’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。