第11章

Hestoppedinthehopethatshewouldspeak。Buthergreyhairwasnotmoreimmovableinitstwofolds，thanwereherfirmlips。

’Ifreparationcanbemadetoanyone，ifrestitutioncanbemadetoanyone，letusknowitandmakeit。Nay，mother，ifwithinmymeans，letMEmakeit。Ihaveseensolittlehappinesscomeofmoney；ithasbroughtwithinmyknowledgesolittlepeacetothishouse，ortoanyonebelongingtoit，thatitisworthlesstomethantoanother。Itcanbuymenothingthatwillnotbeareproachandmiserytome，ifIamhauntedbyasuspicionthatitdarkenedmyfather’slasthourswithremorse，andthatitisnothonestlyandjustlymine。’

Therewasabell-ropehangingonthepanelledwall，sometwoorthreeyardsfromthecabinet。Byaswiftandsuddenactionofherfoot，shedroveherwheeledchairrapidlybacktoitandpulleditviolently——stillholdingherarmupinitsshield-likeposture，asifhewerestrikingather，andshewardingofftheblow。

Agirlcamehurryingin，frightened。

’SendFlintwinchhere!’

Inamomentthegirlhadwithdrawn，andtheoldmanstoodwithinthedoor。’What!You’rehammerandtongs，already，youtwo？’hesaid，coollystrokinghisface。’Ithoughtyouwouldbe。Iwasprettysureofit。’

’Flintwinch!’saidthemother，’lookatmyson。Lookathim!’

’Well，IAMlookingathim，’saidFlintwinch。

Shestretchedoutthearmwithwhichshehadshieldedherself，andasshewenton，pointedattheobjectofheranger。

’Intheveryhourofhisreturnalmost——beforetheshoeuponhisfootisdry——heasperseshisfather’smemorytohismother!Askshismothertobecome，withhim，aspyuponhisfather’stransactionsthroughalifetime!Hasmisgivingsthatthegoodsofthisworldwhichwehavepainfullygottogetherearlyandlate，withwearandtearandtoilandself-denial，aresomuchplunder；

andaskstowhomtheyshallbegivenup，asreparationandrestitution!’

Althoughshesaidthisraging，shesaiditinavoicesofarfrombeingbeyondhercontrolthatitwasevenlowerthanherusualtone。Shealsospokewithgreatdistinctness。

’Reparation!’saidshe。’Yes，truly!Itiseasyforhimtotalkofreparation，freshfromjourneyingandjunketinginforeignlands，andlivingalifeofvanityandpleasure。Butlethimlookatme，inprison，andinbondshere。Iendurewithoutmurmuring，becauseitisappointedthatIshallsomakereparationformysins。Reparation!Istherenoneinthisroom？Hastherebeennoneherethisfifteenyears？’

ThuswasshealwaysbalancingherbargainswiththeMajestyofheaven，postinguptheentriestohercredit，strictlykeepingherset-off，andclaimingherdue。Shewasonlyremarkableinthis，fortheforceandemphasiswithwhichshedidit。Thousandsuponthousandsdoit，accordingtotheirvaryingmanner，everyday。

’Flintwinch，givemethatbook!’

Theoldmanhandedittoherfromthetable。Sheputtwofingersbetweentheleaves，closedthebookuponthem，andheldituptohersoninathreateningway。

’Inthedaysofold，Arthur，treatedofinthiscommentary，therewerepiousmen，belovedoftheLord，whowouldhavecursedtheirsonsforlessthanthis：whowouldhavesentthemforth，andsentwholenationsforth，ifsuchhadsupportedthem，tobeavoidedofGodandman，andperish，downtothebabyatthebreast。ButI

onlytellyouthatifyoueverrenewthatthemewithme，Iwillrenounceyou；Iwillsodismissyouthroughthatdoorway，thatyouhadbetterhavebeenmotherlessfromyourcradle。Iwillneverseeorknowyoumore。Andif，afterall，youweretocomeintothisdarkenedroomtolookuponmelyingdead，mybodyshouldbleed，ifIcouldmakeit，whenyoucamenearme。’

Inpartrelievedbytheintensityofthisthreat，andinpart(monstrousasthefactis)byageneralimpressionthatitwasinsomesortareligiousproceeding，shehandedbackthebooktotheoldman，andwassilent。

’Now，’saidJeremiah；’premisingthatI’mnotgoingtostandbetweenyoutwo，willyouletmeask(asIhavebeencalledin，andmadeathird)whatisallthisabout？’

’Takeyourversionofit，’returnedArthur，findingitlefttohimtospeak，’frommymother。Letitrestthere。WhatIhavesaid，wassaidtomymotheronly。’

’Oh!’returnedtheoldman。’Fromyourmother？Takeitfromyourmother？Well!Butyourmothermentionedthatyouhadbeensuspectingyourfather。That’snotdutiful，MrArthur。Whowillyoubesuspectingnext？’

’Enough，’saidMrsClennam，turningherfacesothatitwasaddressedforthemomenttotheoldmanonly。’Letnomorebesaidaboutthis。’

’Yes，butstopabit，stopabit，’theoldmanpersisted。’Letusseehowwestand。HaveyoutoldMrArthurthathemustn’tlayoffencesathisfather’sdoor？Thathehasnorighttodoit？

Thathehasnogroundtogoupon？’

’Itellhimsonow。’

’Ah!Exactly，’saidtheoldman。’Youtellhimsonow。Youhadn’ttoldhimsobefore，andyoutellhimsonow。Ay，ay!

That’sright!YouknowIstoodbetweenyouandhisfathersolong，thatitseemsasifdeathhadmadenodifference，andIwasstillstandingbetweenyou。SoIwill，andsoinfairnessIrequiretohavethatplainlyputforward。Arthur，youpleasetohearthatyouhavenorighttomistrustyourfather，andhavenogroundtogoupon。’

Heputhishandstothebackofthewheeledchair，andmutteringtohimself，slowlywheeledhismistressbacktohercabinet。’Now，’

heresumed，standingbehindher：’incaseIshouldgoawayleavingthingshalfdone，andsoshouldbewantedagainwhenyoucometotheotherhalfandgetintooneofyourflights，hasArthurtoldyouwhathemeanstodoaboutthebusiness？’

’Hehasrelinquishedit。’

’Infavourofnobody，Isuppose？’

MrsClennamglancedatherson，leaningagainstoneofthewindows。

Heobservedthelookandsaid，’Tomymother，ofcourse。Shedoeswhatshepleases。’

’Andifanypleasure，’shesaidafterashortpause，’couldariseformeoutofthedisappointmentofmyexpectationsthatmyson，intheprimeofhislife，wouldinfusenewyouthandstrengthintoit，andmakeitofgreatprofitandpower，itwouldbeinadvancinganoldandfaithfulservant。Jeremiah，thecaptaindesertstheship，butyouandIwillsinkorfloatwithit。’

Jeremiah，whoseeyesglistenedasiftheysawmoney，dartedasuddenlookattheson，whichseemedtosay，’IoweYOUnothanksforthis；YOUhavedonenothingtowardsit!’andthentoldthemotherthathethankedher，andthatAfferythankedher，andthathewouldneverdeserther，andthatAfferywouldneverdeserther。

Finally，hehauleduphiswatchfromitsdepths，andsaid，’Eleven。

Timeforyouroysters!’andwiththatchangeofsubject，whichinvolvednochangeofexpressionormanner，rangthebell。

ButMrsClennam，resolvedtotreatherselfwiththegreaterrigourforhavingbeensupposedtobeunacquaintedwithreparation，refusedtoeatheroysterswhentheywerebrought。Theylookedtempting；eightinnumber，circularlysetoutonawhiteplateonatraycoveredwithawhitenapkin，flankedbyasliceofbutteredFrenchroll，andalittlecompactglassofcoolwineandwater；butsheresistedallpersuasions，andsentthemdownagain——placingtheacttohercredit，nodoubt，inherEternalDay-Book。

ThisrefectionofoysterswasnotpresidedoverbyAffery，butbythegirlwhohadappearedwhenthebellwasrung；thesamewhohadbeeninthedimly-lightedroomlastnight。Nowthathehadanopportunityofobservingher，Arthurfoundthatherdiminutivefigure，smallfeatures，andslightsparedress，gavehertheappearanceofbeingmuchyoungerthanshewas。Awoman，probablyofnotlessthantwo-and-twenty，shemighthavebeenpassedinthestreetforlittlemorethanhalfthatage。Notthatherfacewasveryyouthful，forintruththerewasmoreconsiderationandcareinitthannaturallybelongedtoherutmostyears；butshewassolittleandlight，sonoiselessandshy，andappearedsoconsciousofbeingoutofplaceamongthethreehardelders，thatshehadallthemannerandmuchoftheappearanceofasubduedchild。

Inahardway，andinanuncertainwaythatfluctuatedbetweenpatronageandputtingdown，thesprinklingfromawatering-potandhydraulicpressure，MrsClennamshowedaninterestinthisdependent。Eveninthemomentofherentrance，upontheviolentringingofthebell，whenthemothershieldedherselfwiththatsingularactionfromtheson，MrsClennam’seyeshadhadsomeindividualrecognitioninthem，whichseemedreservedforher。Astherearedegreesofhardnessinthehardestmetal，andshadesofcolourinblackitself，so，evenintheasperityofMrsClennam’sdemeanourtowardsalltherestofhumanityandtowardsLittleDorrit，therewasafinegradation。

LittleDorritletherselfouttodoneedlework。Atsomuchaday——

oratsolittle——fromeighttoeight，LittleDorritwastobehired。Punctualtothemoment，LittleDorritappeared；punctualtothemoment，LittleDorritvanished。WhatbecameofLittleDorritbetweenthetwoeightswasamystery。

AnotherofthemoralphenomenaofLittleDorrit。Besidesherconsiderationmoney，herdailycontractincludedmeals。Shehadanextraordinaryrepugnancetodiningincompany；wouldneverdoso，ifitwerepossibletoescape。Wouldalwayspleadthatshehadthisbitofworktobeginfirst，orthatbitofworktofinishfirst；andwould，ofacertainty，schemeandplan——notverycunningly，itwouldseem，forshedeceivednoone——todinealone。

Successfulinthis，happyincarryingoffherplateanywhere，tomakeatableofherlap，orabox，ortheground，orevenaswassupposed，tostandontip-toe，diningmoderatelyatamantel-shelf；

thegreatanxietyofLittleDorrit’sdaywassetatrest。

ItwasnoteasytomakeoutLittleDorrit’sface；shewassoretiring，pliedherneedleinsuchremovedcorners，andstartedawaysoscaredifencounteredonthestairs。Butitseemedtobeapaletransparentface，quickinexpression，thoughnotbeautifulinfeature，itssofthazeleyesexcepted。Adelicatelybenthead，atinyform，aquicklittlepairofbusyhands，andashabbydress——itmustneedshavebeenveryshabbytolookatallso，beingsoneat——wereLittleDorritasshesatatwork。

FortheseparticularsorgeneralitiesconcerningLittleDorrit，MrArthurwasindebtedinthecourseofthedaytohisowneyesandtoMrsAffery’stongue。IfMrsAfferyhadhadanywillorwayofherown，itwouldprobablyhavebeenunfavourabletoLittleDorrit。