第9章

’NomoreshouldI，’saidMrsFlintwinch，tyingthepillowtightlyinitscase。

’That’swhatImean。Whendidyoubegintothinkotherwise？’

’Neverbeguntothinkotherwiseatall，’saidMrsFlintwinch。

Seeing，asshepattedthepillowintoitsplaceonthebolster，thathewasstilllookingatherasifwaitingfortherestofherreply，shegaveitagreatpokeinthemiddle，andasked，’HowcouldIhelpmyself？’

’Howcouldyouhelpyourselffrombeingmarried!’

’O’course，’saidMrsFlintwinch。’Itwasnodoingo’mine。I’D

neverthoughtofit。I’dgotsomethingtodo，withoutthinking，indeed!Shekeptmetoit(aswellashe)whenshecouldgoabout，andshecouldgoaboutthen。’

’Well？’

’Well？’echoedMrsFlintwinch。’That’swhatIsaidmyself。Well!

What’stheuseofconsidering？Ifthemtwocleveroneshavemadeuptheirmindstoit，what’sleftformetodo？Nothing。’

’Wasitmymother’sproject，then？’

’TheLordblessyou，Arthur，andforgivemethewish!’criedAffery，speakingalwaysinalowtone。’Iftheyhadn’tbeenbothofamindinit，howcoulditeverhavebeen？Jeremiahnevercourtedme；t’antlikelythathewould，afterlivinginthehousewithmeandorderingmeaboutforasmanyyearsashe’ddone。Hesaidtomeoneday，hesaid，“Affery，“hesaid，“nowIamgoingtotellyousomething。WhatdoyouthinkofthenameofFlintwinch？“

“WhatdoIthinkofit？“Isays。“Yes，“hesaid，“becauseyou’regoingtotakeit，“hesaid。“Takeit？“Isays。“Jere-MI-ah？“Oh!

he’sacleverone!’

MrsFlintwinchwentontospreadtheuppersheetoverthebed，andtheblanketoverthat，andthecounterpaneoverthat，asifshehadquiteconcludedherstory。

’Well？’saidArthuragain。

’Well？’echoedMrsFlintwinchagain。’HowcouldIhelpmyself？Hesaidtome，“Affery，youandmemustbemarried，andI’lltellyouwhy。She’sfailinginhealth，andshe’llwantprettyconstantattendanceupinherroom，andweshallhavetobemuchwithher，andthere’llbenobodyaboutnowbutourselveswhenwe’reawayfromher，andaltogetheritwillbemoreconvenient。She’sofmyopinion，“hesaid，“soifyou’llputyourbonnetonnextMondaymorningateight，we’llgetitover。“’MrsFlintwinchtuckedupthebed。

’Well？’

’Well？’repeatedMrsFlintwinch，’Ithinkso!Isitsmedownandsaysit。Well!——Jeremiahthensaystome，“Astobanns，nextSundaybeingthethirdtimeofasking(forI’veput’emupafortnight)，ismyreasonfornamingMonday。She’llspeaktoyouaboutitherself，andnowshe’llfindyouprepared，Affery。“Thatsamedayshespoketome，andshesaid，“So，Affery，IunderstandthatyouandJeremiaharegoingtobemarried。Iamgladofit，andsoareyou，withreason。Itisaverygoodthingforyou，andverywelcomeunderthecircumstancestome。Heisasensibleman，andatrustworthyman，andaperseveringman，andapiousman。“

WhatcouldIsaywhenithadcometothat？Why，ifithadbeen——asmotheringinsteadofawedding，’MrsFlintwinchcastaboutinhermindwithgreatpainsforthisformofexpression，’Icouldn’thavesaidaworduponit，againstthemtwocleverones。’

’Ingoodfaith，Ibelieveso。’

’Andsoyoumay，Arthur。’

’Affery，whatgirlwasthatinmymother’sroomjustnow？’

’Girl？’saidMrsFlintwinchinarathersharpkey。

’Itwasagirl，surely，whomIsawnearyou——almosthiddeninthedarkcorner？’

’Oh!She？LittleDorrit？She’snothing；she’sawhimof——hers。’

ItwasapeculiarityofAfferyFlintwinchthatsheneverspokeofMrsClennambyname。’Butthere’sanothersortofgirlsthanthatabout。Haveyouforgotyouroldsweetheart？Longandlongago，I’llbebound。’

’Isufferedenoughfrommymother’sseparatingus，torememberher。

Irecollectherverywell。’

’Haveyougotanother？’

’No。’

’Here’snewsforyou，then。She’swelltodonow，andawidow。

Andifyouliketohaveher，whyyoucan。’

’Andhowdoyouknowthat，Affery？’

’Themtwocleveroneshavebeenspeakingaboutit——There’sJeremiahonthestairs!’Shewasgoneinamoment。

MrsFlintwinchhadintroducedintothewebthathismindwasbusilyweaving，inthatoldworkshopwheretheloomofhisyouthhadstood，thelastthreadwantingtothepattern。Theairyfollyofaboy’slovehadfounditswayevenintothathouse，andhehadbeenaswretchedunderitshopelessnessasifthehousehadbeenacastleofromance。LittlemorethanaweekagoatMarseilles，thefaceoftheprettygirlfromwhomhehadpartedwithregret，hadhadanunusualinterestforhim，andatenderholduponhim，becauseofsomeresemblance，realorimagined，tothisfirstfacethathadsoaredoutofhisgloomylifeintothebrightgloriesoffancy。Heleaneduponthesillofthelonglowwindow，andlookingoutupontheblackenedforestofchimneysagain，begantodream；

forithadbeentheuniformtendencyofthisman’slife——somuchwaswantinginittothinkabout，somuchthatmighthavebeenbetterdirectedandhappiertospeculateupon——tomakehimadreamer，afterall。

MrsFlintwinchhasaDreamWhenMrsFlintwinchdreamed，sheusuallydreamed，unlikethesonofheroldmistress，withhereyesshut。Shehadacuriouslyvividdreamthatnight，andbeforeshehadleftthesonofheroldmistressmanyhours。Infactitwasnotatalllikeadream；itwassoveryrealineveryrespect。Ithappenedinthiswise。

Thebed-chamberoccupiedbyMrandMrsFlintwinchwaswithinafewpacesofthattowhichMrsClennamhadbeensolongconfined。Itwasnotonthesamefloor，foritwasaroomatthesideofthehouse，whichwasapproachedbyasteepdescentofafewoddsteps，divergingfromthemainstaircasenearlyoppositetoMrsClennam’sdoor。Itcouldscarcelybesaidtobewithincall，thewalls，doors，andpanellingoftheoldplaceweresocumbrous；butitwaswithineasyreach，inanyundress，atanyhourofthenight，inanytemperature。AttheheadofthebedandwithinafootofMrsFlintwinch’sear，wasabell，thelineofwhichhungreadytoMrsClennam’shand。Wheneverthisbellrang，upstartedAffery，andwasinthesickroombeforeshewasawake。

Havinggothermistressintobed，lightedherlamp，andgivenhergoodnight，MrsFlintwinchwenttoroostasusual，savingthatherlordhadnotyetappeared。Itwasherlordhimselfwhobecame——

unlikethelastthemeinthemind，accordingtotheobservationofmostphilosophers——thesubjectofMrsFlintwinch’sdream。

Itseemedtoherthatsheawokeaftersleepingsomehours，andfoundJeremiahnotyetabed。Thatshelookedatthecandleshehadleftburning，and，measuringthetimelikeKingAlfredtheGreat，wasconfirmedbyitswastedstateinherbeliefthatshehadbeenasleepforsomeconsiderableperiod。Thatshearosethereupon，muffledherselfupinawrapper，putonhershoes，andwentoutonthestaircase，muchsurprised，tolookforJeremiah。

Thestaircasewasaswoodenandsolidasneedbe，andAfferywentstraightdownitwithoutanyofthosedeviationspeculiartodreams。Shedidnotskimoverit，butwalkeddownit，andguidedherselfbythebanistersonaccountofhercandlehavingdiedout。

Inonecornerofthehall，behindthehouse-door，therewasalittlewaiting-room，likeawell-shaft，withalongnarrowwindowinitasifithadbeenrippedup。Inthisroom，whichwasneverused，alightwasburning。

MrsFlintwinchcrossedthehall，feelingitspavementcoldtoherstockinglessfeet，andpeepedinbetweentherustyhingesonthedoor，whichstoodalittleopen。SheexpectedtoseeJeremiahfastasleeporinafit，buthewascalmlyseatedinachair，awake，andinhisusualhealth。Butwhat——hey？——Lordforgiveus!——MrsFlintwinchmutteredsomeejaculationtothiseffect，andturnedgiddy。

For，MrFlintwinchawake，waswatchingMrFlintwinchasleep。Hesatononesideofthesmalltable，lookingkeenlyathimselfontheothersidewithhischinsunkonhisbreast，snoring。ThewakingFlintwinchhadhisfullfrontfacepresentedtohiswife；

thesleepingFlintwinchwasinprofile。ThewakingFlintwinchwastheoldoriginal；thesleepingFlintwinchwasthedouble。justasshemighthavedistinguishedbetweenatangibleobjectanditsreflectioninaglass，Afferymadeoutthisdifferencewithherheadgoingroundandround。

IfshehadhadanydoubtwhichwasherownJeremiah，itwouldhavebeenresolvedbyhisimpatience。Helookedabouthimforanoffensiveweapon，caughtupthesnuffers，and，beforeapplyingthemtothecabbage-headedcandle，lungedatthesleeperasthoughhewouldhaverunhimthroughthebody。

’Who’sthat？What’sthematter？’criedthesleeper，starting。

MrFlintwinchmadeamovementwiththesnuffers，asifhewouldhaveenforcedsilenceonhiscompanionbyputtingthemdownhisthroat；thecompanion，comingtohimself，said，rubbinghiseyes，’IforgotwhereIwas。’

’Youhavebeenasleep，’snarledJeremiah，referringtohiswatch，’twohours。Yousaidyouwouldberestedenoughifyouhadashortnap。’

’Ihavehadashortnap，’saidDouble。

’Half-pasttwoo’clockinthemorning，’mutteredJeremiah。

’Where’syourhat？Where’syourcoat？Where’sthebox？’

’Allhere，’saidDouble，tyinguphisthroatwithsleepycarefulnessinashawl。’Stopaminute。Nowgivemethesleeve——

notthatsleeve，theotherone。Ha!I’mnotasyoungasIwas。’

MrFlintwinchhadpulledhimintohiscoatwithvehementenergy。

’YoupromisedmeasecondglassafterIwasrested。’

’Drinkit!’returnedJeremiah，’and——chokeyourself，Iwasgoingtosay——butgo，Imean。’Atthesametimeheproducedtheidenticalport-winebottle，andfilledawine-glass。

’Herport-wine，Ibelieve？’saidDouble，tastingitasifhewereintheDocks，withhourstospare。’Herhealth。’

Hetookasip。

’Yourhealth!’

Hetookanothersip。

’Hishealth!’

Hetookanothersip。