第100章

sometimesshootingona-head，andstoppingtoletthempass；

sometimes，whenthewaywasbroadenough，skimmingalongsidebysidewiththem；andsometimesfollowingcloseastern；andasFannygraduallymadenodisguisethatshewasplayingoffgracesuponsomebodywithinit，ofwhomsheatthesametimefeignedtobeunconscious；LittleDorritatlengthaskedwhoitwas？

TowhichFannymadetheshortanswer，’Thatgaby。’

’Who？’saidLittleDorrit。

’Mydearchild，’returnedFanny(inatonesuggestingthatbeforeherUncle’sprotestshemighthavesaid，Youlittlefool，instead)，’howslowyouare!YoungSparkler。’

Sheloweredthewindowonherside，and，leaningbackandrestingherelbowonitnegligently，fannedherselfwitharichSpanishfanofblackandgold。Theattendantgondola，havingskimmedforwardagain，withsomeswifttraceofaneyeinthewindow，Fannylaughedcoquettishlyandsaid，’Didyoueverseesuchafool，mylove？’

’Doyouthinkhemeanstofollowyoualltheway？’askedLittleDorrit。

’Mypreciouschild，’returnedFanny，’Ican’tpossiblyanswerforwhatanidiotinastateofdesperationmaydo，butIshouldthinkithighlyprobable。It’snotsuchanenormousdistance。AllVenicewouldscarcelybethat，Iimagine，ifhe’sdyingforaglimpseofme。’

’Andishe？’askedLittleDorritinperfectsimplicity。

’Well，mylove，thatreallyisanawkwardquestionformetoanswer，’saidhersister。’Ibelieveheis。YouhadbetteraskEdward。HetellsEdwardheis，Ibelieve。IunderstandhemakesaperfectspectacleofhimselfattheCasino，andthatsortofplaces，bygoingonaboutme。ButyouhadbetteraskEdwardifyouwanttoknow。’

’Iwonderhedoesn’tcall，’saidLittleDorritafterthinkingamoment。

’MydearAmy，yourwonderwillsooncease，ifIamrightlyinformed。Ishouldnotbeatallsurprisedifhecalledto-day。

Thecreaturehasonlybeenwaitingtogethiscourageup，I

suspect。’

’Willyouseehim？’

’Indeed，mydarling，’saidFanny，’that’sjustasitmayhappen。

Hereheisagain。Lookathim。O，yousimpleton!’

MrSparklerhad，undeniably，aweakappearance；withhiseyeinthewindowlikeaknotintheglass，andnoreasononearthforstoppinghisbarksuddenly，excepttherealreason。

’WhenyouaskedmeifIwillseehim，mydear，’saidFanny，almostaswellcomposedinthegracefulindifferenceofherattitudeasMrsMerdleherself，’whatdoyoumean？’

’Imean，’saidLittleDorrit——’IthinkIrathermeanwhatdoyoumean，dearFanny？’

Fannylaughedagain，inamanneratoncecondescending，arch，andaffable；andsaid，puttingherarmroundhersisterinaplayfullyaffectionateway：

’Nowtellme，mylittlepet。WhenwesawthatwomanatMartigny，howdidyouthinkshecarrieditoff？Didyouseewhatshedecidedoninamoment？’

’No，Fanny。’

’ThenI’lltellyou，Amy。Shesettledwithherself，nowI’llneverrefertothatmeetingundersuchdifferentcircumstances，andI’llneverpretendtohaveanyideathatthesearethesamegirls。

That’sherwayoutofadifficulty。WhatdidItellyouwhenwecameawayfromHarleyStreetthattime？Sheisasinsolentandfalseasanywomanintheworld。Butinthefirstcapacity，mylove，shemayfindpeoplewhocanmatchher。’

AsignificantturnoftheSpanishfantowardsFanny’sbosom，indicatedwithgreatexpressionwhereoneofthesepeoplewastobefound。

’Notonlythat，’pursuedFanny，’butshegivesthesamechargetoYoungSparkler；anddoesn’tlethimcomeaftermeuntilshehasgotitthoroughlyintohismostridiculousofallridiculousnoddles(foronereallycan’tcallitahead)，thatheistopretendtohavebeenfirststruckwithmeinthatInnYard。’

’Why？’