Maximum-assistance view: every word above everyday vocabulary is explained at every appearance; each name is introduced at its first appearance in the chapter.

CHAPTER III.

The Night Shadows (a dark shape cast by something blocking light)

A wonderful fact to reflect (to throw back; to think over) upon, that every human creature (a living being) is constituted (to make up) to be that profound (deep) secret and mystery (a hidden truth) to every other. A solemn (gravely serious) consideration (careful thought; regard), when I enter a great city by night, that every one of those darkly (obscurely; gloomily) clustered (a close bunch) houses encloses (to shut in) its own secret; that every room in every one of them encloses (to shut in) its own secret; that every beating heart in the hundreds of thousands of breasts (the chest) there, is, in some of its imaginings (picturing in the mind), a secret to the heart nearest (closest) it! Something of the awfulness (power to fill with awe), even of Death itself, is referable (able to be traced to a cause) to this. No more can I turn the leaves of this dear book that I loved, and vainly (in vain) hope in time to read it all. No more can I look into the depths of this unfathomable (too deep to fathom) water, wherein (in which), as momentary (lasting a moment) lights glanced (a quick look) into it, I have had glimpses (a brief sight) of buried (to lay in the earth) treasure (stored riches) and other things submerged (to sink under water). It was appointed that the book should shut with a spring, for ever and for ever, when I had read but a page. It was appointed that the water should be locked in an eternal (going on for ever) frost (frozen dew), when the light was playing on its surface, and I stood in ignorance (want of knowledge) on the shore (the water's edge). My friend is dead, my neighbour (one living near) is dead, my love, the darling (a dearly loved one) of my soul, is dead; it is the inexorable (never to be turned aside) consolidation (the joining into one solid whole) and perpetuation (the keeping of a thing going for ever) of the secret that was always in that individuality (one's own separate self), and which I shall carry in mine to my life’s end. In any of the burial-places (places where the dead are buried) of this city through which I pass, is there a sleeper (one who sleeps) more inscrutable (impossible to read or fathom) than its busy inhabitants (one who lives in a place) are, in their innermost (deepest inside) personality, to me, or than I am to them?

As to this, his natural and not to be alienated (to push away; estrange) inheritance (what is inherited), the messenger (a bearer of messages) on horseback (on a horse's back) had exactly the same possessions (owning; a thing owned) as the King, the first Minister of State (state: ceremony; pomp — the old sense here), or the richest merchant (a trader) in London. So with the three passengers (one carried on a journey) shut up in the narrow (of little width) compass (the direction-finding needle; full range) of one lumbering (old stored junk) old mail coach; they were mysteries (a hidden truth) to one another, as complete as if each had been in his own coach and six, or his own coach and sixty (sixty), with the breadth (width) of a county between him and the next.

The messenger (a bearer of messages) rode back at an easy trot (a horse's middle pace), stopping pretty often at ale-houses (houses where beer is sold) by the way to drink, but evincing (to show; give sign of) a tendency (a leaning) to keep his own counsel (counsel: the lawyer who speaks in court — the old sense here), and to keep his hat cocked (the male fowl; to set a gun ready) over his eyes. He had eyes that assorted (to sort into kinds) very well with that decoration (a medal or star worn as an honour), being of a surface black, with no depth in the colour (what the eye sees as red, blue, and the rest) or form, and much too near together--as if they were afraid of being found out in something, singly (one by one), if they kept too far apart. They had a sinister (threatening evil) expression, under an old cocked-hat (a hat with the brim turned up) like a three-cornered (with three corners) spittoon (a pot to spit into), and over a great muffler (a warm scarf) for the chin (the jaw's point) and throat (the neck's passage), which descended (to go down) nearly to the wearer (one who wears)’s knees (the leg's middle joint). When he stopped for drink, he moved this muffler (a warm scarf) with his left hand, only while he poured (to flow in a stream) his liquor (a liquid; strong drink) in with his right; as soon as that was done, he muffled (wrapped so as to dull sound) again.

“No, Jerry (the first name of the odd job man at Tellson's), no!” said the messenger (a bearer of messages), harping (the plucked stringed instrument) on one theme as he rode. “It wouldn (would — wouldn't: would not)’t do for you, Jerry. Jerry, you honest tradesman (a shopkeeper), it wouldn (would — wouldn't: would not)’t suit your line of business! Recalled (brought back to mind; also called back)--! Bust (a carved head and shoulders) me if I don’t think he’d been a drinking!”

His message perplexed (puzzling; hard to make out) his mind to that degree that he was fain (fain: gladly — the old sense here), several times, to take off his hat to scratch (to mark with something sharp) his head. Except on the crown, which was raggedly (in a torn and untidy way) bald (without hair), he had stiff (not bending), black hair, standing jaggedly (with rough sharp edges) all over it, and growing down hill almost to his broad, blunt (dull-edged; plain-spoken) nose. It was so like Smith’s work, so much more like the top of a strongly (with strength) spiked (fixed with a sharp point) wall than a head of hair, that the best of players at leap-frog (a game of leaping over one another's backs) might have declined (to refuse; to sink) him, as the most dangerous man in the world to go over.

While he trotted (a horse's middle pace) back with the message he was to deliver to the night watchman (a night guard) in his box at the door of Tellson’s Bank (the old London bank at the heart of this story), by Temple Bar (the old gateway between the City of London and Westminster), who was to deliver it to greater authorities within, the shadows (a dark shape cast by something blocking light) of the night took such shapes to him as arose (to come up) out of the message, and took such shapes to the mare (a female horse) as arose (to come up) out of her private topics (a subject of talk) of uneasiness (uncomfortable worry). They seemed to be numerous, for she shied (timid) at every shadow (a dark shape cast by something blocking light) on the road.

What time, the mail-coach (the coach that carried letters and passengers) lumbered (old stored junk), jolted (to shake with sudden jerks), rattled (a quick knocking noise), and bumped (a knock; a swelling) upon its tedious (long and dull) way, with its three fellow-inscrutables (others who are equally hard to read) inside. To whom, likewise (in the same way), the shadows (a dark shape cast by something blocking light) of the night revealed themselves, in the forms their dozing (nineteen to the dozen: without stopping) eyes and wandering (to roam without aim) thoughts suggested.

Tellson’s Bank had a run upon it in the mail. As the bank passenger (one carried on a journey)--with an arm drawn through the leathern (made of leather — old form) strap (a binding band of leather), which did what lay in it to keep him from pounding (a weight measure; to beat heavily) against the next passenger (one carried on a journey), and driving him into his corner, whenever the coach got a special jolt (to shake with sudden jerks)--nodded (to bow the head slightly) in his place, with half-shut (partly closed) eyes, the little coach-windows (the windows of a coach), and the coach-lamp (a lamp fixed to a coach) dimly (faintly) gleaming (a soft flash of light) through them, and the bulky (large and clumsy) bundle (things tied together) of opposite passenger (one carried on a journey), became the bank, and did a great stroke (a blow; a sudden attack of illness) of business. The rattle (a quick knocking noise) of the harness (a horse's working straps) was the chink (a narrow crack; the ring of coins) of money, and more drafts were honoured (honor) in five minutes than even Tellson (the London bank at the heart of this story)’s, with all its foreign and home connection, ever paid in thrice (three times) the time. Then the strong-rooms (rooms built strong for keeping valuables) underground (below the ground), at Tellson’s, with such of their valuable stores and secrets as were known to the passenger (one carried on a journey) (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 (burning weakly) candle (a wax light), 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 (mixed up) way, like the presence of pain under an opiate (a drug that dulls pain and brings sleep)) was always with him, there was another current of impression (a mark on the mind) that never ceased (to stop) to run, all through the night. He was on his way to dig (to break up and turn over the ground) some one out of a grave (the burial pit; solemnly serious).

Now, which of the multitude (a great crowd) of faces that showed themselves before him was the true face of the buried (to lay in the earth) person, the shadows (a dark shape cast by something blocking light) of the night did not indicate (to point out); but they were all the faces of a man of five-and-forty by years, and they differed (to be unlike) principally (mainly) in the passions (burning feeling) they expressed, and in the ghastliness (horror) of their worn (used until thin; also tired out) and wasted state (state: ceremony; pomp — the old sense here). Pride (high self-regard), contempt (scorn for the worthless), defiance (bold standing against), stubbornness (hard unbending will), submission (yielding under), lamentation (loud crying grief), succeeded (to follow; to prosper) one another; so did varieties of sunken (to go down) cheek (the side of the face), cadaverous (corpse-like) colour (what the eye sees as red, blue, and the rest), emaciated (wasted thin) hands and figures. But the face was in the main one face, and every head was prematurely (too early) white. A hundred times the dozing (nineteen to the dozen: without stopping) passenger (one carried on a journey) inquired (to ask) of this spectre (a ghost):

“Buried (to lay in the earth) how long?”

The answer was always the same: “Almost eighteen (eighteen) years.”

“You had abandoned (to leave behind for good) all hope of being dug (to break up and turn over the ground) out?”

“Long ago.”

“You know that you are recalled (brought back to mind; also called back) 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 her?”

The answers to this question were various and contradictory (clashing with itself). Sometimes the broken reply was, “Wait! It would kill me if I saw her too soon.” Sometimes, it was given in a tender (soft with love) rain of tears (a drop of weeping; to rip), and then it was, “Take me to her.” Sometimes it was staring and bewildered (to confuse utterly), and then it was, “I don’t know her. I don’t understand.”

After such imaginary (existing only in the mind) discourse (formal talk), the passenger (one carried on a journey) in his fancy (the imagination; also to suppose) would dig (to break up and turn over the ground), and dig (to break up and turn over the ground), dig (to break up and turn over the ground)--now with a spade (the digging tool), now with a great key, now with his hands--to dig (to break up and turn over the ground) this wretched (miserable) creature (a living being) out. Got out at last, with earth hanging about his face and hair, he would suddenly fan away to dust (fine dry earth). The passenger (one carried on a journey) would then start to himself, and lower the window, to get the reality of mist (thin fog) and rain on his cheek (the side of the face).

Yet even when his eyes were opened on the mist (thin fog) and rain, on the moving patch (a mending piece) of light from the lamps (a light vessel), and the hedge (a row of bushes as a fence) at the roadside (the side of a road) retreating (a falling back) by jerks (a sudden sharp pull), the night shadows (a dark shape cast by something blocking light) outside the coach would fall into the train of the night shadows (a dark shape cast by something blocking light) 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 (the middle) of them, the ghostly (like a ghost) face would rise, and he would accost (to go up and speak to) it again.

“Buried (to lay in the earth) how long?”

“Almost eighteen (eighteen) years.”

“I hope you care to live?”

“I can’t say.”

Dig (to break up and turn over the ground)--dig (to break up and turn over the ground)--dig (to break up and turn over the ground)--until an impatient (restlessly eager) movement from one of the two passengers (one carried on a journey) would admonish (to warn; scold gently) him to pull up the window, draw his arm securely (safely) through the leathern (made of leather — old form) strap (a binding band of leather), and speculate (to guess and theorise) upon the two slumbering (sleep) forms, until his mind lost its hold of them, and they again slid (to move smoothly along) away into the bank and the grave (the burial pit; solemnly serious).

“Buried (to lay in the earth) how long?”

“Almost eighteen (eighteen) years.”

“You had abandoned (to leave behind for good) all hope of being dug (to break up and turn over the ground) out?”

“Long ago.”

The words were still in his hearing as just spoken--distinctly (clearly) in his hearing as ever spoken words had been in his life--when the weary (tired out) passenger (one carried on a journey) started to the consciousness (waking awareness) of daylight (the light of day), and found that the shadows (a dark shape cast by something blocking light) of the night were gone.

He lowered the window, and looked out at the rising sun. There was a ridge (a long raised line along the top) of ploughed (to cut and turn ground as a farm blade does) land, with a plough (to cut and turn ground as a farm blade does) upon it where it had been left last night when the horses were unyoked (with the harness taken off); beyond, a quiet coppice-wood (a wood of small cut trees), 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 (calm and even), and beautiful.

“Eighteen (eighteen) years!” said the passenger (one carried on a journey), looking at the sun. “Gracious (kind and courteous) Creator of day! To be buried (to lay in the earth) alive for eighteen (eighteen) years!”