Christian aloud,
"Ho! ho! So-ho! stay, and I will be your companion!" At that,
Faithful looked behind him; to whom Christian cried again, "Stay,
stay, till I come up to you!" But Faithful answered, "No, I am
upon my life, and the avenger of blood is behind me."

{170} At this, Christian was somewhat moved, and putting to all
his strength, he quickly got up with Faithful, and did also overrun
him; so the last was first. Then did Christian vain-gloriously
smile, because he had gotten the start of his brother; but not
taking good heed to his feet, he suddenly stumbled and fell, and
could not rise again until Faithful came up to help him.

Christian's fall makes Faithful and he go lovingly together

Then I saw in my dream they went very lovingly on together, and had
sweet discourse of all things that had happened to them in their
pilgrimage; and thus Christian began:

{171} CHR. My honoured and well-beloved brother, Faithful, I am
glad that I have overtaken you; and that God has so tempered our
spirits, that we can walk as companions in this so pleasant a path.

FAITH. I had thought, dear friend, to have had your company quite
from our town; but you did get the start of me, wherefore I was
forced to come thus much of the way alone.

CHR. How long did you stay in the City of Destruction before you
set out after me on your pilgrimage?

FAITH. Till I could stay no longer; for there was great talk presently
after you were gone out that our city would, in short time, with
fire from heaven, be burned down to the ground.

CHR. What! did your neighbours talk so?

FAITH. Yes, it was for a while in everybody's mouth.

CHR. What! and did no more of them but you come out to escape the
danger?

FAITH. Though there was, as I said, a great talk thereabout, yet
I do not think they did firmly believe it. For in the heat of the
discourse, I heard some of them deridingly speak of you and of your
desperate journey, (for so they called this your pilgrimage), but
I did believe, and do still, that the end of our city will be with
fire and and brimstone from above; and therefore I have made my
escape.

{172} CHR. Did you hear no talk of neighbour Pliable?

FAITH. Yes, Christian, I heard that he followed you till he came
at the Slough of Despond, where, as some said, he fell in; but he
would not be known to have so done; but I am sure he was soundly
bedabbled with that kind of dirt.

CHR. And what said the neighbours to