第12章

Butas’themtwocleverones’——MrsAffery’sperpetualreference，inwhomherpersonalitywasswallowedup——wereagreedtoacceptLittleDorritasamatterofcourse，shehadnothingforitbuttofollowsuit。Similarly，ifthetwocleveroneshadagreedtomurderLittleDorritbycandlelight，MrsAffery，beingrequiredtoholdthecandle，wouldnodoubthavedoneit。

Intheintervalsofroastingthepartridgefortheinvalidchamber，andpreparingabaking-dishofbeefandpuddingforthedining-

room，MrsAfferymadethecommunicationsabovesetforth；

invariablyputtingherheadinatthedooragainaftershehadtakenitout，toenforceresistancetothetwocleverones。ItappearedtohavebecomeaperfectpassionwithMrsFlintwinch，thattheonlysonshouldbepittedagainstthem。

Inthecourseoftheday，too，Arthurlookedthroughthewholehouse。Dullanddarkhefoundit。Thegauntrooms，desertedforyearsuponyears，seemedtohavesettleddownintoagloomylethargyfromwhichnothingcouldrousethemagain。Thefurniture，atoncespareandlumbering，hidintheroomsratherthanfurnishedthem，andtherewasnocolourinallthehouse；suchcolourashadeverbeenthere，hadlongagostartedawayonlostsunbeams——gotitselfabsorbed，perhaps，intoflowers，butterflies，plumageofbirds，preciousstones，whatnot。Therewasnotonestraightfloorfromthefoundationtotheroof；theceilingsweresofantasticallycloudedbysmokeanddust，thatoldwomenmighthavetoldfortunesinthembetterthaningroutsoftea；thedead-coldhearthsshowednotracesofhavingeverbeenwarmedbutinheapsofsootthathadtumbleddownthechimneys，andeddiedaboutinlittleduskywhirlwindswhenthedoorswereopened。Inwhathadoncebeenadrawing-room，therewereapairofmeagremirrors，withdismalprocessionsofblackfigurescarryingblackgarlands，walkingroundtheframes；buteventhesewereshortofheadsandlegs，andoneundertaker-likeCupidhadswungroundonitsownaxisandgotupsidedown，andanotherhadfallenoffaltogether。TheroomArthurClennam’sdeceasedfatherhadoccupiedforbusinesspurposes，whenhefirstrememberedhim，wassounalteredthathemighthavebeenimaginedstilltokeepitinvisibly，ashisvisiblerelictkeptherroomup-stairs；JeremiahFlintwinchstillgoingbetweenthemnegotiating。Hispicture，darkandgloomy，earnestlyspeechlessonthewall，withtheeyesintentlylookingathissonastheyhadlookedwhenlifedepartedfromthem，seemedtourgehimawfullytothetaskhehadattempted；butastoanyyieldingonthepartofhismother，hehadnownohope，andastoanyothermeansofsettinghisdistrustatrest，hehadabandonedhopealongtime。

Downinthecellars，asupinthebed-chambers，oldobjectsthathewellrememberedwerechangedbyageanddecay，butwerestillintheiroldplaces；eventoemptybeer-caskshoarywithcobwebs，andemptywine-bottleswithfurandfunguschokinguptheirthroats。

There，too，amongunusualbottle-racksandpaleslantsoflightfromtheyardabove，wasthestrongroomstoredwitholdledgers，whichhadasmustyandcorruptasmellasiftheywereregularlybalanced，inthedeadsmallhours，byanightlyresurrectionofoldbook-keepers。

Thebaking-dishwasservedupinapenitentialmanneronashrunkenclothatanendofthedining-table，attwoo’clock，whenhedinedwithMrFlintwinch，thenewpartner。MrFlintwinchinformedhimthathismotherhadrecoveredherequanimitynow，andthatheneednotfearheragainalludingtowhathadpassedinthemorning。

’Anddon’tyoulayoffencesatyourfather’sdoor，MrArthur，’

addedJeremiah，’onceforall，don’tdoit!Now，wehavedonewiththesubject。’

MrFlintwinchhadbeenalreadyrearranginganddustinghisownparticularlittleoffice，asiftodohonourtohisaccessiontonewdignity。Heresumedthisoccupationwhenhewasrepletewithbeef，hadsuckedupallthegravyinthebaking-dishwiththeflatofhisknife，andhaddrawnliberallyonabarrelofsmallbeerinthescullery。Thusrefreshed，hetuckeduphisshirt-sleevesandwenttoworkagain；andMrArthur，watchinghimashesetaboutit，plainlysawthathisfather’spicture，orhisfather’sgrave，wouldbeascommunicativewithhimasthisoldman。

’Now，Affery，woman，’saidMrFlintwinch，asshecrossedthehall。

’Youhadn’tmadeMrArthur’sbedwhenIwasuptherelast。Stiryourself。Bustle。’

ButMrArthurfoundthehousesoblankanddreary，andwassounwillingtoassistatanotherimplacableconsignmentofhismother’senemies(perhapshimselfamongthem)tomortaldisfigurementandimmortalruin，thatheannouncedhisintentionoflodgingatthecoffee-housewherehehadlefthisluggage。MrFlintwinchtakingkindlytotheideaofgettingridofhim，andhismotherbeingindifferent，beyondconsiderationsofsaving，tomostdomesticarrangementsthatwerenotboundedbythewallsofherownchamber，heeasilycarriedthispointwithoutnewoffence。Dailybusinesshourswereagreedupon，whichhismother，MrFlintwinch，andhe，weretodevotetogethertoanecessarycheckingofbooksandpapers；andheleftthehomehehadsolatelyfound，withdepressedheart。

ButLittleDorrit？

Thebusinesshours，allowingforintervalsofinvalidregimenofoystersandpartridges，duringwhichClennamrefreshedhimselfwithawalk，werefromtentosixforaboutafortnight。SometimesLittleDorritwasemployedatherneedle，sometimesnot，sometimesappearedasahumblevisitor：whichmusthavebeenhercharacterontheoccasionofhisarrival。Hisoriginalcuriosityaugmentedeveryday，ashewatchedforher，sawordidnotseeher，andspeculatedabouther。Influencedbyhispredominantidea，heevenfellintoahabitofdiscussingwithhimselfthepossibilityofherbeinginsomewayassociatedwithit。AtlastheresolvedtowatchLittleDorritandknowmoreofherstory。

TheFatheroftheMarshalseaThirtyyearsagotherestood，afewdoorsshortofthechurchofSaintGeorge，intheboroughofSouthwark，ontheleft-handsideofthewaygoingsouthward，theMarshalseaPrison。Ithadstoodtheremanyyearsbefore，anditremainedtheresomeyearsafterwards；butitisgonenow，andtheworldisnonetheworsewithoutit。

Itwasanoblongpileofbarrackbuilding，partitionedintosqualidhousesstandingbacktoback，sothattherewerenobackrooms；

environedbyanarrowpavedyard，hemmedinbyhighwallsdulyspikedattop。Itselfacloseandconfinedprisonfordebtors，itcontainedwithinitamuchcloserandmoreconfinedjailforsmugglers。Offendersagainsttherevenuelaws，anddefaulterstoexciseorcustomswhohadincurredfineswhichtheywereunabletopay，weresupposedtobeincarceratedbehindaniron-plateddoorclosingupasecondprison，consistingofastrongcellortwo，andablindalleysomeyardandahalfwide，whichformedthemysteriousterminationoftheverylimitedskittle-groundinwhichtheMarshalseadebtorsbowleddowntheirtroubles。

Supposedtobeincarceratedthere，becausethetimehadratheroutgrownthestrongcellsandtheblindalley。Inpracticetheyhadcometobeconsideredalittletoobad，thoughintheorytheywerequiteasgoodasever；whichmaybeobservedtobethecaseatthepresentdaywithothercellsthatarenotatallstrong，andwithotherblindalleysthatarestone-blind。Hencethesmugglershabituallyconsortedwiththedebtors(whoreceivedthemwithopenarms)，exceptatcertainconstitutionalmomentswhensomebodycamefromsomeOffice，togothroughsomeformofoverlookingsomethingwhichneitherhenoranybodyelseknewanythingabout。OnthesetrulyBritishoccasions，thesmugglers，ifany，madeafeintofwalkingintothestrongcellsandtheblindalley，whilethissomebodypretendedtodohissomething：andmadearealityofwalkingoutagainassoonashehadn’tdoneit——neatlyepitomisingtheadministrationofmostofthepublicaffairsinourrightlittle，tightlittle，island。

TherehadbeentakentotheMarshalseaPrison，longbeforethedaywhenthesunshoneonMarseillesandontheopeningofthisnarrative，adebtorwithwhomthisnarrativehassomeconcern。

Hewas，atthattime，averyamiableandveryhelplessmiddle-agedgentleman，whowasgoingoutagaindirectly。Necessarily，hewasgoingoutagaindirectly，becausetheMarshalsealockneverturneduponadebtorwhowasnot。Hebroughtinaportmanteauwithhim，whichhedoubteditsbeingworthwhiletounpack；hewassoperfectlyclear——likealltherestofthem，theturnkeyonthelocksaid——thathewasgoingoutagaindirectly。

Hewasashy，retiringman；well-looking，thoughinaneffeminatestyle；withamildvoice，curlinghair，andirresolutehands——ringsuponthefingersinthosedays——whichnervouslywanderedtohistremblinglipahundredtimesinthefirsthalf-hourofhisacquaintancewiththejail。Hisprincipalanxietywasabouthiswife。

’Doyouthink，sir，’heaskedtheturnkey，’thatshewillbeverymuchshocked，ifsheshouldcometothegateto-morrowmorning？’

Theturnkeygaveitastheresultofhisexperiencethatsomeof’emwasandsomeof’emwasn’t。Ingeneral，morenothanyes。

’Whatlikeisshe，yousee？’hephilosophicallyasked：’that’swhatithingeson。’

’Sheisverydelicateandinexperiencedindeed。’

’That，’saidtheturnkey，’isagenher。’

’Sheissolittleusedtogooutalone，’saidthedebtor，’thatI

amatalosstothinkhowshewillevermakeherwayhere，ifshewalks。’

’P’raps，’quoththeturnkey，’she’lltakeaackneycoach。’

’Perhaps。’Theirresolutefingerswenttothetremblinglip。’I

hopeshewill。Shemaynotthinkofit。’

’Orp’raps，’saidtheturnkey，offeringhissuggestionsfromthethetopofhiswell-wornwoodenstool，ashemighthaveofferedthemtoachildforwhoseweaknesshefeltacompassion，’p’rapsshe’llgetherbrother，orhersister，tocomealongwithher。’

’Shehasnobrotherorsister。’

’Niece，nevy，cousin，serwant，young’ooman，greengrocer——Dashit!

Oneoranotheron’em，’saidtheturnkey，repudiatingbeforehandtherefusalofallhissuggestions。

’Ifear——Ihopeitisnotagainsttherules——thatshewillbringthechildren。’

’Thechildren？’saidtheturnkey。’Andtherules？Why，lordsetyouuplikeacornerpin，we’veareg’larplaygroundo’childrenhere。Children!Whyweswarmwith’em。Howmanyayougot？’

’Two，’saidthedebtor，liftinghisirresolutehandtohislipagain，andturningintotheprison。

Theturnkeyfollowedhimwithhiseyes。’Andyouanother，’heobservedtohimself，’whichmakesthreeonyou。Andyourwifeanother，I’lllayacrown。Whichmakesfouronyou。Andanothercoming，I’lllayhalf-a-crown。Which’llmakefiveonyou。AndI’llgoanothersevenandsixpencetonamewhichisthehelplessest，theunbornbabyoryou!’

Hewasrightinallhisparticulars。Shecamenextdaywithalittleboyofthreeyearsold，andalittlegirloftwo，andhestoodentirelycorroborated。

’Gotaroomnow；haven’tyou？’theturnkeyaskedthedebtorafteraweekortwo。

’Yes，Ihavegotaverygoodroom。’

’Anylittlesticksacomingtofurnishit？’saidtheturnkey。

’Iexpectafewnecessaryarticlesoffurnituretobedeliveredbythecarrier，thisafternoon。’

’Missisandlittle’unsacomingtokeepyoucompany？’askedtheturnkey。

’Why，yes，wethinkitbetterthatweshouldnotbescattered，evenforafewweeks。’

’Evenforafewweeks，OFcourse，’repliedtheturnkey。Andhefollowedhimagainwithhiseyes，andnoddedhisheadseventimeswhenhewasgone。

Theaffairsofthisdebtorwereperplexedbyapartnership，ofwhichheknewnomorethanthathehadinvestedmoneyinit；bylegalmattersofassignmentandsettlement，conveyancehereandconveyancethere，suspicionofunlawfulpreferenceofcreditorsinthisdirection，andofmysteriousspiritingawayofpropertyinthat；andasnobodyonthefaceoftheearthcouldbemoreincapableofexplaininganysingleitemintheheapofconfusionthanthedebtorhimself，nothingcomprehensiblecouldbemadeofhiscase。Toquestionhimindetail，andendeavourtoreconcilehisanswers；toclosethimwithaccountantsandsharppractitioners，learnedinthewilesofinsolvencyandbankruptcy；