andthathehadsaidwithadmirablefortitudethathewasAllright，mylads，withtheexceptionofhiscollar-bone。Butthediggingandshovellingandcarryingawaywentonwithoutintermission，untiltheruinswerealldugout，andthecellarsopenedtothelight；andstillnoFlintwinch，livingordead，allrightorallwrong，hadbeenturnedupbypickorspade。
ItbeganthentobeperceivedthatFlintwinchhadnotbeenthereatthetimeofthefall；anditbeganthentobeperceivedthathehadbeenratherbusyelsewhere，convertingsecuritiesintoasmuchmoneyascouldbegotforthemontheshortestnotice，andturningtohisownexclusiveaccounthisauthoritytoactfortheFirm。
Affery，rememberingthatthecleveronehadsaidhewouldexplainhimselffurtherinfour-and-twentyhours’time，determinedforherpartthathistakinghimselfoffwithinthatperiodwithallhecouldget，wasthefinalsatisfactorysumandsubstanceofhispromisedexplanation；butsheheldherpeace，devoutlythankfultobequitofhim。Asitseemedreasonabletoconcludethatamanwhohadneverbeenburiedcouldnotbeunburied，thediggersgavehimupwhentheirtaskwasdone，anddidnotdigdownforhimintothedepthsoftheearth。
Thiswastakeninillpartbyagreatmanypeople，whopersistedinbelievingthatFlintwinchwaslyingsomewhereamongtheLondongeologicalformation。Norwastheirbeliefmuchshakenbyrepeatedintelligencewhichcameoverincourseoftime，thatanoldmanwhoworethetieofhisneckclothunderoneear，andwhowasverywellknowntobeanEnglishman，consortedwiththeDutchmenonthequaintbanksofthecanalsoftheHagueandinthedrinking-shopsofAmsterdam，underthestyleanddesignationofMynheervonFlyntevynge。
GoingArthurcontinuingtolieveryillintheMarshalsea，andMrRuggdescryingnobreakinthelegalskyaffordingahopeofhisenlargement，MrPanckssuffereddesperatelyfromself-reproaches。