’AsanEnglishmanwhohasbeenmorethantwentyyearsinChina，no。’
’Then，’saidMrMeagles，layinghisforefingeronhiscompanion’sbreastwithgreatanimation，’don’tyouseeabeadle，now，ifyoucanhelpit。WheneverIseeabeadleinfullfig，comingdownastreetonaSundayattheheadofacharityschool，Iamobligedtoturnandrunaway，orIshouldhithim。ThenameofBeadlebeingoutofthequestion，andtheoriginatoroftheInstitutionforthesepoorfoundlingshavingbeenablessedcreatureofthenameofCoram，wegavethatnametoPet’slittlemaid。AtonetimeshewasTatty，andatonetimeshewasCoram，untilwegotintoawayofmixingthetwonamestogether，andnowsheisalwaysTattycoram。’
’Yourdaughter，’saidtheother，whentheyhadtakenanothersilentturntoandfro，and，afterstandingforamomentatthewallglancingdownatthesea，hadresumedtheirwalk，’isyouronlychild，Iknow，MrMeagles。MayIaskyou——innoimpertinentcuriosity，butbecauseIhavehadsomuchpleasureinyoursociety，mayneverinthislabyrinthofaworldexchangeaquietwordwithyouagain，andwishtopreserveanaccurateremembranceofyouandyours——mayIaskyou，ifIhavenotgatheredfromyourgoodwifethatyouhavehadotherchildren？’
’No。No，’saidMrMeagles。’Notexactlyotherchildren。Oneotherchild。’
’IamafraidIhaveinadvertentlytoucheduponatendertheme。’
’Nevermind，’saidMrMeagles。’IfIamgraveaboutit，Iamnotatallsorrowful。Itquietsmeforamoment，butdoesnotmakemeunhappy。Pethadatwinsisterwhodiedwhenwecouldjustseehereyes——exactlylikePet’s——abovethetable，asshestoodontiptoeholdingbyit。’
’Ah!indeed，indeed!’
’Yes，andbeingpracticalpeople，aresulthasgraduallysprungupinthemindsofMrsMeaglesandmyselfwhichperhapsyoumay——orperhapsyoumaynot——understand。Petandherbabysisterweresoexactlyalike，andsocompletelyone，thatinourthoughtswehaveneverbeenabletoseparatethemsince。Itwouldbeofnousetotellusthatourdeadchildwasamereinfant。Wehavechangedthatchildaccordingtothechangesinthechildsparedtousandalwayswithus。AsPethasgrown，thatchildhasgrown；asPethasbecomemoresensibleandwomanly，hersisterhasbecomemoresensibleandwomanlybyjustthesamedegrees。ItwouldbeashardtoconvincemethatifIwastopassintotheotherworldto-
morrow，Ishouldnot，throughthemercyofGod，bereceivedtherebyadaughter，justlikePet，astopersuademethatPetherselfisnotarealityatmyside。’
’Iunderstandyou，’saidtheother，gently。
’Astoher，’pursuedherfather，’thesuddenlossofherlittlepictureandplayfellow，andherearlyassociationwiththatmysteryinwhichweallhaveourequalshare，butwhichisnotoftensoforciblypresentedtoachild，hasnecessarilyhadsomeinfluenceonhercharacter。Then，hermotherandIwerenotyoungwhenwemarried，andPethasalwayshadasortofgrown-uplifewithus，thoughwehavetriedtoadaptourselvestoher。Wehavebeenadvisedmorethanoncewhenshehasbeenalittleailing，tochangeclimateandairforherasoftenaswecould——especiallyataboutthistimeofherlife——andtokeepheramused。So，asIhavenoneedtostickatabank-desknowthoughIhavebeenpoorenoughinmytimeIassureyou，orIshouldhavemarriedMrsMeagleslongbefore，wegotrottingabouttheworld。ThisishowyoufoundusstaringattheNile，andthePyramids，andtheSphinxes，andtheDesert，andalltherestofit；andthisishowTattycoramwillbeagreatertravellerincourseoftimethanCaptainCook。’
’Ithankyou，’saidtheother，’veryheartilyforyourconfidence。’
’Don’tmentionit，’returnedMrMeagles，’Iamsureyouarequitewelcome。Andnow，MrClennam，perhapsImayaskyouwhetheryouhaveyetcometoadecisionwheretogonext？’
’Indeed，no。Iamsuchawaifandstrayeverywhere，thatIamliabletobedriftedwhereanycurrentmayset。’
’It’sextraordinarytome——ifyou’llexcusemyfreedominsayingso——thatyoudon’tgostraighttoLondon，’saidMrMeagles，inthetoneofaconfidentialadviser。
’PerhapsIshall。’
’Ay!ButImeanwithawill。’
’Ihavenowill。Thatistosay，’——hecolouredalittle，——’nexttononethatIcanputinactionnow。Trainedbymainforce；broken，notbent；heavilyironedwithanobjectonwhichIwasneverconsultedandwhichwasnevermine；shippedawaytotheotherendoftheworldbeforeIwasofage，andexiledthereuntilmyfather’sdeaththere，ayearago；alwaysgrindinginamillI
alwayshated；whatistobeexpectedfrommeinmiddlelife？Will，purpose，hope？AllthoselightswereextinguishedbeforeIcouldsoundthewords。’
’Light’emupagain!’saidMrMeagles。
’Ah!Easilysaid。Iamtheson，MrMeagles，ofahardfatherandmother。Iamtheonlychildofparentswhoweighed，measured，andpricedeverything；forwhomwhatcouldnotbeweighed，measured，andpriced，hadnoexistence。Strictpeopleasthephraseis，professorsofasternreligion，theirveryreligionwasagloomysacrificeoftastesandsympathiesthatwerenevertheirown，offeredupasapartofabargainforthesecurityoftheirpossessions。Austerefaces，inexorablediscipline，penanceinthisworldandterrorinthenext——nothinggracefulorgentleanywhere，andthevoidinmycowedhearteverywhere——thiswasmychildhood，ifImaysomisusethewordastoapplyittosuchabeginningoflife。’
’Reallythough？’saidMrMeagles，madeveryuncomfortablebythepictureofferedtohisimagination。’Thatwasatoughcommencement。Butcome!Youmustnowstudy，andprofitby，allthatliesbeyondit，likeapracticalman。’
’Ifthepeoplewhoareusuallycalledpractical，werepracticalinyourdirection——’
’Why，sotheyare!’saidMrMeagles。
’Aretheyindeed？’
’Well，Isupposeso，’returnedMrMeagles，thinkingaboutit。’Eh？
Onecanbutbepractical，andMrsMeaglesandmyselfarenothingelse。’
’MyunknowncourseiseasierandmorehelpfulthanIhadexpectedtofindit，then，’saidClennam，shakinghisheadwithhisgravesmile。’Enoughofme。Hereistheboat。’
TheboatwasfilledwiththecockedhatstowhichMrMeaglesentertainedanationalobjection；andthewearersofthosecockedhatslandedandcameupthesteps，andalltheimpoundedtravellerscongregatedtogether。Therewasthenamightyproductionofpapersonthepartofthecockedhats，andacallingoverofnames，andgreatworkofsigning，sealing，stamping，inking，andsanding，withexceedinglyblurred，gritty，andundecipherableresults。Finally，everythingwasdoneaccordingtorule，andthetravellerswereatlibertytodepartwhithersoevertheywould。
Theymadelittleaccountofstareandglare，inthenewpleasureofrecoveringtheirfreedom，butflittedacrosstheharbouringayboats，andreassembledatagreathotel，whencethesunwasexcludedbyclosedlattices，andwherebarepavedfloors，loftyceilings，andresoundingcorridorstemperedtheintenseheat。
There，agreattableinagreatroomwassoonprofuselycoveredwithasuperbrepast；andthequarantinequartersbecamebareindeed，rememberedamongdaintydishes，southernfruits，cooledwines，flowersfromGenoa，snowfromthemountaintops，andallthecoloursoftherainbowflashinginthemirrors。
’ButIbearthosemonotonouswallsnoill-willnow，’saidMrMeagles。’Onealwaysbeginstoforgiveaplaceassoonasit’sleftbehind；Idaresayaprisonerbeginstorelenttowardshisprison，afterheisletout。’
Theywereaboutthirtyincompany，andalltalking；butnecessarilyingroups。FatherandMotherMeaglessatwiththeirdaughterbetweenthem，thelastthreeononesideofthetable：ontheoppositesidesatMrClennam；atallFrenchgentlemanwithravenhairandbeard，ofaswartandterrible，nottosaygenteellydiabolicalaspect，butwhohadshownhimselfthemildestofmen；
andahandsomeyoungEnglishwoman，travellingquitealone，whohadaproudobservantface，andhadeitherwithdrawnherselffromtherestorbeenavoidedbytherest——nobody，herselfexceptedperhaps，couldhavequitedecidedwhich。Therestofthepartywereoftheusualmaterials：travellersonbusiness，andtravellersforpleasure；officersfromIndiaonleave；merchantsintheGreekandTurkeytrades；aclericalEnglishhusbandinameekstrait-
waistcoat，onaweddingtripwithhisyoungwife；amajesticEnglishmamaandpapa，ofthepatricianorder，withafamilyofthreegrowing-updaughters，whowerekeepingajournalfortheconfusionoftheirfellow-creatures；andadeafoldEnglishmother，toughintravel，withaverydecidedlygrown-updaughterindeed，whichdaughterwentsketchingabouttheuniverseintheexpectationofultimatelytoningherselfoffintothemarriedstate。
ThereservedEnglishwomantookupMrMeaglesinhislastremark。
’Doyoumeanthataprisonerforgiveshisprison？’saidshe，slowlyandwithemphasis。
’Thatwasmyspeculation，MissWade。Idon’tpretendtoknowpositivelyhowaprisonermightfeel。Ineverwasonebefore。’
’Mademoiselledoubts，’saidtheFrenchgentlemaninhisownlanguage，’it’sbeingsoeasytoforgive？’
’Ido。’
PethadtotranslatethispassagetoMrMeagles，whoneverbyanyaccidentacquiredanyknowledgewhateverofthelanguageofanycountryintowhichhetravelled。’Oh!’saidhe。’Dearme!Butthat’sapity，isn’tit？’
’ThatIamnotcredulous？’saidMissWade。
’Notexactlythat。Putitanotherway。Thatyoucan’tbelieveiteasytoforgive。’
’Myexperience，’shequietlyreturned，’hasbeencorrectingmybeliefinmanyrespects，forsomeyears。Itisournaturalprogress，Ihaveheard。’
’Well，well!Butit’snotnaturaltobearmalice，Ihope？’saidMrMeagles，cheerily。
’IfIhadbeenshutupinanyplacetopineandsuffer，Ishouldalwayshatethatplaceandwishtoburnitdown，orrazeittotheground。Iknownomore。’
’Strong，sir？’saidMrMeaglestotheFrenchman；itbeinganotherofhishabitstoaddressindividualsofallnationsinidiomaticEnglish，withaperfectconvictionthattheywereboundtounderstanditsomehow。’Ratherforcibleinourfairfriend，you’llagreewithme，Ithink？’
TheFrenchgentlemancourteouslyreplied，’Plait-il？’TowhichMrMeaglesreturnedwithmuchsatisfaction，’Youareright。Myopinion。’
Thebreakfastbeginningby-and-bytolanguish，MrMeaglesmadethecompanyaspeech。Itwasshortenoughandsensibleenough，consideringthatitwasaspeechatall，andhearty。Itmerelywenttotheeffectthatastheyhadallbeenthrowntogetherbychance，andhadallpreservedagoodunderstandingtogether，andwerenowabouttodisperse，andwerenotlikelyevertofindthemselvesalltogetheragain，whatcouldtheydobetterthanbidfarewelltooneanother，andgiveoneanothergood-speedinasimultaneousglassofcoolchampagneallroundthetable？Itwasdone，andwithageneralshakingofhandstheassemblybrokeupforever。
Thesolitaryyoungladyallthistimehadsaidnomore。Sherosewiththerest，andsilentlywithdrewtoaremotecornerofthegreatroom，whereshesatherselfonacouchinawindow，seemingtowatchthereflectionofthewaterasitmadeasilverquiveringonthebarsofthelattice。Shesat，turnedawayfromthewholelengthoftheapartment，asifshewerelonelyofherownhaughtychoice。Andyetitwouldhavebeenasdifficultasevertosay，positively，whethersheavoidedtherest，orwasavoided。
Theshadowinwhichshesat，fallinglikeagloomyveilacrossherforehead，accordedverywellwiththecharacterofherbeauty。Onecouldhardlyseetheface，sostillandscornful，setoffbythearcheddarkeyebrows，andthefoldsofdarkhair，withoutwonderingwhatitsexpressionwouldbeifachangecameoverit。Thatitcouldsoftenorrelent，appearednexttoimpossible。Thatitcoulddeepenintoangeroranyextremeofdefiance，andthatitmustchangeinthatdirectionwhenitchangedatall，wouldhavebeenitspeculiarimpressionuponmostobservers。Itwasdressedandtrimmedintonoceremonyofexpression。Althoughnotanopenface，therewasnopretenceinit。’Iamself-containedandself-
reliant；youropinionisnothingtome；Ihavenointerestinyou，carenothingforyou，andseeandhearyouwithindifference’——thisitsaidplainly。Itsaidsointheproudeyes，intheliftednostril，inthehandsomebutcompressedandevencruelmouth。