Strange，ifthelittlesick-roomfirewereineffectabeaconfire，summoningsomeone，andthatthemostunlikelysomeoneintheworld，tothespotthatMUSTbecometo。Strange，ifthelittlesick-roomlightwereineffectawatch-light，burninginthatplaceeverynightuntilanappointedeventshouldbewatchedout!Whichofthevastmultitudeoftravellers，underthesunandthestars，climbingthedustyhillsandtoilingalongthewearyplains，journeyingbylandandjourneyingbysea，comingandgoingsostrangely，tomeetandtoactandreactononeanother；whichofthehostmay，withnosuspicionofthejourney’send，betravellingsurelyhither？
Timeshallshowus。Thepostofhonourandthepostofshame，thegeneral’sstationandthedrummer’s，apeer’sstatueinWestminsterAbbeyandaseaman’shammockinthebosomofthedeep，themitreandtheworkhouse，thewoolsackandthegallows，thethroneandtheguillotine——thetravellerstoallareonthegreathighroad，butithaswonderfuldivergencies，andonlyTimeshallshowuswhithereachtravellerisbound。
Onawintryafternoonattwilight，MrsFlintwinch，havingbeenheavyallday，dreamedthisdream：
Shethoughtshewasinthekitchengettingthekettlereadyfortea，andwaswarmingherselfwithherfeetuponthefenderandtheskirtofhergowntuckedup，beforethecollapsedfireinthemiddleofthegrate，borderedoneitherhandbyadeepcoldblackravine。Shethoughtthatasshesatthus，musinguponthequestionwhetherlifewasnotforsomepeoplearatherdullinvention，shewasfrightenedbyasuddennoisebehindher。Shethoughtthatshehadbeensimilarlyfrightenedoncelastweek，andthatthenoisewasofamysteriouskind——asoundofrustlingandofthreeorfourquickbeatslikearapidstep；whileashockortremblewascommunicatedtoherheart，asifthestephadshakenthefloor，orevenasifshehadbeentouchedbysomeawfulhand。Shethoughtthatthisrevivedwithinhercertainoldfearsofhersthatthehousewashaunted；andthatsheflewupthekitchenstairswithoutknowinghowshegotup，tobenearercompany。
MistressAfferythoughtthatonreachingthehall，shesawthedoorofherliegelord’sofficestandingopen，andtheroomempty。Thatshewenttotheripped-upwindowinthelittleroombythestreetdoortoconnectherpalpitatingheart，throughtheglass，withlivingthingsbeyondandoutsidethehauntedhouse。Thatshethensaw，onthewalloverthegateway，theshadowsofthetwocleveronesinconversationabove。Thatshethenwentupstairswithhershoesinherhand，partlytobenearthecleveronesasamatchformostghosts，andpartlytohearwhattheyweretalkingabout。
’Noneofyournonsensewithme，’saidMrFlintwinch。’Iwon’ttakeitfromyou。’
MrsFlintwinchdreamedthatshestoodbehindthedoor，whichwasjustajar，andmostdistinctlyheardherhusbandsaytheseboldwords。
’Flintwinch，’returnedMrsClennam，inherusualstronglowvoice，’thereisademonofangerinyou。Guardagainstit。’
’Idon’tcarewhetherthere’soneoradozen，’saidMrFlintwinch，forciblysuggestinginhistonethatthehighernumberwasnearerthemark。’Iftherewasfifty，theyshouldallsay，Noneofyournonsensewithme，Iwon’ttakeitfromyou——I’dmake’emsayit，whethertheylikeditornot。’
’WhathaveIdone，youwrathfulman？’herstrongvoiceasked。
’Done？’saidMrFlintwinch。’Droppeddownuponme。’
’Ifyoumean，remonstratedwithyou——’
’Don’tputwordsintomymouththatIdon’tmean，’saidJeremiah，stickingtohisfigurativeexpressionwithtenaciousandimpenetrableobstinacy：’Imeandroppeddownuponme。’
’Iremonstratedwithyou，’shebeganagain，’because——’
’Iwon’thaveit!’criedJeremiah。’Youdroppeddownuponme。’
’Idroppeddownuponyou，then，youill-conditionedman，’Jeremiahchuckledathavingforcedhertoadopthisphrase，’forhavingbeenneedlesslysignificanttoArthurthatmorning。Ihavearighttocomplainofitasalmostabreachofconfidence。Youdidnotmeanit——’
’Iwon’thaveit!’interposedthecontradictoryJeremiah，flingingbacktheconcession。’Ididmeanit。’
’IsupposeImustleaveyoutospeakinsoliloquyifyouchoose，’
shereplied，afterapausethatseemedanangryone。’Itisuselessmyaddressingmyselftoarashandheadstrongoldmanwhohasasetpurposenottohearme。’
’Now，Iwon’ttakethatfromyoueither，’saidJeremiah。’Ihavenosuchpurpose。IhavetoldyouIdidmeanit。DoyouwishtoknowwhyImeantit，yourashandheadstrongoldwoman？’
’Afterall，youonlyrestorememyownwords，’shesaid，strugglingwithherindignation。’Yes。’
’Thisiswhy，then。Becauseyouhadn’tclearedhisfathertohim，andyououghttohavedoneit。Because，beforeyouwentintoanytantrumaboutyourself，whoare——’
’Holdthere，Flintwinch!’shecriedoutinachangedvoice：’youmaygoawordtoofar。’
Theoldmanseemedtothinkso。Therewasanotherpause，andhehadalteredhispositionintheroom，whenhespokeagainmoremildly：
’Iwasgoingtotellyouwhyitwas。Because，beforeyoutookyourownpart，IthoughtyououghttohavetakenthepartofArthur’sfather。Arthur’sfather!IhadnoparticularloveforArthur’sfather。IservedArthur’sfather’suncle，inthishouse，whenArthur’sfatherwasnotmuchaboveme——waspoorerasfarashispocketwent——andwhenhisunclemightassoonhaveleftmehisheirashavelefthim。Hestarvedintheparlour，andIstarvedinthekitchen；thatwastheprincipaldifferenceinourpositions；therewasnotmuchmorethanaflightofbreakneckstairsbetweenus。I
nevertooktohiminthosetimes；Idon’tknowthatIevertooktohimgreatlyatanytime。Hewasanundecided，irresolutechap，whohadeverythingbuthisorphanlifescaredoutofhimwhenhewasyoung。Andwhenhebroughtyouhomehere，thewifehisunclehadnamedforhim，Ididn’tneedtolookatyoutwiceyouwereagood-
lookingwomanatthattimetoknowwho’dbemaster。Youhavestoodofyourownstrengtheversince。Standofyourownstrengthnow。Don’tleanagainstthedead。’
’Idonot——asyoucallit——leanagainstthedead。’
’Butyouhadamindtodoit，ifIhadsubmitted，’growledJeremiah，’andthat’swhyyoudropdownuponme。Youcan’tforgetthatIdidn’tsubmit。IsupposeyouareastonishedthatIshouldconsideritworthmywhiletohavejusticedonetoArthur’sfather？
Hey？Itdoesn’tmatterwhetheryouanswerornot，becauseIknowyouare，andyouknowyouare。Come，then，I’lltellyouhowitis。Imaybeabitofanoddityinpointoftemper，butthisismytemper——Ican’tletanybodyhaveentirelytheirownway。Youareadeterminedwoman，andacleverwoman；andwhenyouseeyourpurposebeforeyou，nothingwillturnyoufromit。WhoknowsthatbetterthanIdo？’
’Nothingwillturnmefromit，Flintwinch，whenIhavejustifiedittomyself。Addthat。’
’Justifiedittoyourself？IsaidyouwerethemostdeterminedwomanonthefaceoftheearthorImeanttosayso，andifyouaredeterminedtojustifyanyobjectyouentertain，ofcourseyou’lldoit。’
’Man!IjustifymyselfbytheauthorityoftheseBooks，’shecried，withsternemphasis，andappearingfromthesoundthatfollowedtostrikethedead-weightofherarmuponthetable。
’Nevermindthat，’returnedJeremiahcalmly，’wewon’tenterintothatquestionatpresent。Howeverthatmaybe，youcarryoutyourpurposes，andyoumakeeverythinggodownbeforethem。Now，I
won’tgodownbeforethem。Ihavebeenfaithfultoyou，andusefultoyou，andIamattachedtoyou。ButIcan’tconsent，andIwon’tconsent，andIneverdidconsent，andIneverwillconsenttobelostinyou。Swallowupeverybodyelse，andwelcome。Thepeculiarityofmytemperis，ma’am，thatIwon’tbeswallowedupalive。’
PerhapsthishadOriginallybeenthemainspringoftheunderstandingbetweenthem。DescryingthusmuchofforceofcharacterinMrFlintwinch，perhapsMrsClennamhaddeemedalliancewithhimworthherwhile。
’Enoughandmorethanenoughofthesubject，’saidshegloomily。
’Unlessyoudropdownuponmeagain，’returnedthepersistentFlintwinch，’andthenyoumustexpecttohearofitagain。’
MistressAfferydreamedthatthefigureofherlordherebeganwalkingupanddowntheroom，asiftocoolhisspleen，andthatsheranaway；butthat，ashedidnotissueforthwhenshehadstoodlisteningandtremblingintheshadowyhallalittletime，shecreptup-stairsagain，impelledasbeforebyghostsandcuriosity，andoncemorecoweredoutsidethedoor。
’Pleasetolightthecandle，Flintwinch，’MrsClennamwassaying，apparentlywishingtodrawhimbackintotheirusualtone。’Itisnearlytimefortea。LittleDorritiscoming，andwillfindmeinthedark。’
MrFlintwinchlightedthecandlebriskly，andsaidasheputitdownuponthetable：
’WhatareyougoingtodowithLittleDorrit？Isshetocometoworkhereforever？Tocometoteahereforever？Tocomebackwardsandforwardshere，inthesameway，forever？’
’Howcanyoutalkabout“forever“toamaimedcreaturelikeme？
Arewenotallcutdownlikethegrassofthefield，andwasnotI
shornbythescythemanyyearsago：sincewhenIhavebeenlyinghere，waitingtobegatheredintothebarn？’
’Ay，ay!Butsinceyouhavebeenlyinghere——notneardead——
nothinglikeit——numbersofchildrenandyoungpeople，bloomingwomen，strongmen，andwhatnot，havebeencutdownandcarried；
andstillhereareyou，yousee，notmuchchangedafterall。Yourtimeandminemaybealongoneyet。WhenIsayforever，ImeanthoughIamnotpoeticalthroughallourtime。’MrFlintwinchgavethisexplanationwithgreatcalmness，andcalmlywaitedforananswer。
’SolongasLittleDorritisquietandindustrious，andstandsinneedoftheslighthelpIcangiveher，anddeservesit；solong，Isuppose，unlessshewithdrawsofherownact，shewillcontinuetocomehere，Ibeingspared。’
’Nothingmorethanthat？’saidFlintwinch，strokinghismouthandchin。
’Whatshouldtherebemorethanthat!Whatcouldtherebemorethanthat!’sheejaculatedinhersternlywonderingway。
MrsFlintwinchdreamed，that，forthespaceofaminuteortwo，theyremainedlookingateachotherwiththecandlebetweenthem，andthatshesomehowderivedanimpressionthattheylookedateachotherfixedly。
’Doyouhappentoknow，MrsClennam，’Affery’sliegelordthendemandedinamuchlowervoice，andwithanamountofexpressionthatseemedquiteoutofproportiontothesimplepurposeofhiswords，’whereshelives？’
’No。’
’Wouldyou——now，wouldyouliketoknow？’saidJeremiahwithapounceasifhehadsprunguponher。
’IfIcaredtoknow，Ishouldknowalready。CouldInothaveaskedheranyday？’
’Thenyoudon’tcaretoknow？’