第1章

THISisthestoryofwhataWoman’spatiencecanendure，andwhataMan’sresolutioncanachieve。

IfthemachineryoftheLawcouldbedependedontofathomeverycaseofsuspicion，andtoconducteveryprocessofinquiry，withmoderateassistanceonlyfromthelubricatinginfluencesofoilofgold，theeventswhichfillthesepagesmighthaveclaimedtheirshareofthepublicattentioninaCourtofJustice。

ButtheLawisstill，incertaininevitablecases，thepre-engagedservantofthelongpurse；andthestoryislefttobetold，forthefirsttime，inthisplace。AstheJudgemightoncehaveheardit，sotheReadershallhearitnow。Nocircumstanceofimportance，fromthebeginningtotheendofthedisclosure，shallberelatedonhearsayevidence。Whenthewriteroftheseintroductorylines(WalterHartrightbyname)happenstobemorecloselyconnectedthanotherswiththeincidentstoberecorded，hewillbethenarrator。Whennot，hewillretirefromthepositionofnarrator；

andhistaskwillbecontinued，fromthepointatwhichhehasleftitoff，byotherpersonswhocanspeaktothecircumstancesundernoticefromtheirownknowledge，justasclearlyandpositivelyashehasspokenbeforethem。

Thus，thestoryherepresentedwillbetoldbymorethanonepen，asthestoryofanoffenceagainstthelawsistoldinCourtbymorethanonewitness——withthesameobjectinbothcases，topresentthetruthalwaysinitsmostdirectandmostintelligibleaspect；andtotracethecourseofonecompleteseriesofevents，bymakingthepersonswhohavebeenmostcloselyconnectedwiththem，ateachsuccessivestage，relatetheirownexperience，wordforword。

LetWalterHartright，teacherofdrawing，agedtwenty-eightyears，beheardfirst。THESTORYBEGUNBYWALTERHARTRIGHT(ofClement’sinn，TeacherofDrawing)IItwasthelastdayofJuly。Thelonghotsummerwasdrawingtoaclose；

andwe，thewearypilgrimsoftheLondonpavement，werebeginningtothinkofthecloud-shadowsonthecorn-fields，andtheautumnbreezesonthesea-shore。

Formyownpoorpart，thefadingsummerleftmeoutofhealth，outofspirits，and，ifthetruthmustbetold，outofmoneyaswell。DuringthepastyearIhadnotmanagedmyprofessionalresourcesascarefullyasusual；

andmyextravagancenowlimitedmetotheprospectofspendingtheautumneconomicallybetweenmymother’scottageatHampsteadandmyownchambersintown。

Theevening，Iremember，wasstillandcloudy；theLondonairwasatitsheaviest；thedistanthumofthestreet-trafficwasatitsfaintest；

thesmallpulseofthelifewithinme，andthegreatheartofthecityaroundme，seemedtobesinkinginunison，languidlyandmorelanguidly，withthesinkingsun。IrousedmyselffromthebookwhichIwasdreamingoverratherthanreading，andleftmychamberstomeetthecoolnightairinthesuburbs。ItwasoneofthetwoeveningsineveryweekWhichIwasaccustomedtospendwithmymotherandmysister。SoIturnedmystepsnorthwardinthedirectionofHampstead。

EventswhichIhaveyettorelatemakeitnecessarytomentioninthisplacethatmyfatherhadbeendeadsomeyearsattheperiodofwhichI

amnowwriting；andthatmysisterSarahandIwerethesolesurvivorsofafamilyoffivechildren。Myfatherwasadrawing-masterbeforeme。

Hisexertionshadmadehimhighlysuccessfulinhisprofession；andhisaffectionateanxietytoprovideforthefutureofthosewhoweredependentonhislabourshadimpelledhim，fromthetimeofhismarriage，todevotetotheinsuringofhislifeamuchlargerportionofhisincomethanmostmenconsideritnecessarytosetasideforthatpurpose。Thankstohisadmirableprudenceandself-denialmymotherandsisterwereleft，afterhisdeath，asindependentoftheworldastheyhadbeenduringhislifetime。

Isucceededtohisconnection，andhadeveryreasontofeelgratefulfortheprospectthatawaitedmeatmystartinginlife。

Thequiettwilightwasstilltremblingonthetopmostridgesoftheheath；andtheviewofLondonbelowmehadsunkintoablackgulfintheshadowofthecloudynight，whenIstoodbeforethegateofmymother’scottage。Ihadhardlyrungthebellbeforethehousedoorwasopenedviolently；

myworthyItalianfriend，ProfessorPesca，appearedintheservant’splace；

anddartedoutjoyouslytoreceiveme，withashrillforeignparodyonanEnglishcheer。

Onhisownaccount，and，Imustbeallowedtoadd，onminealso，theProfessormeritsthehonourofaformalintroduction。Accidenthasmadehimthestarting-pointofthestrangefamilystorywhichitisthepurposeofthesepagestounfold。

IhadfirstbecomeacquaintedwithmyItalianfriendbymeetinghimatcertaingreathouseswherehetaughthisownlanguageandItaughtdrawing。

AllIthenknewofthehistoryofhislifewas，thathehadonceheldasituationintheUniversityofPadua；thathehadleftItalyforpoliticalreasons(thenatureofwhichheuniformlydeclinedtomentiontoanyone)；

andthathehadbeenformanyyearsrespectablyestablishedinLondonasateacheroflanguages。

Withoutbeingactuallyadwarf——forhewasperfectlywellproportionedfromheadtofoot——Pescawas，Ithink，thesmallesthumanbeingIeversawoutofashow-room。Remarkableanywhere，byhispersonalappearance，hewasstillfurtherdistinguishedamongtherankandfileofmankindbytheharmlesseccentricityofhischaracter。Therulingideaofhislifeappearedtobe，thathewasboundtoshowhisgratitudetothecountrywhichhadaffordedhimanasylumandameansofsubsistencebydoinghisutmosttoturnhimselfintoanEnglishman。Notcontentwithpayingthenationingeneralthecomplimentofinvariablycarryinganumbrella，andinvariablywearinggaitersandawhitehat，theProfessorfurtheraspiredtobecomeanEnglishmaninhishabitsandamusements，aswellasinhispersonalappearance。Findingusdistinguished，asanation，byourloveofathleticexercises，thelittleman，intheinnocenceofhisheart，devotedhimselfimpromptutoallourEnglishsportsandpastimeswheneverhehadtheopportunityofjoiningthem；firmlypersuadedthathecouldadoptournationalamusementsofthefieldbyaneffortofwillpreciselyashehadadoptedournationalgaitersandournationalwhitehat。

Ihadseenhimriskhislimbsblindlyatafox-huntandinacricket-field；

andsoonafterwardsIsawhimriskhislife，justasblindly，intheseaatBrighton。

Wehadmetthereaccidentally，andwerebathingtogether。Ifwehadbeenengagedinanyexercisepeculiartomyownnationlshould，ofcourse，havelookedafterPescacarefully；butasforeignersaregenerallyquiteaswellabletotakecareofthemselvesinthewaterasEnglishmen，itneveroccurredtomethattheartofswimmingmightmerelyaddonemoretothelistofmanlyexerciseswhichtheprofessorbelievedthathecouldlearnimpromptu。Soonafterwehadbothstruckoutfromshore，Istopped，findingmyfrienddidnotgainonme，andturnedroundtolookforhim。

Tomyhorrorandamazement，Isawnothingbetweenmeandthebeachbuttwolittlewhitearmswhichstruggledforaninstantabovethesurfaceofthewater，andthendisappearedfromview。WhenIdivedforhim，thepoorlittlemanwaslyingquietlycoiledupatthebottom，inahollowofshingle，lookingbymanydegreessmallerthanIhadeverseenhimlookbefore。DuringthefewminutesthatelapsedwhileIwastakinghimin，theairrevivedhim，andheascendedthestepsofthemachinewithmyassistance。

Withthepartialrecoveryofhisanimationcamethereturnofhiswonderfuldelusiononthesubjectofswimming。Assoonashischatteringteethwouldlethimspeak，hesmiledvacantly，andsaidhethoughtitmusthavebeentheCramp。

Whenhehadthoroughlyrecoveredhimself，andhadjoinedmeonthebeach，hiswarmSouthernnaturebrokethroughallartificialEnglishrestraintsinamoment。Heoverwhelmedmewiththewildestexpressionsofaffection——exclaimedpassionately，inhisexaggeratedItalianway，thathewouldholdhislifehenceforthatmydisposal——anddeclaredthatheshouldneverbehappyagainuntilhehadfoundanopportunityofprovinghisgratitudebyrenderingmesomeservicewhichImightremember，onmyside，totheendofmydays。

Ididmybesttostopthetorrentofhistearsandprotestationsbypersistingintreatingthewholeadventureasagoodsubjectforajoke；

andsucceededatlast，asIimagined，inlesseningPesca’soverwhelmingsenseofobligationtome。LittledidIthinkthen——littledidIthinkafterwardswhenourpleasantholidayhaddrawntoanend——thattheopportunityofservingmeforwhichmygratefulcompanionsoardentlylongedwassoontocome；thathewaseagerlytoseizeitontheinstant；andthatbysodoinghewastoturnthewholecurrentofmyexistenceintoanewchannel，andtoaltermetomyselfalmostpastrecognition。

Yetsoitwas。IfIhadnotdivedforProfessorPescawhenhelayunderwateronhisshinglebed，Ishouldinallhumanprobabilityneverhavebeenconnectedwiththestorywhichthesepageswillrelate——Ishouldnever，perhaps，haveheardeventhenameofthewomanwhohaslivedinallmythoughts，whohaspossessedherselfofallmyenergies，whohasbecometheoneguidinginfluencethatnowdirectsthepurposeofmylife。IIPesca’sfaceandmanner，ontheeveningwhenweconfrontedeachotheratmymother’sgate，weremorethansufficienttoinformmethatsomethingextraordinaryhadhappened。Itwasquiteuseless，however，toaskhimforanimmediateexplanation。Icouldonlyconjecture，whilehewasdraggingmeinbybothhands，that(knowingmyhabits)hehadcometothecottagetomakesureofmeetingmethatnight，andthathehadsomenewstotellofanunusuallyagreeablekind。

Webothbouncedintotheparlourinahighlyabruptandundignifiedmanner。Mymothersatbytheopenwindowlaughingandfanningherself。

Pescawasoneofherespecialfavourites，andhiswildesteccentricitieswerealwayspardonableinhereyes。Poordearsoul！fromthefirstmomentwhenshefoundoutthatthelittleProfessorwasdeeplyandgratefullyattachedtoherson，sheopenedherhearttohimunreservedly，andtookallhispuzzlingforeignpeculiaritiesforgranted，withoutsomuchasattemptingtounderstandanyoneofthem。

MysisterSarah，withalltheadvantagesofyouth，was，strangelyenough，lesspliable。ShedidfulljusticetoPesca’sexcellentqualitiesofheart；

butshecouldnotaccepthimimplicitly，asmymotheracceptedhimformysake。HerinsularnotionsofproprietyroseinperpetualrevoltagainstPesca’sconstitutionalcontemptforappearances；andshewasalwaysmoreorlessundisguisedlyastonishedathermother’sfamiliaritywiththeeccentriclittleforeigner。Ihaveobserved，notonlyinmysister’scase，butintheinstancesofothers，thatweoftheyounggenerationarenothinglikesoheartyandsoimpulsiveassomeofourelders。lconstantlyseeoldpeopleflushedandexcitedbytheprospectofsomeanticipatedpleasurewhichaltogetherfailstorufflethetranquillityoftheirserenegrandchildren。

Arewe，Iwonder，quitesuchgenuineboysandgirlsnowasourseniorswereintheirtime？Hasthegreatadvanceineducationtakenrathertoolongastride；andarewe，inthesemoderndays，justtheleasttrifleintheworldtoowellbroughtup？

Withoutattemptingtoanswerthosequestionsdecisively，ImayatleastrecordthatIneversawmymotherandmysistertogetherinPesca’ssociety，withoutfindingmymothermuchtheyoungerwomanofthetwo。Onthisoccasion，forexample，whiletheoldladywaslaughingheartilyovertheboyishmannerinwhichwetumbledintotheparlour，Sarahwasperturbedlypickingupthebrokenpiecesofateacup，whichtheProfessorhadknockedoffthetableinhisprecipitateadvancetomeetmeatthedoor。