Hestoppedinthehopethatshewouldspeak。Buthergreyhairwasnotmoreimmovableinitstwofolds，thanwereherfirmlips。
’Ifreparationcanbemadetoanyone，ifrestitutioncanbemadetoanyone，letusknowitandmakeit。Nay，mother，ifwithinmymeans，letMEmakeit。Ihaveseensolittlehappinesscomeofmoney；ithasbroughtwithinmyknowledgesolittlepeacetothishouse，ortoanyonebelongingtoit，thatitisworthlesstomethantoanother。Itcanbuymenothingthatwillnotbeareproachandmiserytome，ifIamhauntedbyasuspicionthatitdarkenedmyfather’slasthourswithremorse，andthatitisnothonestlyandjustlymine。’
Therewasabell-ropehangingonthepanelledwall，sometwoorthreeyardsfromthecabinet。Byaswiftandsuddenactionofherfoot，shedroveherwheeledchairrapidlybacktoitandpulleditviolently——stillholdingherarmupinitsshield-likeposture，asifhewerestrikingather，andshewardingofftheblow。
Agirlcamehurryingin，frightened。
’SendFlintwinchhere!’
Inamomentthegirlhadwithdrawn，andtheoldmanstoodwithinthedoor。’What!You’rehammerandtongs，already，youtwo？’hesaid，coollystrokinghisface。’Ithoughtyouwouldbe。Iwasprettysureofit。’
’Flintwinch!’saidthemother，’lookatmyson。Lookathim!’
’Well，IAMlookingathim，’saidFlintwinch。
Shestretchedoutthearmwithwhichshehadshieldedherself，andasshewenton，pointedattheobjectofheranger。
’Intheveryhourofhisreturnalmost——beforetheshoeuponhisfootisdry——heasperseshisfather’smemorytohismother!Askshismothertobecome，withhim，aspyuponhisfather’stransactionsthroughalifetime!Hasmisgivingsthatthegoodsofthisworldwhichwehavepainfullygottogetherearlyandlate，withwearandtearandtoilandself-denial，aresomuchplunder；
andaskstowhomtheyshallbegivenup，asreparationandrestitution!’
Althoughshesaidthisraging，shesaiditinavoicesofarfrombeingbeyondhercontrolthatitwasevenlowerthanherusualtone。Shealsospokewithgreatdistinctness。
’Reparation!’saidshe。’Yes，truly!Itiseasyforhimtotalkofreparation，freshfromjourneyingandjunketinginforeignlands，andlivingalifeofvanityandpleasure。Butlethimlookatme，inprison，andinbondshere。Iendurewithoutmurmuring，becauseitisappointedthatIshallsomakereparationformysins。Reparation!Istherenoneinthisroom？Hastherebeennoneherethisfifteenyears？’
ThuswasshealwaysbalancingherbargainswiththeMajestyofheaven，postinguptheentriestohercredit，strictlykeepingherset-off，andclaimingherdue。Shewasonlyremarkableinthis，fortheforceandemphasiswithwhichshedidit。Thousandsuponthousandsdoit，accordingtotheirvaryingmanner，everyday。
’Flintwinch，givemethatbook!’
Theoldmanhandedittoherfromthetable。Sheputtwofingersbetweentheleaves，closedthebookuponthem，andheldituptohersoninathreateningway。
’Inthedaysofold，Arthur，treatedofinthiscommentary，therewerepiousmen，belovedoftheLord，whowouldhavecursedtheirsonsforlessthanthis：whowouldhavesentthemforth，andsentwholenationsforth，ifsuchhadsupportedthem，tobeavoidedofGodandman，andperish，downtothebabyatthebreast。ButI
onlytellyouthatifyoueverrenewthatthemewithme，Iwillrenounceyou；Iwillsodismissyouthroughthatdoorway，thatyouhadbetterhavebeenmotherlessfromyourcradle。Iwillneverseeorknowyoumore。Andif，afterall，youweretocomeintothisdarkenedroomtolookuponmelyingdead，mybodyshouldbleed，ifIcouldmakeit，whenyoucamenearme。’
Inpartrelievedbytheintensityofthisthreat，andinpartmonstrousasthefactisbyageneralimpressionthatitwasinsomesortareligiousproceeding，shehandedbackthebooktotheoldman，andwassilent。
’Now，’saidJeremiah；’premisingthatI’mnotgoingtostandbetweenyoutwo，willyouletmeaskasIhavebeencalledin，andmadeathirdwhatisallthisabout？’
’Takeyourversionofit，’returnedArthur，findingitlefttohimtospeak，’frommymother。Letitrestthere。WhatIhavesaid，wassaidtomymotheronly。’
’Oh!’returnedtheoldman。’Fromyourmother？Takeitfromyourmother？Well!Butyourmothermentionedthatyouhadbeensuspectingyourfather。That’snotdutiful，MrArthur。Whowillyoubesuspectingnext？’
’Enough，’saidMrsClennam，turningherfacesothatitwasaddressedforthemomenttotheoldmanonly。’Letnomorebesaidaboutthis。’
’Yes，butstopabit，stopabit，’theoldmanpersisted。’Letusseehowwestand。HaveyoutoldMrArthurthathemustn’tlayoffencesathisfather’sdoor？Thathehasnorighttodoit？
Thathehasnogroundtogoupon？’
’Itellhimsonow。’
’Ah!Exactly，’saidtheoldman。’Youtellhimsonow。Youhadn’ttoldhimsobefore，andyoutellhimsonow。Ay，ay!
That’sright!YouknowIstoodbetweenyouandhisfathersolong，thatitseemsasifdeathhadmadenodifference，andIwasstillstandingbetweenyou。SoIwill，andsoinfairnessIrequiretohavethatplainlyputforward。Arthur，youpleasetohearthatyouhavenorighttomistrustyourfather，andhavenogroundtogoupon。’
Heputhishandstothebackofthewheeledchair，andmutteringtohimself，slowlywheeledhismistressbacktohercabinet。’Now，’
heresumed，standingbehindher：’incaseIshouldgoawayleavingthingshalfdone，andsoshouldbewantedagainwhenyoucometotheotherhalfandgetintooneofyourflights，hasArthurtoldyouwhathemeanstodoaboutthebusiness？’
’Hehasrelinquishedit。’
’Infavourofnobody，Isuppose？’
MrsClennamglancedatherson，leaningagainstoneofthewindows。
Heobservedthelookandsaid，’Tomymother，ofcourse。Shedoeswhatshepleases。’
’Andifanypleasure，’shesaidafterashortpause，’couldariseformeoutofthedisappointmentofmyexpectationsthatmyson，intheprimeofhislife，wouldinfusenewyouthandstrengthintoit，andmakeitofgreatprofitandpower，itwouldbeinadvancinganoldandfaithfulservant。Jeremiah，thecaptaindesertstheship，butyouandIwillsinkorfloatwithit。’
Jeremiah，whoseeyesglistenedasiftheysawmoney，dartedasuddenlookattheson，whichseemedtosay，’IoweYOUnothanksforthis；YOUhavedonenothingtowardsit!’andthentoldthemotherthathethankedher，andthatAfferythankedher，andthathewouldneverdeserther，andthatAfferywouldneverdeserther。
Finally，hehauleduphiswatchfromitsdepths，andsaid，’Eleven。
Timeforyouroysters!’andwiththatchangeofsubject，whichinvolvednochangeofexpressionormanner，rangthebell。
ButMrsClennam，resolvedtotreatherselfwiththegreaterrigourforhavingbeensupposedtobeunacquaintedwithreparation，refusedtoeatheroysterswhentheywerebrought。Theylookedtempting；eightinnumber，circularlysetoutonawhiteplateonatraycoveredwithawhitenapkin，flankedbyasliceofbutteredFrenchroll，andalittlecompactglassofcoolwineandwater；butsheresistedallpersuasions，andsentthemdownagain——placingtheacttohercredit，nodoubt，inherEternalDay-Book。
ThisrefectionofoysterswasnotpresidedoverbyAffery，butbythegirlwhohadappearedwhenthebellwasrung；thesamewhohadbeeninthedimly-lightedroomlastnight。Nowthathehadanopportunityofobservingher，Arthurfoundthatherdiminutivefigure，smallfeatures，andslightsparedress，gavehertheappearanceofbeingmuchyoungerthanshewas。Awoman，probablyofnotlessthantwo-and-twenty，shemighthavebeenpassedinthestreetforlittlemorethanhalfthatage。Notthatherfacewasveryyouthful，forintruththerewasmoreconsiderationandcareinitthannaturallybelongedtoherutmostyears；butshewassolittleandlight，sonoiselessandshy，andappearedsoconsciousofbeingoutofplaceamongthethreehardelders，thatshehadallthemannerandmuchoftheappearanceofasubduedchild。
Inahardway，andinanuncertainwaythatfluctuatedbetweenpatronageandputtingdown，thesprinklingfromawatering-potandhydraulicpressure，MrsClennamshowedaninterestinthisdependent。Eveninthemomentofherentrance，upontheviolentringingofthebell，whenthemothershieldedherselfwiththatsingularactionfromtheson，MrsClennam’seyeshadhadsomeindividualrecognitioninthem，whichseemedreservedforher。Astherearedegreesofhardnessinthehardestmetal，andshadesofcolourinblackitself，so，evenintheasperityofMrsClennam’sdemeanourtowardsalltherestofhumanityandtowardsLittleDorrit，therewasafinegradation。
LittleDorritletherselfouttodoneedlework。Atsomuchaday——
oratsolittle——fromeighttoeight，LittleDorritwastobehired。Punctualtothemoment，LittleDorritappeared；punctualtothemoment，LittleDorritvanished。WhatbecameofLittleDorritbetweenthetwoeightswasamystery。
AnotherofthemoralphenomenaofLittleDorrit。Besidesherconsiderationmoney，herdailycontractincludedmeals。Shehadanextraordinaryrepugnancetodiningincompany；wouldneverdoso，ifitwerepossibletoescape。Wouldalwayspleadthatshehadthisbitofworktobeginfirst，orthatbitofworktofinishfirst；andwould，ofacertainty，schemeandplan——notverycunningly，itwouldseem，forshedeceivednoone——todinealone。
Successfulinthis，happyincarryingoffherplateanywhere，tomakeatableofherlap，orabox，ortheground，orevenaswassupposed，tostandontip-toe，diningmoderatelyatamantel-shelf；
thegreatanxietyofLittleDorrit’sdaywassetatrest。
ItwasnoteasytomakeoutLittleDorrit’sface；shewassoretiring，pliedherneedleinsuchremovedcorners，andstartedawaysoscaredifencounteredonthestairs。Butitseemedtobeapaletransparentface，quickinexpression，thoughnotbeautifulinfeature，itssofthazeleyesexcepted。Adelicatelybenthead，atinyform，aquicklittlepairofbusyhands，andashabbydress——itmustneedshavebeenveryshabbytolookatallso，beingsoneat——wereLittleDorritasshesatatwork。
FortheseparticularsorgeneralitiesconcerningLittleDorrit，MrArthurwasindebtedinthecourseofthedaytohisowneyesandtoMrsAffery’stongue。IfMrsAfferyhadhadanywillorwayofherown，itwouldprobablyhavebeenunfavourabletoLittleDorrit。