Besides，iftheyAREpoor，youcan’thelpit。You’dbepooryourselfifyoudidn’tgetyourrents。’
’Trueenough，’saidArthur。
’You’renotgoingtokeepopenhouseforallthepoorofLondon，’
pursuedPancks。’You’renotgoingtolodge’emfornothing。
You’renotgoingtoopenyourgateswideandlet’emcomefree。
Notifyouknowit，youain’t。’
MrCasbyshookhishead，inPlacidandbenignantgenerality。
’Ifamantakesaroomofyouathalf-a-crownaweek，andwhentheweekcomesroundhasn’tgotthehalf-crown，yousaytothatman，Whyhaveyougottheroom，then？Ifyouhaven’tgottheonething，whyhaveyougottheother？Whathaveyoubeenanddonewithyourmoney？Whatdoyoumeanbyit？Whatareyouupto？That’swhatYOUsaytoamanofthatsort；andifyoudidn’tsayit，moreshameforyou!’MrPancksheremadeasingularandstartlingnoise，producedbyastrongblowingeffortintheregionofthenose，unattendedbyanyresultbutthatacousticone。
’Youhavesomeextentofsuchpropertyabouttheeastandnorth-
easthere，Ibelieve？’saidClennam，doubtfulwhichofthetwotoaddress。
’Oh，prettywell，’saidPancks。’You’renotparticulartoeastornorth-east，anypointofthecompasswilldoforyou。Whatyouwantisagoodinvestmentandaquickreturn。Youtakeitwhereyoucanfindit。Youain’tniceastosituation——notyou。’
TherewasafourthandmostoriginalfigureinthePatriarchaltent，whoalsoappearedbeforedinner。Thiswasanamazinglittleoldwoman，withafacelikeastaringwoodendolltoocheapforexpression，andastiffyellowwigperchedunevenlyonthetopofherhead，asifthechildwhoownedthedollhaddrivenatackthroughitanywhere，sothatitonlygotfastenedon。Anotherremarkablethinginthislittleoldwomanwas，thatthesamechildseemedtohavedamagedherfaceintwoorthreeplaceswithsomebluntinstrumentinthenatureofaspoon；hercountenance，andparticularlythetipofhernose，presentingthephenomenaofseveraldints，generallyansweringtothebowlofthatarticle。A
furtherremarkablethinginthislittleoldwomanwas，thatshehadnonamebutMrF。’sAunt。
Shebrokeuponthevisitor’sviewunderthefollowingcircumstances：Florasaidwhenthefirstdishwasbeingputonthetable，perhapsMrClennammightnothaveheardthatMrF。hadleftheralegacy？ClennaminreturnimpliedhishopethatMrF。hadendowedthewifewhomheadored，withthegreaterpartofhisworldlysubstance，ifnotwithall。Florasaid，ohyes，shedidn’tmeanthat，MrF。hadmadeabeautifulwill，buthehadleftherasaseparatelegacy，hisAunt。Shethenwentoutoftheroomtofetchthelegacy，and，onherreturn，rathertriumphantlypresented’MrF。’sAunt。’
ThemajorcharacteristicsdiscoverablebythestrangerinMrF。’sAunt，wereextremeseverityandgrimtaciturnity；sometimesinterruptedbyapropensitytoofferremarksinadeepwarningvoice，which，beingtotallyuncalledforbyanythingsaidbyanybody，andtraceabletonoassociationofideas，confoundedandterrifiedtheMind。MrF。’sAuntmayhavethrownintheseobservationsonsomesystemofherown，anditmayhavebeeningenious，orevensubtle：butthekeytoitwaswanted。
Theneatly-servedandwell-cookeddinnerforeverythingaboutthePatriarchalhouseholdpromotedquietdigestionbeganwithsomesoup，somefriedsoles，abutter-boatofshrimpsauce，andadishofpotatoes。Theconversationstillturnedonthereceiptofrents。MrF。’sAunt，afterregardingthecompanyfortenminuteswithamalevolentgaze，deliveredthefollowingfearfulremark：
’WhenwelivedatHenley，Barnes’sganderwasstolebytinkers。’
MrPanckscourageouslynoddedhisheadandsaid，’Allright，ma’am。’ButtheeffectofthismysteriouscommunicationuponClennamwasabsolutelytofrightenhim。Andanothercircumstanceinvestedthisoldladywithpeculiarterrors。Thoughshewasalwaysstaring，sheneveracknowledgedthatshesawanyindividual。
Thepoliteandattentivestrangerwoulddesire，say，toconsultherinclinationsonthesubjectofpotatoes。Hisexpressiveactionwouldbehopelesslylostuponher，andwhatcouldhedo？Nomancouldsay，’MrF。’sAunt，willyoupermitme？’Everymanretiredfromthespoon，asClennamdid，cowedandbaffled。
Therewasmutton，asteak，andanapple-pie——nothingintheremotestwayconnectedwithganders——andthedinnerwentonlikeadisenchantedfeast，asittrulywas。OnceuponatimeClennamhadsatatthattabletakingnoheedofanythingbutFlora；nowtheprincipalheedhetookofFlorawastoobserve，againsthiswill，thatshewasveryfondofporter，thatshecombinedagreatdealofsherrywithsentiment，andthatifshewerealittleovergrown，itwasuponsubstantialgrounds。ThelastofthePatriarchshadalwaysbeenamightyeater，andhedisposedofanimmensequantityofsolidfoodwiththebenignityofagoodsoulwhowasfeedingsomeoneelse。MrPancks，whowasalwaysinahurry，andwhoreferredatintervalstoalittledirtynotebookwhichhekeptbesidehimperhapscontainingthenamesofthedefaultershemeanttolookupbywayofdessert，tookinhisvictualsmuchasifhewerecoaling；withagooddealofnoise，agooddealofdroppingabout，andapuffandasnortoccasionally，asifhewerenearlyreadytosteamaway。
Allthroughdinner，Floracombinedherpresentappetiteforeatinganddrinkingwithherpastappetiteforromanticlove，inawaythatmadeClennamafraidtolifthiseyesfromhisplate；sincehecouldnotlooktowardsherwithoutreceivingsomeglanceofmysteriousmeaningorwarning，asiftheywereengagedinaplot。
MrF。’sAuntsatsilentlydefyinghimwithanaspectofthegreatestbitterness，untiltheremovaloftheclothandtheappearanceofthedecanters，whensheoriginatedanotherobservation——struckintotheconversationlikeaclock，withoutconsultinganybody。
Florahadjustsaid，’MrClennam，willyougivemeaglassofportforMrF。’sAunt？’
’TheMonumentnearLondonBridge，’thatladyinstantlyproclaimed，’wasputupartertheGreatFireofLondon；andtheGreatFireofLondonwasnotthefireinwhichyouruncleGeorge’sworkshopswasburneddown。’
MrPancks，withhisformercourage，said，’Indeed，ma’am？Allright!’Butappearingtobeincensedbyimaginarycontradiction，orotherill-usage，MrF。’sAunt，insteadofrelapsingintosilence，madethefollowingadditionalproclamation：
’Ihateafool!’
Sheimpartedtothissentiment，initselfalmostSolomonic，soextremelyinjuriousandpersonalacharacterbylevellingitstraightatthevisitor’shead，thatitbecamenecessarytoleadMrF。’sAuntfromtheroom。ThiswasquietlydonebyFlora；MrF。’sAuntofferingnoresistance，butinquiringonherwayout，’Whathecometherefor，then？’withimplacableanimosity。
WhenFlorareturned，sheexplainedthatherlegacywasacleveroldlady，butwassometimesalittlesingular，and’tookdislikes’——
peculiaritiesofwhichFloraseemedtobeproudratherthanotherwise。AsFlora’sgoodnatureshoneinthecase，Clennamhadnofaulttofindwiththeoldladyforelicitingit，nowthathewasrelievedfromtheterrorsofherpresence；andtheytookaglassortwoofwineinpeace。ForeseeingthenthatthePanckswouldshortlygetunderweigh，andthatthePatriarchwouldgotosleep，hepleadedthenecessityofvisitinghismother，andaskedMrPancksinwhichdirectionhewasgoing？
’Citywards，sir，’saidPancks。
’Shallwewalktogether？’saidArthur。
’Quiteagreeable，’saidPancks。
MeanwhileFlorawasmurmuringinrapidsnatchesforhisear，thattherewasatimeandthatthepastwasayawninggulfhoweverandthatagoldenchainnolongerboundhimandthatshereveredthememoryofthelateMrF。andthatsheshouldbeathometo-morrowathalf-pastoneandthatthedecreesofFatewerebeyondrecallandthatsheconsiderednothingsoimprobableasthatheeverwalkedonthenorth-westsideofGray’s-InnGardensatexactlyfouro’clockintheafternoon。HetriedatpartingtogivehishandinfranknesstotheexistingFlora——notthevanishedFlora，orthemermaid——butFlorawouldn’thaveit，couldn’thaveit，waswhollydestituteofthepowerofseparatingherselfandhimfromtheirbygonecharacters。Heleftthehousemiserablyenough；andsomuchmorelight-headedthanever，thatifithadnotbeenhisgoodfortunetobetowedaway，hemight，forthefirstquarterofanhour，havedriftedanywhere。
Whenhebegantocometohimself，inthecoolerairandtheabsenceofFlora，hefoundPancksatfullspeed，croppingsuchscantypasturageofnailsashecouldfind，andsnortingatintervals。
These，inconjunctionwithonehandinhispocketandhisroughenedhathindsidebefore，wereevidentlytheconditionsunderwhichhereflected。
’Afreshnight!’saidArthur。
’Yes，it’sprettyfresh，’assentedPancks。’AsastrangeryoufeeltheclimatemorethanIdo，Idaresay。IndeedIhaven’tgottimetofeelit。’
’Youleadsuchabusylife？’
’Yes，Ihavealwayssomeof’emtolookup，orsomethingtolookafter。ButIlikebusiness，’saidPancks，gettingonalittlefaster。’What’samanmadefor？’
’Fornothingelse？’saidClennam。
Pancksputthecounterquestion，’Whatelse？’Itpackedup，inthesmallestcompass，aweightthathadrestedonClennam’slife；andhemadenoanswer。
’That’swhatIaskourweeklytenants，’saidPancks。’Someof’emwillpulllongfacestome，andsay，Poorasyouseeus，master，we’realwaysgrinding，drudging，toiling，everyminutewe’reawake。
Isaytothem，Whatelseareyoumadefor？Itshutsthemup。Theyhaven’tawordtoanswer。Whatelseareyoumadefor？Thatclinchesit。’
’Ahdear，dear，dear!’sighedClennam。
’HereamI，’saidPancks，pursuinghisargumentwiththeweeklytenant。’WhatelsedoyousupposeIthinkIammadefor？Nothing。
Rattlemeoutofbedearly，setmegoing，givemeasshortatimeasyouliketoboltmymealsin，andkeepmeatit。Keepmealwaysatit，andI’llkeepyoualwaysatit，youkeepsomebodyelsealwaysatit。ThereyouarewiththeWholeDutyofManinacommercialcountry。’
Whentheyhadwalkedalittlefurtherinsilence，Clennamsaid：
’Haveyounotasteforanything，MrPancks？’
’What’staste？’drilyretortedPancks。
’Letussayinclination。’
’Ihaveaninclinationtogetmoney，sir，’saidPancks，’ifyouwillshowmehow。’Heblewoffthatsoundagain，anditoccurredtohiscompanionforthefirsttimethatitwashiswayoflaughing。Hewasasingularmaninallrespects；hemightnothavebeenquiteinearnest，butthattheshort，hard，rapidmannerinwhichheshotoutthesecindersofprinciples，asifitweredonebymechanicalrevolvency，seemedirreconcilablewithbanter。
’Youarenogreatreader，Isuppose？’saidClennam。
’Neverreadanythingbutlettersandaccounts。Nevercollectanythingbutadvertisementsrelativetonextofkin。Ifthat’sataste，Ihavegotthat。You’renotoftheClennamsofCornwall，MrClennam？’
’NotthatIeverheardof。’
’Iknowyou’renot。Iaskedyourmother，sir。Shehastoomuchcharactertoletachanceescapeher。’