who was conversant with French literature. In this age, he would

have been a Professor; in that age he was a Tutor. He read with

young men who could find any leisure and interest for the study of

a living tongue spoken all over the world, and he cultivated a taste

for its stores of knowledge and fancy. He could write of them,

besides, in sound English, and render them into sound English.

Such masters were not at that time easily found; Princes that had

been, and Kings that were to be, were not yet of the Teacher class,

and no ruined nobility had dropped out of Tellson’s ledgers, to

turn cooks and carpenters. As a tutor, whose attainments made

the student’s way unusually pleasant and profitable, and as an

elegant translator who brought something to his work besides

mere dictionary knowledge, young Mr. Darnay soon became

known and encouraged. He was well acquainted, moreover, with

the circumstances of his country, and those were of ever-growing

interest. So, with great perseverance and untiring industry, he

prospered.

In London, he had expected neither to walk on pavements of

gold, nor to lie on beds of roses; if he had had any such exalted

expectation, he would not have prospered. He had expected

labour, and he found it, and did it, and made the best of it. In this,

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics

his prosperity consisted.