Buttheveryintensityofhispurposebecamealmostasubstituteforactioninit。Whilehewasyetuninformedofthetraitor\'sretreat，itservedtodiverthismindfromhisowncalamity，andtoentertainitwithanotherprospect。Thebrotherandsisterofhisfalsefavouritehadnosuchrelief；everythingintheirhistory，pastandpresent，gavehisdelinquencyamoreafflictingmeaningtothem。
Thesistermayhavesometimessadlythoughtthatifshehadremainedwithhim，thecompanionandfriendshehadbeenonce，hemighthaveescapedthecrimeintowhichhehadfallen。Ifsheeverthoughtso，itwasstillwithoutregretforwhatshehaddone，withouttheleastdoubtofherduty，withoutanypricingandenhancingofherself-devotion。Butwhenthispossibilitypresenteditselftotheerringandrepentantbrother，asitsometimesdid，itsmoteuponhisheartwithsuchakeen，reproachfultouchashecouldhardlybear。Noideaofretortuponhiscruelbrothercameintohismind。
Newaccusationofhimself，freshinwardlamentingsoverhisownunworthiness，andtheruininwhichitwasatoncehisconsolationandhisself-reproachthathedidnotstandalone，werethesolekindofreflectionstowhichthediscoverygaveriseinhim。
Itwasontheverysamedaywhoseeveningsetuponthelastchapter，andwhenMr。Dombey\'sworldwasbusiestwiththeelopementofhiswife，thatthewindowoftheroominwhichthebrotherandsistersatattheirearlybreakfast，wasdarkenedbytheunexpectedshadowofamancomingtothelittleporch：whichmanwasPerchtheMessenger。
`I\'vesteppedoverfromBallsPondataearlyhour，\'saidMr。