第19章

wroteoutthatIwishedtodoneedlework，andgavehisaddress。

AndhegotwhatIwroteoutdisplayedatafewplaceswhereitcostnothing，andMrsClennamfoundmethatway，andsentforme。Thegatewillbelocked，sir!’

Shewassotremulousandagitated，andhewassomovedbycompassionforher，andbydeepinterestinherstoryasitdawneduponhim，thathecouldscarcelytearhimselfaway。Butthestoppageofthebell，andthequietintheprison，wereawarningtodepart；andwithafewhurriedwordsofkindnessheleftherglidingbacktoherfather。

Butheremainedtoolate。Theinnergatewaslocked，andthelodgeclosed。Afteralittlefruitlessknockingwithhishand，hewasstandingtherewiththedisagreeableconvictionuponhimthathehadgottogetthroughthenight，whenavoiceaccostedhimfrombehind。

’Caught，eh？’saidthevoice。’Youwon’tgohometillmorning。

Oh!It’syou，isit，MrClennam？’

ThevoicewasTip’s；andtheystoodlookingatoneanotherintheprison-yard，asitbegantorain。

’You’vedoneit，’observedTip；’youmustbesharperthanthatnexttime。’

’Butyouarelockedintoo，’saidArthur。

’IbelieveIam!’saidTip，sarcastically。’About!Butnotinyourway。Ibelongtotheshop，onlymysisterhasatheorythatourgovernormustneverknowit。Idon’tseewhy，myself。’

’CanIgetanyshelter？’askedArthur。’WhathadIbetterdo？’

’WehadbettergetholdofAmyfirstofall，’saidTip，referringanydifficultytoherasamatterofcourse。

’Iwouldratherwalkaboutallnight——it’snotmuchtodo——thangivethattrouble。’

’Youneedn’tdothat，ifyoudon’tmindpayingforabed。Ifyoudon’tmindpaying，they’llmakeyouuponeontheSnuggerytable，underthecircumstances。Ifyou’llcomealong，I’llintroduceyouthere。’

Astheypasseddowntheyard，Arthurlookedupatthewindowoftheroomhehadlatelyleft，wherethelightwasstillburning。’Yes，sir，’saidTip，followinghisglance。’That’sthegovernor’s。

She’llsitwithhimforanotherhourreadingyesterday’spapertohim，orsomethingofthatsort；andthenshe’llcomeoutlikealittleghost，andvanishawaywithoutasound。’

’Idon’tunderstandyou。’

’Thegovernorsleepsupintheroom，andshehasalodgingattheturnkey’s。Firsthousethere，’saidTip，pointingoutthedoorwayintowhichshehadretired。’Firsthouse，skyparlour。Shepaystwiceasmuchforitasshewouldforonetwiceasgoodoutside。

Butshestandsbythegovernor，poordeargirl，dayandnight。’

Thisbroughtthemtothetavern-establishmentattheupperendoftheprison，wherethecollegianshadjustvacatedtheirsocialeveningclub。Theapartmentontheground-floorinwhichitwasheld，wastheSnuggeryinquestion；thepresidentialtribuneofthechairman，thepewter-pots，glasses，pipes，tobacco-ashes，andgeneralflavourofmembers，werestillasthatconvivialinstitutionhadleftthemonitsadjournment。TheSnuggeryhadtwoofthequalitiespopularlyheldtobeessentialtogrogforladies，inrespectthatitwashotandstrong；butinthethirdpointofanalogy，requiringplentyofit，theSnuggerywasdefective；beingbutacooped-upapartment。

Theunaccustomedvisitorfromoutside，naturallyassumedeverybodyheretobeprisoners——landlord，waiter，barmaid，potboy，andall。

Whethertheywereornot，didnotappear；buttheyallhadaweedylook。Thekeeperofachandler’sshopinafrontparlour，whotookingentlemenboarders，lenthisassistanceinmakingthebed。Hehadbeenatailorinhistime，andhadkeptaphaeton，hesaid。Heboastedthathestooduplitigiouslyfortheinterestsofthecollege；andhehadundefinedandundefinableideasthatthemarshalintercepteda’Fund，’whichoughttocometothecollegians。Helikedtobelievethis，andalwaysimpressedtheshadowygrievanceonnew-comersandstrangers；thoughhecouldnot，forhislife，haveexplainedwhatFundhemeant，orhowthenotionhadgotrootedinhissoul。Hehadfullyconvincedhimself，notwithstanding，thathisownpropershareoftheFundwasthreeandninepenceaweek；andthatinthisamounthe，asanindividualcollegian，wasswindledbythemarshal，regularlyeveryMonday。

Apparently，hehelpedtomakethebed，thathemightnotloseanopportunityofstatingthiscase；afterwhichunloadingofhismind，andafterannouncing(asitseemedhealwaysdid，withoutanythingcomingofit)thathewasgoingtowritealettertothepapersandshowthemarshalup，hefellintomiscellaneousconversationwiththerest。Itwasevidentfromthegeneraltoneofthewholeparty，thattheyhadcometoregardinsolvencyasthenormalstateofmankind，andthepaymentofdebtsasadiseasethatoccasionallybrokeout。

Inthisstrangescene，andwiththesestrangespectresflittingabouthim，ArthurClennamlookedonatthepreparationsasiftheywerepartofadream。Pendingwhich，thelong-initiatedTip，withanawfulenjoymentoftheSnuggery’sresources，pointedoutthecommonkitchenfiremaintainedbysubscriptionofcollegians，theboilerforhotwatersupportedinlikemanner，andotherpremisesgenerallytendingtothedeductionthatthewaytobehealthy，wealthy，andwise，wastocometotheMarshalsea。

Thetwotablesputtogetherinacorner，were，atlength，convertedintoaveryfairbed；andthestrangerwaslefttotheWindsorchairs，thepresidentialtribune，thebeeryatmosphere，sawdust，pipe-lights，spittoonsandrepose。Butthelastitemwaslong，long，long，inlinkingitselftotherest。Thenoveltyoftheplace，thecominguponitwithoutpreparation，thesenseofbeinglockedup，theremembranceofthatroomup-stairs，ofthetwobrothers，andabovealloftheretiringchildishform，andthefaceinwhichhenowsawyearsofinsufficientfood，ifnotofwant，kepthimwakingandunhappy。

Speculations，too，bearingthestrangestrelationstowardstheprison，butalwaysconcerningtheprison，ranlikenightmaresthroughhismindwhilehelayawake。Whethercoffinswerekeptreadyforpeoplewhomightdiethere，wheretheywerekept，howtheywerekept，wherepeoplewhodiedintheprisonwereburied，howtheyweretakenout，whatformswereobserved，whetheranimplacablecreditorcouldarrestthedead？Astoescaping，whatchancestherewereofescape？Whetheraprisonercouldscalethewallswithacordandgrapple，howhewoulddescendupontheotherside？whetherhecouldalightonahousetop，stealdownastaircase，lethimselfoutatadoor，andgetlostinthecrowd？

AstoFireintheprison，ifoneweretobreakoutwhilehelaythere？

Andtheseinvoluntarystartsoffancywere，afterall，butthesettingofapictureinwhichthreepeoplekeptbeforehim。Hisfather，withthesteadfastlookwithwhichhehaddied，propheticallydarkenedforthintheportrait；hismother，withherarmup，wardingoffhissuspicion；LittleDorrit，withherhandonthedegradedarm，andherdroopingheadturnedaway。

Whatifhismotherhadanoldreasonshewellknewforsofteningtothispoorgirl!Whatiftheprisonernowsleepingquietly——Heavengrantit!——bythelightofthegreatDayofjudgmentshouldtracebackhisfalltoher。Whatifanyactofhersandofhisfather’s，shouldhaveevenremotelybroughtthegreyheadsofthosetwobrotherssolow!

Aswiftthoughtshotintohismind。Inthatlongimprisonmenthere，andinherownlongconfinementtoherroom，didhismotherfindabalancetobestruck？’IadmitthatIwasaccessorytothatman’scaptivity。Ihavesufferedforitinkind。Hehasdecayedinhisprison：Iinmine。Ihavepaidthepenalty。’

Whenalltheotherthoughtshadfadedout，thisoneheldpossessionofhim。Whenhefellasleep，shecamebeforehiminherwheeledchair，wardinghimoffwiththisjustification。Whenheawoke，andsprangupcauselesslyfrightened，thewordswereinhisears，asifhervoicehadslowlyspokenthemathispillow，tobreakhisrest：

’Hewithersawayinhisprison；Iwitherawayinmine；inexorablejusticeisdone；whatdoIoweonthisscore!’

LittleMotherThemorninglightwasinnohurrytoclimbtheprisonwallandlookinattheSnuggerywindows；andwhenitdidcome，itwouldhavebeenmorewelcomeifithadcomealone，insteadofbringingarushofrainwithit。Buttheequinoctialgaleswereblowingoutatsea，andtheimpartialsouth-westwind，initsflight，wouldnotneglecteventhenarrowMarshalsea。WhileitroaredthroughthesteepleofStGeorge’sChurch，andtwirledallthecowlsintheneighbourhood，itmadeaswooptobeattheSouthwarksmokeintothejail；and，plungingdownthechimneysofthefewearlycollegianswhowereyetlightingtheirfires，halfsuffocatedthem。

ArthurClennamwouldhavebeenlittledisposedtolingerinbed，thoughhisbedhadbeeninamoreprivatesituation，andlessaffectedbytherakingoutofyesterday’sfire，thekindlingofto-

day’sunderthecollegiateboiler，thefillingofthatSpartanvesselatthepump，thesweepingandsawdustingofthecommonroom，andothersuchpreparations。Heartilygladtoseethemorning，thoughlittlerestedbythenight，heturnedoutassoonashecoulddistinguishobjectsabouthim，andpacedtheyardfortwoheavyhoursbeforethegatewasopened。

Thewallsweresoneartooneanother，andthewildcloudshurriedoverthemsofast，thatitgavehimasensationlikethebeginningofsea-sicknesstolookupatthegustysky。Therain，carriedaslantbyflawsofwind，blackenedthatsideofthecentralbuildingwhichhehadvisitedlastnight，butleftanarrowdrytroughundertheleeofthewall，wherehewalkedupanddownamongthewaitsofstrawanddustandpaper，thewastedroppingsofthepump，andthestrayleavesofyesterday’sgreens。Itwasashaggardaviewoflifeasamanneedlookupon。

Norwasitrelievedbyanyglimpseofthelittlecreaturewhohadbroughthimthere。Perhapssheglidedoutofherdoorwayandinatthatwhereherfatherlived，whilehisfacewasturnedfromboth；

buthesawnothingofher。Itwastooearlyforherbrother；tohaveseenhimonce，wastohaveseenenoughofhimtoknowthathewouldbesluggishtoleavewhateverfrowsybedheoccupiedatnight；so，asArthurClennamwalkedupanddown，waitingforthegatetoopen，hecastaboutinhismindforfutureratherthanforpresentmeansofpursuinghisdiscoveries。

Atlastthelodge-gateturned，andtheturnkey，standingonthestep，takinganearlycombathishair，wasreadytolethimout。

Withajoyfulsenseofreleasehepassedthroughthelodge，andfoundhimselfagaininthelittleoutercourt-yardwherehehadspokentothebrotherlastnight。

Therewasastringofpeoplealreadystragglingin，whomitwasnotdifficulttoidentifyasthenondescriptmessengers，go-betweens，anderrand-bearersoftheplace。Someofthemhadbeenloungingintherainuntilthegateshouldopen；others，whohadtimedtheirarrivalwithgreaternicety，werecomingupnow，andpassinginwithdampwhitey-brownpaperbagsfromthegrocers，loavesofbread，lumpsofbutter，eggs，milk，andthelike。Theshabbinessoftheseattendantsuponshabbiness，thepovertyoftheseinsolventwaitersuponinsolvency，wasasighttosee。Suchthreadbarecoatsandtrousers，suchfustygownsandshawls，suchsquashedhatsandbonnets，suchbootsandshoes，suchumbrellasandwalking-sticks，neverwereseeninRagFair。Allofthemworethecast-offclothesofothermenandwomen，weremadeupofpatchesandpiecesofotherpeople’sindividuality，andhadnosartorialexistenceoftheirownproper。Theirwalkwasthewalkofaraceapart。Theyhadapeculiarwayofdoggedlyslinkingroundthecorner，asiftheywereeternallygoingtothepawnbroker’s。Whentheycoughed，theycoughedlikepeopleaccustomedtobeforgottenondoorstepsandindraughtypassages，waitingforanswerstolettersinfadedink，whichgavetherecipientsofthosemanuscriptsgreatmentaldisturbanceandnosatisfaction。Astheyeyedthestrangerinpassing，theyeyedhimwithborrowingeyes——hungry，sharp，speculativeastohissoftnessiftheywereaccreditedtohim，andthelikelihoodofhisstandingsomethinghandsome。Mendicityoncommissionstoopedintheirhighshoulders，shambledintheirunsteadylegs，buttonedandpinnedanddarnedanddraggedtheirclothes，frayedtheirbutton-holes，leakedoutoftheirfiguresindirtylittleendsoftape，andissuedfromtheirmouthsinalcoholicbreathings。