able　than　it　busy　inhabitants　are；　in　their　innermost　personality；　to　me　or　than　I　am　to　them？
  As　to　this；　his　natural　and　not　to　be　alienated　inheritance　the　messenger　on　horseback　had　exactly　the　same　possession　as　the　King；　the　first　Minister　of　State；　or　the　richest　merchant　in　London。　So　with　the　three　passengers　shut　up　i'　the　narrow　compass　of　one　lumbering　old　mail…coach；　the　were　mysteries　to　one　another；　as　complete　as　if　each　ha　been　in　his　own　coach　and　six；　or　his　own　coach　and　sixty；　with　the　breadth　of　a　county　between　him　and　the　next。
  The　messenger　rode　back　at　an　easy　trot；　stopping　pretty　often　at　ale…houses　by　the　way　to　drink；　but　evincing　tendency　to　keep　his　own　counsel；　and　to　keep　his　hat　cocked　over　his　eyes。　He　had　eyes　that　assorted　very　well　with　that　decoration；　being　of　a　surface　black；　with　no　depth　in　the　colour　or　form；　and　much　too　near　togetheras　if　they　were　afraid　of　being　found　out　in　something；　singly；　if　they　kept　too　far　apart。　They　had　a　sinister　expression；　under　an　old　cocked…hat　like　a　three…cornered　spittoon；　and　over　a　great　muffler　for　the　chin　and　throat；　which　descended　nearly　to　the　wearer's　knees。　When　he　stopped　for　drink；　he　moved　this　muffler　with　his　left　hand；　only　while　he　poured　his　liquor　in　with　his　right；　as　soon　as　that　was　done；　he　muffled　again。
  No；　Jerry；　no！'　said　the　messenger；　harping　on　one　theme　as　he　rode。　‘It　wouldn't　do　for　you；　Jerry。　Jerry；　you　honest　tradesman；　it　wouldn't　suit　your　line　of　business！　Recalled！　Bust　me　if　I　don't　think　he'd　been　a　drinking！'
  His　message　perplexed　his　mind　to　that　degree　that　he　was　fain；　several　times；　to　take　off　his　hat　to　scratch　his　head。　Except　on　the　crown；　which　was　raggedly　bald；　he　had　stiff　black　hair；　standing　jaggedly　all　over　it；　and　growing　down　hill　almost　to　his　broad；　blunt　nose。　It　was　so　like　smith's　work；　so　much　more　like　the　top　of　a　strongly　spiked　wall　than　a　head　of　hair；　that　the　best　of　players　at　leap…frog　might　have　declined　him；　as　the　most　dangerous　man　in　the　world　to　go　over。
  While　he　trotted　back　with　the　message　he　was　to　deliver　to　the　night　watchman　in　his　box　at　the　door　of　Tellson's　Bank；　by　Temple　Bar；　who　was　to　deliver　it　to　greater　authorities　within；　the　shadows　of　the　night　took　such　shapes　to　him　as　arose　out　of　the　message；　and　took　such　shapes　to　the　mare　as　arose　out　of　her　private　topics　of　uneasiness。　They　seemed　to　be　numerous；　for　she　shied　at　every　shadow　on　the　road。
  What　time；　the　mail…coach　lumbered；　jolted；　rattled；　and　bumped　upon　its　tedious　way；　with　its　three　fellow…inscrutables　inside。　To　whom；　likewise；　the　shadows　of　the　night　revealed　themselves；　in　the　forms　their　dozing　eyes　and　wandering　thoughts　suggested。
  Tellson's　Bank　had　a　run　upon　it　in　the　mail。　As　the　bank　passengerwith　an　arm　drawn　through　the　leathern　strap；　which　did　what　lay　in　it　to　keep　him　from　pounding　against　the　next　passenger；　and　driving　him　into　his　comer；　whenever　the　coach　got　a　special　joltnodded　in　his　place；　with　half…shut　eyes；　the　little　coach…windows；　and　the　coach…lamp　dimly　gleaming　through　them；　and　the　bulky　bundle　of　opposite　passenger；　became　the　bank；　and　did　a　great　stroke　of　business。　The　rattle　of　the　harness　was　the　chink　of　money；　and　more　drafts　were　honoured　in　five　minutes　than　even　Tellson's；　with　all　its　foreign　and　home　connexion；　ever　paid　in　thrice　the　time。　Then　the　strong…rooms　underground；　at　Tellson's；　with　such　of　their　valuable　stores　and　secrets　as　were　known　to　the　passenger　（and　it　was　not　a　little　that　he　knew　about　them）；　opened　before　him；　and　he　went　in　among　them　with　the　great　keys　and　the　feebly…burning　candle；　and　found　them　safe；　and　strong；　and　sound；　and　still；　just　as　he　had　last　seen　them。
  But；　though　the　bank　was　almost　always　with　him；　and　though　the　coach　（in　a　confused　way；　like　the　presence　of　pain　under　an　opiate）　was　always　with　him；　there　was　another　current　of　impression　that　never　ceased　to　run；　all　through　the　night。　He　was　on　his　way　to　dig　some　one　out　of　a　grave。
  Now；　which　of　the　multitude　of　faces　that　showed　themselves　before　him　was　the　true　face　of　the　buried　person；　the　shadows　of　the　night　did　not　indicate；　but　they　were　all　the　faces　of　a　man　of　five…and…forty　by　years；　and　they　differed　principally　in　the　passions　they　expressed；　and　in　the　ghastliness　of　their　worn　and　wasted　state。　Pride；　contempt；　defiance；　stubbornness；　submission；　lamentation；　succeeded　one　another；　so　did　varieties　of　sunken　cheek；　cadaverous　colour；　emaciated　hands　and　figures。　But　the　face　was　in　the　main　one　face；　and　every　head　was　prematurely　white。　A　hundred　times　the　dozing　passenger　inquired　of　this　spectre：
  ‘Buried　how　long？'
  The　answer　was　always　the　same：　‘Almost　eighteen　years。'
  ‘You　had　abandoned　all　hope　of　being　dug　out？'
  ‘Long　ago。'
  ‘You　know　that　you　are　recalled　to　life？'
  ‘They　tell　me　so。
  ‘I　hope　you　care　to　live？'
  ‘I　can't　say。'
  ‘Shall　I　show　her　to　you？　Will　you　come　and　see　he''
  The　answers　to　this　question　were　various　and　contradictory。　Sometimes　the　broken　reply　was；　‘Wait！　It　would　kill　me　if　I　saw　her　too　soon。'　Sometimes；　it　was　given　in　a　tender　rain　of　tears；　and　then　it　was　‘Take　me　to　her。'　Sometimes　it　was　staring　and　bewildered；　and　then　it　was；　‘I　don't　know　her。　I　don't　understand。'
  After　such　imaginary　discourse；　the　passenger　in　his　fancy　would　dig；　and　dig；　dignow；　with　a　spade；　now　with　a　great　key；　now　with　his　handsto　dig　this　wretched　creature　out。　Got　out　at　last；　with　earth　hanging　about　his　face　and　hair；　he　would　suddenly　fall　away　to　dust。　The　passenger　would　then　start　to　himself　and　lower　the　window；　to　get　the　reality　of　mist　and　rain　on　his　cheek。
  Yet　even　when　his　eyes　were　opened　on　the　mist　and　rain；　on　the　moving　patch　of　light　from　the　lamps；　and　the　hedge　at　the　roadside　retreating　by　jerks；　the　night　shadow's　outside　the　coach　would　fall　into　the　train　of　the　night　shadows　within。　The　real　Banking…house　by　Temple　Bar；　the　real　business　of　the　past　day；　the　real　strong…rooms；　the　real　express　sent　after　him；　and　the　real　message　returned；　would　all　be　there。　Out　of　the　midst　of　them；　the　ghostly　face　would　rise；　and　he　would　accost　it　again。
  ‘Buried　how　long？'
  ‘Almost　eighteen　years。
  ‘I　hope　you　care　to　live？'
  ‘I　can't　say。'
  Digdigdiguntil　an　impatient　movement　from　one　of　the　two　passengers　would　admonish　him　to　pull　up　the　window；　draw　his　arm　securely　through　the　leathern　strap；　and　speculate　upon　the　two　slumbering　forms；　until　his　mind　lost　its　hold　of　them；　and　they　again　slid　away　into　the　bank　and　the　grave。
  ‘Buried　how　long？'
  ‘Almost　eighteen　years。'
  ‘You　had　abandoned　all　hope　of　being　dug　out？'
  ‘Long　ago。'
  The　words　were　still　in　his　hearing　as　just　spokendistinctly　in　his　hearing　as　ever　spoken　words　had　been　in　his　lifewhen　the　weary　passenger　started　to　the　consciousness　of　daylight；　and　found　that　the　shadows　of　the　night　were　gone。
  He　lowered　the　window；　and　looked　out　at　the　rising　sun。　There　was　a　ridge　of　ploughed　land；　with　a　plough　upon　it　where　it　had　been　left　last　night　when　the　horses　were　unyoked；　beyond；　a　quiet　coppice…wood；　in　which　many　leaves　of　burning　red　and　golden　yellow　still　remained　upon　the　trees。　Though　the　earth　was　cold　and　wet；　the　sky　was　clear；　and　the　sun　rose　bright；　placid；　and　beautiful。
  ‘Eighteen　years！'　said　the　passenger；　looking　at　the　sun。　‘Gracious　Creator　of　day！　To　be　buried　alive　for　eighteen　years！'
  CHAPTER　IV
  The　Preparation
  WHEN　the　mail　got　successfully　to　Dover；　in　the　course　of　the　forenoon；　the　head　drawer　at　the　Royal　George　Hotel　opened　the　coach…door　as　his　custom　was。　He　did　it　with　some　flourish　of　ceremony；　for　a　mail　journey　from　London　in　winter　was　an　achievement　to　congratulate　an　adventurous　traveller　upon。
  By　that　time；　there　was　only　one　adventurous　traveller　left　to　be　congratulated；　for　the　two　others　had　been　set　down　at　their　respective　roadside　destinations。　The　mildewy　inside　of　the　coach；　with　its　damp　and　dirty　straw；　its　disagreeable　smell；　and　its　obscurity；　was　rather　like　a　larger　dog…kennel。　Mr。　Lorry；　the　passenger；　shaking　himself　out　of　it　in　chains　of　straw；　a　tangle　of　shaggy　wrapper；　flapping　hat；　and　muddy　legs；　was　rather　like　a　larger　sort　of　dog。
  ‘There　will　be　a　packet　to　Calais；　to…morrow；　drawer？'
  ‘Yes；　sir；　if　the　weather　holds　and　the　wind　sets　tolerable　fair。　The　tide　will　serve　pretty　nicely　at　about　two　in　the　afternoon；　sir。　Bed；　sir？'
  ‘I　shall　not　go　to　bed　till　night；　but　I　want　a　bedroom　and　a　barber。'
  ‘And　then　breakfast；　sir？　Yes；　sir。　That　way；　sir；　if　you　please。　Show　Concord！　Gentleman's　valise　and　hot　water　to　Concord。　Pull　off　gentleman's　boots　in　Concord。　（You　will　find　a　fine　sea…coal　fire；　sir。）　Fetch　barber　to　Concord。　Stir　about　there；　now；　for　Concord！'
  The　Concord　bed…chamber　being　always　assigned　to　passenger　by　the　mail；　and　passengers　by　the　mail　being　always　heavily　wrapped　up　from　head　to　foot；　the　room　ha'　the　odd　interest　for　the　establishment　of　the　Royal　George　that　although　but　one　kind　of　man　was　seen　to　go　into　it；　all　kinds　and　varieties　of　men　came　out　of　it。　Consequently　another　drawer；　and　two　porters；　and　several　maids　and　the　lan