that, but for the mercy of God, I might easily have been, for any care
that was taken of me, a little robber or a little vagabond.


A LITTLE GENTLEMAN

But I held some station at the blacking warehouse, too. Besides that
my relative at the counting-house did what a man so occupied, and
dealing with a thing so anomalous, could, to treat me as one upon a
different footing from the rest, I never said, to man or boy, how it
was that I came to be there, or gave the least indication of being
sorry that I was there. That I suffered in secret, and that I suffered
exquisitely, no one ever knew but I. How much I suffered, it is, as I
have said already, utterly beyond my power to tell. No man's
imagination can overstep the reality. But I kept my own counsel, and I
did my work. I knew from the first that if I could not do my work as
well as any of the rest I could not hold myself above slight and
contempt. I soon became at least as expeditious and as skilful with my
hands as either of the other boys. Though perfectly familiar with
them, my conduct and manners were different enough from theirs to place
a space between us. They and the men always spoke of me as "the young
gentleman." A certain man (a soldier once) named Thomas, who was the
foreman, and another man Harry, who was the carman, and wore a red
jacket, used to call me "Charles" sometimes in speaking to me; but I
think it was mostly when we were very confidential, and when I had made
some efforts to entertain them over our work with the results of some
of the old readings, which were fast perishing out of my mind. Poll
Green uprose once, and rebelled against the "young gentleman" usage;
but Bob Fagin settled him speedily.