Covereithertwoofthosechannelsofexpression，andthethirdwouldhavesaidsostill。Maskthemall，andthemereturnoftheheadwouldhaveshownanunsubduablenature。
PethadmoveduptohershehadbeenthesubjectofremarkamongherfamilyandMrClennam，whowerenowtheonlyotheroccupantsoftheroom，andwasstandingatherside。
’Areyou’——sheturnedhereyes，andPetfaltered——’expectinganyonetomeetyouhere，MissWade？’
’I？No。’
’FatherissendingtothePosteRestante。Shallhehavethepleasureofdirectingthemessengertoaskifthereareanylettersforyou？’
’Ithankhim，butIknowtherecanbenone。’
’Weareafraid，’saidPet，sittingdownbesideher，shylyandhalftenderly，’thatyouwillfeelquitedesertedwhenweareallgone。’
’Indeed!’
’Not，’saidPet，apologeticallyandembarrassedbyhereyes，’not，ofcourse，thatweareanycompanytoyou，orthatwehavebeenabletobeso，orthatwethoughtyouwishedit。’
’IhavenotintendedtomakeitunderstoodthatIdidwishit。’
’No。Ofcourse。But——inshort，’saidPet，timidlytouchingherhandasitlayimpassiveonthesofabetweenthem，’willyounotallowFathertotenderyouanyslightassistanceorservice？Hewillbeveryglad。’
’Veryglad，’saidMrMeagles，comingforwardwithhiswifeandClennam。’Anythingshortofspeakingthelanguage，Ishallbedelightedtoundertake，Iamsure。’
’Iamobligedtoyou，’shereturned，’butmyarrangementsaremade，andIprefertogomyownwayinmyownmanner。’
’Doyou？’saidMrMeaglestohimself，ashesurveyedherwithapuzzledlook。’Well!There’scharacterinthat，too。’
’Iamnotmuchusedtothesocietyofyoungladies，andIamafraidImaynotshowmyappreciationofitasothersmight。Apleasantjourneytoyou。Good-bye!’
Shewouldnothaveputoutherhand，itseemed，butthatMrMeaglesputouthissostraightbeforeherthatshecouldnotpassit。Sheputhersinit，anditlaytherejustasithadlainuponthecouch。
’Good-bye!’saidMrMeagles。’Thisisthelastgood-byeuponthelist，forMotherandIhavejustsaidittoMrClennamhere，andheonlywaitstosayittoPet。Good-bye!Wemaynevermeetagain。’
’Inourcoursethroughlifeweshallmeetthepeoplewhoarecomingtomeetus，frommanystrangeplacesandbymanystrangeroads，’
wasthecomposedreply；’andwhatitissettoustodotothem，andwhatitissettothemtodotous，willallbedone。’
TherewassomethinginthemannerofthesewordsthatjarreduponPet’sear。Itimpliedthatwhatwastobedonewasnecessarilyevil，anditcausedhertosayinawhisper，’OFather!’andtoshrinkchildishly，inherspoiltway，alittleclosertohim。Thiswasnotlostonthespeaker。
’Yourprettydaughter，’shesaid，’startstothinkofsuchthings。
Yet，’lookingfulluponher，’youmaybesurethattherearemenandwomenalreadyontheirroad，whohavetheirbusinesstodowithYOU，andwhowilldoit。Ofacertaintytheywilldoit。Theymaybecominghundreds，thousands，ofmilesovertheseathere；theymaybecloseathandnow；theymaybecoming，foranythingyouknoworanythingyoucandotopreventit，fromthevilestsweepingsofthisverytown。’
Withthecoldestoffarewells，andwithacertainwornexpressiononherbeautythatgaveit，thoughscarcelyyetinitsprime，awastedlook，shelefttheroom。
Now，thereweremanystairsandpassagesthatshehadtotraverseinpassingfromthatpartofthespacioushousetothechambershehadsecuredforherownoccupation。Whenshehadalmostcompletedthejourney，andwaspassingalongthegalleryinwhichherroomwas，sheheardanangrysoundofmutteringandsobbing。Adoorstoodopen，andwithinshesawtheattendantuponthegirlshehadjustleft；themaidwiththecuriousname。
Shestoodstill，tolookatthismaid。Asullen，passionategirl!
Herrichblackhairwasallaboutherface，herfacewasflushedandhot，andasshesobbedandraged，shepluckedatherlipswithanunsparinghand。
’Selfishbrutes!’saidthegirl，sobbingandheavingbetweenwhiles。’Notcaringwhatbecomesofme!Leavingmeherehungryandthirstyandtired，tostarve，foranythingtheycare!Beasts!
Devils!Wretches!’
’Mypoorgirl，whatisthematter？’
Shelookedupsuddenly，withreddenedeyes，andwithherhandssuspended，intheactofpinchingherneck，freshlydisfiguredwithgreatscarletblots。’It’snothingtoyouwhat’sthematter。Itdon’tsignifytoanyone。’
’Oyesitdoes；Iamsorrytoseeyouso。’
’Youarenotsorry，’saidthegirl。’Youareglad。Youknowyouareglad。Ineverwaslikethisbuttwiceoverinthequarantineyonder；andbothtimesyoufoundme。Iamafraidofyou。’
’Afraidofme？’
’Yes。Youseemtocomelikemyownanger，myownmalice，myown——
whateveritis——Idon’tknowwhatitis。ButIamill-used，Iamill-used，Iamill-used!’Herethesobsandthetears，andthetearinghand，whichhadallbeensuspendedtogethersincethefirstsurprise，wentontogetheranew。
Thevisitorstoodlookingatherwithastrangeattentivesmile。
Itwaswonderfultoseethefuryofthecontestinthegirl，andthebodilystruggleshemadeasifshewererentbytheDemonsofold。
’Iamyoungerthansheisbytwoorthreeyears，andyetit’smethatlooksafterher，asifIwasold，andit’sshethat’salwayspettedandcalledBaby!Idetestthename。Ihateher!Theymakeafoolofher，theyspoilher。Shethinksofnothingbutherself，shethinksnomoreofmethanifIwasastockandastone!’Sothegirlwenton。
’Youmusthavepatience。’
’IWON’Thavepatience!’
’Iftheytakemuchcareofthemselves，andlittleornoneofyou，youmustnotmindit。’
IWILLmindit。’
’Hush!Bemoreprudent。Youforgetyourdependentposition。’
’Idon’tcareforthat。I’llrunaway。I’lldosomemischief。I
won’tbearit；Ican’tbearit；IshalldieifItrytobearit!’
Theobserverstoodwithherhanduponherownbosom，lookingatthegirl，asoneafflictedwithadiseasedpartmightcuriouslywatchthedissectionandexpositionofananalogouscase。
Thegirlragedandbattledwithalltheforceofheryouthandfulnessoflife，untilbylittleandlittleherpassionateexclamationstrailedoffintobrokenmurmursasifshewereinpain。Bycorrespondingdegreesshesankintoachair，thenuponherknees，thenuponthegroundbesidethebed，drawingthecoverletwithher，halftohidehershamedheadandwethairinit，andhalf，asitseemed，toembraceit，ratherthanhavenothingtotaketoherrepentantbreast。
’Goawayfromme，goawayfromme!Whenmytempercomesuponme，Iammad。IknowImightkeepitoffifIonlytriedhardenough，andsometimesIdotryhardenough，andatothertimesIdon’tandwon’t。WhathaveIsaid!IknewwhenIsaidit，itwasalllies。
TheythinkIambeingtakencareofsomewhere，andhaveallIwant。
Theyarenothingbutgoodtome。Ilovethemdearly；nopeoplecouldeverbekindertoathanklesscreaturethantheyalwaysaretome。Do，dogoaway，forIamafraidofyou。IamafraidofmyselfwhenIfeelmytempercoming，andIamasmuchafraidofyou。Goawayfromme，andletmeprayandcrymyselfbetter!’
Thedaypassedon；andagainthewidestarestareditselfout；andthehotnightwasonMarseilles；andthroughitthecaravanofthemorning，alldispersed，wenttheirappointedways。Andthuseverbydayandnight，underthesunandunderthestars，climbingthedustyhillsandtoilingalongthewearyplains，journeyingbylandandjourneyingbysea，comingandgoingsostrangely，tomeetandtoactandreactononeanother，moveallwerestlesstravellersthroughthepilgrimageoflife。
HomeItwasaSundayeveninginLondon，gloomy，close，andstale。
Maddeningchurchbellsofalldegreesofdissonance，sharpandflat，crackedandclear，fastandslow，madethebrick-and-mortarechoeshideous。Melancholystreets，inapenitentialgarbofsoot，steepedthesoulsofthepeoplewhowerecondemnedtolookatthemoutofwindows，indiredespondency。Ineverythoroughfare，upalmosteveryalley，anddownalmosteveryturning，somedolefulbellwasthrobbing，jerking，tolling，asifthePlaguewereinthecityandthedead-cartsweregoinground。Everythingwasboltedandbarredthatcouldbypossibilityfurnishrelieftoanoverworkedpeople。Nopictures，nounfamiliaranimals，norareplantsorflowers，nonaturalorartificialwondersoftheancientworld——allTABOOwiththatenlightenedstrictness，thattheuglySouthSeagodsintheBritishMuseummighthavesupposedthemselvesathomeagain。Nothingtoseebutstreets，streets，streets。
Nothingtobreathebutstreets，streets，streets。Nothingtochangethebroodingmind，orraiseitup。Nothingforthespenttoilertodo，buttocomparethemonotonyofhisseventhdaywiththemonotonyofhissixdays，thinkwhatawearylifeheled，andmakethebestofit——ortheworst，accordingtotheprobabilities。
Atsuchahappytime，sopropitioustotheinterestsofreligionandmorality，MrArthurClennam，newlyarrivedfromMarseillesbywayofDover，andbyDovercoachtheBlue-eyedMaid，satinthewindowofacoffee-houseonLudgateHill。Tenthousandresponsiblehousessurroundedhim，frowningasheavilyonthestreetstheycomposed，asiftheywereeveryoneinhabitedbythetenyoungmenoftheCalender’sstory，whoblackenedtheirfacesandbemoanedtheirmiserieseverynight。FiftythousandlairssurroundedhimwherepeoplelivedsounwholesomelythatfairwaterputintotheircrowdedroomsonSaturdaynight，wouldbecorruptonSundaymorning；albeitmylord，theircountymember，wasamazedthattheyfailedtosleepincompanywiththeirbutcher’smeat。Milesofclosewellsandpitsofhouses，wheretheinhabitantsgaspedforair，stretchedfarawaytowardseverypointofthecompass。
Throughtheheartofthetownadeadlysewerebbedandflowed，intheplaceofafinefreshriver。Whatsecularwantcouldthemillionorsoofhumanbeingswhosedailylabour，sixdaysintheweek，layamongtheseArcadianobjects，fromthesweetsamenessofwhichtheyhadnoescapebetweenthecradleandthegrave——whatsecularwantcouldtheypossiblyhaveupontheirseventhday？