Hefelt，fromthetoneinwhichshespoke，thatshewasglancingupathimwiththosepartedlips；thereforehelookedbeforehim，ratherthanmakeherheartbeatquickerstillbyembarrassingherafresh。
ThustheyemergedupontheIronBridge，whichwasasquietaftertheroaringstreetsasthoughithadbeenopencountry。Thewindblewroughly，thewetsquallscamerattlingpastthem，skimmingthepoolsontheroadandpavement，andrainingthemdownintotheriver。Thecloudsracedonfuriouslyinthelead-Colouredsky，thesmokeandmistracedafterthem，thedarktideranfierceandstronginthesamedirection。LittleDorritseemedtheleast，thequietest，andweakestofHeaven’screatures。
’Letmeputyouinacoach，’saidClennam，verynearlyadding’mypoorchild。’
Shehurriedlydeclined，sayingthatwetordrymadelittledifferencetoher；shewasusedtogoaboutinallweathers。Heknewittobeso，andwastouchedwithmorepity；thinkingoftheslightfigureathisside，makingitsnightlywaythroughthedampdarkboisterousstreetstosuchaplaceofrest。
’Youspokesofeelinglytomelastnight，sir，andIfoundafterwardsthatyouhadbeensogeneroustomyfather，thatIcouldnotresistyourmessage，ifitwasonlytothankyou；especiallyasIwishedverymuchtosaytoyou——’shehesitatedandtrembled，andtearsroseinhereyes，butdidnotfall。
’Tosaytome——？’
’ThatIhopeyouwillnotmisunderstandmyfather。Don’tjudgehim，sir，asyouwouldjudgeothersoutsidethegates。Hehasbeentheresolong!Ineversawhimoutside，butIcanunderstandthathemusthavegrowndifferentinsomethingssince。’
’Mythoughtswillneverbeunjustorharshtowardshim，believeme。’
’Not，’shesaid，withaprouderair，asthemisgivingevidentlycreptuponherthatshemightseemtobeabandoninghim，’notthathehasanythingtobeashamedofforhimself，orthatIhaveanythingtobeashamedofforhim。Heonlyrequirestobeunderstood。Ionlyaskforhimthathislifemaybefairlyremembered。Allthathesaidwasquitetrue。Itallhappenedjustasherelatedit。Heisverymuchrespected。Everybodywhocomesin，isgladtoknowhim。Heismorecourtedthananyoneelse。HeisfarmorethoughtofthantheMarshalis。’
Ifeverpridewereinnocent，itwasinnocentinLittleDorritwhenshegrewboastfulofherfather。
’Itisoftensaidthathismannersareatruegentleman’s，andquiteastudy。Iseenoneliketheminthatplace，butheisadmittedtobesuperiortoalltherest。Thisisquiteasmuchwhytheymakehimpresents，asbecausetheyknowhimtobeneedy。Heisnottobeblamedforbeinginneed，poorlove。Whocouldbeinprisonaquarterofacentury，andbeprosperous!’
Whataffectioninherwords，whatcompassioninherrepressedtears，whatagreatsouloffidelitywithinher，howtruethelightthatshedfalsebrightnessroundhim!
’IfIhavefounditbesttoconcealwheremyhomeis，itisnotbecauseIamashamedofhim。Godforbid!NoramIsomuchashamedoftheplaceitselfasmightbesupposed。Peoplearenotbadbecausetheycomethere。Ihaveknownnumbersofgood，persevering，honestpeoplecometherethroughmisfortune。Theyarealmostallkind-heartedtooneanother。Anditwouldbeungratefulindeedinme，toforgetthatIhavehadmanyquiet，comfortablehoursthere；thatIhadanexcellentfriendtherewhenIwasquiteababy，whowasveryveryfondofme；thatIhavebeentaughtthere，andhaveworkedthere，andhavesleptsoundlythere。I
thinkitwouldbealmostcowardlyandcruelnottohavesomelittleattachmentforit，afterallthis。’
Shehadrelievedthefaithfulfulnessofherheart，andmodestlysaid，raisinghereyesappealinglytohernewfriend’s，’Ididnotmeantosaysomuch，norhaveIeverbutoncespokenaboutthisbefore。Butitseemstosetitmorerightthanitwaslastnight。
IsaidIwishedyouhadnotfollowedme，sir。Idon’twishitsomuchnow，unlessyoushouldthink——indeedIdon’twishitatall，unlessIshouldhavespokensoconfusedly，that——thatyoucanscarcelyunderstandme，whichIamafraidmaybethecase。’
Hetoldherwithperfecttruththatitwasnotthecase；andputtinghimselfbetweenherandthesharpwindandrain，shelteredheraswellashecould。
’Ifeelpermittednow，’hesaid，’toaskyoualittlemoreconcerningyourfather。Hashemanycreditors？’
’Oh!agreatnumber。’
’Imeandetainingcreditors，whokeephimwhereheis？’
’Ohyes!agreatnumber。’
’Canyoutellme——Icangettheinformation，nodoubt，elsewhere，ifyoucannot——whoisthemostinfluentialofthem？’
LittleDorritsaid，afterconsideringalittle，thatsheusedtohearlongagoofMrTiteBarnacleasamanofgreatpower。Hewasacommissioner，oraboard，oratrustee，’orsomething。’HelivedinGrosvenorSquare，shethought，orverynearit。HewasunderGovernment——highintheCircumlocutionOffice。Sheappearedtohaveacquired，inherinfancy，someawfulimpressionofthemightofthisformidableMrTiteBarnacleofGrosvenorSquare，orverynearit，andtheCircumlocutionOffice，whichquitecrushedherwhenshementionedhim。
’Itcandonoharm，’thoughtArthur，’ifIseethisMrTiteBarnacle。’
Thethoughtdidnotpresentitselfsoquietlybutthatherquicknessinterceptedit。’Ah!’saidLittleDorrit，shakingherheadwiththemilddespairofalifetime。’Manypeopleusedtothinkonceofgettingmypoorfatherout，butyoudon’tknowhowhopelessitis。’
Sheforgottobeshyatthemoment，inhonestlywarninghimawayfromthesunkenwreckhehadadreamofraising；andlookedathimwitheyeswhichassuredly，inassociationwithherpatientface，herfragilefigure，hersparedress，andthewindandrain，didnotturnhimfromhispurposeofhelpingher。
’Evenifitcouldbedone，’saidshe——’anditnevercanbedonenow——wherecouldfatherlive，orhowcouldhelive？Ihaveoftenthoughtthatifsuchachangecouldcome，itmightbeanythingbutaservicetohimnow。Peoplemightnotthinksowellofhimoutsideastheydothere。Hemightnotbesogentlydealtwithoutsideasheisthere。Hemightnotbesofithimselfforthelifeoutsideasheisforthat。’
Hereforthefirsttimeshecouldnotrestrainhertearsfromfalling；andthelittlethinhandshehadwatchedwhentheyweresobusy，trembledastheyclaspedeachother。
’ItwouldbeanewdistresstohimeventoknowthatIearnalittlemoney，andthatFannyearnsalittlemoney。Heissoanxiousaboutus，yousee，feelinghelplesslyshutupthere。Suchagood，goodfather!’
Heletthelittleburstoffeelinggobybeforehespoke。Itwassoongone。Shewasnotaccustomedtothinkofherself，ortotroubleanyonewithheremotions。Hehadbutglancedawayatthepilesofcityroofsandchimneysamongwhichthesmokewasrollingheavily，andatthewildernessofmastsontheriver，andthewildernessofsteeplesontheshore，indistinctlymixedtogetherinthestormyhaze，whenshewasagainasquietasifshehadbeenplyingherneedleinhismother’sroom。
’Youwouldbegladtohaveyourbrothersetatliberty？’
’Ohvery，veryglad，sir!’
’Well，wewillhopeforhimatleast。Youtoldmelastnightofafriendyouhad？’
HisnamewasPlornish，LittleDorritsaid。
AndwheredidPlornishlive？PlornishlivedinBleedingHeartYard。Hewas’onlyaplasterer，’LittleDorritsaid，asacautiontohimnottoformhighsocialexpectationsofPlornish。HelivedatthelasthouseinBleedingHeartYard，andhisnamewasoveralittlegateway。
Arthurtookdowntheaddressandgaveherhis。Hehadnowdoneallhesoughttodoforthepresent，exceptthathewishedtoleaveherwitharelianceuponhim，andtohavesomethinglikeapromisefromherthatshewouldcherishit。
’Thereisonefriend!’hesaid，puttinguphispocketbook。’AsI
takeyouback——youaregoingback？’
’Ohyes!goingstraighthome。’
’AsItakeyouback，’thewordhomejarreduponhim，’letmeaskyoutopersuadeyourselfthatyouhaveanotherfriend。Imakenoprofessions，andsaynomore。’
’Youaretrulykindtome，sir。IamsureIneednomore。’
Theywalkedbackthroughthemiserablemuddystreets，andamongthepoor，meanshops，andwerejostledbythecrowdsofdirtyhuckstersusualtoapoorneighbourhood。Therewasnothing，bytheshortway，thatwaspleasanttoanyofthefivesenses。Yetitwasnotacommonpassagethroughcommonrain，andmire，andnoise，toClennam，havingthislittle，slender，carefulcreatureonhisarm。
Howyoungsheseemedtohim，orhowoldhetoher；orwhatasecreteithertotheother，inthatbeginningofthedestinedinterweavingoftheirstories，mattersnothere。Hethoughtofherhavingbeenbornandbredamongthesescenes，andshrinkingthroughthemnow，familiaryetmisplaced；hethoughtofherlongacquaintancewiththesqualidneedsoflife，andofherinnocence；ofhersolicitudeforothers，andherfewyears，andherchildishaspect。
TheywerecomeintotheHighStreet，wheretheprisonstood，whenavoicecried，’Littlemother，littlemother!’LittleDorritstoppingandlookingback，anexcitedfigureofastrangekindbouncedagainstthemstillcrying’littlemother’，felldown，andscatteredthecontentsofalargebasket，filledwithpotatoes，inthemud。
’Oh，Maggy，’saidLittleDorrit，’whataclumsychildyouare!’
Maggywasnothurt，butpickedherselfupimmediately，andthenbegantopickupthepotatoes，inwhichbothLittleDorritandArthurClennamhelped。Maggypickedupveryfewpotatoesandagreatquantityofmud；buttheywereallrecovered，anddepositedinthebasket。Maggythensmearedhermuddyfacewithhershawl，andpresentingittoMrClennamasatypeofpurity，enabledhimtoseewhatshewaslike。
Shewasabouteight-and-twenty，withlargebones，largefeatures，largefeetandhands，largeeyesandnohair。Herlargeeyeswerelimpidandalmostcolourless；theyseemedtobeverylittleaffectedbylight，andtostandunnaturallystill。Therewasalsothatattentivelisteningexpressioninherface，whichisseeninthefacesoftheblind；butshewasnotblind，havingonetolerablyserviceableeye。Herfacewasnotexceedinglyugly，thoughitwasonlyredeemedfrombeingsobyasmile；agood-humouredsmile，andpleasantinitself，butrenderedpitiablebybeingconstantlythere。Agreatwhitecap，withaquantityofopaquefrillingthatwasalwaysflappingabout，apologisedforMaggy’sbaldness，andmadeitsoverydifficultforheroldblackbonnettoretainitsplaceuponherhead，thatitheldonroundhernecklikeagipsy’sbaby。Acommissionofhaberdasherscouldalonehavereportedwhattherestofherpoordresswasmadeof，butithadastronggeneralresemblancetoseaweed，withhereandthereagigantictea-leaf。
Hershawllookedparticularlylikeatea-leafafterlonginfusion。
ArthurClennamlookedatLittleDorritwiththeexpressionofonesaying，’MayIaskwhothisis？’LittleDorrit，whosehandthisMaggy，stillcallingherlittlemother，hadbeguntofondle，answeredinwordstheywereunderagatewayintowhichthemajorityofthepotatoeshadrolled。
’ThisisMaggy，sir。’
’Maggy，sir，’echoedthepersonagepresented。’Littlemother!’
’Sheisthegrand-daughter——’saidLittleDorrit。
’Grand-daughter，’echoedMaggy。
’Ofmyoldnurse，whohasbeendeadalongtime。Maggy，howoldareyou？’
’Ten，mother，’saidMaggy。