Excitedintoastillgreaterresemblancetoacagedwildanimalbyhisanxietytoknowmore，theprisonerleapednimblydown，ranroundthechamber，leapednimblyupagain，claspedthegrateandtriedtoshakeit，leapeddownandran，leapedupandlistened，andneverresteduntilthenoise，becomingmoreandmoredistant，haddiedaway。Howmanybetterprisonershaveworntheirnobleheartsoutso；nomanthinkingofit；noteventhebelovedoftheirsoulsrealisingit；greatkingsandgovernors，whohadmadethemcaptive，careeringinthesunlightjauntily，andmencheeringthemon。Eventhesaidgreatpersonagesdyinginbed，makingexemplaryendsandsoundingspeeches；andpolitehistory，moreservilethantheirinstruments，embalmingthem!
Atlast，JohnBaptist，nowabletochoosehisownspotwithinthecompassofthosewallsfortheexerciseofhisfacultyofgoingtosleepwhenhewould，laydownuponthebench，withhisfaceturnedoveronhiscrossedarms，andslumbered。Inhissubmission，inhislightness，inhisgoodhumour，inhisshort-livedpassion，inhiseasycontentmentwithhardbreadandhardstones，inhisreadysleep，inhisfitsandstarts，altogetheratruesonofthelandthatgavehimbirth。
Thewidestarestareditselfoutforonewhile；theSunwentdowninared，green，goldenglory；thestarscameoutintheheavens，andthefire-fliesmimickedtheminthelowerair，asmenmayfeeblyimitatethegoodnessofabetterorderofbeings；thelongdustyroadsandtheinterminableplainswereinrepose——andsodeepahushwasonthesea，thatitscarcelywhisperedofthetimewhenitshallgiveupitsdead。
FellowTravellers’Nomoreofyesterday’showlingoveryonderto-day，Sir；isthere？’
’Ihaveheardnone。’
’Thenyoumaybesurethereisnone。Whenthesepeoplehowl，theyhowltobeheard。’
’Mostpeopledo，Isuppose。’
’Ah!butthesepeoplearealwayshowling。Neverhappyotherwise。’
’DoyoumeantheMarseillespeople？’
’ImeantheFrenchpeople。They’realwaysatit。AstoMarseilles，weknowwhatMarseillesis。Itsentthemostinsurrectionarytuneintotheworldthatwasevercomposed。Itcouldn’texistwithoutallongingandmarshongingtosomethingorother——victoryordeath，orblazes，orsomething。’
Thespeaker，withawhimsicalgoodhumouruponhimallthetime，lookedovertheparapet-wallwiththegreatestdisparagementofMarseilles；andtakingupadeterminedpositionbyputtinghishandsinhispocketsandrattlinghismoneyatit，apostrophiseditwithashortlaugh。
’Allongandmarshong，indeed。Itwouldbemorecreditabletoyou，Ithink，toletotherpeopleallongandmarshongabouttheirlawfulbusiness，insteadofshutting’emupinquarantine!’
’Tiresomeenough，’saidtheother。’Butweshallbeoutto-day。’
’Outto-day!’repeatedthefirst。’It’salmostanaggravationoftheenormity，thatweshallbeoutto-day。Out!Whathaveweeverbeeninfor？’
’Fornoverystrongreason，Imustsay。ButaswecomefromtheEast，andastheEastisthecountryoftheplague——’
’Theplague!’repeatedtheother。’That’smygrievance。Ihavehadtheplaguecontinually，eversinceIhavebeenhere。Iamlikeasanemanshutupinamadhouse；Ican’tstandthesuspicionofthething。IcamehereaswellaseverIwasinmylife；buttosuspectmeoftheplagueistogivemetheplague。AndIhavehadit——andIhavegotit。’
’Youbearitverywell，MrMeagles，’saidthesecondspeaker，smiling。
’No。Ifyouknewtherealstateofthecase，that’sthelastobservationyouwouldthinkofmaking。Ihavebeenwakingupnightafternight，andsaying，NOWIhavegotit，NOWithasdevelopeditself，NOWIaminforit，NOWthesefellowsaremakingouttheircasefortheirprecautions。Why，I’dassoonhaveaspitputthroughme，andbestuckuponacardinacollectionofbeetles，asleadthelifeIhavebeenleadinghere。’
’Well，MrMeagles，saynomoreaboutitnowit’sover，’urgedacheerfulfemininevoice。
’Over!’repeatedMrMeagles，whoappearedthoughwithoutanyill-
naturetobeinthatpeculiarstateofmindinwhichthelastwordspokenbyanybodyelseisanewinjury。’Over!andwhyshouldI
saynomoreaboutitbecauseit’sover？’
ItwasMrsMeagleswhohadspokentoMrMeagles；andMrsMeagleswas，likeMrMeagles，comelyandhealthy，withapleasantEnglishfacewhichhadbeenlookingathomelythingsforfive-and-fiftyyearsormore，andshonewithabrightreflectionofthem。
’There!Nevermind，Father，nevermind!’saidMrsMeagles。’ForgoodnesssakecontentyourselfwithPet。’
’WithPet？’repeatedMrMeaglesinhisinjuredvein。Pet，however，beingclosebehindhim，touchedhimontheshoulder，andMrMeaglesimmediatelyforgaveMarseillesfromthebottomofhisheart。
Petwasabouttwenty。Afairgirlwithrichbrownhairhangingfreeinnaturalringlets。Alovelygirl，withafrankface，andwonderfuleyes；solarge，sosoft，sobright，settosuchperfectioninherkindgoodhead。Shewasroundandfreshanddimpledandspoilt，andtherewasinPetanairoftimidityanddependencewhichwasthebestweaknessintheworld，andgavehertheonlycrowningcharmagirlsoprettyandpleasantcouldhavebeenwithout。
’Now，Iaskyou，’saidMrMeaglesintheblandestconfidence，fallingbackastephimself，andhandinghisdaughterastepforwardtoillustratehisquestion：’Iaskyousimply，asbetweenmanandman，youknow，DIDyoueverhearofsuchdamnednonsenseasputtingPetinquarantine？’
’Ithashadtheresultofmakingevenquarantineenjoyable。’
’Come!’saidMrMeagles，’that’ssomethingtobesure。Iamobligedtoyouforthatremark。Now，Pet，mydarling，youhadbettergoalongwithMotherandgetreadyfortheboat。Theofficerofhealth，andavarietyofhumbugsincockedhats，arecomingofftoletusoutofthisatlast：andallwejail-birdsaretobreakfasttogetherinsomethingapproachingtoaChristianstyleagain，beforewetakewingforourdifferentdestinations。
Tattycoram，stickyouclosetoyouryoungmistress。’
Hespoketoahandsomegirlwithlustrousdarkhairandeyes，andveryneatlydressed，whorepliedwithahalfcurtseyasshepassedoffinthetrainofMrsMeaglesandPet。Theycrossedthebarescorchedterraceallthreetogether，anddisappearedthroughastaringwhitearchway。MrMeagles’scompanion，agravedarkmanofforty，stillstoodlookingtowardsthisarchwayaftertheyweregone；untilMrMeaglestappedhimonthearm。
’Ibegyourpardon，’saidhe，starting。
’Notatall，’saidMrMeagles。
Theytookonesilentturnbackwardandforwardintheshadeofthewall，getting，attheheightonwhichthequarantinebarracksareplaced，whatcoolrefreshmentofseabreezetherewasatseveninthemorning。MrMeagles’scompanionresumedtheconversation。
’MayIaskyou，’hesaid，’whatisthenameof——’
’Tattycoram？’MrMeaglesstruckin。’Ihavenottheleastidea。’
’Ithought，’saidtheother，’that——’
’Tattycoram？’suggestedMrMeaglesagain。
’Thankyou——thatTattycoramwasaname；andIhaveseveraltimeswonderedattheoddityofit。’
’Why，thefactis，’saidMrMeagles，’MrsMeaglesandmyselfare，yousee，practicalpeople。’
’Thatyouhavefrequentlymentionedinthecourseoftheagreeableandinterestingconversationswehavehadtogether，walkingupanddownonthesestones，’saidtheother，withahalfsmilebreakingthroughthegravityofhisdarkface。
’Practicalpeople。Sooneday，fiveorsixyearsagonow，whenwetookPettochurchattheFoundling——youhaveheardoftheFoundlingHospitalinLondon？SimilartotheInstitutionfortheFoundChildreninParis？’
’Ihaveseenit。’
’Well!OnedaywhenwetookPettochurchtheretohearthemusic——because，aspracticalpeople，itisthebusinessofourlivestoshowhereverythingthatwethinkcanpleaseher——MothermyusualnameforMrsMeaglesbegantocryso，thatitwasnecessarytotakeherout。“What’sthematter，Mother？“saidI，whenwehadbroughtheralittleround：“youarefrighteningPet，mydear。““Yes，Iknowthat，Father，“saysMother，“butIthinkit’sthroughmylovinghersomuch，thatitevercameintomyhead。““Thateverwhatcameintoyourhead，Mother？““Odear，dear!“criedMother，breakingoutagain，“whenIsawallthosechildrenrangedtierabovetier，andappealingfromthefathernoneofthemhaseverknownonearth，tothegreatFatherofusallinHeaven，Ithought，doesanywretchedmotherevercomehere，andlookamongthoseyoungfaces，wonderingwhichisthepoorchildshebroughtintothisforlornworld，neverthroughallitslifetoknowherlove，herkiss，herface，hervoice，evenhername!“NowthatwaspracticalinMother，andItoldherso。Isaid，“Mother，that’swhatIcallpracticalinyou，mydear。“’
Theother，notunmoved，assented。
’SoIsaidnextday：Now，Mother，IhaveapropositiontomakethatIthinkyou’llapproveof。LetustakeoneofthosesamelittlechildrentobealittlemaidtoPet。Wearepracticalpeople。Soifweshouldfindhertemperalittledefective，oranyofherwaysalittlewideofours，weshallknowwhatwehavetotakeintoaccount。Weshallknowwhatanimmensedeductionmustbemadefromalltheinfluencesandexperiencesthathaveformedus——noparents，nochild-brotherorsister，noindividualityofhome，noGlassSlipper，orFairyGodmother。Andthat’sthewaywecamebyTattycoram。’
’Andthenameitself——’
’ByGeorge!’saidMrMeagles，’Iwasforgettingthenameitself。
Why，shewascalledintheInstitution，HarrietBeadle——anarbitraryname，ofcourse。Now，HarrietwechangedintoHattey，andthenintoTatty，because，aspracticalpeople，wethoughtevenaplayfulnamemightbeanewthingtoher，andmighthaveasofteningandaffectionatekindofeffect，don’tyousee？AstoBeadle，thatIneedn’tsaywaswhollyoutofthequestion。Ifthereisanythingthatisnottobetoleratedonanyterms，anythingthatisatypeofJack-in-officeinsolenceandabsurdity，anythingthatrepresentsincoats，waistcoats，andbigsticksourEnglishholdingonbynonsenseaftereveryonehasfounditout，itisabeadle。Youhaven’tseenabeadlelately？’