第126章

MrFlintwinchwasthefirsttostir。’Affery，mywoman，’saidhe，sidlingatherwithhisfistsclenched，andhiselbowsquiveringwithimpatiencetoshakeher，’youareatyouroldtricks。You’llbewalkinginyoursleepnext，mywoman，andplayingthewholeroundofyourdistemperedantics。Youmusthavesomephysic。WhenIhaveshownthisgentlemanout，I’llmakeyouupsuchacomfortabledose，mywoman；suchacomfortabledose!’

ItdidnotappearaltogethercomfortableinexpectationtoMistressAffery；butJeremiah，withoutfurtherreferencetohishealingmedicine，tookanothercandlefromMrsClennam’stable，andsaid，’Now，sir；shallIlightyoudown？’

MrDorritprofessedhimselfobliged，andwentdown。MrFlintwinchshuthimout，andchainedhimout，withoutamoment’slossoftime。

Hewasagainpassedbythetwomen，onegoingoutandtheothercomingin；gotintothevehiclehehadleftwaiting，andwasdrivenaway。

Beforehehadgonefar，thedriverstoppedtolethimknowthathehadgivenhisname，number，andaddresstothetwomen，ontheirjointrequisition；andalsotheaddressatwhichhehadtakenMrDorritup，thehouratwhichhehadbeencalledfromhisstandandthewaybywhichhehadcome。Thisdidnotmakethenight’sadventurerunanylesshotlyinMrDorrit’smind，eitherwhenhesatdownbyhisfireagain，orwhenhewenttobed。Allnighthehauntedthedismalhouse，sawthetwopeopleresolutelywaiting，heardthewomanwithherapronoverherfacecryoutaboutthenoise，andfoundthebodyofthemissingBlandois，nowburiedinthecellar，andnowbrickedupinawall。

ACastleintheAirManifoldarethecaresofwealthandstate。MrDorrit’ssatisfactioninrememberingthatithadnotbeennecessaryforhimtoannouncehimselftoClennamandCo。，ortomakeanallusiontohishavinghadanyknowledgeoftheintrusivepersonofthatname，hadbeendampedover-night，whileitwasstillfresh，byadebatethatarosewithinhimwhetherornoheshouldtaketheMarshalseainhiswayback，andlookattheoldgate。Hehaddecidednottodoso；andhadastonishedthecoachmanbybeingveryfiercewithhimforproposingtogooverLondonBridgeandrecrosstheriverbyWaterlooBridge——acoursewhichwouldhavetakenhimalmostwithinsightofhisoldquarters。Still，forallthat，thequestionhadraisedaconflictinhisbreast；and，forsomeoddreasonornoreason，hewasvaguelydissatisfied。EvenattheMerdledinner-

tablenextday，hewassooutofsortsaboutitthathecontinuedatintervalstoturnitoverandover，inamannerfrightfullyinconsistentwiththegoodsocietysurroundinghim。ItmadehimhottothinkwhattheChiefButler’sopinionofhimwouldhavebeen，ifthatillustriouspersonagecouldhaveplumbedwiththatheavyeyeofhisthestreamofhismeditations。

Thefarewellbanquetwasofagorgeousnature，andwounduphisvisitinamostbrilliantmanner。Fannycombinedwiththeattractionsofheryouthandbeauty，acertainweightofself-

sustainmentasifshehadbeenmarriedtwentyyears。Hefeltthathecouldleaveherwithaquietmindtotreadthepathsofdistinction，andwished——butwithoutabatementofpatronage，andwithoutprejudicetotheretiringvirtuesofhisfavouritechild——

thathehadsuchanotherdaughter。

’Mydear，’hetoldheratparting，’ourfamilylookstoyouto——ha——assertitsdignityand——hum