their polysyllables began
and ended at the fact that the man's memory was gone, and that it was
beyond the power of science to restore it. During the weary months of
his convalescence he picked up reading and writing, but with the return
of his strength came no return of his former life. England, Devonshire,
Brisport, Mary, Granny--the words brought no recollection to his mind.
All was absolute darkness. At last he was discharged, a friendless,
tradeless, penniless man, without a past, and with very little to look
to in the future. His very name was altered, for it had been necessary
to invent one. John Huxford had passed away, and John Hardy took his
place among mankind. Here was a strange outcome of a Spanish gentleman's
tobacco-inspired meditations.

John's case had aroused some discussion and curiosity in Quebec, so that
he was not suffered to drift into utter helplessness upon emerging from
the hospital. A Scotch manufacturer named M'Kinlay found him a post
as porter in his establishment, and for a long time he worked at seven
dollars a week at the loading and unloading of vans. In the course of
years it was noticed, however, that his memory, however defective as
to the past, was extremely reliable and accurate when concerned with
anything which had occurred since his accident. From the factory he was
promoted into the counting-house, and the year 1835 found him a junior
clerk at a salary of L120 a year. Steadily and surely John Hardy fought
his way upward from post to post, with his whole heart and mind devoted
to the business. In 1840 he was third clerk, in 1845 he was second, and
in 1852 he became manager of the whole vast establishment, and second
only to Mr. M'Kinlay himself.

There were few who grudged John this rapid advancement, for it was
obviously due to neither chance nor favouritism, but entirely to his
marvellous powers of application and industry. From early morning until
late in the night he laboured hard in the service of his employer,
checking, overlooking, superintending, setting an example to all of
cheerful devotion to duty. As he rose from one post to another his
salary increased, but it caused no alteration in his mode of living,
save that it enabled him to be more open-handed to the poor. He
signalised his promotion to the managership by a donation of L1000 to
the hospital in which he had been treated a quarter of a century before.
The remainder of his earnings he allowed to accumulate in th