第158章

’Don’tsayso，’saidMrMeagles；’youdoyourselfaninjustice。

However，tocometothepoint。’Forhewassensibleofhavinggainednothingbyapproachingitinaroundaboutway。’IhaveheardfrommyfriendClennam，who，youwillbesorrytohear，hasbeenandstillisveryill——’

Hepausedagain，andagainshewassilent。

’——thatyouhadsomeknowledgeofoneBlandois，latelykilledinLondonbyaviolentaccident。Now，don’tmistakeme!Iknowitwasaslightknowledge，’saidMrMeagles，dexterouslyforestallinganangryinterruptionwhichhesawabouttobreak。’Iamfullyawareofthat。Itwasaslightknowledge，Iknow。Butthequestionis，’MrMeagles’svoiceherebecamecomfortableagain，’didhe，onhiswaytoEnglandlasttime，leaveaboxofpapers，orabundleofpapers，orsomepapersorotherinsomereceptacleorother——anypapers——withyou：beggingyoutoallowhimtoleavethemhereforashorttime，untilhewantedthem？’

’Thequestionis？’sherepeated。’Whosequestionis？’

’Mine，’saidMrMeagles。’AndnotonlyminebutClennam’squestion，andotherpeople’squestion。Now，Iamsure，’continuedMrMeagles，whoseheartwasoverflowingwithPet，’thatyoucan’thaveanyunkindfeelingtowardsmydaughter；it’simpossible。

Well!It’sherquestion，too；beingoneinwhichaparticularfriendofhersisnearlyinterested。SohereIam，franklytosaythatisthequestion，andtoask，Now，didhe？’

’Uponmyword，’shereturned，’IseemtobeamarkforeverybodywhoknewanythingofamanIonceinmylifehired，andpaid，anddismissed，toaimtheirquestionsat!’

’Now，don’t，’remonstratedMrMeagles，’don’t!Don’ttakeoffence，becauseit’stheplainestquestionintheworld，andmightbeaskedofanyone。ThedocumentsIrefertowerenothisown，werewrongfullyobtained，mightatsometimeorotherbetroublesometoaninnocentpersontohaveinkeeping，andaresoughtbythepeopletowhomtheyreallybelong。HepassedthroughCalaisgoingtoLondon，andtherewerereasonswhyheshouldnottakethemwithhimthen，whyheshouldwishtobeabletoputhishanduponthemreadily，andwhyheshoulddistrustleavingthemwithpeopleofhisownsort。Didheleavethemhere？IdeclareifIknewhowtoavoidgivingyouoffence，Iwouldtakeanypainstodoit。Iputthequestionpersonally，butthere’snothingpersonalinit。I

mightputittoanyone；Ihaveputitalreadytomanypeople。Didheleavethemhere？Didheleaveanythinghere？’

’No。’

’Thenunfortunately，MissWade，youknownothingaboutthem？’

’Iknownothingaboutthem。Ihavenowansweredyourunaccountablequestion。Hedidnotleavethemhere，andIknownothingaboutthem。’

’There!’saidMrMeaglesrising。’Iamsorryforit；that’sover；

andIhopethereisnotmuchharmdone——Tattycoramwell，MissWade？’

’Harrietwell？Oyes!’

’Ihaveputmyfootinitagain，’saidMrMeagles，thuscorrected。

’Ican’tkeepmyfootoutofithere，itseems。Perhaps，ifIhadthoughttwiceaboutit，Imightneverhavegivenherthejinglingname。But，whenonemeanstobegood-naturedandsportivewithyoungpeople，onedoesn’tthinktwice。Heroldfriendleavesakindwordforher，MissWade，ifyoushouldthinkpropertodeliverit。’

Shesaidnothingastothat；andMrMeagles，takinghishonestfaceoutofthedullroom，whereitshonelikeasun，tookittotheHotelwherehehadleftMrsMeagles，andwherehemadetheReport：

’Beaten，Mother；noeffects!’HetookitnexttotheLondonSteamPacket，whichsailedinthenight；andnexttotheMarshalsea。

ThefaithfulJohnwasondutywhenFatherandMotherMeaglespresentedthemselvesatthewickettowardsnightfall。MissDorritwasnottherethen，hesaid；butshehadbeenthereinthemorning，andinvariablycameintheevening。MrClennamwasslowlymending；

andMaggyandMrsPlornishandMrBaptisttookcareofhimbyturns。MissDorritwassuretocomebackthateveningbeforethebellrang。TherewastheroomtheMarshalhadlenther，up-stairs，inwhichtheycouldwaitforher，iftheypleased。MistrustfulthatitmightbehazardoustoArthurtoseehimwithoutpreparation，MrMeaglesacceptedtheoffer；andtheywereleftshutupintheroom，lookingdownthroughitsbarredwindowintothejail。

ThecrampedareaoftheprisonhadsuchaneffectonMrsMeaglesthats