’SupposingIhadbeenoftheClennamsofCornwall？’
’You’dhaveheardofsomethingtoyouradvantage。’
’Indeed!Ihaveheardoflittleenoughtomyadvantageforsometime。’
’There’saCornishpropertygoingabegging，sir，andnotaCornishClennamtohaveitfortheasking，’saidPancks，takinghisnote-
bookfromhisbreastpocketandputtingitinagain。’Iturnoffhere。Iwishyougoodnight。’
’Goodnight!’saidClennam。ButtheTug，suddenlylightened，anduntrammelledbyhavinganyweightintow，wasalreadypuffingawayintothedistance。
TheyhadcrossedSmithfieldtogether，andClennamwasleftaloneatthecornerofBarbican。Hehadnointentionofpresentinghimselfinhismother’sdismalroomthatnight，andcouldnothavefeltmoredepressedandcastawayifhehadbeeninawilderness。HeturnedslowlydownAldersgateStreet，andwasponderinghiswayalongtowardsSaintPaul’s，purposingtocomeintooneofthegreatthoroughfaresforthesakeoftheirlightandlife，whenacrowdofpeopleflockedtowardshimonthesamepavement，andhestoodasideagainstashoptoletthempass。Astheycameup，hemadeoutthattheyweregatheredaroundasomethingthatwascarriedonmen’sshoulders。Hesoonsawthatitwasalitter，hastilymadeofashutterorsomesuchthing；andarecumbentfigureuponit，andthescrapsofconversationinthecrowd，andamuddybundlecarriedbyoneman，andamuddyhatcarriedbyanother，informedhimthatanaccidenthadoccurred。Thelitterstoppedunderalampbeforeithadpassedhimhalf-a-dozenpaces，forsomereadjustmentoftheburden；and，thecrowdstoppingtoo，hefoundhimselfinthemidstofthearray。
’AnaccidentgoingtotheHospital？’heaskedanoldmanbesidehim，whostoodshakinghishead，invitingconversation。
’Yes，’saidtheman，’alongofthemMails。Theyoughttobeprosecutedandfined，themMails。TheycomearacingoutofLadLaneandWoodStreetattwelveorfourteenmileahour，themMailsdo。Theonlywonderis，thatpeopleain’tkilledoftenerbythemMails。’
’Thispersonisnotkilled，Ihope？’
’Idon’tknow!’saidtheman，’itan’tforthewantofawillinthemMails，ifhean’t。’Thespeakerhavingfoldedhisarms，andsetincomfortablytoaddresshisdepreciationofthemMailstoanyofthebystanderswhowouldlisten，severalvoices，outofpuresympathywiththesufferer，confirmedhim；onevoicesayingtoClennam，’They’reapublicnuisance，themMails，sir；’another，’I
seeoneon’empullupwithinhalfainchofaboy，lastnight；’
another，’Iseeoneon’emgooveracat，sir——anditmighthavebeenyourownmother；’andallrepresenting，byimplication，thatifhehappenedtopossessanypublicinfluence，hecouldnotuseitbetterthanagainstthemMails。
’Why，anativeEnglishmanisputtoiteverynightofhislife，tosavehislifefromthemMails，’arguedthefirstoldman；’andheknowswhenthey’reacomingroundthecorner，totearhimlimbfromlimb。Whatcanyouexpectfromapoorforeignerwhodon’tknownothingabout’em!’
’Isthisaforeigner？’saidClennam，leaningforwardtolook。
Inthemidstofsuchrepliesas’Frenchman，sir，’’Porteghee，sir，’
’Dutchman，sir，’’Prooshan，sir，’andotherconflictingtestimony，henowheardafeeblevoiceasking，bothinItalianandinFrench，forwater。Ageneralremarkgoinground，inreply，of’Ah，poorfellow，hesayshe’llnevergetoverit；andnowonder!’Clennambeggedtobeallowedtopass，asheunderstoodthepoorcreature。
Hewasimmediatelyhandedtothefront，tospeaktohim。
’First，hewantssomewater，’saidhe，lookinground。Adozengoodfellowsdispersedtogetit。’Areyoubadlyhurt，myfriend？’
heaskedthemanonthelitter，inItalian。
’Yes，sir；yes，yes，yes。It’smyleg，it’smyleg。Butitpleasesmetoheartheoldmusic，thoughIamverybad。’
’Youareatraveller!Stay!See，thewater!Letmegiveyousome。’Theyhadrestedthelitteronapileofpavingstones。Itwasataconvenientheightfromtheground，andbystoopinghecouldlightlyraisetheheadwithonehandandholdtheglasstohislipswiththeother。Alittle，muscular，brownman，withblackhairandwhiteteeth。Alivelyface，apparently。Earringsinhisears。
’That’swell。Youareatraveller？’
’Surely，sir。’
’Astrangerinthiscity？’
’Surely，surely，altogether。Iamarrivedthisunhappyevening。’
’Fromwhatcountry？’
’Marseilles。’
’Why，seethere!Ialso!Almostasmuchastrangerhereasyou，thoughbornhere，IcamefromMarseillesalittlewhileago。Don’tbecastdown。’Thefacelookedupathimimploringly，asherosefromwipingit，andgentlyreplacedthecoatthatcoveredthewrithingfigure。’Iwon’tleaveyoutillyoushallbewelltakencareof。Courage!Youwillbeverymuchbetterhalfanhourhence。’
’Ah!Altro，Altro!’criedthepoorlittleman，inafaintlyincreduloustone；andastheytookhimup，hungouthisrighthandtogivetheforefingeraback-handedshakeintheair。
ArthurClennamturned；andwalkingbesidethelitter，andsayinganencouragingwordnowandthen，accompaniedittotheneighbouringhospitalofSaintBartholomew。Noneofthecrowdbutthebearersandhebeingadmitted，thedisabledmanwassoonlaidonatableinacool，methodicalway，andcarefullyexaminedbyasurgeonwhowasasnearathand，andasreadytoappearasCalamityherself。’HehardlyknowsanEnglishword，’saidClennam；’ishebadlyhurt？’
’Letusknowallaboutitfirst，’saidthesurgeon，continuinghisexaminationwithabusinesslikedelightinit，’beforewepronounce。’
Aftertryingthelegwithafinger，andtwofingers，andonehandandtwohands，andoverandunder，andupanddown，andinthisdirectionandinthat，andapprovinglyremarkingonthepointsofinteresttoanothergentlemanwhojoinedhim，thesurgeonatlastclappedthepatientontheshoulder，andsaid，’Hewon’thurt。
He’lldoverywell。It’sdifficultenough，butweshallnotwanthimtopartwithhislegthistime。’WhichClennaminterpretedtothepatient，whowasfullofgratitude，and，inhisdemonstrativeway，kissedboththeinterpreter’shandandthesurgeon’sseveraltimes。
’It’saseriousinjury，Isuppose？’saidClennam。
’Ye-es，’repliedthesurgeon，withthethoughtfulpleasureofanartistcontemplatingtheworkuponhiseasel。’Yes，it’senough。
There’sacompoundfractureabovetheknee，andadislocationbelow。Theyarebothofabeautifulkind。’Hegavethepatientafriendlyclapontheshoulderagain，asifhereallyfeltthathewasaverygoodfellowindeed，andworthyofallcommendationforhavingbrokenhisleginamannerinterestingtoscience。
’HespeaksFrench？’saidthesurgeon。
’Ohyes，hespeaksFrench。’
’He’llbeatnolosshere，then——Youhaveonlytobearalittlepainlikeabravefellow，myfriend，andtobethankfulthatallgoesaswellasitdoes，’headded，inthattongue，’andyou’llwalkagaintoamarvel。Now，letusseewhetherthere’sanythingelsethematter，andhowourribsare？’
Therewasnothingelsethematter，andourribsweresound。
Clennamremaineduntileverythingpossibletobedonehadbeenskilfullyandpromptlydone——thepoorbelatedwandererinastrangelandmovinglybesoughtthatfavourofhim——andlingeredbythebedtowhichhewasinduetimeremoved，untilhehadfallenintoadoze。Eventhenhewroteafewwordsforhimonhiscard，withapromisetoreturnto-morrow，andleftittobegiventohimwhenheshouldawake。
Alltheseproceedingsoccupiedsolongthatitstruckeleveno’clockatnightashecameoutattheHospitalGate。HehadhiredalodgingforthepresentinCoventGarden，andhetookthenearestwaytothatquarter，bySnowHillandHolborn。
Lefttohimselfagain，afterthesolicitudeandcompassionofhislastadventure，hewasnaturallyinathoughtfulmood。Asnaturally，hecouldnotwalkonthinkingfortenminuteswithoutrecallingFlora。Shenecessarilyrecalledtohimhislife，withallitsmisdirectionandlittlehappiness。
Whenhegottohislodging，hesatdownbeforethedyingfire，ashehadstoodatthewindowofhisoldroomlookingoutupontheblackenedforestofchimneys，andturnedhisgazebackuponthegloomyvistabywhichhehadcometothatstageinhisexistence。
Solong，sobare，soblank。Nochildhood；noyouth，exceptforoneremembrance；thatoneremembranceproved，onlythatday，tobeapieceoffolly。
Itwasamisfortunetohim，trifleasitmighthavebeentoanother。For，whileallthatwashardandsterninhisrecollection，remainedRealityonbeingproved——wasobduratetothesightandtouch，andrelaxednothingofitsoldindomitablegrimness——theonetenderrecollectionofhisexperiencewouldnotbearthesametest，andmeltedaway。Hehadforeseenthis，ontheformernight，whenhehaddreamedwithwakingeyes。buthehadnotfeltitthen；andhehadnow。
Hewasadreamerinsuchwise，becausehewasamanwhohad，deep-
rootedinhisnature，abeliefinallthegentleandgoodthingshislifehadbeenwithout。Bredinmeannessandharddealing，thishadrescuedhimtobeamanofhonourablemindandopenhand。Bredincoldnessandseverity，thishadrescuedhimtohaveawarmandsympatheticheart。Bredinacreedtoodarklyaudacioustopursue，throughitsprocessofreservingthemakingofmanintheimageofhisCreatortothemakingofhisCreatorintheimageofanerringman，thishadrescuedhimtojudgenot，andinhumilitytobemerciful，andhavehopeandcharity。