Threeo’clock，andhalf-pastthree，andtheyhadpassedoverLondonBridge。Theyhadheardtherushofthetideagainstobstacles；andlookeddown，awed，throughthedarkvapourontheriver；hadseenlittlespotsoflightedwaterwherethebridgelampswerereflected，shininglikedemoneyes，withaterriblefascinationinthemforguiltandmisery。Theyhadshrunkpasthomelesspeople，lyingcoiledupinnooks。Theyhadrunfromdrunkards。Theyhadstartedfromslinkingmen，whistlingandsigningtooneanotheratbyecorners，orrunningawayatfullspeed。Thougheverywheretheleaderandtheguide，LittleDorrit，happyforonceinheryouthfulappearance，feignedtoclingtoandrelyuponMaggy。Andmorethanoncesomevoice，fromamongaknotofbrawlingorprowlingfiguresintheirpath，hadcalledouttotherestto’letthewomanandthechildgoby!’
So，thewomanandthechildhadgoneby，andgoneon，andfivehadsoundedfromthesteeples。Theywerewalkingslowlytowardstheeast，alreadylookingforthefirstpalestreakofday，whenawomancameafterthem。
’Whatareyoudoingwiththechild？’shesaidtoMaggy。
Shewasyoung——fartooyoungtobethere，Heavenknows!——andneitheruglynorwicked-looking。Shespokecoarsely，butwithnonaturallycoarsevoice；therewasevensomethingmusicalinitssound。
’Whatareyoudoingwithyourself？’retortedMaggy，forwantOfabetteranswer。
’Can’tyousee，withoutmytellingyou？’
’Idon’tknowasIcan，’saidMaggy。
’Killingmyself!NowIhaveansweredyou，answerme。Whatareyoudoingwiththechild？’
Thesupposedchildkeptherheaddroopeddown，andkeptherformcloseatMaggy’sside。
’Poorthing!’saidthewoman。’Haveyounofeeling，thatyoukeepheroutinthecruelstreetsatsuchatimeasthis？Haveyounoeyes，thatyoudon’tseehowdelicateandslendersheis？Haveyounosenseyoudon’tlookasifyouhadmuchthatyoudon’ttakemorepityonthiscoldandtremblinglittlehand？’
Shehadsteppedacrosstothatside，andheldthehandbetweenherowntwo，chafingit。’Kissapoorlostcreature，dear，’shesaid，bendingherface，’andtellmewhere’sshetakingyou。’
LittleDorritturnedtowardsher。
’Why，myGod!’shesaid，recoiling，’you’reawoman!’
’Don’tmindthat!’saidLittleDorrit，claspingoneofherhandsthathadsuddenlyreleasedhers。’Iamnotafraidofyou。’
’Thenyouhadbetterbe，’sheanswered。’Haveyounomother？’
’No。’
’Nofather？’
’Yes，averydearone。’
’Gohometohim，andbeafraidofme。Letmego。Goodnight!’
’Imustthankyoufirst；letmespeaktoyouasifIreallywereachild。’
’Youcan’tdoit，’saidthewoman。’Youarekindandinnocent；butyoucan’tlookatmeoutofachild’seyes。Inevershouldhavetouchedyou，butIthoughtthatyouwereachild。’Andwithastrange，wildcry，shewentaway。
Nodayyetinthesky，buttherewasdayintheresoundingstonesofthestreets；inthewaggons，carts，andcoaches；intheworkersgoingtovariousoccupations；intheopeningofearlyshops；inthetrafficatmarkets；inthestiroftheriverside。Therewascomingdayintheflaringlights，withafeeblercolourinthemthantheywouldhavehadatanothertime；comingdayintheincreasedsharpnessoftheair，andtheghastlydyingofthenight。
Theywentbackagaintothegate，intendingtowaittherenowuntilitshouldbeopened；buttheairwassorawandcoldthatLittleDorrit，leadingMaggyaboutinhersleep，keptinmotion。GoingroundbytheChurch，shesawlightsthere，andthedooropen；andwentupthestepsandlookedin。
’Who’sthat？’criedastoutoldman，whowasputtingonanightcapasifheweregoingtobedinavault。
’It’snooneparticular，sir，’saidLittleDorrit。
’Stop!’criedtheman。’Let’shavealookatyou!’
Thiscausedhertoturnbackagainintheactofgoingout，andtopresentherselfandherchargebeforehim。
’Ithoughtso!’saidhe。’IknowYOU。’
’Wehaveoftenseeneachother，’saidLittleDorrit，recognisingthesexton，orthebeadle，ortheverger，orwhateverhewas，’whenIhavebeenatchurchhere。’
’Morethanthat，we’vegotyourbirthinourRegister，youknow；
you’reoneofourcuriosities。’
’Indeed!’saidLittleDorrit。
’Tobesure。Asthechildofthe——by-the-bye，howdidyougetoutsoearly？’
’Wewereshutoutlastnight，andarewaitingtogetin。’
’Youdon’tmeanit？Andthere’sanotherhourgoodyet!Comeintothevestry。You’llfindafireinthevestry，onaccountofthepainters。I’mwaitingforthepainters，orIshouldn’tbehere，youmaydependuponit。Oneofourcuriositiesmustn’tbecoldwhenwehaveitinourpowertowarmherupcomfortable。Comealong。’
Hewasaverygoodoldfellow，inhisfamiliarway；andhavingstirredthevestryfire，helookedroundtheshelvesofregistersforaparticularvolume。’Hereyouare，yousee，’hesaid，takingitdownandturningtheleaves。’Hereyou’llfindyourself，aslargeaslife。Amy，daughterofWilliamandFannyDorrit。Born，MarshalseaPrison，ParishofStGeorge。Andwetellpeoplethatyouhavelivedthere，withoutsomuchasaday’soranight’sabsence，eversince。Isittrue？’
’Quitetrue，tilllastnight。’
’Lord!’ButhissurveyingherwithanadmiringgazesuggestedSomethingelsetohim，towit：’Iamsorrytosee，though，thatyouarefaintandtired。Stayabit。I’llgetsomecushionsoutofthechurch，andyouandyourfriendshallliedownbeforethefire。
Don’tbeafraidofnotgoingintojoinyourfatherwhenthegateopens。I’llcallyou。’
Hesoonbroughtinthecushions，andstrewedthemontheground。
’Thereyouare，yousee。Againaslargeaslife。Oh，nevermindthanking。I’vedaughtersofmyown。Andthoughtheyweren’tbornintheMarshalseaPrison，theymighthavebeen，ifIhadbeen，inmywaysofcarryingon，ofyourfather’sbreed。Stopabit。I
mustputsomethingunderthecushionforyourhead。Here’saburialvolume。justthething!WehavegotMrsBanghaminthisbook。Butwhatmakesthesebooksinterestingtomostpeopleis——
notwho’sin’em，butwhoisn’t——who’scoming，youknow，andwhen。
That’stheinterestingquestion。’
Commendinglylookingbackatthepillowhehadimprovised，heleftthemtotheirhour’srepose。Maggywassnoringalready，andLittleDorritwassoonfastasleepwithherheadrestingonthatsealedbookofFate，untroubledbyitsmysteriousblankleaves。
ThiswasLittleDorrit’sparty。Theshame，desertion，wretchedness，andexposureofthegreatcapital；thewet，thecold，theslowhours，andtheswiftcloudsofthedismalnight。ThiswasthepartyfromwhichLittleDorritwenthome，jaded，inthefirstgreymistofarainymorning。
MrsFlintwinchhasanotherDreamThedebilitatedoldhouseinthecity，wrappedinitsmantleofsoot，andleaningheavilyonthecrutchesthathadpartakenofitsdecayandwornoutwithit，neverknewahealthyoracheerfulinterval，letwhatwouldbetide。Ifthesunevertouchedit，itwasbutwitharay，andthatwasgoneinhalfanhour；ifthemoonlighteverfelluponit，itwasonlytoputafewpatchesonitsdolefulcloak，andmakeitlookmorewretched。Thestars，tobesure，coldlywatcheditwhenthenightsandthesmokewereclearenough；andallbadweatherstoodbyitwithararefidelity。Youshouldalikefindrain，hail，frost，andthawlingeringinthatdismalenclosurewhentheyhadvanishedfromotherplaces；andastosnow，youshouldseeitthereforweeks，longafterithadchangedfromyellowtoblack，slowlyweepingawayitsgrimylife。
Theplacehadnootheradherents。Astostreetnoises，therumblingofwheelsinthelanemerelyrushedinatthegatewayingoingpast，andrushedoutagain：makingthelisteningMistressAfferyfeelasifsheweredeaf，andrecoveredthesenseofhearingbyinstantaneousflashes。Sowithwhistling，singing，talking，laughing，andallpleasanthumansounds。Theyleapedthegapinamoment，andwentupontheirway。
ThevaryinglightoffireandcandleinMrsClennam’sroommadethegreatestchangethateverbrokethedeadmonotonyofthespot。Inhertwolongnarrowwindows，thefireshonesullenlyallday，andsullenlyallnight。Onrareoccasionsitflasheduppassionately，asshedid；butforthemostpartitwassuppressed，likeher，andpreyeduponitselfevenlyandslowly。Duringmanyhoursoftheshortwinterdays，however，whenitwasduskthereearlyintheafternoon，changingdistortionsofherselfinherwheeledchair，ofMrFlintwinchwithhiswryneck，ofMistressAfferycomingandgoing，wouldbethrownuponthehousewallthatwasoverthegateway，andwouldhovertherelikeshadowsfromagreatmagiclantern。Astheroom-riddeninvalidsettledforthenight，thesewouldgraduallydisappear：MistressAffery’smagnifiedshadowalwaysflittingabout，last，untilitfinallyglidedawayintotheair，asthoughshewereoffuponawitchexcursion。Thenthesolitarylightwouldburnunchangingly，untilitburnedpalebeforethedawn，andatlastdiedunderthebreathofMrsAffery，ashershadowdescendedonitfromthewitch-regionofsleep。