第18章

’Thankyou，’returnedArthur。’Notamorsel。’

Hefelthimselfquitelostinwonderatthemanneroftheman，andthattheprobabilityofhisdaughter’shavinghadareserveastoherfamilyhistory，shouldbesofaroutofhismind。

Shefilledhisglass，putallthelittlemattersonthetablereadytohishand，andthensatbesidehimwhileheatehissupper。

Evidentlyinobservanceoftheirnightlycustom，sheputsomebreadbeforeherself，andtouchedhisglasswithherlips；butArthursawshewastroubledandtooknothing。Herlookatherfather，halfadmiringhimandproudofhim，halfashamedforhim，alldevotedandloving，wenttohisinmostheart。

TheFatheroftheMarshalseacondescendedtowardshisbrotherasanamiable，well-meaningman；aprivatecharacter，whohadnotarrivedatdistinction。’Frederick，’saidhe，’youandFannysupatyourlodgingsto-night，Iknow。WhathaveyoudonewithFanny，Frederick？’

’SheiswalkingwithTip。’

’Tip——asyoumayknow——ismyson，MrClennam。Hehasbeenalittlewild，anddifficulttosettle，buthisintroductiontotheworldwasrather’——heshruggedhisshoulderswithafaintsigh，andlookedroundtheroom——’alittleadverse。Yourfirstvisithere，sir？’

’myfirst。’

’Youcouldhardlyhavebeenheresinceyourboyhoodwithoutmyknowledge。Itveryseldomhappensthatanybody——ofanypretensions-anypretensions——comesherewithoutbeingpresentedtome。’

’Asmanyasfortyorfiftyinadayhavebeenintroducedtomybrother，’saidFrederick，faintlylightingupwitharayofpride。

’Yes!’theFatheroftheMarshalseaassented。’Wehaveevenexceededthatnumber。OnafineSundayintermtime，itisquiteaLevee——quiteaLevee。Amy，mydear，IhavebeentryinghalfthedaytorememberthenameofthegentlemanfromCamberwellwhowasintroducedtomelastChristmasweekbythatagreeablecoal-

merchantwhowasremandedforsixmonths。’

’Idon’trememberhisname，father。’

’Frederick，doyourememberhisname？’

Frederickdoubtedifhehadeverheardit。NoonecoulddoubtthatFrederickwasthelastpersonuponearthtoputsuchaquestionto，withanyhopeofinformation。

’Imean，’saidhisbrother，’thegentlemanwhodidthathandsomeactionwithsomuchdelicacy。Ha!Tush!Thenamehasquiteescapedme。MrClennam，asIhavehappenedtomentionhandsomeanddelicateaction，youmaylike，perhaps，toknowwhatitwas。’

’Verymuch，’saidArthur，withdrawinghiseyesfromthedelicateheadbeginningtodroopandthepalefacewithanewsolicitudestealingoverit。

’Itissogenerous，andshowssomuchfinefeeling，thatitisalmostadutytomentionit。IsaidatthetimethatIalwayswouldmentionitoneverysuitableoccasion，withoutregardtopersonalsensitiveness。A——well——a——it’sofnousetodisguisethefact——youmustknow，MrClennam，thatitdoessometimesoccurthatpeoplewhocomeheredesiretooffersomelittle——Testimonial——totheFatheroftheplace。’

Toseeherhanduponhisarminmuteentreatyhalf-repressed，andhertimidlittleshrinkingfigureturningaway，wastoseeasad，sadsight。

’Sometimes，’hewentoninalow，softvoice，agitated，andclearinghisthroateverynowandthen；’sometimes——hem——ittakesoneshapeandsometimesanother；butitisgenerally——ha——Money。

Anditis，Icannotbutconfessit，itistoooften——hem——

acceptable。ThisgentlemanthatIreferto，waspresentedtome，MrClennam，inamannerhighlygratifyingtomyfeelings，andconversednotonlywithgreatpoliteness，butwithgreat——ahem——

information。’Allthistime，thoughhehadfinishedhissupper，hewasnervouslygoingabouthisplatewithhisknifeandfork，asifsomeofitwerestillbeforehim。’Itappearedfromhisconversationthathehadagarden，thoughhewasdelicateofmentioningitatfirst，asgardensare——hem——arenotaccessibletome。Butitcameout，throughmyadmiringaveryfineclusterofgeranium——beautifulclusterofgeraniumtobesure——whichhehadbroughtfromhisconservatory。Onmytakingnoticeofitsrichcolour，heshowedmeapieceofpaperroundit，onwhichwaswritten，“FortheFatheroftheMarshalsea，“andpresentedittome。Butthiswas——hem——notall。Hemadeaparticularrequest，ontakingleave，thatIwouldremovethepaperinhalfanhour。I——

ha——Ididso；andIfoundthatitcontained——ahem——twoguineas。I

assureyou，MrClennam，Ihavereceived——hem——Testimonialsinmanyways，andofmanydegreesofvalue，andtheyhavealwaysbeen——ha——

unfortunatelyacceptable；butIneverwasmorepleasedthanwiththis——ahem——thisparticularTestimonial。’

Arthurwasintheactofsayingthelittlehecouldsayonsuchatheme，whenabellbegantoring，andfootstepsapproachedthedoor。AprettygirlofafarbetterfigureandmuchmoredevelopedthanLittleDorrit，thoughlookingmuchyoungerinthefacewhenthetwowereobservedtogether，stoppedinthedoorwayonseeingastranger；andayoungmanwhowaswithher，stoppedtoo。

’MrClennam，Fanny。Myeldestdaughterandmyson，MrClennam。

Thebellisasignalforvisitorstoretire，andsotheyhavecometosaygoodnight；butthereisplentyoftime，plentyoftime。

Girls，MrClennamwillexcuseanyhouseholdbusinessyoumayhavetogether。Heknows，Idaresay，thatIhavebutoneroomhere。’

’IonlywantmycleandressfromAmy，father，’saidthesecondgirl。

’AndImyclothes，’saidTip。

Amyopenedadrawerinanoldpieceoffurniturethatwasachestofdrawersaboveandabedsteadbelow，andproducedtwolittlebundles，whichshehandedtoherbrotherandsister。’Mendedandmadeup？’Clennamheardthesisteraskinawhisper。TowhichAmyanswered’Yes。’Hehadrisennow，andtooktheopportunityofglancingroundtheroom。Thebarewallshadbeencolouredgreen，evidentlybyanunskilledhand，andwerepoorlydecoratedwithafewprints。Thewindowwascurtained，andthefloorcarpeted；andtherewereshelvesandpegs，andothersuchconveniences，thathadaccumulatedinthecourseofyears。Itwasaclose，confinedroom，poorlyfurnished；andthechimneysmokedtoboot，orthetinscreenatthetopofthefireplacewassuperfluous；butconstantpainsandcarehadmadeitneat，andeven，afteritskind，comfortable。

Allthewhilethebellwasringing，andtheunclewasanxioustogo。’Come，Fanny，come，Fanny，’hesaid，withhisraggedclarionetcaseunderhisarm；’thelock，child，thelock!’

Fannybadeherfathergoodnight，andwhiskedoffairily。Tiphadalreadyclattereddown-stairs。’Now，MrClennam，’saidtheuncle，lookingbackasheshuffledoutafterthem，’thelock，sir，thelock。’

MrClennamhadtwothingstodobeforehefollowed；one，toofferhistestimonialtotheFatheroftheMarshalsea，withoutgivingpaintohischild；theothertosaysomethingtothatchild，thoughitwerebutaword，inexplanationofhishavingcomethere。

’Allowme，’saidtheFather，’toseeyoudown-stairs。’

Shehadslippedoutaftertherest，andtheywerealone。’Notonanyaccount，’saidthevisitor，hurriedly。’Prayallowmeto——’

chink，chink，chink。

’MrClennam，’saidtheFather，’Iamdeeply，deeply——’Buthisvisitorhadshutuphishandtostoptheclinking，andhadgonedown-stairswithgreatspeed。

HesawnoLittleDorritonhiswaydown，orintheyard。Thelasttwoorthreestragglerswerehurryingtothelodge，andhewasfollowing，whenhecaughtsightofherinthedoorwayofthefirsthousefromtheentrance。Heturnedbackhastily。

’Prayforgiveme，’hesaid，’forspeakingtoyouhere；prayforgivemeforcominghereatall!Ifollowedyouto-night。Ididso，thatImightendeavourtorenderyouandyourfamilysomeservice。

YouknowthetermsonwhichIandmymotherare，andmaynotbesurprisedthatIhavepreservedourdistantrelationsatherhouse，lestIshouldunintentionallymakeherjealous，orresentful，ordoyouanyinjuryinherestimation。WhatIhaveseenhere，inthisshorttime，hasgreatlyincreasedmyheartfeltwishtobeafriendtoyou。ItwouldrecompensemeformuchdisappointmentifIcouldhopetogainyourconfidence。’

Shewasscaredatfirst，butseemedtotakecouragewhilehespoketoher。

’Youareverygood，sir。Youspeakveryearnestlytome。ButI——

butIwishyouhadnotwatchedme。’

Heunderstoodtheemotionwithwhichshesaidit，toariseinherfather’sbehalf；andherespectedit，andwassilent。

’MrsClennamhasbeenofgreatservicetome；Idon’tknowwhatweshouldhavedonewithouttheemploymentshehasgivenme；Iamafraiditmaynotbeagoodreturntobecomesecretwithher；Icansaynomoreto-night，sir。Iamsureyoumeantobekindtous。

Thankyou，thankyou。’

’LetmeaskyouonequestionbeforeIleave。Haveyouknownmymotherlong？’

’Ithinktwoyears，sir，——Thebellhasstopped。’

’Howdidyouknowherfirst？Didshesendhereforyou？’

’No。ShedoesnotevenknowthatIlivehere。Wehaveafriend，fatherandI——apoorlabouringman，butthebestoffriends——andI