第144章

’MrRugg，’saidArthur，inhisdejection，’myonlywishis，thatitshouldbeover。Iwillgoon，andtakemychance。’

’Anotherwordofreason，sir!’criedMrRugg。’Now，thisisreason。Theothermaybetaste；butthisisreason。Ifyoushouldbetakenonalittleone，sir，youwouldgototheMarshalsea。

Now，youknowwhattheMarshalseais。Veryclose。Excessivelyconfined。WhereasintheKing’sBench——’MrRuggwavedhisrighthandfreely，asexpressingabundanceofspace。

’Iwouldrather，’saidClennam，’betakentotheMarshalseathantoanyotherprison。’

’Doyousaysoindeed，sir？’returnedMrRugg。’Thenthisistaste，too，andwemaybewalking。’

Hewasalittleoffendedatfirst，buthesoonoverlookedit。TheywalkedthroughtheYardtotheotherend。TheBleedingHeartsweremoreinterestedinArthursincehisreversesthanformerly；nowregardinghimasonewhowastruetotheplaceandhadtakenuphisfreedom。Manyofthemcameouttolookafterhim，andtoobservetooneanother，withgreatunctuousness，thathewas’pulleddownbyit。’MrsPlornishandherfatherstoodatthetopofthestepsattheirownend，muchdepressedandshakingtheirheads。

TherewasnobodyvisiblyinwaitingwhenArthurandMrRuggarrivedattheCounting-house。ButanelderlymemberoftheJewishpersuasion，preservedinrum，followedthemclose，andlookedinattheglassbeforeMrRugghadopenedoneoftheday’sletters。

’Oh!’saidMrRugg，lookingup。’Howdoyoudo？Stepin——MrClennam，IthinkthisisthegentlemanIwasmentioning。’

Thisgentlemanexplainedtheobjectofhisvisittobe’atyflingmadderobbithznithz，’andexecutedhislegalfunction。

’ShallIaccompanyyou，MrClennam？’askedMrRuggpolitely，rubbinghishands。

’Iwouldrathergoalone，thankyou。Besogoodassendmemyclothes。’MrRugginalightairywayrepliedintheaffirmative，andshookhandswithhim。Heandhisattendantthenwentdown-

stairs，gotintothefirstconveyancetheyfound，anddrovetotheoldgates。

’WhereIlittlethought，Heavenforgiveme，’saidClennamtohimself，’thatIshouldeverenterthus!’

MrChiverywasontheLock，andYoungJohnwasintheLodge：eithernewlyreleasedfromit，orwaitingtotakehisownspellofduty。

Bothweremoreastonishedonseeingwhotheprisonerwas，thanonemighthavethoughtturnkeyswouldhavebeen。TheelderMrChiveryshookhandswithhiminashame-facedkindofway，andsaid，’I

don’tcalltomind，sir，asIwaseverlessgladtoseeyou。’TheyoungerMrChivery，moredistant，didnotshakehandswithhimatall；hestoodlookingathiminastateofindecisionsoobservablethatitevencamewithintheobservationofClennamwithhisheavyeyesandheavyheart。Presentlyafterwards，YoungJohndisappearedintothejail。

AsClennamknewenoughoftheplacetoknowthathewasrequiredtoremainintheLodgeacertaintime，hetookaseatinacorner，andfeignedtobeoccupiedwiththeperusaloflettersfromhispocket。

Theydidnotsoengrosshisattention，butthathesaw，withgratitude，howtheelderMrChiverykepttheLodgeclearofprisoners；howhesignedtosome，withhiskeys，nottocomein，howhenudgedotherswithhiselbowstogoout，andhowhemadehismiseryaseasytohimashecould。

Arthurwassittingwithhiseyesfixedonthefloor，recallingthepast，broodingoverthepresent，andnotattendingtoeither，whenhefelthimselftouchedupontheshoulder。ItwasbyYoungJohn；

andhesaid，’Youcancomenow。’

HegotupandfollowedYoungJoh