There，thetablewaslaidforhissupper，andhisoldgreygownwasreadyforhimonhischair-backatthefire。Hisdaughterputherlittleprayer-bookinherpocket——hadshebeenprayingforpityonallprisonersandcaptives!——androsetowelcomehim。
Unclehadgonehome，then？sheasked@asshechangedhiscoatandgavehimhisblackvelvetcap。Yes，unclehadgonehome。Hadherfatherenjoyedhiswalk？Why，notmuch，Amy；notmuch。No!Didhenotfeelquitewell？
Asshestoodbehindhim，leaningoverhischairsolovingly，helookedwithdowncasteyesatthefire。Anuneasinessstoleoverhimthatwaslikeatouchofshame；andwhenhespoke，ashepresentlydid，itwasinanunconnectedandembarrassedmanner。
’Something，I——hem!——Idon’tknowwhat，hasgonewrongwithChivery。Heisnot——ha!——notnearlysoobligingandattentiveasusualto-night。It——hem!——it’salittlething，butitputsmeout，mylove。It’simpossibletoforget，’turninghishandsoverandoverandlookingcloselyatthem，’that——hem!——thatinsuchalifeasmine，Iamunfortunatelydependentonthesemenforsomethingeveryhourintheday。’
Herarmwasonhisshoulder，butshedidnotlookinhisfacewhilehespoke。Bendingherheadshelookedanotherway。
’I——hem!——Ican’tthink，Amy，whathasgivenChiveryoffence。Heisgenerallyso——soveryattentiveandrespectful。Andto-nighthewasquite——quiteshortwithme。Otherpeopletheretoo!Why，goodHeaven!ifIwastolosethesupportandrecognitionofChiveryandhisbrotherofficers，Imightstarvetodeathhere。’Whilehespoke，hewasopeningandshuttinghishandslikevalves；soconsciousallthetimeofthattouchofshame，thatheshrunkbeforehisownknowledgeofhismeaning。
’I——ha!——Ican’tthinkwhatit’sowingto。IamsureIcannotimaginewhatthecauseofitis。TherewasacertainJacksonhereonce，aturnkeyofthenameofJacksonIdon’tthinkyoucanrememberhim，mydear，youwereveryyoung，and——hem!——andhehada——brother，andthis——youngbrotherpaidhisaddressesto——atleast，didnotgosofarastopayhisaddressesto——butadmired——
respectfullyadmired——the——notdaughter，thesister——ofoneofus；
aratherdistinguishedCollegian；Imaysay，verymuchso。HisnamewasCaptainMartin；andheconsultedmeonthequestionwhetherItwasnecessarythathisdaughter——sister——shouldhazardoffendingtheturnkeybrotherbybeingtoo——ha!——tooplainwiththeotherbrother。CaptainMartinwasagentlemanandamanofhonour，andIputittohimfirsttogivemehis——hisownopinion。CaptainMartinhighlyrespectedinthearmythenunhesitatinglysaidthatitappearedtohimthathis——hem!——sisterwasnotcalledupontounderstandtheyoungmantoodistinctly，andthatshemightleadhimon——Iamdoubtfulwhether“leadhimon“wasCaptainMartin’sexactexpression：indeedIthinkhesaidtoleratehim——onherfather’s——Ishouldsay，brother’s——account。IhardlyknowhowI
havestrayedintothisstory。IsupposeithasbeenthroughbeingunabletoaccountforChivery；butastotheconnectionbetweenthetwo，Idon’tsee——’
Hisvoicediedaway，asifshecouldnotbearthepainofhearinghim，andherhandhadgraduallycrepttohislips。Foralittlewhiletherewasadeadsilenceandstillness；andheremainedshrunkinhischair，andsheremainedwithherarmroundhisneckandherheadboweddownuponhisshoulder。
Hissupperwascookinginasaucepanonthefire，and，whenshemoved，itwastomakeitreadyforhimonthetable。Hetookhisusualseat，shetookhers，andhebeganhismeal。Theydidnot，asyet，lookatoneanother。Bylittleandlittlehebegan；layingdownhisknifeandforkwithanoise，takingthingsupsharply，bitingathisbreadasifhewereoffendedwithit，andinothersimilarwaysshowingthathewasoutofsorts。Atlengthhepushedhisplatefromhim，andspokealoud；withthestrangestinconsistency。
’WhatdoesitmatterwhetherIeatorstarve？Whatdoesitmatterwhethersuchablightedlifeasminecomestoanend，now，nextweek，ornextyear？WhatamIworthtoanyone？Apoorprisoner，fedonalmsandbrokenvictuals；asqualid，disgracedwretch!’
’Father，father!’Asheroseshewentonherkneestohim，andheldupherhandstohim。
’Amy，’hewentoninasuppressedvoice，tremblingviolently，andlookingatheraswildlyasifhehadgonemad。’Itellyou，ifyoucouldseemeasyourmothersawme，youwouldn’tbelieveittobethecreatureyouhaveonlylookedatthroughthebarsofthiscage。Iwasyoung，Iwasaccomplished，Iwasgood-looking，Iwasindependent——byGodIwas，child!——andpeoplesoughtmeout，andenviedme。Enviedme!’
’Dearfather!’Shetriedtotakedowntheshakingarmthatheflourishedintheair，butheresisted，andputherhandaway。
’IfIhadbutapictureofmyselfinthosedays，thoughitwaseversoilldone，youwouldbeproudofit，youwouldbeproudofit。
ButIhavenosuchthing。Now，letmebeawarning!Letnoman，’
hecried，lookinghaggardlyabout，’failtopreserveatleastthatlittleofthetimesofhisprosperityandrespect。Lethischildrenhavethatcluetowhathewas。Unlessmyface，whenIamdead，subsidesintothelongdepartedlook——theysaysuchthingshappen，Idon’tknow——mychildrenwillhaveneverseenme。’
’Father，father!’
’Odespiseme，despiseme!Lookawayfromme，don’tlistentome，stopme，blushforme，cryforme——evenyou，Amy!Doit，doit!
Idoittomyself!Iamhardenednow，Ihavesunktoolowtocarelongevenforthat。’
’Dearfather，lovedfather，darlingofmyheart!’Shewasclingingtohimwithherarms，andshegothimtodropintohischairagain，andcaughtattheraisedarm，andtriedtoputitroundherneck。
’Letitliethere，father。Lookatme，father，kissme，father!
Onlythinkofme，father，foronelittlemoment!’
Stillhewentoninthesamewildway，thoughitwasgraduallybreakingdownintoamiserablewhining。
’AndyetIhavesomerespecthere。Ihavemadesomestandagainstit。Iamnotquitetroddendown。Gooutandaskwhoisthechiefpersonintheplace。They’lltellyouit’syourfather。Gooutandaskwhoisnevertrifledwith，andwhoisalwaystreatedwithsomedelicacy。They’llsay，yourfather。Gooutandaskwhatfuneralhereitmustbehere，Iknowitcanbenowhereelsewillmakemoretalk，andperhapsmoregrief，thananythathasevergoneoutatthegate。They’llsayyourfather’s。Wellthen。Amy!
Amy!Isyourfathersouniversallydespised？Istherenothingtoredeemhim？Willyouhavenothingtorememberhimbybuthisruinanddecay？Willyoubeabletohavenoaffectionforhimwhenheisgone，poorcastaway，gone？’
Heburstintotearsofmaudlinpityforhimself，andatlengthsufferinghertoembracehimandtakechargeofhim，lethisgreyheadrestagainsthercheek，andbewailedhiswretchedness。
Presentlyhechangedthesubjectofhislamentations，andclaspinghishandsaboutherassheembracedhim，cried，OAmy，hismotherless，forlornchild!Othedaysthathehadseenhercarefulandlaboriousforhim!Thenherevertedtohimself，andweaklytoldherhowmuchbettershewouldhavelovedhimifshehadknownhiminhisvanishedcharacter，andhowhewouldhavemarriedhertoagentlemanwhoshouldhavebeenproudofherashisdaughter，andhowatwhichhecriedagainsheshouldfirsthaveriddenathisfatherlysideonherownhorse，andhowthecrowdbywhichhemeantineffectthepeoplewhohadgivenhimthetwelveshillingshethenhadinhispocketshouldhavetrudgedthedustyroadsrespectfully。
Thus，nowboasting，nowdespairing，ineitherfitacaptivewiththejail-rotuponhim，andtheimpurityofhisprisonwornintothegrainofhissoul，herevealedhisdegeneratestatetohisaffectionatechild。Nooneelseeverbeheldhiminthedetailsofhishumiliation。LittlereckedtheCollegianswhowerelaughingintheirroomsoverhislateaddressintheLodge，whataseriouspicturetheyhadintheirobscuregalleryoftheMarshalseathatSundaynight。
Therewasaclassicaldaughteronce——perhaps——whoministeredtoherfatherinhisprisonashermotherhadministeredtoher。LittleDorrit，thoughoftheunheroicmodernstockandmereEnglish，didmuchmore，incomfortingherfather’swastedheartuponherinnocentbreast，andturningtoitafountainofloveandfidelitythatneverrandryorwanedthroughallhisyearsoffamine。
Shesoothedhim；askedhimforhisforgivenessifshehadbeen，orseemedtohavebeen，undutiful；toldhim，Heavenknowstruly，thatshecouldnothonourhimmoreifhewerethefavouriteofFortuneandthewholeworldacknowledgedhim。Whenhistearsweredried，andhesobbedinhisweaknessnolonger，andwasfreefromthattouchofshame，andhadrecoveredhisusualbearing，shepreparedtheremainsofhissupperafresh，and，sittingbyhisside，rejoicedtoseehimeatanddrink。Fornowhesatinhisblackvelvetcapandoldgreygown，magnanimousagain；andwouldhavecomportedhimselftowardsanyCollegianwhomighthavelookedintoaskhisadvice，likeagreatmoralLordChesterfield，orMasteroftheethicalceremoniesoftheMarshalsea。
Tokeephisattentionengaged，shetalkedwithhimabouthiswardrobe；whenhewaspleasedtosay，thatYes，indeed，thoseshirtssheproposedwouldbeexceedinglyacceptable，forthosehehadwerewornout，and，beingready-made，hadneverfittedhim。
Beingconversational，andinareasonableflowofspirits，hetheninvitedherattentiontohiscoatasithungbehindthedoor：
remarkingthattheFatheroftheplacewouldsetanindifferentexampletohischildren，alreadydisposedtobeslovenly，ifhewentamongthemoutatelbows。Hewasjocular，too，astotheheelingofhisshoes；butbecamegraveonthesubjectofhiscravat，andpromisedherthat，whenshecouldaffordit，sheshouldbuyhimanewone。
Whilehesmokedouthiscigarinpeace，shemadehisbed，andputthesmallroominorderforhisrepose。Beingwearythen，owingtotheadvancedhourandhisemotions，hecameoutofhischairtoblessherandwishherGoodnight。AllthistimehehadneveroncethoughtofHERdress，hershoes，herneedofanything。Nootherpersonuponearth，saveherself，couldhavebeensounmindfulofherwants。
Hekissedhermanytimeswith’Blessyou，mylove。Goodnight，MY
dear!’
Buthergentlebreasthadbeensodeeplywoundedbywhatshehadseenofhimthatshewasunwillingtoleavehimalone，lestheshouldlamentanddespairagain。’Father，dear，Iamnottired；
letmecomebackpresently，whenyouareinbed，andsitbyyou。’
Heaskedher，withanairofprotection，ifshefeltsolitary？
’Yes，father。’
’Thencomebackbyallmeans，mylove。’
’Ishallbeveryquiet，father。’
’Don’tthinkofme，mydear，’hesaid，givingherhiskindpermissionfully。’Comebackbyallmeans。’
Heseemedtobedozingwhenshereturned，andsheputthelowfiretogetherverysoftlylestsheshouldawakehim。Butheoverheardher，andcalledoutwhowasthat？
’OnlyAmy，father。’
’Amy，mychild，comehere。Iwanttosayawordtoyou。’Heraisedhimselfalittleinhislowbed，asshekneeledbesideittobringherfacenearhim；andputhishandbetweenhers。O!BoththeprivatefatherandtheFatheroftheMarshalseawerestrongwithinhimthen。
’Mylove，youhavehadalifeofhardshiphere。Nocompanions，norecreations，manycaresIamafraid？’
’Don’tthinkofthat，dear。Ineverdo。’
’Youknowmyposition，Amy。Ihavenotbeenabletodomuchforyou；butallIhavebeenabletodo，Ihavedone。’
’Yes，mydearfather，’sherejoined，kissinghim。’Iknow，I
know。’