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confessthatIwenttobedwithoutoneworduponthematterofCarthew，butnotwithouthavingcovenantedwithmyrascalforavisittoChesterthenextday。AtChesterwedidtheCathedral，walkedonthewalls，discussedShakespeareandthemusicalglasses——andmadeafreshengagementforthemorrow。
Idonotknow，andIamgladtohaveforgotten，howlongthesetravelswerecontinued。Wevisitedatleast，bysingularzigzags，Stratford，Warwick，Coventry，Gloucester，Bristol，Bath，andWells。Ateachstagewespokedutifullyofthesceneanditsassociations；Isketched，theShysterspoutedpoetryandcopiedepitaphs。WhocoulddoubtweweretheusualAmericans，travellingwithadesignofself-improvement？
Whowastoguessthatonewasablackmailer，tremblingtoapproachthesceneofaction——theotherahelpless，amateurdetective，waitingonevents？
Itisunnecessarytoremarkthatnoneoccurred，ornonetheleastsuitablewithmydesignofprotectingCarthew。Twotrifles，indeed，completedthoughtheyscarcelychangedmyconceptionoftheShyster。ThefirstwasobservedinGloucester，wherewespentSunday，andIproposedweshouldhearserviceinthecathedral。Tomysurprise，thecreaturehadanISMofhisown，towhichhewasloyal；andheleftmetogoalonetothecathedral——orperhapsnottogoatall——andstoleoffdownadesertedalleytosomeBethelorEbenezerofthepropershade。
Whenwemetagainatlunch，Iralliedhim，andhegrewrestive。
“Youneedemploynocircumlocutionswithme，Mr。Dodd。”hesaidsuddenly。“Youregardmybehaviourfromanunfavourablepointofview：youregardme，Imuchfear，ashypocritical。”
Iwassomewhatconfusedbytheattack。“YouknowwhatI
thinkofyourtrade。”Ireplied，lamelyandcoarsely。
“Excuseme，ifIseemtopressthesubject。”hecontinued，“butifyouthinkmylifeerroneous，wouldyouhavemeneglectthemeansofgrace？Becauseyouconsidermeinthewrongononepoint，wouldyouhavemeplacemyselfonthewronginall？
Surely，sir，thechurchisforthesinner。”
“Didyouaskablessingonyourpresententerprise？”Isneered。
HehadabadattackofSt。Vitus，hisfacewaschanged，andhiseyesflashed。“IwilltellyouwhatIdid！”hecried。“Iprayedforanunfortunatemanandawretchedwomanwhomhetriestosupport。”
IcannotpretendthatIfoundanyrepartee。
ThesecondincidentwasatBristol，whereIlostsightofmygentlemansomehours。Fromthiseclipse，hereturnedtomewiththickspeech，wanderingfootsteps，andabackallwhitenedwithplaster。Ihadhalfexpected，yetIcouldhavewepttoseeit。Alldisabilitieswerepiledonthatweakback——
domesticmisfortune，nervousdisease，adispleasingexterior，emptypockets，andtheslaveryofvice。
Iwillneverdenythatourprolongedconjunctionwastheresultofdoublecowardice。Eachwasafraidtoleavetheother，eachwasafraidtospeak，orknewnotwhattosay。Saveformyill-
judgedallusionatGloucester，thesubjectuppermostinbothourmindswasburied。Carthew，Stallbridge-le-Carthew，Stallbridge-Minster——whichwehadlongsince(andseverally)
identifiedtobetheneareststation——eventhenameofDorsetshirewasstudiouslyavoided。Andyetweweremakingprogressallthetime，tackingacrossbroadEnglandlikeanunweatherlyvesselonawind；approachingourdestination，notopenly，butbyasortofflyingsap。Andatlength，Icanscarcetellhow，weweresetdownbyadilatorybutt-endoflocaltrainontheuntenantedplatformofStallbridge-Minster。
Thetownwasancientandcompact：adominooftiledhousesandwalledgardens，dwarfedbythedisproportionatebignessofthechurch。Fromthemidstofthethoroughfarewhichdivideditinhalf，fieldsandtreeswerevisibleateitherend；andthroughthesally-portofeverystreet，thereflowedinfromthecountryasilentinvasionofgreengrass。Beesandbirdsappearedtomakethemajorityoftheinhabitants；everygardenhaditsrowofhives，theeavesofeveryhousewereplasteredwiththenestsofswallows，andthepinnaclesofthechurchwereflickeredaboutalldaylongbyamultitudeofwings。ThetownwasofRomanfoundation；andasIlookedoutthatafternoonfromthelowwindowsoftheinn，Ishouldscarcehavebeensurprisedtoseeacenturioncomingupthestreetwithafatiguedraftoflegionarie
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