第15章

AtthisdifficultpointoftheconversationBobgavein，andchangedthesubjecttohard-bake：alwayshislastresourcewhenhefoundhislittlefriendgettinghimintoapolitical，social，ortheologicalcorner。ButthiswastheoriginofaseriesofSundayexcursionsthatthesetwocuriouscompanionsmadetogether。TheyusedtoissuefromthelodgeonalternateSundayafternoonswithgreatgravity，boundforsomemeadowsorgreenlanesthathadbeenelaboratelyappointedbytheturnkeyinthecourseoftheweek；andthereshepickedgrassandflowerstobringhome，whilehesmokedhispipe。Afterwards，thereweretea-gardens，shrimps，ale，andotherdelicacies；andthentheywouldcomebackhandinhand，unlessshewasmorethanusuallytired，andhadfallenasleeponhisshoulder。

Inthoseearlydays，theturnkeyfirstbeganprofoundlytoconsideraquestionwhichcosthimsomuchmentallabour，thatitremainedundeterminedonthedayofhisdeath。Hedecidedtowillandbequeathhislittlepropertyofsavingstohisgodchild，andthepointarosehowcoulditbeso’tiedup’asthatonlysheshouldhavethebenefitofit？Hisexperienceonthelockgavehimsuchanacuteperceptionoftheenormousdifficultyof’tyingup’moneywithanyapproachtotightness，andcontrariwiseoftheremarkableeasewithwhichitgotloose，thatthroughaseriesofyearsheregularlypropoundedthisknottypointtoeverynewinsolventagentandotherprofessionalgentlemanwhopassedinandout。

’Supposing，’hewouldsay，statingthecasewithhiskeyontheprofessionalgentleman’swaistcoat；’supposingamanwantedtoleavehispropertytoayoungfemale，andwantedtotieitupsothatnobodyelseshouldeverbeabletomakeagrabatit；howwouldyoutieupthatproperty？’

’Settleitstrictlyonherself，’theprofessionalgentlemanwouldcomplacentlyanswer。

’Butlookhere，’quoththeturnkey。’Supposingshehad，sayabrother，sayafather，sayahusband，whowouldbelikelytomakeagrabatthatpropertywhenshecameintoit——howaboutthat？’

’Itwouldbesettledonherself，andtheywouldhavenomorelegalclaimonitthanyou，’wouldbetheprofessionalanswer。

’Stopabit，’saidtheturnkey。’Supposingshewastender-hearted，andtheycameoverher。Where’syourlawfortyingitupthen？’

Thedeepestcharacterwhomtheturnkeysounded，wasunabletoproducehislawfortyingsuchaknotasthat。So，theturnkeythoughtaboutitallhislife，anddiedintestateafterall。

Butthatwaslongafterwards，whenhisgod-daughterwaspastsixteen。Thefirsthalfofthatspaceofherlifewasonlyjustaccomplished，whenherpitifulandplaintivelooksawherfatherawidower。Fromthattimetheprotectionthatherwonderingeyeshadexpressedtowardshim，becameembodiedinaction，andtheChildoftheMarshalseatookuponherselfanewrelationtowardstheFather。

Atfirst，suchababycoulddolittlemorethansitwithhim，desertingherlivelierplacebythehighfender，andquietlywatchinghim。Butthismadehersofarnecessarytohimthathebecameaccustomedtoher，andbegantobesensibleofmissingherwhenshewasnotthere。Throughthislittlegate，shepassedoutofchildhoodintothecare-ladenworld。

Whatherpitifullooksaw，atthatearlytime，inherfather，inhersister，inherbrother，inthejail；howmuch，orhowlittleofthewretchedtruthitpleasedGodtomakevisibletoher；lieshiddenwithmanymysteries。Itisenoughthatshewasinspiredtobesomethingwhichwasnotwhattherestwere，andtobethatsomething，differentandlaborious，forthesakeoftherest。

Inspired？Yes。Shallwespeakoftheinspirationofapoetorapriest，andnotoftheheartimpelledbyloveandself-devotiontothelowliestworkinthelowliestwayoflife!

Withnoearthlyfriendtohelpher，orsomuchastoseeher，buttheonesostrangelyassorted；withnoknowledgeevenofthecommondailytoneandhabitsofthecommonmembersofthefreecommunitywhoarenotshutupinprisons；bornandbredinasocialcondition，falseevenwithareferencetothefalsestconditionoutsidethewalls；drinkingfrominfancyofawellwhosewatershadtheirownpeculiarstain，theirownunwholesomeandunnaturaltaste；theChildoftheMarshalseabeganherwomanlylife。

Nomatterthroughwhatmistakesanddiscouragements，whatridicule(notunkindlymeant，butdeeplyfelt)ofheryouthandlittlefigure，whathumbleconsciousnessofherownbabyhoodandwantofstrength，eveninthematterofliftingandcarrying；throughhowmuchwearinessandhopelessness，andhowmanysecrettears；shedrudgedon，untilrecognisedasuseful，evenindispensable。Thattimecame。Shetooktheplaceofeldestofthethree，inallthingsbutprecedence；wastheheadofthefallenfamily；andbore，inherownheart，itsanxietiesandshames。

Atthirteen，shecouldreadandkeepaccounts，thatis，couldputdowninwordsandfigureshowmuchthebarenecessariesthattheywantedwouldcost，andhowmuchlesstheyhadtobuythemwith。

Shehadbeen，bysnatchesofafewweeksatatime，toaneveningschooloutside，andgothersisterandbrothersenttoday-schoolsbydesultorystarts，duringthreeorfouryears。Therewasnoinstructionforanyofthemathome；butsheknewwell——noonebetter——thatamansobrokenastobetheFatheroftheMarshalsea，couldbenofathertohisownchildren。

Tothesescantymeansofimprovement，sheaddedanotherofherowncontriving。Once，amongtheheterogeneouscrowdofinmatesthereappearedadancing-master。Hersisterhadagreatdesiretolearnthedancing-master’sart，andseemedtohaveatastethatway。Atthirteenyearsold，theChildoftheMarshalseapresentedherselftothedancing-master，withalittlebaginherhand，andpreferredherhumblepetition。

’Ifyouplease，Iwasbornhere，sir。’

’Oh!Youaretheyounglady，areyou？’saidthedancing-master，surveyingthesmallfigureandupliftedface。

’Yes，sir。’

’AndwhatcanIdoforyou？’saidthedancing-master。

’Nothingforme，sir，thankyou，’anxiouslyundrawingthestringsofthelittlebag；’butif，whileyoustayhere，youcouldbesokindastoteachmysistercheap——’

’Mychild，I’llteachherfornothing，’saidthedancing-master，shuttingupthebag。Hewasasgood-naturedadancing-masteraseverdancedtotheInsolventCourt，andhekepthisword。Thesisterwassoaptapupil，andthedancing-masterhadsuchabundantleisuretobestowuponher(forittookhimamatteroftenweekstosettohiscreditors，leadoff，turntheCommissioners，andrightandleftbacktohisprofessionalpursuits)，thatwonderfulprogresswasmade。Indeedthedancing-masterwassoproudofit，andsowishfultodisplayitbeforehelefttoafewselectfriendsamongthecollegians，thatatsixo’clockonacertainfinemorning，aminuetdelacourcameoffintheyard——thecollege-

roomsbeingoftooconfinedproportionsforthepurpose——inwhichsomuchgroundwascovered，andthestepsweresoconscientiouslyexecuted，thatthedancing-master，havingtoplaythekitbesides，wasthoroughlyblown。

Thesuccessofthisbeginning，whichledtothedancing-master’scontinuinghisinstructionafterhisrelease，emboldenedthepoorchildtotryagain。Shewatchedandwaitedmonthsforaseamstress。Inthefulnessoftimeamillinercamein，andtohersherepairedonherownbehalf。

’Ibegyourpardon，ma’am，’shesaid，lookingtimidlyroundthedoorofthemilliner，whomshefoundintearsandinbed：’butI

wasbornhere。’

Everybodyseemedtohearofherassoonastheyarrived；forthemillinersatupinbed，dryinghereyes，andsaid，justasthedancing-masterhadsaid：

’Oh!Youarethechild，areyou？’

’Yes，ma’am。’

’IamsorryIhaven’tgotanythingforyou，’saidthemilliner，shakingherhead。

’It’snotthat，ma’am。IfyoupleaseIwanttolearnneedle-work。’

’Whyshouldyoudothat，’returnedthemilliner，’withmebeforeyou？Ithasnotdonememuchgood。’

’Nothing——whateveritis——seemstohavedoneanybodymuchgoodwhocomeshere，’shereturnedinallsimplicity；’butIwanttolearnjustthesame。’

’Iamafraidyouaresoweak，yousee，’themillinerobjected。

’Idon’tthinkIamweak，ma’am。’

’Andyouaresovery，verylittle，yousee，’themillinerobjected。

’Yes，IamafraidIamverylittleindeed，’returnedtheChildoftheMarshalsea；andsobegantosoboverthatunfortunatedefectofhers，whichcamesoofteninherway。Themilliner——whowasnotmoroseorhard-hearted，onlynewlyinsolvent——wastouched，tookherinhandwithgoodwill，foundherthemostpatientandearnestofpupils，andmadeheracunningwork-womanincourseoftime。

Incourseoftime，andintheveryself-samecourseoftime，theFatheroftheMarshalseagraduallydevelopedanewflowerofcharacter。ThemoreFatherlyhegrewastotheMarshalsea，andthemoredependenthebecameonthecontributionsofhischangingfamily，thegreaterstandhemadebyhisforlorngentility。Withthesamehandthathepocketedacollegian’shalf-crownhalfanhourago，hewouldwipeawaythetearsthatstreamedoverhischeeksifanyreferenceweremadetohisdaughters’earningtheirbread。So，overandaboveotherdailycares，theChildoftheMarshalseahadalwaysuponherthecareofpreservingthegenteelfictionthattheywereallidlebeggarstogether。

Thesisterbecameadancer。Therewasaruineduncleinthefamilygroup——ruinedbyhisbrother，theFatheroftheMarshalsea，andknowingnomorehowthanhisruinerdid，butacceptingthefactasaninevitablecertainty——onwhomherprotectiondevolved。

Naturallyaretiredandsimpleman，hehadshownnoparticularsenseofbeingruinedatthetimewhenthatcalamityfelluponhim，furtherthanthatheleftoffwashinghimselfwhentheshockwasannounced，andnevertooktothatluxuryanymore。Hehadbeenaveryindifferentmusicalamateurinhisbetterdays；andwhenhefellwithhisbrother，resortedforsupporttoplayingaclarionetasdirtyashimselfinasmallTheatreOrchestra。Itwasthetheatreinwhichhisniecebecameadancer；hehadbeenafixturetherealongtimewhenshetookherpoorstationinit；andheacceptedthetaskofservingasherescortandguardian，justashewouldhaveacceptedanillness，alegacy，afeast，starvation——

anythingbutsoap。

Toenablethisgirltoearnherfewweeklyshillings，itwasnecessaryfortheChildoftheMarshalseatogothroughanelaborateformwiththeFather。