第156章

andthathehadsaidwithadmirablefortitudethathewasAllright，mylads，withtheexceptionofhiscollar-bone。Butthediggingandshovellingandcarryingawaywentonwithoutintermission，untiltheruinswerealldugout，andthecellarsopenedtothelight；andstillnoFlintwinch，livingordead，allrightorallwrong，hadbeenturnedupbypickorspade。

ItbeganthentobeperceivedthatFlintwinchhadnotbeenthereatthetimeofthefall；anditbeganthentobeperceivedthathehadbeenratherbusyelsewhere，convertingsecuritiesintoasmuchmoneyascouldbegotforthemontheshortestnotice，andturningtohisownexclusiveaccounthisauthoritytoactfortheFirm。

Affery，rememberingthatthecleveronehadsaidhewouldexplainhimselffurtherinfour-and-twentyhours’time，determinedforherpartthathistakinghimselfoffwithinthatperiodwithallhecouldget，wasthefinalsatisfactorysumandsubstanceofhispromisedexplanation；butsheheldherpeace，devoutlythankfultobequitofhim。Asitseemedreasonabletoconcludethatamanwhohadneverbeenburiedcouldnotbeunburied，thediggersgavehimupwhentheirtaskwasdone，anddidnotdigdownforhimintothedepthsoftheearth。

Thiswastakeninillpartbyagreatmanypeople，whopersistedinbelievingthatFlintwinchwaslyingsomewhereamongtheLondongeologicalformation。Norwastheirbeliefmuchshakenbyrepeatedintelligencewhichcameoverincourseoftime，thatanoldmanwhoworethetieofhisneckclothunderoneear，andwhowasverywellknowntobeanEnglishman，consortedwiththeDutchmenonthequaintbanksofthecanalsoftheHagueandinthedrinking-shopsofAmsterdam，underthestyleanddesignationofMynheervonFlyntevynge。

GoingArthurcontinuingtolieveryillintheMarshalsea，andMrRuggdescryingnobreakinthelegalskyaffordingahopeofhisenlargement，MrPanckssuffereddesperatelyfromself-reproaches。

IfithadnotbeenforthoseinfalliblefigureswhichprovedthatArthur，insteadofpininginimprisonment，oughttobepromenadinginacarriageandpair，andthatMrPancks，insteadofbeingrestrictedtohisclerklywages，oughttohavefromthreetofivethousandpoundsofhisownathisimmediatedisposal，thatunhappyarithmeticianwouldprobablyhavetakentohisbed，andtherehavemadeoneofthemanyobscurepersonswhoturnedtheirfacestothewallanddied，asalastsacrificetothelateMrMerdle’sgreatness。Solelysupportedbyhisunimpugnablecalculations，MrPancksledanunhappyandrestlesslife；constantlycarryinghisfiguresaboutwithhiminhishat，andnotonlygoingoverthemhimselfoneverypossibleoccasion，butentreatingeveryhumanbeinghecouldlayholdoftogooverthemwithhim，andobservewhataclearcaseitwas。DowninBleedingHeartYardtherewasscarcelyaninhabitantofnotetowhomMrPanckshadnotimpartedhisdemonstration，and，asfiguresarecatching，akindofcypheringmeaslesbrokeoutinthatlocality，undertheinfluenceofwhichthewholeYardwaslight-headed。

ThemorerestlessMrPancksgrewinhismind，themoreimpatienthebecameofthePatriarch。IntheirlaterconferenceshissnortingassumedanirritablesoundwhichbodedthePatriarchnogood；

likewise，MrPanckshadonseveraloccasionslookedharderatthePatriarchalbumpsthanwasquitereconcilablewiththefactofhisnotbeingapainter，oraperuke-makerinsearchofthelivingmodel。

However，hesteamedinandoutofhislittlebackDockaccordingashewaswantedornotwantedinthePatriarchalpresence，andbusinesshadgoneoninitscustomarycourse。BleedingHeartYardhadbeenharrowedbyMrPancks，andcroppedbyMrCasby，attheregularseasons；MrPanckshadtakenallthedrudgeryandallthedirtofthebusinessashisshare；MrCasbyhadtakenalltheprofits，alltheetherealvapour，andallthemoonshine，ashisshare；and，intheformofwordswhichthatbenevolentbeamergenerallyemployedonSaturdayevenings，whenhetwirledhisfatthumbsafterstrikingtheweek’sbalance，’everythinghadbeensatisfactorytoallparties——allparties——sati