InLondonhelivedandworkedregularlyathistrade。Morefortunatethanmany，hisdisinterestedwillingnessrecommendedhimfromthefirst。Duringtheensuingfouryearshewasneveroutofemployment。
Heneitheradvancednorrecededinthemodernsense；heimprovedasaworkman，buthedidnotshiftonejotinsocialposition。AbouthisloveforCar’linehemaintainedarigidsilence。Nodoubtheoftenthoughtofher；butbeingalwaysoccupied，andhavingnorelationsatStickleford，heheldnocommunicationwiththatpartofthecountry，andshowednodesiretoreturn。InhisquietlodginginLambethhemovedaboutafterworking-hourswiththefacilityofawoman，doinghisowncooking，attendingtohisstocking-heels，andshapinghimselfbydegreestoalife-longbachelorhood。ForthisconductoneisboundtoadvancethecanonicalreasonthattimecouldnoteffacefromhishearttheimageoflittleCar’lineAspent——anditmaybeinparttrue；buttherewasalsotheinferencethathiswasanaturenotgreatlydependentupontheministrationsoftheothersexforitscomforts。
ThefourthyearofhisresidenceasamechanicinLondonwastheyearoftheHyde-ParkExhibitionalreadymentioned，andattheconstructionofthishugeglass-house，thenunexampledintheworld’shistory，heworkeddaily。Itwasaneraofgreathopeandactivityamongthenationsandindustries。ThoughHipcroftwas，inhissmallway，acentralmaninthemovement，heploddedonwithhisusualoutwardplacidity。Yetforhim，too，theyearwasdestinedtohaveitssurprises，forwhenthebustleofgettingthebuildingreadyfortheopeningdaywaspast，theceremonieshadbeenwitnessed，andpeoplewereflockingthitherfromallpartsoftheglobe，hereceivedaletterfromCar’line。TillthatdaythesilenceoffouryearsbetweenhimselfandSticklefordhadneverbeenbroken。
Sheinformedheroldlover，inanuncertainpenmanshipwhichsuggestedatremblinghand，ofthetroubleshehadbeenputtoinascertaininghisaddress，andthenbroachedthesubjectwhichhadpromptedhertowrite。Fouryearsago，shesaidwiththegreatestdelicacyofwhichshewascapable，shehadbeensofoolishastorefusehim。Herwilfulwrong-headednesshadsincebeenagrieftohermanytimes，andoflateparticularly。AsforMr。Ollamoor，hehadbeenabsentalmostaslongasNed——shedidnotknowwhere。ShewouldgladlymarryNednowifheweretoaskheragain，andbeatenderlittlewifetohimtillherlife’send。
AtideofwarmfeelingmusthavesurgedthroughNedHipcroft’sframeonreceiptofthisnews，ifwemayjudgebytheissue。