第98章

’Brother!’saidtheoldman，conveyingasurprisingenergyintohistremblingvoice，’Iprotestagainstit!Iloveyou；youknowI

loveyoudearly。InthesemanyyearsIhaveneverbeenuntruetoyouinasinglethought。WeakasIam，Iwouldatanytimehavestruckanymanwhospokeillofyou。But，brother，brother，brother，Iprotestagainstit!’

Itwasextraordinarytoseeofwhataburstofearnestnesssuchadecrepitmanwascapable。Hiseyesbecamebright，hisgreyhairroseonhishead，markingsofpurposeonhisbrowandfacewhichhadfadedfromthemforfive-and-twentyyears，startedoutagain，andtherewasanenergyinhishandthatmadeitsactionnervousoncemore。

’MydearFrederick!’exclaimedMrDorritfaintly。’Whatiswrong？

Whatisthematter？’

’Howdareyou，’saidtheoldman，turningroundonFanny，’howdareyoudoit？Haveyounomemory？Haveyounoheart？’

’Uncle？’criedFanny，affrightedandburstingintotears，’whydoyouattackmeinthiscruelmanner？WhathaveIdone？’

’Done？’returnedtheoldman，pointingtohersister’splace，’where’syouraffectionateinvaluablefriend？Where’syourdevotedguardian？Where’syourmorethanmother？Howdareyousetupsuperioritiesagainstallthesecharacterscombinedinyoursister？

Forshame，youfalsegirl，forshame!’

’IloveAmy，’criedMissFanny，sobbingandweeping，’aswellasI

lovemylife——betterthanIlovemylife。Idon’tdeservetobesotreated。IamasgratefultoAmy，andasfondofAmy，asit’spossibleforanyhumanbeingtobe。IwishIwasdead。Ineverwassowickedlywronged。AndonlybecauseIamanxiousforthefamilycredit。’

’Tothewindswiththefamilycredit!’criedtheoldman，withgreatscornandindignation。’Brother，Iprotestagainstpride。

Iprotestagainstingratitude。Iprotestagainstanyoneofusherewhohaveknownwhatwehaveknown，andhaveseenwhatwehaveseen，settingupanypretensionthatputsAmyatamoment’sdisadvantage，ortothecostofamoment’spain。Wemayknowthatit’sabasepretensionbyitshavingthateffect。Itoughttobringajudgmentonus。Brother，IprotestagainstitinthesightofGod!’

Ashishandwentupabovehisheadandcamedownonthetable，itmighthavebeenablacksmith’s。Afterafewmoments’silence，ithadrelaxedintoitsusualweakcondition。Hewentroundtohisbrotherwithhisordinaryshufflingstep，putthehandonhisshoulder，andsaid，inasoftenedvoice，’William，mydear，Ifeltobligedtosayit；forgiveme，forIfeltobligedtosayit!’andthenwent，inhisbowedway，outofthepalacehall，justashemighthavegoneoutoftheMarshalsearoom。

AllthistimeFannyhadbeensobbingandcrying，andstillcontinuedtodoso。Edward，beyondopeninghismouthinamazement，hadnotopenedhislips，andhaddonenothingbutstare。MrDorritalsohadbeenutterlydiscomfited，andquiteunabletoasserthimselfinanyway。Fannywasnowthefirsttospeak。

’Inever，never，neverwassoused!’shesobbed。’Thereneverwasanythingsoharshandunjustifiable，sodisgracefullyviolentandcruel!Dear，kind，quietlittleAmy，too，whatwouldshefeelifshecouldknowthatshehadbeeninnocentlythemeansofexposingmetosuchtreatment!ButI’llnevertellher!No，gooddarling，I’llnevertellher!’

ThishelpedMrDorrittobreakhissilence。

’Mydear，’saidhe，’I——ha——approveofyourresolution。Itwillbe——hahum——muchbetternottospeakofthistoAmy。Itmight——

hum——itmightdistressher。Ha。Nodoubtitwoulddistresshergreatly。Itisconsiderateandrighttoavoiddoingso。Wewill——

ha——keepthistoourselves。’

’ButthecrueltyofUncle!’criedMissFanny。’O，InevercanforgivethewantoncrueltyofUncle!’

’Mydear，’saidMrDorrit，recoveringhistone，thoughheremainedunusuallypale，’Imustrequestyounottosayso。Youmustrememberthatyouruncleis——ha——notwhatheformerlywas。Youmustrememberthatyouruncle’sstaterequires——hum——greatforbearancefromus，greatforbearance。’

’Iamsure，’criedFanny，piteously，’itisonlycharitabletosupposethatthereMustbesomethingwronginhimsomewhere，orhenevercouldhavesoattackedMe，ofallthepeopleintheworld。’