w many heartaches
were gnawing only in dreams, to wake with the brain, and gnaw in earnest
again! And over all brooded the love of the Lord Christ, who is Lord
over all blessed for ever, and shall yet cast death and hell into the
lake of fire--the holy purifying Fate.

I got through my sole engagement--a very dreary one, for surely never
were there stupider young people in the whole region of rank than those
to whom duty and necessity sent me on the Wednesday mornings of that
London season--even with some enjoyment. For the lessons Falconer had
been giving me clung to me and grew on me until I said thus to myself:
'Am I to believe only for the poor, and not for the rich? Am I not to
bear with conceit even, hard as it is to teach? for is not this conceit
itself the measure as the consequence of incapacity and ignorance? They
cannot help being born stupid, any more than some of those children in
St. Giles's can help being born preternaturally, unhealthily clever.
I am going with my friend this evening: that hope is enough to make
me strong for one day at least.' So I set myself to my task, and that
morning wiled the first gleam of intelligent delight out of the eyes
of one poor little washed-out ladyship. I could have kissed her from
positive thankfulness.

The day did wear over. The evening did come. I was with my friend--for
friend I could call him none the less and all the more that I worshipped
him.

'I have business in Westminster,' he said, 'and then on the other side
of the water.'

'I am more and more astonished at your knowledge of London, Mr.
Falconer,' I said. 'You must have a great faculty for places.'

'I think rather the contrary,' he answered. 'But there is no end to
the growth of a faculty, if one only uses it--especially when his whole
nature is interested in its efficiency, and makes demands upon it.
The will applies to the intellect; the intellect communicates its
necessities to the brain; the brain bestirs itself, and grows more
active; the eyes lend their aid; the memory tries not to be behind; and
at length you have a man gifted in localities.'

'How is it that people generally can live in such quiet ignorance of the
regions that surround them, and the kind of humanity so near them?' I
said after a pause.

'It does seem strange. It is as if a man should not know who were in his
own house. Would-be civilization has for the very centre of its citadel,
for the citizens of its innermost city, fo