endeavored，duringthebriefminuteofmyoriginalsurvey，toformsomeanalysisofthemeaningconveyed，therearoseconfusedlyandparadoxicallywithinmymind，theideasofvastmentalpower，ofcaution，ofpenuriousness，ofavarice，ofcoolness，ofmalice，ofbloodthirstiness，oftriumph，ofmerriment，ofexcessiveterror，ofintense-ofsupremedespair。Ifeltsingularlyaroused，startled，fascinated。“Howwildahistory。”Isaidtomyself，“iswrittenwithinthatbosom！”Thencameacravingdesiretokeepthemaninview-toknowmoreofhim。Hurriedlyputtingonanovercoat，andseizingmyhatandcane，Imademywayintothestreet，andpushedthroughthecrowdinthedirectionwhichIhadseenhimtake；forhehadalreadydisappeared。WithsomelittledifficultyIatlengthcamewithinsightofhim，approached，andfollowedhimclosely，yetcautiously，soasnottoattracthisattention。
　　Ihadnowagoodopportunityofexamininghisperson。Hewasshortinstature，verythin，andapparentlyveryfeeble。Hisclothes，generally，werefilthyandragged；butashecame，nowandthen，withinthestrongglareofalamp，Iperceivedthathislinen，althoughdirty，wasofbeautifultexture；andmyvisiondeceivedme，or，througharentinaclosely-buttonedandevidentlysecond-handedroquelairewhichenvelopedhim，Icaughtaglimpsebothofadiamondandofadagger。Theseobservationsheightenedmycuriosity，andIresolvedtofollowthestrangerwhithersoeverheshouldgo。
　　Itwasnowfullynight-fall，andathickhumidfoghungoverthecity，soonendinginasettledandheavyrain。Thischangeofweatherhadanoddeffectuponthecrowd，thewholeofwhichwasatonceputintonewcommotion，andovershadowedbyaworldofumbrellas。Thewaver，thejostle，andthehumincreasedinatenfolddegree。FormyownpartIdidnotmuchregardtherain-thelurkingofanoldfeverinmysystemrenderingthemoisturesomewhattoodangerouslypleasant。Tyingahandkerchiefaboutmymouth，Ikepton。Forhalfanhourtheoldmanheldhiswaywithdifficultyalongthegreatthoroughfare；andIherewalkedcloseathiselbowthroughfearoflosingsightofhim。Neveronceturninghisheadtolookback，hedidnotobserveme。Byandbyehepassedintoacrossstreet，which，althoughdenselyfilledwithpeople，wasnotquitesomuchthrongedasthemainonehehadquitted。Hereachangeinhisdemeanorbecameevident。Hewalkedmoreslowlyandwithlessobjectthanbefore-morehesitatingly。Hecrossedandre-crossedthewayrepeatedlywithoutapparentaim；andthepresswasstillsothickthat，ateverysuchmovement，Iwasobligedtofollowhimclosely。Thestreetwasanarrowandlongone，andhiscourselaywithinitfornearlyanhour，duringwhichthepassengershadgraduallydiminishedtoaboutthatnumberwhichisordinarilyseenatnooninBroadwaynearthePark-sovastadifferenceistherebetweenaLondonpopulaceandthatofthemostfrequentedAmericancity。Asecondturnbroughtusintoasquare，brilliantlylighted，andoverflowingwithlife。Theoldmannerofthestrangerre-appeared。Hischinfelluponhisbreast，whilehiseyesrolledwildlyfromunderhisknitbrows，ineverydirection，uponthosewhohemmedhimin。Heurgedhiswaysteadilyandperseveringly。Iwassurprised，however，tofind，uponhishavingmadethecircuitofthesquare，thatheturnedandretracedhissteps。StillmorewasIastonishedtoseehimrepeatthesamewalkseveraltimesoncenearlydetectingmeashecameroundwithasuddenmovement。
　　Inthisexercisehespentanotherhour，attheendofwhichwemetwithfarlessinterruptionfrompassengersthanatfirst。Therainfellfast；
　　theairgrewcool；andthepeoplewereretiringtotheirhomes。Withagestureofimpatience，thewandererpassedintoabye-streetcomparativelydeserted。Downthis，somequarterofamilelong，herushedwithanactivityIcouldnothavedreamedofseeinginonesoaged，andwhichputmetomuchtroubleinpursuit。Afewminutesbroughtustoalargeandbusybazaar，withthelocalitiesofwhichthestrangerappearedwellacquainted，andwherehisoriginaldemeanoragainbecameapparent，asheforcedhiswaytoandfro，withoutaim，amongthehostofbuyersandsellers。
　　Duringthehourandahalf，orthereabouts，whichwepassedinthisplace，itrequiredmuchcautiononmyparttokeephimwithinreachwithoutattractinghisobservation。LuckilyIworeapairofcaoutchoucover-shoes，andcouldmoveaboutinperfectsilence。AtnomomentdidheseethatIwatchedhim。Heenteredshopaftershop，pricednothing，spokenoword，andlookedatallobjectswithawildandvacantstare。Iwasnowutterlyamazedathisbehavior，andfirmlyresolvedthatweshouldnotpartuntilIhadsatisfiedmyselfinsomemeasurerespectinghim。
　　Aloud-tonedclockstruckeleven，andthecompanywerefastdesertingthebazaar。Ashop-keeper，inputtingupashutter，jostledtheoldman，andattheinstantIsawastrongshuddercomeoverhisframe。Hehurriedintothestreet，lookedanxiouslyaroundhimforaninstant，andthenranwithincredibleswiftnessthroughmanycrookedandpeople-lesslanes，untilweemergedoncemoreuponthegreatthoroughfarewhencewehadstartedthestreetoftheDHotel。Itnolongerwore，however，thesameaspect。Itwasstillbrilliantwithgas；buttherainfellfiercely，andtherewerefewpersonstobeseen。Thestrangergrewpale。Hewalkedmoodilysomepacesuptheoncepopulousavenue，then，withaheavysigh，turnedinthedirectionoftheriver，and，plungingthroughagreatvarietyofdeviousways，cameout，atlength，inviewofoneoftheprincipaltheatres。Itwasaboutbeingclosed，andtheaudiencewerethrongingfromthedoors。I
　　sawtheoldmangaspasifforbreathwhilehethrewhimselfamidthecrowd；butIthoughtthattheintenseagonyofhiscountenancehad，insomemeasure，abated。Hisheadagainfelluponhisbreast；heappearedasIhadseenhimatfirst。Iobservedthathenowtookthecourseinwhichhadgonethegreaternumberoftheaudience-but，uponthewhole，Iwasatalosstocomprehendthewaywardnessofhisactions。
　　Asheproceeded，thecompanygrewmorescattered，andhisolduneasinessandvacillationwereresumed。Forsometimehefollowedcloselyapartyofsometenortwelveroisterers；butfromthisnumberonebyonedroppedoff，untilthreeonlyremainedtogether，inanarrowandgloomylanelittlefrequented。Thestrangerpaused，and，foramoment，seemedlostinthought；then，witheverymarkofagitation，pursuedrapidlyaroutewhichbroughtustothevergeofthecity，amidregionsverydifferentfromthosewehadhithertotraversed。ItwasthemostnoisomequarterofLondon，whereeverythingworetheworstimpressofthemostdeplorablepoverty，andofthemostdesperatecrime。Bythedimlightofanaccidentallamp，tall，antique，worm-eaten，woodentenementswereseentotteringtotheirfall，indirectionssomanyandcapriciousthatscarcethesemblanceofapassagewasdiscerniblebetweenthem。Thepaving-stoneslayatrandom，displacedfromtheirbedsbytherankly-growinggrass。
　　Horriblefilthfesteredinthedammed-upgutters。Thewholeatmosphereteemedwithdesolation。Yet，asweproceeded，thesoundsofhumanliferevivedbysuredegrees，andatlengthlargebandsofthemostabandonedofaLondonpopulacewereseenreelingtoandfro。Thespiritsoftheoldmanagainflickeredup，asalampwhichisnearitsdeathhour。Oncemorehestrodeonwardwithelastictread。Suddenlyacornerwasturned，ablazeoflightburstuponoursight，andwestoodbeforeoneofthehugesuburbantemplesofIntemperance-oneofthepalacesofthefiend，Gin。
　　Itwasnownearlyday-break；butanumberofwretchedinebriatesstillpressedinandoutoftheflauntingentrance。Withahalfshriekofjoytheoldmanforcedapassagewithin，resumedatoncehisoriginalbearing，andstalkedbackwardandforward，withoutapparentobject，amongthethrong。Hehadnotbeenthuslongoccupied，however，beforearushtothedoorsgavetokenthatthehostwasclosingthemforthenight。ItwassomethingevenmoreintensethandespairthatIthenobserveduponthecountenanceofthesingularbeingwhomIhadwatchedsopertinaciously。
　　Yethedidnothesitateinhiscareer，but，withamadenergy，retracedhisstepsatonce，totheheartofthemightyLondon。Longandswiftlyhefled，whileIfollowedhiminthewildestamazement，resolutenottoabandonascrutinyinwhichInowfeltaninterestall-absorbing。Thesunarosewhileweproceeded，and，whenwehadonceagainreachedthatmostthrongedmartofthepopuloustown，thestreetoftheDHotel，itpresentedanappearanceofhumanbustleandactivityscarcelyinferiortowhatIhadseenontheeveningbefore。Andhere，long，amidthemomentlyincreasingconfusion，didIpersistinmypursuitofthestranger。But，asusual，hewalkedtoandfro，andduringthedaydidnotpassfromouttheturmoilofthatstreet。And，astheshadesofthesecondeveningcameon，Igrewwearieduntodeath，and，stoppingfullyinfrontofthewanderer，gazedathimsteadfastlyintheface。Henoticedmenot，butresumedhissolemnwalk，whileI，ceasingtofollow，remainedabsorbedincontemplation。“Thisoldman。”Isaidatlength，“isthetypeandthegeniusofdeepcrime。Herefusestobealone。[page228：]Heisthemanofthecrowd。Itwillbeinvaintofollow；forIshalllearnnomoreofhim，norofhisdeeds。Theworstheartoftheworldisagrosserbookthanthe’HortulusAnim？’{*1}andperhapsitisbutoneofthegreatmerciesofGodthat’erlasstsichnichtlesen。’“
　　{*1}The“_HortulusAnim？cumOratiunculisAliquibusSuperadditis_“ofGr黱ninger~~~EndofText~~~
　　NeverBettheDevilYourHeadATaleWithaMoral。
　　“_CONtalquelascostumbresdeunautor_。”saysDonThomasdelasTorres，intheprefacetohis“AmatoryPoems“_“seanpurasycastas，importomuypocoquenoseanigualmenteseverassusobras“_meaning，inplainEnglish，that，providedthemoralsofanauthorarepurepersonally，itsignifiesnothingwhatarethemoralsofhisbooks。WepresumethatDonThomasisnowinPurgatoryfortheassertion。Itwouldbeacleverthing，too，inthewayofpoeticaljustice，tokeephimthereuntilhis“AmatoryPoems“getoutofprint，orarelaiddefinitelyupontheshelfthroughlackofreaders。Everyfictionshouldhaveamoral；and，whatismoretothepurpose，thecriticshavediscoveredthateveryfictionhas。PhilipMelanchthon，sometimeago，wroteacommentaryuponthe“Batrachomyomachia。”andprovedthatthepoet’sobjectwastoexciteadistasteforsedition。PierrelaSeine，goingastepfarther，showsthattheintentionwastorecommendtoyoungmentemperanceineatinganddrinking。Justso，too，JacobusHugohassatisfiedhimselfthat，byEuenis，HomermeanttoinsinuateJohnCalvin；byAntinous，MartinLuther；
　　bytheLotophagi，Protestantsingeneral；and，bytheHarpies，theDutch。
　　OurmoremodernScholiastsareequallyacute。Thesefellowsdemonstrateahiddenmeaningin“TheAntediluvians。”aparableinPowhatan。”newviewsin“CockRobin。”andtranscendentalismin“HopO’MyThumb。”Inshort，ithasbeenshownthatnomancansitdowntowritewithoutaveryprofounddesign。Thustoauthorsingeneralmuchtroubleisspared。Anovelist，forexample，needhavenocareofhismoral。Itistherethatistosay，itissomewhereandthemoralandthecriticscantakecareofthemselves。
　　Whenthepropertimearrives，allthatthegentlemanintended，andallthathedidnotintend，willbebroughttolight，inthe“Dial。”orthe“Down-Easter。”togetherwithallthatheoughttohaveintended，andtherestthatheclearlymeanttointend：sothatitwillallcomeverystraightintheend。
　　Thereisnojustground，therefore，forthechargebroughtagainstmebycertainignoramusesthatIhaveneverwrittenamoraltale，or，inmoreprecisewords，atalewithamoral。Theyarenotthecriticspredestinedtobringmeout，anddevelopmymorals：thatisthesecret。Byandbythe“NorthAmericanQuarterlyHumdrum“willmakethemashamedoftheirstupidity。Inthemeantime，bywayofstayingexecutionbywayofmitigatingtheaccusationsagainstmeIofferthesadhistoryappended，ahistoryaboutwhoseobviousmoraltherecanbenoquestionwhatever，sincehewhorunsmayreaditinthelargecapitalswhichformthetitleofthetale。IshouldhavecreditforthisarrangementafarwiseronethanthatofLaFontaineandothers，whoreservetheimpressiontobeconveyeduntilthelastmoment，andthussneakitinatthefagendoftheirfables。