exquisitely, no one ever knew but I. How much I suffered, it is, as I
have said already, utterly beyond my power to tell. No man's
imagination can overstep the reality. But I kept my own counsel, and I
did my work. I knew from the first that if I could not do my work as
well as any of the rest I could not hold myself above slight and
contempt. I soon became at least as expeditious and as skilful with my
hands as either of the other boys. Though perfectly familiar with
them, my conduct and manners were different enough from theirs to place
a space between us. They and the men always spoke of me as "the young
gentleman." A certain man (a soldier once) named Thomas, who was the
foreman, and another man Harry, who was the carman, and wore a red
jacket, used to call me "Charles" sometimes in speaking to me; but I
think it was mostly when we were very confidential, and when I had made
some efforts to entertain them over our work with the results of some
of the old readings, which were fast perishing out of my mind. Poll
Green uprose once, and rebelled against the "young gentleman" usage;
but Bob Fagin settled him speedily.

My rescue from this kind of existence I considered quite hopeless, and
abandoned as such, altogether; though I am solemnly convinced that I
never, for one hour, was reconciled to it, or was otherwise than
miserably unhappy. I felt keenly, however, the being so cut off from
my parents, my brothers, and sisters; and, when my day's work was done,
going home to such a miserable blank. And _that_, I thought, might be
corrected. One Sunday night I remonstrated with my father on this head
so pathetically and with so many tears that his kind nature gave way.
He began to think that it was not quite right. I do believe he had
never thought so before, or thought about it. It was the first
remonstrance I had ever made about my lot, and perhaps it opened up a
little more than I intended. A back-attic was found for me at the
house of an insolvent court agent, who lived in Lant Street in the
Borough, where Bob Sawyer lodged many years afterward. A bed and
bedding were sent over for me, and made up on the floor. The little
window had a pleasant prospect of a timber-yard; and when I took
possession of my new abode, I thought it was a paradise.

A FRIEND IN NEED

Bob Fagin was very good to me on the occasion of a bad attack of my old
disorder, cramps. I suffered such excruciating pain that time that
t