincedthatitwasasurpassinglydesirablearrangement。
’We’llgotogether，’repeatedLagnier。’YoushallseehowsoonI
willforcemyselftoberecognisedasagentleman，andyoushallprofitbyit。Itisagreed？Areweone？’
’Oh，surely，surely!’saidthelittleman。
’ThenyoushallhearbeforeIsleep——andinsixwords，forIwantsleep——howIappearbeforeyou，I，Lagnier。Rememberthat。Nottheother。’
’Altro，altro!NotRi——’BeforeJohnBaptistcouldfinishthename，hiscomradehadgothishandunderhischinandfiercelyshutuphismouth。
’Death!whatareyoudoing？Doyouwantmetobetrampleduponandstoned？DoYOUwanttobetrampleduponandstoned？Youwouldbe。Youdon’timaginethattheywouldsetuponme，andletmyprisonchumgo？Don’tthinkit!’
Therewasanexpressioninhisfaceashereleasedhisgripofhisfriend’sjaw，fromwhichhisfriendinferredthatifthecourseofeventsreallycametoanystoningandtrampling，MonsieurLagnierwouldsodistinguishhimwithhisnoticeastoensurehishavinghisfullshareofit。HerememberedwhatacosmopolitangentlemanMonsieurLagnierwas，andhowfewweakdistinctionshemade。
’Iamaman，’saidMonsieurLagnier，’whomsocietyhasdeeplywrongedsinceyoulastsawme。YouknowthatIamsensitiveandbrave，andthatitismycharactertogovern。Howhassocietyrespectedthosequalitiesinme？Ihavebeenshriekedatthroughthestreets。Ihavebeenguardedthroughthestreetsagainstmen，andespeciallywomen，runningatmearmedwithanyweaponstheycouldlaytheirhandson。Ihavelaininprisonforsecurity，withtheplaceofmyconfinementkeptasecret，lestIshouldbetornoutofitandfelledbyahundredblows。IhavebeencartedoutofMarseillesinthedeadofnight，andcarriedleaguesawayfromitpackedinstraw。Ithasnotbeensafeformetogonearmyhouse；
and，withabeggar’spittanceinmypocket，Ihavewalkedthroughvilemudandweathereversince，untilmyfeetarecrippled——lookatthem!Sucharethehumiliationsthatsocietyhasinflicteduponme，possessingthequalitiesIhavementioned，andwhichyouknowmetopossess。Butsocietyshallpayforit。’
Allthishesaidinhiscompanion’sear，andwithhishandbeforehislips。
’Evenhere，’hewentoninthesameway，’eveninthismeandrinking-shop，societypursuesme。Madamedefamesme，andherguestsdefameme。I，too，agentlemanwithmannersandaccomplishmentstostrikethemdead!Butthewrongssocietyhasheapeduponmearetreasuredinthisbreast。’
ToallofwhichJohnBaptist，listeningattentivelytothesuppressedhoarsevoice，saidfromtimetotime，’Surely，surely!’
tossinghisheadandshuttinghiseyes，asifthereweretheclearestcaseagainstsocietythatperfectcandourcouldmakeout。
’Putmyshoesthere，’continuedLagnier。’Hangmycloaktodrytherebythedoor。Takemyhat。’Heobeyedeachinstruction，asitwasgiven。’Andthisisthebedtowhichsocietyconsignsme，isit？Hah。Verywell!’
Ashestretchedouthislengthuponit，witharaggedhandkerchiefboundroundhiswickedhead，andonlyhiswickedheadshowingabovethebedclothes，JohnBaptistwasratherstronglyremindedofwhathadsoverynearlyhappenedtopreventthemoustachefromanymoregoingupasitdid，andthenosefromanymorecomingdownasitdid。
’Shakenoutofdestiny’sdice-boxagainintoyourcompany，eh？ByHeaven!Somuchthebetterforyou。You’llprofitbyit。Ishallneedalongrest。Letmesleepinthemorning。’
JohnBaptistrepliedthatheshouldsleepaslongashewould，andwishinghimahappynight，putoutthecandle。OnemighthaveSupposedthatthenextproceedingoftheItalianwouldhavebeentoundress；buthedidexactlythereverse，anddressedhimselffromheadtofoot，savinghisshoes。Whenhehadsodone，helaydownuponhisbedwithsomeofitscoveringsoverhim，andhiscoatstilltiedroundhisneck，togetthroughthenight。
Whenhestartedup，theGodfatherBreakofDaywaspeepingatitsnamesake。Herose，tookhisshoesinhishand，turnedthekeyinthedoorwithgreatcaution，andcreptdownstairs。Nothingwasastirtherebutthesmellofcoffee，wine，tobacco，andsyrups；andmadame’slittlecounterlookedghastlyenough。Buthehadpaidmadamehislittlenoteatitovernight，andwantedtoseenobody——
wantednothingbuttogetonhisshoesandhisknapsack，openthedoor，andrunaway。
Heprosperedinhisobject。Nomovementorvoicewasheardwhenheopenedthedoor；nowickedheadtiedupinaraggedhandkerchieflookedoutoftheupperwindow。Whenthesunhadraisedhisfulldiscabovetheflatlineofthehorizon，andwasstrikingfireoutofthelongmuddyvistaofpavedroadwithitswearyavenueoflittletrees，ablackspeckmovedalongtheroadandsplashedamongtheflamingpoolsofrain-water，whichblackspeckwasJohnBaptistCavallettorunningawayfromhispatron。
BleedingHeartYardInLondonitself，thoughintheoldrusticroadtowardsasuburbofnotewhereinthedaysofWilliamShakespeare，authorandstage-
player，therewereRoyalhunting-seats——howbeitnosportislefttherenowbutforhuntersofmen——BleedingHeartYardwastobefound；aplacemuchchangedinfeatureandinfortune，yetwithsomerelishofancientgreatnessaboutit。Twoorthreemightystacksofchimneys，andafewlargedarkroomswhichhadescapedbeingwalledandsubdividedoutoftherecognitionoftheiroldproportions，gavetheYardacharacter。Itwasinhabitedbypoorpeople，whosetuptheirrestamongitsfadedglories，asArabsofthedesertpitchtheirtentsamongthefallenstonesofthePyramids；buttherewasafamilysentimentalfeelingprevalentintheYard，thatithadacharacter。
Asiftheaspiringcityhadbecomepuffedupintheverygroundonwhichitstood，thegroundhadsorisenaboutBleedingHeartYardthatyougotintoitdownaflightofstepswhichformednopartoftheoriginalapproach，andgotoutofitbyalowgatewayintoamazeofshabbystreets，whichwentaboutandabout，tortuouslyascendingtothelevelagain。AtthisendoftheYardandoverthegateway，wasthefactoryofDanielDoyce，oftenheavilybeatinglikeableedingheartofiron，withtheclinkofmetaluponmetal。
TheopinionoftheYardwasdividedrespectingthederivationofitsname。Themorepracticalofitsinmatesabidedbythetraditionofamurder；thegentlerandmoreimaginativeinhabitants，includingthewholeofthetendersex，wereloyaltothelegendofayoungladyofformertimescloselyimprisonedinherchamberbyacruelfatherforremainingtruetoherowntruelove，andrefusingtomarrythesuitorhechoseforher。Thelegendrelatedhowthattheyoungladyusedtobeseenupatherwindowbehindthebars，murmuringalove-lornsongofwhichtheburdenwas，’BleedingHeart，BleedingHeart，bleedingaway，’untilshedied。ItwasobjectedbythemurderouspartythatthisRefrainwasnotoriouslytheinventionofatambour-worker，aspinsterandromantic，stilllodgingintheYard。But，forasmuchasallfavouritelegendsmustbeassociatedwiththeaffections，andasmanymorepeoplefallinlovethancommitmurder——whichitmaybehoped，howsoeverbadweare，willcontinueuntiltheendoftheworldtobethedispensationunderwhichweshalllive——theBleedingHeart，BleedingHeart，bleedingawaystory，carriedthedaybyagreatmajority。Neitherpartywouldlistentotheantiquarieswhodeliveredlearnedlecturesintheneighbourhood，showingtheBleedingHearttohavebeentheheraldiccognisanceoftheoldfamilytowhomthepropertyhadoncebelonged。And，consideringthatthehour-glasstheyturnedfromyeartoyearwasfilledwiththeearthiestandcoarsestsand，theBleedingHeartYardershadreasonenoughforobjectingtobedespoiledoftheonelittlegoldengrainofpoetrythatsparkledinit。
DownintotheYard，bywayofthesteps，cameDanielDoyce，MrMeagles，andClennam。PassingalongtheYard，andbetweentheopendoorsoneitherhand，allabundantlygarnishedwithlightchildrennursingheavyones，theyarrivedatitsoppositeboundary，thegateway。HereArthurClennamstoppedtolookabouthimforthedomicileofPlornish，plasterer，whosename，accordingtothecustomofLondoners，DanielDoycehadneverseenorheardoftothathour。