第44章

’Thetruthis，hehastwicetakenhisdaughterabroadinthehopeofseparatingherfromMrGowan。Heratherthinkssheisdisposedtolikehim，andhehaspainfuldoubts(Iquiteagreewithhim，asIdaresayyoudo)ofthehopefulnessofsuchamarriage。’

’There——’Clennamchoked，andcoughed，andstopped。

’Yes，youhavetakencold，’saidDanielDoyce。Butwithoutlookingathim。

’Thereisanengagementbetweenthem，ofcourse？’saidClennamairily。

’No。AsIamtold，certainlynot。Ithasbeensolicitedonthegentleman’spart，butnonehasbeenmade。Sincetheirrecentreturn，ourfriendhasyieldedtoaweeklyvisit，butthatistheutmost。Minniewouldnotdeceiveherfatherandmother。Youhavetravelledwiththem，andIbelieveyouknowwhatabondthereisamongthem，extendingevenbeyondthispresentlife。AllthatthereisbetweenMissMinnieandMrGowan，Ihavenodoubtwesee。’

’Ah!Weseeenough!’criedArthur。

MrDoycewishedhimGoodNightinthetoneofamanwhohadheardamournful，nottosaydespairing，exclamation，andwhosoughttoinfusesomeencouragementandhopeintothemindofthepersonbywhomithadbeenuttered。Suchtonewasprobablyapartofhisoddity，asoneofacrotchetyband；forhowcouldhehaveheardanythingofthatkind，withoutClennam’shearingittoo？

Therainfellheavilyontheroof，andpatteredontheground，anddrippedamongtheevergreensandtheleaflessbranchesofthetrees。Therainfellheavily，drearily。Itwasanightoftears。

IfClennamhadnotdecidedagainstfallinginlovewithPet；ifhehadhadtheweaknesstodoit；ifhehad，littlebylittle，persuadedhimselftosetalltheearnestnessofhisnature，allthemightofhishope，andallthewealthofhismaturedcharacter，onthatcast；ifhehaddonethisandfoundthatallwaslost；hewouldhavebeen，thatnight，unutterablymiserable。Asitwas——Asitwas，therainfellheavily，drearily。

LittleDorrit’sLoverLittleDorrithadnotattainedhertwenty-secondbirthdaywithoutfindingalover。EvenintheshallowMarshalsea，theeveryoungArchershotoffafewfeatherlessarrowsnowandthenfromamouldybow，andwingedaCollegianortwo。

LittleDorrit’slover，however，wasnotaCollegian。Hewasthesentimentalsonofaturnkey。Hisfatherhoped，inthefulnessoftime，toleavehimtheinheritanceofanunstainedkey；andhadfromhisearlyyouthfamiliarisedhimwiththedutiesofhisoffice，andwithanambitiontoretaintheprison-lockinthefamily。Whilethesuccessionwasyetinabeyance，heassistedhismotherintheconductofasnugtobaccobusinessroundthecornerofHorsemongerLane(hisfatherbeinganon-residentturnkey)，whichcouldusuallycommandaneatconnectionwithintheCollegewalls。

Yearsagone，whentheobjectofhisaffectionswaswonttositinherlittlearm-chairbythehighLodge-fender，YoungJohn(familyname，Chivery)，ayearolderthanherself，hadeyedherwithadmiringwonder。Whenhehadplayedwithherintheyard，hisfavouritegamehadbeentocounterfeitlockingherupincorners，andtocounterfeitlettingheroutforrealkisses。Whenhegrewtallenoughtopeepthroughthekeyholeofthegreatlockofthemaindoor，hehaddiverstimessetdownhisfather’sdinner，orsupper，togetonasitmightontheoutersidethereof，whilehestoodtakingcoldinoneeyebydintofpeepingatherthroughthatairyperspective。

IfYoungJohnhadeverslackenedinhistruthinthelesspenetrabledaysofhisboyhood，whenyouthispronetowearitsbootsunlacedandishappilyunconsciousofdigestiveorgans，hehadsoonstrungitupagainandscrewedittight。Atnineteen，hishandhadinscribedinchalkonthatpartofthewallwhichfrontedherlodgings，ontheoccasionofherbirthday，’WelcomesweetnurslingoftheFairies!’Attwenty-three，thesamehandfalteringlypresentedcigarsonSundaystotheFatheroftheMarshalsea，andFatherofthequeenofhissoul。

YoungJohnwassmallofstature，withratherweaklegsandveryweaklighthair。Oneofhiseyes(perhapstheeyethatusedtopeepthroughthekeyhole)wasalsoweak，andlookedlargerthantheother，asifitcouldn’tcollectitself。YoungJohnwasgentlelikewise。Buthewasgreatofsoul。Poetical，expansive，faithful。

Thoughtoohumblebeforetherulerofhi