Norrell certainly never bothered, but, then, he and Childermass had the same understanding that he would — eventually — turn up again, usually exactly when he needed to. He supposes this is different, though. This time there'd been a good chance he wouldn't have returned at all.

"More that I knew someone with a better grasp of it." Sorry, he can't enjoy the compliment. He can't really enjoy anything right now. He moves to sit up properly at this point, since it feels ridiculous to be stuck half-laying down in bed like this, even if doing so gets a grimace out of him, a wince of pain.

"They wanted to know where I'd come from, about the carnival. It was obvious to them that we weren't meant to be there."