‘My poor fellow!’ said the Minor Canon, in a tone so purely sympathetic that the young man caught his hand, ’I never said it was unreasonable; never thought so.  But I should like you to do it.’

’And that would give me the strongest motive to do it.  But I cannot yet.  I cannot persuade myself that the eyes of even the stream of strangers I pass in this vast city look at me without suspicion.  I feel marked and tainted, even when I go out—­as I do only—­at night.  But the darkness covers me then, and I take courage from it.’

Mr. Crisparkle laid a hand upon his shoulder, and stood looking down at him.

‘If I could have changed my name,’ said Neville, ’I would have done so.  But as you wisely pointed out to me, I can’t do that, for it would look like guilt.  If I could have gone to some distant place, I might have found relief in that, but the thing is not to be thought of, for the same reason.  Hiding and escaping would be the construction in either case.  It seems a little hard to be so tied to a stake, and innocent; but I don’t complain.’

‘And you must expect no miracle to help you, Neville,’ said Mr. Crisparkle, compassionately.

’No, sir, I know that.  The ordinary fulness of time and circumstances is all I have to trust to.’

‘It will right you at last, Neville.’

‘So I believe, and I hope I may live to know it.’

But perceiving that the despondent mood into which he was falling cast a shadow on the Minor Canon, and (it may be) feeling that the broad hand upon his shoulder was not then quite as steady as its own natural strength had rendered it when it first touched him just now, he brightened and said: 

’Excellent circumstances for study, anyhow! and you know, Mr. Crisparkle, what need I have of study in all ways.  Not to mention that you have advised me to study for the difficult profession of the law, specially, and that of course I am guiding myself by the advice of such a friend and helper.  Such a good friend and helper!’

He took the fortifying hand from his shoulder, and kissed it.  Mr. Crisparkle beamed at the books, but not so brightly as when he had entered.

’I gather from your silence on the subject that my late guardian is adverse, Mr. Crisparkle?’

The Minor Canon answered:  ’Your late guardian is a—­a most unreasonable person, and it signifies nothing to any reasonable person whether he is ADverse, PERverse, or the REverse.’

‘Well for me that I have enough with economy to live upon,’ sighed Neville, half wearily and half cheerily, ’while I wait to be learned, and wait to be righted!  Else I might have proved the proverb, that while the grass grows, the steed starves!’

He opened some books as he said it, and was soon immersed in their interleaved and annotated passages; while Mr. Crisparkle sat beside him, expounding, correcting, and advising.  The Minor Canon’s Cathedral duties made these visits of his difficult to accomplish, and only to be compassed at intervals of many weeks.  But they were as serviceable as they were precious to Neville Landless.