’NomoreshouldI，’saidMrsFlintwinch，tyingthepillowtightlyinitscase。
’That’swhatImean。Whendidyoubegintothinkotherwise？’
’Neverbeguntothinkotherwiseatall，’saidMrsFlintwinch。
Seeing，asshepattedthepillowintoitsplaceonthebolster，thathewasstilllookingatherasifwaitingfortherestofherreply，shegaveitagreatpokeinthemiddle，andasked，’HowcouldIhelpmyself？’
’Howcouldyouhelpyourselffrombeingmarried!’
’O’course，’saidMrsFlintwinch。’Itwasnodoingo’mine。I’D
neverthoughtofit。I’dgotsomethingtodo，withoutthinking，indeed!Shekeptmetoitaswellashewhenshecouldgoabout，andshecouldgoaboutthen。’
’Well？’
’Well？’echoedMrsFlintwinch。’That’swhatIsaidmyself。Well!
What’stheuseofconsidering？Ifthemtwocleveroneshavemadeuptheirmindstoit，what’sleftformetodo？Nothing。’
’Wasitmymother’sproject，then？’
’TheLordblessyou，Arthur，andforgivemethewish!’criedAffery，speakingalwaysinalowtone。’Iftheyhadn’tbeenbothofamindinit，howcoulditeverhavebeen？Jeremiahnevercourtedme；t’antlikelythathewould，afterlivinginthehousewithmeandorderingmeaboutforasmanyyearsashe’ddone。Hesaidtomeoneday，hesaid，“Affery，“hesaid，“nowIamgoingtotellyousomething。WhatdoyouthinkofthenameofFlintwinch？“
“WhatdoIthinkofit？“Isays。“Yes，“hesaid，“becauseyou’regoingtotakeit，“hesaid。“Takeit？“Isays。“Jere-MI-ah？“Oh!
he’sacleverone!’
MrsFlintwinchwentontospreadtheuppersheetoverthebed，andtheblanketoverthat，andthecounterpaneoverthat，asifshehadquiteconcludedherstory。
’Well？’saidArthuragain。
’Well？’echoedMrsFlintwinchagain。’HowcouldIhelpmyself？Hesaidtome，“Affery，youandmemustbemarried，andI’lltellyouwhy。She’sfailinginhealth，andshe’llwantprettyconstantattendanceupinherroom，andweshallhavetobemuchwithher，andthere’llbenobodyaboutnowbutourselveswhenwe’reawayfromher，andaltogetheritwillbemoreconvenient。She’sofmyopinion，“hesaid，“soifyou’llputyourbonnetonnextMondaymorningateight，we’llgetitover。“’MrsFlintwinchtuckedupthebed。
’Well？’
’Well？’repeatedMrsFlintwinch，’Ithinkso!Isitsmedownandsaysit。Well!——Jeremiahthensaystome，“Astobanns，nextSundaybeingthethirdtimeofaskingforI’veput’emupafortnight，ismyreasonfornamingMonday。She’llspeaktoyouaboutitherself，andnowshe’llfindyouprepared，Affery。“Thatsamedayshespoketome，andshesaid，“So，Affery，IunderstandthatyouandJeremiaharegoingtobemarried。Iamgladofit，andsoareyou，withreason。Itisaverygoodthingforyou，andverywelcomeunderthecircumstancestome。Heisasensibleman，andatrustworthyman，andaperseveringman，andapiousman。“
WhatcouldIsaywhenithadcometothat？Why，ifithadbeen——asmotheringinsteadofawedding，’MrsFlintwinchcastaboutinhermindwithgreatpainsforthisformofexpression，’Icouldn’thavesaidaworduponit，againstthemtwocleverones。’
’Ingoodfaith，Ibelieveso。’
’Andsoyoumay，Arthur。’
’Affery，whatgirlwasthatinmymother’sroomjustnow？’
’Girl？’saidMrsFlintwinchinarathersharpkey。
’Itwasagirl，surely，whomIsawnearyou——almosthiddeninthedarkcorner？’
’Oh!She？LittleDorrit？She’snothing；she’sawhimof——hers。’
ItwasapeculiarityofAfferyFlintwinchthatsheneverspokeofMrsClennambyname。’Butthere’sanothersortofgirlsthanthatabout。Haveyouforgotyouroldsweetheart？Longandlongago，I’llbebound。’
’Isufferedenoughfrommymother’sseparatingus，torememberher。
Irecollectherverywell。’
’Haveyougotanother？’
’No。’
’Here’snewsforyou，then。She’swelltodonow，andawidow。
Andifyouliketohaveher，whyyoucan。’
’Andhowdoyouknowthat，Affery？’
’Themtwocleveroneshavebeenspeakingaboutit——There’sJeremiahonthestairs!’Shewasgoneinamoment。
MrsFlintwinchhadintroducedintothewebthathismindwasbusilyweaving，inthatoldworkshopwheretheloomofhisyouthhadstood，thelastthreadwantingtothepattern。Theairyfollyofaboy’slovehadfounditswayevenintothathouse，andhehadbeenaswretchedunderitshopelessnessasifthehousehadbeenacastleofromance。LittlemorethanaweekagoatMarseilles，thefaceoftheprettygirlfromwhomhehadpartedwithregret，hadhadanunusualinterestforhim，andatenderholduponhim，becauseofsomeresemblance，realorimagined，tothisfirstfacethathadsoaredoutofhisgloomylifeintothebrightgloriesoffancy。Heleaneduponthesillofthelonglowwindow，andlookingoutupontheblackenedforestofchimneysagain，begantodream；
forithadbeentheuniformtendencyofthisman’slife——somuchwaswantinginittothinkabout，somuchthatmighthavebeenbetterdirectedandhappiertospeculateupon——tomakehimadreamer，afterall。
MrsFlintwinchhasaDreamWhenMrsFlintwinchdreamed，sheusuallydreamed，unlikethesonofheroldmistress，withhereyesshut。Shehadacuriouslyvividdreamthatnight，andbeforeshehadleftthesonofheroldmistressmanyhours。Infactitwasnotatalllikeadream；itwassoveryrealineveryrespect。Ithappenedinthiswise。
Thebed-chamberoccupiedbyMrandMrsFlintwinchwaswithinafewpacesofthattowhichMrsClennamhadbeensolongconfined。Itwasnotonthesamefloor，foritwasaroomatthesideofthehouse，whichwasapproachedbyasteepdescentofafewoddsteps，divergingfromthemainstaircasenearlyoppositetoMrsClennam’sdoor。Itcouldscarcelybesaidtobewithincall，thewalls，doors，andpanellingoftheoldplaceweresocumbrous；butitwaswithineasyreach，inanyundress，atanyhourofthenight，inanytemperature。AttheheadofthebedandwithinafootofMrsFlintwinch’sear，wasabell，thelineofwhichhungreadytoMrsClennam’shand。Wheneverthisbellrang，upstartedAffery，andwasinthesickroombeforeshewasawake。
Havinggothermistressintobed，lightedherlamp，andgivenhergoodnight，MrsFlintwinchwenttoroostasusual，savingthatherlordhadnotyetappeared。Itwasherlordhimselfwhobecame——
unlikethelastthemeinthemind，accordingtotheobservationofmostphilosophers——thesubjectofMrsFlintwinch’sdream。
Itseemedtoherthatsheawokeaftersleepingsomehours，andfoundJeremiahnotyetabed。Thatshelookedatthecandleshehadleftburning，and，measuringthetimelikeKingAlfredtheGreat，wasconfirmedbyitswastedstateinherbeliefthatshehadbeenasleepforsomeconsiderableperiod。Thatshearosethereupon，muffledherselfupinawrapper，putonhershoes，andwentoutonthestaircase，muchsurprised，tolookforJeremiah。
Thestaircasewasaswoodenandsolidasneedbe，andAfferywentstraightdownitwithoutanyofthosedeviationspeculiartodreams。Shedidnotskimoverit，butwalkeddownit，andguidedherselfbythebanistersonaccountofhercandlehavingdiedout。
Inonecornerofthehall，behindthehouse-door，therewasalittlewaiting-room，likeawell-shaft，withalongnarrowwindowinitasifithadbeenrippedup。Inthisroom，whichwasneverused，alightwasburning。
MrsFlintwinchcrossedthehall，feelingitspavementcoldtoherstockinglessfeet，andpeepedinbetweentherustyhingesonthedoor，whichstoodalittleopen。SheexpectedtoseeJeremiahfastasleeporinafit，buthewascalmlyseatedinachair，awake，andinhisusualhealth。Butwhat——hey？——Lordforgiveus!——MrsFlintwinchmutteredsomeejaculationtothiseffect，andturnedgiddy。
For，MrFlintwinchawake，waswatchingMrFlintwinchasleep。Hesatononesideofthesmalltable，lookingkeenlyathimselfontheothersidewithhischinsunkonhisbreast，snoring。ThewakingFlintwinchhadhisfullfrontfacepresentedtohiswife；
thesleepingFlintwinchwasinprofile。ThewakingFlintwinchwastheoldoriginal；thesleepingFlintwinchwasthedouble。justasshemighthavedistinguishedbetweenatangibleobjectanditsreflectioninaglass，Afferymadeoutthisdifferencewithherheadgoingroundandround。
IfshehadhadanydoubtwhichwasherownJeremiah，itwouldhavebeenresolvedbyhisimpatience。Helookedabouthimforanoffensiveweapon，caughtupthesnuffers，and，beforeapplyingthemtothecabbage-headedcandle，lungedatthesleeperasthoughhewouldhaverunhimthroughthebody。
’Who’sthat？What’sthematter？’criedthesleeper，starting。
MrFlintwinchmadeamovementwiththesnuffers，asifhewouldhaveenforcedsilenceonhiscompanionbyputtingthemdownhisthroat；thecompanion，comingtohimself，said，rubbinghiseyes，’IforgotwhereIwas。’
’Youhavebeenasleep，’snarledJeremiah，referringtohiswatch，’twohours。Yousaidyouwouldberestedenoughifyouhadashortnap。’
’Ihavehadashortnap，’saidDouble。
’Half-pasttwoo’clockinthemorning，’mutteredJeremiah。
’Where’syourhat？Where’syourcoat？Where’sthebox？’
’Allhere，’saidDouble，tyinguphisthroatwithsleepycarefulnessinashawl。’Stopaminute。Nowgivemethesleeve——
notthatsleeve，theotherone。Ha!I’mnotasyoungasIwas。’
MrFlintwinchhadpulledhimintohiscoatwithvehementenergy。
’YoupromisedmeasecondglassafterIwasrested。’
’Drinkit!’returnedJeremiah，’and——chokeyourself，Iwasgoingtosay——butgo，Imean。’Atthesametimeheproducedtheidenticalport-winebottle，andfilledawine-glass。
’Herport-wine，Ibelieve？’saidDouble，tastingitasifhewereintheDocks，withhourstospare。’Herhealth。’
Hetookasip。
’Yourhealth!’
Hetookanothersip。
’Hishealth!’
Hetookanothersip。