the country-side. More
wandering. Mr. P. terror-stricken, but game. Watercourse, thundering and
roaring, reached. C. D. suggests that it must run to the river, and had
best be followed, subject to all gymnastic hazards. Mr. P. opposes, but
gives in. Watercourse followed accordingly. Leaps, splashes, and
tumbles, for two hours. C. lost. C. D. whoops. Cries for assistance from
behind. C. D. returns. C. with horribly sprained ankle, lying in
rivulet!"

All the danger was over when Dickens sent his description; but great had
been the trouble in binding up the sufferer's ankle and getting him
painfully on, shoving, shouldering, carrying alternately, till terra
firma was reached. "We got down at last in the wildest place,
preposterously out of the course; and, propping up C. against stones,
sent Mr. P. to the other side of Cumberland for dog-cart, so got back to
his inn, and changed. Shoe or stocking on the bad foot, out of the
question. Foot tumbled up in a flannel waistcoat. C. D. carrying C.
melo-dramatically (Wardour to the life!)[211] everywhere; into and out
of carriages; up and down stairs; to bed; every step. And so to Wigton,
got doctor, and here we are!! A pretty business, we flatter ourselves!"

Wigton, Dickens described as a place of little houses all in
half-mourning, yellow stone or white stone and black, with the wonderful
peculiarity that though it had no population, no business, and no
streets to speak of, it had five linendrapers within range of their
single window, one linendraper's next door, and five more linendrapers
round the corner. "I ordered a night light in my bed-room. A queer
little old woman brought me one of the common Child's night lights, and,
seeming to think that I looked at it with interest, said, 'It's joost a
vara keeyourious thing, sir, and joost new coom oop. It'll burn awt
hoors a' end, and no gootther, nor no waste, nor ony sike a thing, if
you can creedit what I say, seein' the airticle.'" In these primitive
quarters there befell a difficulty about letters, which Dickens solved
in a fashion especially his own. "The day after Carrick there was a mess
about our letters, through our not going to a place called Mayport. So,
while the landlord was planning how to get them (they were only twelve
miles off), I walked off, to his great astonishment, and brought them
over." The night after leaving Wigton they were at the Ship-hotel in
Allonby.

Allonby his letters presented as a small unt