第34章

’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，’’Porteghe