all. Mortifying as this was to me, I felt that it was indispensable
that I should once more remind them of benevolence, that is, of the
point, that we were to observe and take notes of all those in
destitute circumstances whom we should encounter in the course of our
rounds. I had always felt ashamed to speak of this; but now, in the
midst of all our excited preparations for our expedition, I could
hardly utter the words. All listened to me, as it seemed to me, with
sorrow, and, at the same time, all agreed in words; but it was
evident that they all knew that it was folly, and that nothing would
come of it, and all immediately began again to talk about something
else. This went on until the time arrived for us to set out, and we
started.

We reached the tavern, roused the waiters, and began to sort our
papers. When we were informed that the people had heard about this
round, and were leaving their quarters, we asked the landlord to lock
the gates; and we went ourselves into the yard to reason with the
fleeing people, assuring them that no one would demand their tickets.
I remember the strange and painful impression produced on me by these
alarmed night-lodgers: ragged, half-dressed, they all seemed tall to
me by the light of the lantern and the gloom of the court-yard.
Frightened and terrifying in their alarm, they stood in a group
around the foul-smelling out-house, and listened to our assurances,
but they did not believe us, and were evidently prepared for any
thing, like hunted wild beasts, provided only that they could escape
from us. Gentlemen in divers shapes--as policemen, both city and
rural, and as examining judges, and judges--hunt them all their
lives, in town and country, on the highway and in the streets, and in
the taverns, and in night-lodging houses; and now, all of a sudden,
these gentlemen had come and locked the gates, merely in order to