upon　that　silence；　and　it　was　with　a　no　less　curious　sensation　that
  I　went　over　the　side　of　the　good　Cunard　ship　'Russia'　（whom
  prosperity　attend　through　all　her　voyages！）　and　surveyed　the　outer
  hull　of　the　gracious　monster　that　the　voice　had　inhabited。　　So；
  perhaps；　shall　we　all；　in　the　spirit；　one　day　survey　the　frame　that
  held　the　busier　voice　from　which　my　vagrant　fancy　derived　this
  similitude。
  CHAPTER　XXXII　…　A　SMALL　STAR　IN　THE　EAST
  I　had　been　looking；　yesternight；　through　the　famous　'Dance　of
  Death；'　and　to…day　the　grim　old　woodcuts　arose　in　my　mind　with　the
  new　significance　of　a　ghastly　monotony　not　to　be　found　in　the
  original。　　The　weird　skeleton　rattled　along　the　streets　before　me；
  and　struck　fiercely；　but　it　was　never　at　the　pains　of　assuming　a
  disguise。　　It　played　on　no　dulcimer　here；　was　crowned　with　no
  flowers；　waved　no　plume；　minced　in　no　flowing　robe　or　train；　lifted
  no　wine…cup；　sat　at　no　feast；　cast　no　dice；　counted　no　gold。　　It
  was　simply　a　bare；　gaunt；　famished　skeleton；　slaying　his　way　along。
  The　borders　of　Ratcliff　and　Stepney；　eastward　of　London；　and　giving
  on　the　impure　river；　were　the　scene　of　this　uncompromising　dance　of
  death；　upon　a　drizzling　November　day。　　A　squalid　maze　of　streets；
  courts；　and　alleys　of　miserable　houses　let　out　in　single　rooms。　　A
  wilderness　of　dirt；　rags；　and　hunger。　　A　mud…desert；　chiefly
  inhabited　by　a　tribe　from　whom　employment　has　departed；　or　to　whom
  it　comes　but　fitfully　and　rarely。　　They　are　not　skilled　mechanics
  in　any　wise。　　They　are　but　labourers；　…　dock…labourers；　water…side
  labourers；　coal…porters；　ballast…heavers；　such…like　hewers　of　wood
  and　drawers　of　water。　　But　they　have　come　into　existence；　and　they
  propagate　their　wretched　race。
  One　grisly　joke　alone；　methought；　the　skeleton　seemed　to　play　off
  here。　　It　had　stuck　election…bills　on　the　walls；　which　the　wind　and
  rain　had　deteriorated　into　suitable　rags。　　It　had　even　summed　up
  the　state　of　the　poll；　in　chalk；　on　the　shutters　of　one　ruined
  house。　　It　adjured　the　free　and　independent　starvers　to　vote　for
  Thisman　and　vote　for　Thatman；　not　to　plump；　as　they　valued　the
  state　of　parties　and　the　national　prosperity　（both　of　great
  importance　to　them；　I　think）；　but；　by　returning　Thisman　and
  Thatman；　each　naught　without　the　other；　to　compound　a　glorious　and
  immortal　whole。　　Surely　the　skeleton　is　nowhere　more　cruelly
  ironical　in　the　original　monkish　idea！
  Pondering　in　my　mind　the　far…seeing　schemes　of　Thisman　and　Thatman；
  and　of　the　public　blessing　called　Party；　for　staying　the
  degeneracy；　physical　and　moral；　of　many　thousands　（who　shall　say
  how　many？）　of　the　English　race；　for　devising　employment　useful　to
  the　community　for　those　who　want　but　to　work　and　live；　for
  equalising　rates；　cultivating　waste　lands；　facilitating　emigration；
  and；　above　all　things；　saving　and　utilising　the　oncoming
  generations；　and　thereby　changing　ever…growing　national　weakness
  into　strength：　　pondering　in　my　mind；　I　say；　these　hopeful
  exertions；　I　turned　down　a　narrow　street　to　look　into　a　house　or
  two。
  It　was　a　dark　street　with　a　dead　wall　on　one　side。　　Nearly　all　the
  outer　doors　of　the　houses　stood　open。　　I　took　the　first　entry；　and
  knocked　at　a　parlour…door。　　Might　I　come　in？　　I　might；　if　I　plased；
  sur。
  The　woman　of　the　room　（Irish）　had　picked　up　some　long　strips　of
  wood；　about　some　wharf　or　barge；　and　they　had　just　now　been　thrust
  into　the　otherwise　empty　grate　to　make　two　iron　pots　boil。　　There
  was　some　fish　in　one；　and　there　were　some　potatoes　in　the　other。
  The　flare　of　the　burning　wood　enabled　me　to　see　a　table；　and　a
  broken　chair　or　so；　and　some　old　cheap　crockery　ornaments　about　the
  chimney…piece。　　It　was　not　until　I　had　spoken　with　the　woman　a　few
  minutes；　that　I　saw　a　horrible　brown　heap　on　the　floor　in　a　corner；
  which；　but　for　previous　experience　in　this　dismal　wise；　I　might　not
  have　suspected　to　be　'the　bed。'　　There　was　something　thrown　upon
  it；　and　I　asked　what　that　was。
  ''Tis　the　poor　craythur　that　stays　here；　sur；　and　'tis　very　bad　she
  is；　and　'tis　very　bad　she's　been　this　long　time；　and　'tis　better
  she'll　never　be；　and　'tis　slape　she　does　all　day；　and　'tis　wake　she
  does　all　night；　and　'tis　the　lead；　sur。'
  'The　what？'
  'The　lead；　sur。　　Sure　'tis　the　lead…mills；　where　the　women　gets
  took　on　at　eighteen…pence　a　day；　sur；　when　they　makes　application
  early　enough；　and　is　lucky　and　wanted；　and　'tis　lead…pisoned　she
  is；　sur；　and　some　of　them　gets　lead…pisoned　soon；　and　some　of　them
  gets　lead…pisoned　later；　and　some；　but　not　many；　niver；　and　'tis
  all　according　to　the　constitooshun；　sur；　and　some　constitooshuns　is
  strong；　and　some　is　weak；　and　her　constitooshun　is　lead…pisoned；
  bad　as　can　be；　sur；　and　her　brain　is　coming　out　at　her　ear；　and　it
  hurts　her　dreadful；　and　that's　what　it　is；　and　niver　no　more；　and
  niver　no　less；　sur。'
  The　sick　young　woman　moaning　here；　the　speaker　bent　over　her；　took
  a　bandage　from　her　head；　and　threw　open　a　back　door　to　let　in　the
  daylight　upon　it；　from　the　smallest　and　most　miserable　backyard　I
  ever　saw。
  'That's　what　cooms　from　her；　sur；　being　lead…pisoned；　and　it　cooms
  from　her　night　and　day；　the　poor；　sick　craythur；　and　the　pain　of　it
  is　dreadful；　and　God　he　knows　that　my　husband　has　walked　the
  sthreets　these　four　days；　being　a　labourer；　and　is　walking　them
  now；　and　is　ready　to　work；　and　no　work　for　him；　and　no　fire　and　no
  food　but　the　bit　in　the　pot；　and　no　more　than　ten　shillings　in　a
  fortnight；　God　be　good　to　us！　and　it　is　poor　we　are；　and　dark　it　is
  and　could　it　is　indeed。'
  Knowing　that　I　could　compensate　myself　thereafter　for　my　self…
  denial；　if　I　saw　fit；　I　had　resolved　that　I　would　give　nothing　in
  the　course　of　these　visits。　　I　did　this　to　try　the　people。　　I　may
  state　at　once　that　my　closest　observation　could　not　detect　any
  indication　whatever　of　an　expectation　that　I　would　give　money：
  they　were　grateful　to　be　talked　to　about　their　miserable　affairs；
  and　sympathy　was　plainly　a　comfort　to　them；　but　they　neither　asked
  for　money　in　any　case；　nor　showed　the　least　trace　of　surprise　or
  disappointment　or　resentment　at　my　giving　none。
  The　woman's　married　daughter　had　by　this　time　come　down　from　her
  room　on　the　floor　above；　to　join　in　the　conversation。　　She　herself
  had　been　to　the　lead…mills　very　early　that　morning　to　be　'took　on；'
  but　had　not　succeeded。　　She　had　four　children；　and　her　husband；
  also　a　water…side　labourer；　and　then　out　seeking　work；　seemed　in　no
  better　case　as　to　finding　it　than　her　father。　　She　was　English；　and
  by　nature；　of　a　buxom　figure　and　cheerful。　　Both　in　her　poor　dress
  and　in　her　mother's　there　was　an　effort　to　keep　up　some　appearance
  of　neatness。　　She　knew　all　about　the　sufferings　of　the　unfortunate
  invalid；　and　all　about　the　lead…poisoning；　and　how　the　symptoms
  came　on；　and　how　they　grew；　…　having　often　seen　them。　　The　very
  smell　when　you　stood　inside　the　door　of　the　works　was　enough　to
  knock　you　down；　she　said：　　yet　she　was　going　back　again　to　get
  'took　on。'　　What　could　she　do？　　Better　be　ulcerated　and　paralysed
  for　eighteen…pence　a　day；　while　it　lasted；　than　see　the　children
  starve。
  A　dark　and　squalid　cupboard　in　this　room；　touching　the　back　door
  and　all　manner　of　offence；　had　been　for　some　time　the　sleeping…
  place　of　the　sick　young　woman。　　But　the　nights　being　now　wintry；
  and　the　blankets　and　coverlets　'gone　to　the　leaving　shop；'　she　lay
  all　night　where　she　lay　all　day；　and　was　lying　then。　　The　woman　of
  the　room；　her　husband；　this　most　miserable　patient；　and　two　others；
  lay　on　the　one　brown　heap　together　for　warmth。
  'God　bless　you；　sir；　and　thank　you！'　were　the　parting　words　from
  these　people；　…　gratefully　spoken　too；　…　with　which　I　left　this
  place。
  Some　streets　away；　I　tapped　at　another　parlour…door　on　another
  ground…floor。　　Looking　in；　I　found　a　man；　his　wife；　and　four
  children；　sitting　at　a　washing…stool　by　way　of　table；　at　their
  dinner　of　bread　and　infused　tea…leaves。　　There　was　a　very　scanty
  cinderous　fire　in　the　grate　by　which　they　sat；　and　there　was　a　tent
  bedstead　in　the　room　with　a　bed　upon　it　and　a　coverlet。　　The　man
  did　not　rise　when　I　went　in；　nor　during　my　stay；　but　civilly
  inclined　his　head　on　my　pulling　off　my　hat；　and；　in　answer　to　my
  inquiry　whether　I　might　ask　him　a　question　or　two；　said；
  'Certainly。'　　There　being　a　window　at　each　end　of　this　room；　back
  and　front；　it　might　have　been　ventilated；　but　it　was　shut　up　tight；
  to　keep　the　cold　out；　and　was　very　sickening。
  The　wife；　an　intelligent；　quick　woman；　rose　and　stood　at　her
  husband's　elbow；　and　he　glanced　up　at　her　as　if　for　help。　　It　soon
  appeared　that　he　was　rather　deaf。　　He　was　a　slow；　simple　fellow　of
  about　thirty。
  'What　was　he　by　trade？'
  'Gentleman　asks　what　are　you　by　trade；　John？'
  'I　am　a　boilermaker；'　looking　about　him　with　an　exceedingly
  perplexed　air；　as　if　for　a　boiler　that　had　unaccount