Five-and-TwentyAfrequentlyrecurringdoubt，whetherMrPancks’sdesiretocollectinformationrelativetotheDorritfamilycouldhaveanypossiblebearingonthemisgivingshehadimpartedtohismotheronhisreturnfromhislongexile，causedArthurClennammuchuneasinessatthisperiod。WhatMrPancksalreadyknewabouttheDorritfamily，whatmorehereallywantedtofindout，andwhyheshouldtroublehisbusyheadaboutthematall，werequestionsthatoftenperplexedhim。MrPanckswasnotamantowastehistimeandtroubleinresearchespromptedbyidlecuriosity。ThathehadaspecificobjectClennamcouldnotdoubt。AndwhethertheattainmentofthatobjectbyMrPancks’sindustrymightbringtolight，insomeuntimelyway，secretreasonswhichhadinducedhismothertotakeLittleDorritbythehand，wasaseriousspeculation。
Notthatheeverwaveredeitherinhisdesireorhisdeterminationtorepairawrongthathadbeendoneinhisfather’stime，shouldawrongcometolight，andbereparable。Theshadowofasupposedactofinjustice，whichhadhungoverhimsincehisfather’sdeath，wassovagueandformlessthatitmightbetheresultofarealitywidelyremotefromhisideaofit。But，ifhisapprehensionsshouldprovetobewellfounded，hewasreadyatanymomenttolaydownallhehad，andbegintheworldanew。Asthefiercedarkteachingofhischildhoodhadneversunkintohisheart，sothatfirstarticleinhiscodeofmoralswas，thathemustbegin，inpracticalhumility，withlookingwelltohisfeetonEarth，andthathecouldnevermountonwingsofwordstoHeaven。Dutyonearth，restitutiononearth，actiononearth；thesefirst，asthefirststeepstepsupward。Straitwasthegateandnarrowwastheway；farstraiterandnarrowerthanthebroadhighroadpavedwithvainprofessionsandvainrepetitions，motesfromothermen’seyesandliberaldeliveryofotherstothejudgment——allcheapmaterialscostingabsolutelynothing。
No。Itwasnotaselfishfearorhesitationthatrenderedhimuneasy，butamistrustlestPancksmightnotobservehispartoftheunderstandingbetweenthem，and，makinganydiscovery，mighttakesomecourseuponitwithoutimpartingittohim。Ontheotherhand，whenherecalledhisconversationwithPancks，andthelittlereasonhehadtosupposethattherewasanylikelihoodofthatstrangepersonagebeingonthattrackatall，thereweretimeswhenhewonderedthathemadesomuchofit。Labouringinthissea，asallbarkslabourincrossseas，hetossedaboutandcametonohaven。
TheremovalofLittleDorritherselffromtheircustomaryassociation，didnotmendthematter。Shewassomuchout，andsomuchinherownroom，thathebegantomissherandtofindablankinherplace。Hehadwrittentohertoinquireifshewerebetter，andshehadwrittenback，verygratefullyandearnestlytellinghimnottobeuneasyonherbehalf，forshewasquitewell；buthehadnotseenher，forwhat，intheirintercourse，wasalongtime。
Hereturnedhomeoneeveningfromaninterviewwithherfather，whohadmentionedthatshewasoutvisiting——whichwaswhathealwayssaidwhenshewashardatworktobuyhissupper——andfoundMrMeaglesinanexcitedstatewalkingupanddownhisroom。Onhisopeningthedoor，MrMeaglesstopped，facedround，andsaid：