and　then　to　glance　in　at　the　lodge　over　the　spiked　wicket；　and　see
  the　fire　and　light　of　the　watching　turnkeys；　on　the　white　wall。
  Not　an　inappropriate　time　either；　to　linger　by　that　wicked　little
  Debtors'　Door　…　shutting　tighter　than　any　other　door　one　ever　saw　…
  which　has　been　Death's　Door　to　so　many。　　In　the　days　of　the
  uttering　of　forged　one…pound　notes　by　people　tempted　up　from　the
  country；　how　many　hundreds　of　wretched　creatures　of　both　sexes　…
  many　quite　innocent　…　swung　out　of　a　pitiless　and　inconsistent
  world；　with　the　tower　of　yonder　Christian　church　of　Saint　Sepulchre
  monstrously　before　their　eyes！　　Is　there　any　haunting　of　the　Bank
  Parlour；　by　the　remorseful　souls　of　old　directors；　in　the　nights　of
  these　later　days；　I　wonder；　or　is　it　as　quiet　as　this　degenerate
  Aceldama　of　an　Old　Bailey？
  To　walk　on　to　the　Bank；　lamenting　the　good　old　times　and　bemoaning
  the　present　evil　period；　would　be　an　easy　next　step；　so　I　would
  take　it；　and　would　make　my　houseless　circuit　of　the　Bank；　and　give
  a　thought　to　the　treasure　within；　likewise　to　the　guard　of　soldiers
  passing　the　night　there；　and　nodding　over　the　fire。　　Next；　I　went
  to　Billingsgate；　in　some　hope　of　market…people；　but　it　proving　as
  yet　too　early；　crossed　London…bridge　and　got　down　by　the　water…side
  on　the　Surrey　shore　among　the　buildings　of　the　great　brewery。
  There　was　plenty　going　on　at　the　brewery；　and　the　reek；　and　the
  smell　of　grains；　and　the　rattling　of　the　plump　dray　horses　at　their
  mangers；　were　capital　company。　　Quite　refreshed　by　having　mingled
  with　this　good　society；　I　made　a　new　start　with　a　new　heart；
  setting　the　old　King's　Bench　prison　before　me　for　my　next　object；
  and　resolving；　when　I　should　come　to　the　wall；　to　think　of　poor
  Horace　Kinch；　and　the　Dry　Rot　in　men。
  A　very　curious　disease　the　Dry　Rot　in　men；　and　difficult　to　detect
  the　beginning　of。　　It　had　carried　Horace　Kinch　inside　the　wall　of
  the　old　King's　Bench　prison；　and　it　had　carried　him　out　with　his
  feet　foremost。　　He　was　a　likely　man　to　look　at；　in　the　prime　of
  life；　well　to　do；　as　clever　as　he　needed　to　be；　and　popular　among
  many　friends。　　He　was　suitably　married；　and　had　healthy　and　pretty
  children。　　But；　like　some　fair…looking　houses　or　fair…looking
  ships；　he　took　the　Dry　Rot。　　The　first　strong　external　revelation
  of　the　Dry　Rot　in　men；　is　a　tendency　to　lurk　and　lounge；　to　be　at
  street…corners　without　intelligible　reason；　to　be　going　anywhere
  when　met；　to　be　about　many　places　rather　than　at　any；　to　do　nothing
  tangible；　but　to　have　an　intention　of　performing　a　variety　of
  intangible　duties　to…morrow　or　the　day　after。　　When　this
  manifestation　of　the　disease　is　observed；　the　observer　will　usually
  connect　it　with　a　vague　impression　once　formed　or　received；　that
  the　patient　was　living　a　little　too　hard。　　He　will　scarcely　have
  had　leisure　to　turn　it　over　in　his　mind　and　form　the　terrible
  suspicion　'Dry　Rot；'　when　he　will　notice　a　change　for　the　worse　in
  the　patient's　appearance：　　a　certain　slovenliness　and
  deterioration；　which　is　not　poverty；　nor　dirt；　nor　intoxication；
  nor　ill…health；　but　simply　Dry　Rot。　　To　this；　succeeds　a　smell　as
  of　strong　waters；　in　the　morning；　to　that；　a　looseness　respecting
  money；　to　that；　a　stronger　smell　as　of　strong　waters；　at　all　times；
  to　that；　a　looseness　respecting　everything；　to　that；　a　trembling　of
  the　limbs；　somnolency；　misery；　and　crumbling　to　pieces。　　As　it　is
  in　wood；　so　it　is　in　men。　　Dry　Rot　advances　at　a　compound　usury
  quite　incalculable。　　A　plank　is　found　infected　with　it；　and　the
  whole　structure　is　devoted。　　Thus　it　had　been　with　the　unhappy
  Horace　Kinch；　lately　buried　by　a　small　subscription。　　Those　who
  knew　him　had　not　nigh　done　saying；　'So　well　off；　so　comfortably
  established；　with　such　hope　before　him　…　and　yet；　it　is　feared；
  with　a　slight　touch　of　Dry　Rot！'　when　lo！　the　man　was　all　Dry　Rot
  and　dust。
  From　the　dead　wall　associated　on　those　houseless　nights　with　this
  too　common　story；　I　chose　next　to　wander　by　Bethlehem　Hospital；
  partly；　because　it　lay　on　my　road　round　to　Westminster；　partly；
  because　I　had　a　night　fancy　in　my　head　which　could　be　best　pursued
  within　sight　of　its　walls　and　dome。　　And　the　fancy　was　this：　　Are
  not　the　sane　and　the　insane　equal　at　night　as　the　sane　lie　a
  dreaming？　　Are　not　all　of　us　outside　this　hospital；　who　dream；　more
  or　less　in　the　condition　of　those　inside　it；　every　night　of　our
  lives？　　Are　we　not　nightly　persuaded；　as　they　daily　are；　that　we
  associate　preposterously　with　kings　and　queens；　emperors　and
  empresses；　and　notabilities　of　all　sorts？　　Do　we　not　nightly　jumble
  events　and　personages　and　times　and　places；　as　these　do　daily？　　Are
  we　not　sometimes　troubled　by　our　own　sleeping　inconsistencies；　and
  do　we　not　vexedly　try　to　account　for　them　or　excuse　them；　just　as
  these　do　sometimes　in　respect　of　their　waking　delusions？　　Said　an
  afflicted　man　to　me；　when　I　was　last　in　a　hospital　like　this；　'Sir；
  I　can　frequently　fly。'　　I　was　half　ashamed　to　reflect　that　so　could
  I　…　by　night。　　Said　a　woman　to　me　on　the　same　occasion；　'Queen
  Victoria　frequently　comes　to　dine　with　me；　and　her　Majesty　and　I
  dine　off　peaches　and　maccaroni　in　our　night…gowns；　and　his　Royal
  Highness　the　Prince　Consort　does　us　the　honour　to　make　a　third　on
  horseback　in　a　Field…Marshal's　uniform。'　　Could　I　refrain　from
  reddening　with　consciousness　when　I　remembered　the　amazing　royal
  parties　I　myself　had　given　（at　night）；　the　unaccountable　viands　I
  had　put　on　table；　and　my　extraordinary　manner　of　conducting　myself
  on　those　distinguished　occasions？　　I　wonder　that　the　great　master
  who　knew　everything；　when　he　called　Sleep　the　death　of　each　day's
  life；　did　not　call　Dreams　the　insanity　of　each　day's　sanity。
  By　this　time　I　had　left　the　Hospital　behind　me；　and　was　again
  setting　towards　the　river；　and　in　a　short　breathing　space　I　was　on
  Westminster…bridge；　regaling　my　houseless　eyes　with　the　external
  walls　of　the　British　Parliament　…　the　perfection　of　a　stupendous
  institution；　I　know；　and　the　admiration　of　all　surrounding　nations
  and　succeeding　ages；　I　do　not　doubt；　but　perhaps　a　little　the
  better　now　and　then　for　being　pricked　up　to　its　work。　　Turning　off
  into　Old　Palace…yard；　the　Courts　of　Law　kept　me　company　for　a
  quarter　of　an　hour；　hinting　in　low　whispers　what　numbers　of　people
  they　were　keeping　awake；　and　how　intensely　wretched　and　horrible
  they　were　rendering　the　small　hours　to　unfortunate　suitors。
  Westminster　Abbey　was　fine　gloomy　society　for　another　quarter　of　an
  hour；　suggesting　a　wonderful　procession　of　its　dead　among　the　dark
  arches　and　pillars；　each　century　more　amazed　by　the　century
  following　it　than　by　all　the　centuries　going　before。　　And　indeed　in
  those　houseless　night　walks　…　which　even　included　cemeteries　where
  watchmen　went　round　among　the　graves　at　stated　times；　and　moved　the
  tell…tale　handle　of　an　index　which　recorded　that　they　had　touched
  it　at　such　an　hour　…　it　was　a　solemn　consideration　what　enormous
  hosts　of　dead　belong　to　one　old　great　city；　and　how；　if　they　were
  raised　while　the　living　slept；　there　would　not　be　the　space　of　a
  pin's　point　in　all　the　streets　and　ways　for　the　living　to　come　out
  into。　　Not　only　that；　but　the　vast　armies　of　dead　would　overflow
  the　hills　and　valleys　beyond　the　city；　and　would　stretch　away　all
  round　it；　God　knows　how　far。
  When　a　church　clock　strikes；　on　houseless　ears　in　the　dead　of　the
  night；　it　may　be　at　first　mistaken　for　company　and　hailed　as　such。
  But；　as　the　spreading　circles　of　vibration；　which　you　may　perceive
  at　such　a　time　with　great　clearness；　go　opening　out；　for　ever　and
  ever　afterwards　widening　perhaps　（as　the　philosopher　has　suggested）
  in　eternal　space；　the　mistake　is　rectified　and　the　sense　of
  loneliness　is　profounder。　　Once　…　it　was　after　leaving　the　Abbey
  and　turning　my　face　north　…　I　came　to　the　great　steps　of　St。
  Martin's　church　as　the　clock　was　striking　Three。　　Suddenly；　a　thing
  that　in　a　moment　more　I　should　have　trodden　upon　without　seeing；
  rose　up　at　my　feet　with　a　cry　of　loneliness　and　houselessness；
  struck　out　of　it　by　the　bell；　the　like　of　which　I　never　heard。　　We
  then　stood　face　to　face　looking　at　one　another；　frightened　by　one
  another。　　The　creature　was　like　a　beetle…browed　hair…lipped　youth
  of　twenty；　and　it　had　a　loose　bundle　of　rags　on；　which　it　held
  together　with　one　of　its　hands。　　It　shivered　from　head　to　foot；　and
  its　teeth　chattered；　and　as　it　stared　at　me　…　persecutor；　devil；
  ghost；　whatever　it　thought　me　…　it　made　with　its　whining　mouth　as
  if　it　were　snapping　at　me；　like　a　worried　dog。　　Intending　to　give
  this　ugly　object　money；　I　put　out　my　hand　to　stay　it　…　for　it
  recoiled　as　it　whined　and　snapped　…　and　laid　my　hand　upon　its
  shoulder。　　Instantly；　it　twisted　out　of　its　garment；　like　the　young
  man　in　the　New　Testament；　and　left　me　standing　alone　with　its　rags
  in　my　hands。
  Covent…garden　Market；　when　it　was　market　morning；　was　wonderful
  company。　　The　great　w