’Thankyou，’returnedArthur。’Notamorsel。’
Hefelthimselfquitelostinwonderatthemanneroftheman，andthattheprobabilityofhisdaughter’shavinghadareserveastoherfamilyhistory，shouldbesofaroutofhismind。
Shefilledhisglass，putallthelittlemattersonthetablereadytohishand，andthensatbesidehimwhileheatehissupper。
Evidentlyinobservanceoftheirnightlycustom，sheputsomebreadbeforeherself，andtouchedhisglasswithherlips；butArthursawshewastroubledandtooknothing。Herlookatherfather，halfadmiringhimandproudofhim，halfashamedforhim，alldevotedandloving，wenttohisinmostheart。
TheFatheroftheMarshalseacondescendedtowardshisbrotherasanamiable，well-meaningman；aprivatecharacter，whohadnotarrivedatdistinction。’Frederick，’saidhe，’youandFannysupatyourlodgingsto-night，Iknow。WhathaveyoudonewithFanny，Frederick？’
’SheiswalkingwithTip。’
’Tip——asyoumayknow——ismyson，MrClennam。Hehasbeenalittlewild，anddifficulttosettle，buthisintroductiontotheworldwasrather’——heshruggedhisshoulderswithafaintsigh，andlookedroundtheroom——’alittleadverse。Yourfirstvisithere，sir？’
’myfirst。’
’Youcouldhardlyhavebeenheresinceyourboyhoodwithoutmyknowledge。Itveryseldomhappensthatanybody——ofanypretensions-anypretensions——comesherewithoutbeingpresentedtome。’
’Asmanyasfortyorfiftyinadayhavebeenintroducedtomybrother，’saidFrederick，faintlylightingupwitharayofpride。
’Yes!’theFatheroftheMarshalseaassented。’Wehaveevenexceededthatnumber。OnafineSundayintermtime，itisquiteaLevee——quiteaLevee。Amy，mydear，IhavebeentryinghalfthedaytorememberthenameofthegentlemanfromCamberwellwhowasintroducedtomelastChristmasweekbythatagreeablecoal-
merchantwhowasremandedforsixmonths。’
’Idon’trememberhisname，father。’
’Frederick，doyourememberhisname？’
Frederickdoubtedifhehadeverheardit。NoonecoulddoubtthatFrederickwasthelastpersonuponearthtoputsuchaquestionto，withanyhopeofinformation。
’Imean，’saidhisbrother，’thegentlemanwhodidthathandsomeactionwithsomuchdelicacy。Ha!Tush!Thenamehasquiteescapedme。MrClennam，asIhavehappenedtomentionhandsomeanddelicateaction，youmaylike，perhaps，toknowwhatitwas。’
’Verymuch，’saidArthur，withdrawinghiseyesfromthedelicateheadbeginningtodroopandthepalefacewithanewsolicitudestealingoverit。
’Itissogenerous，andshowssomuchfinefeeling，thatitisalmostadutytomentionit。IsaidatthetimethatIalwayswouldmentionitoneverysuitableoccasion，withoutregardtopersonalsensitiveness。A——well——a——it’sofnousetodisguisethefact——youmustknow，MrClennam，thatitdoessometimesoccurthatpeoplewhocomeheredesiretooffersomelittle——Testimonial——totheFatheroftheplace。’
Toseeherhanduponhisarminmuteentreatyhalf-repressed，andhertimidlittleshrinkingfigureturningaway，wastoseeasad，sadsight。
’Sometimes，’hewentoninalow，softvoice，agitated，andclearinghisthroateverynowandthen；’sometimes——hem——ittakesoneshapeandsometimesanother；butitisgenerally——ha——Money。
Anditis，Icannotbutconfessit，itistoooften——hem——
acceptable。ThisgentlemanthatIreferto，waspresentedtome，MrClennam，inamannerhighlygratifyingtomyfeelings，andconversednotonlywithgreatpoliteness，butwithgreat——ahem——
information。’Allthistime，thoughhehadfinishedhissupper，hewasnervouslygoingabouthisplatewithhisknifeandfork，asifsomeofitwerestillbeforehim。’Itappearedfromhisconversationthathehadagarden，thoughhewasdelicateofmentioningitatfirst，asgardensare——hem——arenotaccessibletome。Butitcameout，throughmyadmiringaveryfineclusterofgeranium——beautifulclusterofgeraniumtobesure——whichhehadbroughtfromhisconservatory。Onmytakingnoticeofitsrichcolour，heshowedmeapieceofpaperroundit，onwhichwaswritten，“FortheFatheroftheMarshalsea，“andpresentedittome。Butthiswas——hem——notall。Hemadeaparticularrequest，ontakingleave，thatIwouldremovethepaperinhalfanhour。I——
ha——Ididso；andIfoundthatitcontained——ahem——twoguineas。I
assureyou，MrClennam，Ihavereceived——hem——Testimonialsinmanyways，andofmanydegreesofvalue，andtheyhavealwaysbeen——ha——
unfortunatelyacceptable；butIneverwasmorepleasedthanwiththis——ahem——thisparticularTestimonial。’
Arthurwasintheactofsayingthelittlehecouldsayonsuchatheme，whenabellbegantoring，andfootstepsapproachedthedoor。AprettygirlofafarbetterfigureandmuchmoredevelopedthanLittleDorrit，thoughlookingmuchyoungerinthefacewhenthetwowereobservedtogether，stoppedinthedoorwayonseeingastranger；andayoungmanwhowaswithher，stoppedtoo。
’MrClennam，Fanny。Myeldestdaughterandmyson，MrClennam。
Thebellisasignalforvisitorstoretire，andsotheyhavecometosaygoodnight；butthereisplentyoftime，plentyoftime。
Girls，MrClennamwillexcuseanyhouseholdbusinessyoumayhavetogether。Heknows，Idaresay，thatIhavebutoneroomhere。’
’IonlywantmycleandressfromAmy，father，’saidthesecondgirl。
’AndImyclothes，’saidTip。
Amyopenedadrawerinanoldpieceoffurniturethatwasachestofdrawersaboveandabedsteadbelow，andproducedtwolittlebundles，whichshehandedtoherbrotherandsister。’Mendedandmadeup？’Clennamheardthesisteraskinawhisper。TowhichAmyanswered’Yes。’Hehadrisennow，andtooktheopportunityofglancingroundtheroom。Thebarewallshadbeencolouredgreen，evidentlybyanunskilledhand，andwerepoorlydecoratedwithafewprints。Thewindowwascurtained，andthefloorcarpeted；andtherewereshelvesandpegs，andothersuchconveniences，thathadaccumulatedinthecourseofyears。Itwasaclose，confinedroom，poorlyfurnished；andthechimneysmokedtoboot，orthetinscreenatthetopofthefireplacewassuperfluous；butconstantpainsandcarehadmadeitneat，andeven，afteritskind，comfortable。
Allthewhilethebellwasringing，andtheunclewasanxioustogo。’Come，Fanny，come，Fanny，’hesaid，withhisraggedclarionetcaseunderhisarm；’thelock，child，thelock!’
Fannybadeherfathergoodnight，andwhiskedoffairily。Tiphadalreadyclattereddown-stairs。’Now，MrClennam，’saidtheuncle，lookingbackasheshuffledoutafterthem，’thelock，sir，thelock。’
MrClennamhadtwothingstodobeforehefollowed；one，toofferhistestimonialtotheFatheroftheMarshalsea，withoutgivingpaintohischild；theothertosaysomethingtothatchild，thoughitwerebutaword，inexplanationofhishavingcomethere。
’Allowme，’saidtheFather，’toseeyoudown-stairs。’
Shehadslippedoutaftertherest，andtheywerealone。’Notonanyaccount，’saidthevisitor，hurriedly。’Prayallowmeto——’
chink，chink，chink。
’MrClennam，’saidtheFather，’Iamdeeply，deeply——’Buthisvisitorhadshutuphishandtostoptheclinking，andhadgonedown-stairswithgreatspeed。
HesawnoLittleDorritonhiswaydown，orintheyard。Thelasttwoorthreestragglerswerehurryingtothelodge，andhewasfollowing，whenhecaughtsightofherinthedoorwayofthefirsthousefromtheentrance。Heturnedbackhastily。
’Prayforgiveme，’hesaid，’forspeakingtoyouhere；prayforgivemeforcominghereatall!Ifollowedyouto-night。Ididso，thatImightendeavourtorenderyouandyourfamilysomeservice。
YouknowthetermsonwhichIandmymotherare，andmaynotbesurprisedthatIhavepreservedourdistantrelationsatherhouse，lestIshouldunintentionallymakeherjealous，orresentful，ordoyouanyinjuryinherestimation。WhatIhaveseenhere，inthisshorttime，hasgreatlyincreasedmyheartfeltwishtobeafriendtoyou。ItwouldrecompensemeformuchdisappointmentifIcouldhopetogainyourconfidence。’
Shewasscaredatfirst，butseemedtotakecouragewhilehespoketoher。
’Youareverygood，sir。Youspeakveryearnestlytome。ButI——
butIwishyouhadnotwatchedme。’
Heunderstoodtheemotionwithwhichshesaidit，toariseinherfather’sbehalf；andherespectedit，andwassilent。
’MrsClennamhasbeenofgreatservicetome；Idon’tknowwhatweshouldhavedonewithouttheemploymentshehasgivenme；Iamafraiditmaynotbeagoodreturntobecomesecretwithher；Icansaynomoreto-night，sir。Iamsureyoumeantobekindtous。
Thankyou，thankyou。’
’LetmeaskyouonequestionbeforeIleave。Haveyouknownmymotherlong？’
’Ithinktwoyears，sir，——Thebellhasstopped。’
’Howdidyouknowherfirst？Didshesendhereforyou？’
’No。ShedoesnotevenknowthatIlivehere。Wehaveafriend，fatherandI——apoorlabouringman，butthebestoffriends——andI