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His name, however, was to be read on a large placard in front of the
Green Box, which offered the crowd the following narrative composed by
Ursus:--
"
Here is to be seen Gwynplaine, deserted at the age of ten, on the night
of the 29th of January, 1690, by the villainous Comprachicos, on the
coast of Portland. The little boy has grown up, and is called now, THE
LAUGHING MAN."
The existence of these mountebanks was as an existence of lepers in a
leper-house, and of the blessed in one of the Pleiades. There was every
day a sudden transition from the noisy exhibition outside, into the most
complete seclusion. Every evening they made their exit from this world.
They were like the dead, vanishing on condition of being reborn next
day. A comedian is a revolving light, appearing one moment, disappearing
the next, and existing for the public but as a phantom or a light, as
his life circles round. To exhibition succeeded isolation. When the
performance was finished, whilst the audience were dispersing, and their
murmur of satisfaction was dying away in the streets, the Green Box shut
up its platform, as a fortress does its drawbridge, and all
communication with mankind was cut off. On one side, the universe; on
the other, the caravan; and this caravan contained liberty, clear
consciences, courage, devotion, innocence, happiness, love--all the
constellations.
Blindness having sight and deformity beloved sat side by side, hand
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