ButhereagainshewasundeceivedbyanomalousandincongruousconductonthepartofMrPanckshimself。Shehadleftthetablehalfanhour，andwasatworkalone。Florahad’gonetoliedown’
inthenextroom，concurrentlywithwhichretirementasmellofsomethingtodrinkhadbrokenoutinthehouse。ThePatriarchwasfastasleep，withhisphilanthropicmouthopenunderayellowpocket-handkerchiefinthedining-room。Atthisquiettime，MrPanckssoftlyappearedbeforeher，urbanelynodding。
’Finditalittledull，MissDorrit？’inquiredPancksinalowvoice。
’No，thankyou，sir，’saidLittleDorrit。
’Busy，Isee，’observedMrPancks，stealingintotheroombyinches。’Whatarethosenow，MissDorrit？’
’Handkerchiefs。’
’Arethey，though!’saidPancks。’Ishouldn’thavethoughtit。’
Notintheleastlookingatthem，butlookingatLittleDorrit。
’PerhapsyouwonderwhoIam。ShallItellyou？Iamafortune-
teller。’
LittleDorritnowbegantothinkhewasmad。
’Ibelongbodyandsoultomyproprietor，’saidPancks；’yousawmyproprietorhavinghisdinnerbelow。ButIdoalittleintheotherway，sometimes；privately，veryprivately，MissDorrit。’
LittleDorritlookedathimdoubtfully，andnotwithoutalarm。
’Iwishyou’dshowmethepalmofyourhand，’saidPancks。’I
shouldliketohavealookatit。Don’tletmebetroublesome。’
Hewassofartroublesomethathewasnotatallwantedthere，butshelaidherworkinherlapforamoment，andheldoutherlefthandwithherthimbleonit。
’Yearsoftoil，eh？’saidPancks，softly，touchingitwithhisbluntforefinger。’Butwhatelsearewemadefor？Nothing。
Hallo!’lookingintothelines。’What’sthiswithbars？It’saCollege!Andwhat’sthiswithagreygownandablackvelvetcap？
it’safather!Andwhat’sthiswithaclarionet？It’sanuncle!
Andwhat’sthisindancing-shoes？It’sasister!Andwhat’sthisstragglingaboutinanidlesortofaway？It’sabrother!Andwhat’sthisthinkingfor’emall？Why，thisisyou，MissDorrit!’
Hereyesmethisasshelookedupwonderinglyintohisface，andshethoughtthatalthoughhisweresharpeyes，hewasabrighterandgentler-lookingmanthanshehadsupposedatdinner。Hiseyeswereonherhandagaindirectly，andheropportunityofconfirmingorcorrectingtheimpressionwasgone。
’Now，thedeuceisinit，’mutteredPancks，tracingoutalineinherhandwithhisclumsyfinger，’ifthisisn’tmeinthecornerhere!WhatdoIwanthere？What’sbehindme？’
Hecarriedhisfingerslowlydowntothewrist，androundthewrist，andaffectedtolookatthebackofthehandforwhatwasbehindhim。
’Isitanyharm？’askedLittleDorrit，smiling。
’Deuceabit!’saidPancks。’Whatdoyouthinkit’sworth？’
’Ioughttoaskyouthat。Iamnotthefortune-teller。’
’True，’saidPancks。’What’sitworth？Youshalllivetosee，MissDorrit。’
Releasingthehandbyslowdegrees，hedrewallhisfingersthroughhisprongsofhair，sothattheystoodupintheirmostportentousmanner；andrepeatedslowly，’RememberwhatIsay，MissDorrit。
Youshalllivetosee。’
Shecouldnothelpshowingthatshewasmuchsurprised，ifitwereonlybyhisknowingsomuchabouther。
’Ah!That’sit!’saidPancks，pointingather。’MissDorrit，notthat，ever!’
Moresurprisedthanbefore，andalittlemorefrightened，shelookedtohimforanexplanationofhislastwords。
’Notthat，’saidPancks，making，withgreatseriousness，animitationofasurprisedlookandmannerthatappearedtobeunintentionallygrotesque。’Don’tdothat。Neveronseeingme，nomatterwhen，nomatterwhere。Iamnobody。Don’ttakeontomindme。Don’tmentionme。Takenonotice。Willyouagree，MissDorrit？’
’Ihardlyknowwhattosay，’returnedLittleDorrit，quiteastounded。’Why？’
’BecauseIamafortune-teller。Pancksthegipsy。Ihaven’ttoldyousomuchofyourfortuneyet，MissDorrit，astotellyouwhat’sbehindmeonthatlittlehand。Ihavetoldyouyoushalllivetosee。Isitagreed，MissDorrit？’
’AgreedthatI——am——to——’
’Totakenonoticeofmeawayfromhere，unlessItakeonfirst。
NottomindmewhenIcomeandgo。It’sveryeasy。Iamnoloss，Iamnothandsome，Iamnotgoodcompany，Iamonlymyproprietorsgrubber。Youneeddonomorethanthink，“Ah!Pancksthegipsyathisfortune-telling——he’lltelltherestofmyfortuneoneday——I
shalllivetoknowit。“Isitagreed，MissDorrit？’
’Ye-es，’falteredLittleDorrit，whomhegreatlyconfused，’I
supposeso，whileyoudonoharm。’
’Good!’MrPancksglancedatthewalloftheadjoiningroom，andstoopedforward。’Honestcreature，womanofcapitalpoints，butheedlessandaloosetalker，MissDorrit。’Withthatherubbedhishandsasiftheinterviewhadbeenverysatisfactorytohim，pantedawaytothedoor，andurbanelynoddedhimselfoutagain。
IfLittleDorritwerebeyondmeasureperplexedbythiscuriousconductonthepartofhernewacquaintance，andbyfindingherselfinvolvedinthissingulartreaty，herperplexitywasnotdiminishedbyensuingcircumstances。BesidesthatMrPanckstookeveryopportunityaffordedhiminMrCasby’shouseofsignificantlyglancingatherandsnortingather——whichwasnotmuch，afterwhathehaddonealready——hebegantopervadeherdailylife。Shesawhiminthestreet，constantly。WhenshewenttoMrCasby’s，hewasalwaysthere。WhenshewenttoMrsClennam’s，hecamethereonanypretence，asiftokeepherinhissight。Aweekhadnotgoneby，whenshefoundhimtoherastonishmentintheLodgeonenight，conversingwiththeturnkeyonduty，andtoallappearanceoneofhisfamiliarcompanions。Hernextsurprisewastofindhimequallyathiseasewithintheprison；tohearofhispresentinghimselfamongthevisitorsatherfather’sSundaylevee；toseehimarminarmwithaCollegiatefriendabouttheyard；tolearn，fromFame，thathehadgreatlydistinguishedhimselfoneeveningatthesocialclubthathelditsmeetingsintheSnuggery，byaddressingaspeechtothemembersoftheinstitution，singingasong，andtreatingthecompanytofivegallonsofale——reportmadlyaddedabushelofshrimps。TheeffectonMrPlornishofsuchofthesephenomenaashebecameaneye-witnessofinhisfaithfulvisits，madeanimpressiononLittleDorritonlysecondtothatproducedbythephenomenathemselves。Theyseemedtogagandbindhim。Hecouldonlystare，andsometimesweaklymutterthatitwouldn’tbebelieveddownBleedingHeartYardthatthiswasPancks；butheneversaidawordmore，ormadeasignmore，eventoLittleDorrit。
MrPanckscrownedhismysteriesbymakinghimselfacquaintedwithTipinsomeunknownmanner，andtakingaSundaysaunterintotheCollegeonthatgentleman’sarm。ThroughouthenevertookanynoticeofLittleDorrit，saveonceortwicewhenhehappenedtocomeclosetoherandtherewasnooneverynear；onwhichoccasions，hesaidinpassing，withafriendlylookandapuffofencouragement，’Pancksthegipsy——fortune-telling。’
LittleDorritworkedandstroveasusual，wonderingatallthis，butkeepingherwonder，asshehadfromherearliestyearskeptmanyheavierloads，inherownbreast。Achangehadstolen，andwasstealingyet，overthepatientheart。Everydayfoundhersomethingmoreretiringthanthedaybefore。Topassinandoutoftheprisonunnoticed，andelsewheretobeoverlookedandforgotten，were，forherself，herchiefdesires。
Toherownroomtoo，strangelyassortedroomforherdelicateyouthandcharacter，shewasgladtoretreatasoftenasshecouldwithoutdesertionofanyduty。Therewereafternoontimeswhenshewasunemployed，whenvisitorsdroppedintoplayahandatcardswithherfather，whenshecouldbesparedandwasbetteraway。
Thenshewouldflitalongtheyard，climbthescoresofstairsthatledtoherroom，andtakeherseatatthewindow。Manycombinationsdidthosespikesuponthewallassume，manylightshapesdidthestrongironweaveitselfinto，manygoldentouchesfellupontherust，whileLittleDorritsattheremusing。Newzig-
zagssprungintothecruelpatternsometimes，whenshesawitthroughaburstoftears；butbeautifiedorhardenedstill，alwaysoveritandunderitandthroughit，shewasfaintolookinhersolitude，seeingeverythingwiththatineffaceablebrand。
Agarret，andaMarshalseagarretwithoutcompromise，wasLittleDorrit’sroom。Beautifullykept，itwasuglyinitself，andhadlittlebutcleanlinessandairtosetitoff；forwhatembellishmentshehadeverbeenabletobuy，hadgonetoherfather’sroom。Howbeit，forthispoorplacesheshowedanincreasinglove；andtositinitalonebecameherfavouriterest。
Insomuch，thatonacertainafternoonduringthePancksmysteries，whenshewasseatedatherwindow，andheardMaggy’swell-knownstepcomingupthestairs，shewasverymuchdisturbedbytheapprehensionofbeingsummonedaway。AsMaggy’sstepcamehigherupandnearer，shetrembledandfaltered；anditwasasmuchasshecoulddotospeak，whenMaggyatlengthappeared。
’Please，LittleMother，’saidMaggy，pantingforbreath，’youmustcomedownandseehim。He’shere。’
’Who，Maggy？’
’Who，o’courseMrClennam。He’sinyourfather’sroom，andhesaystome，Maggy，willyoubesokindandgoandsayit’sonlyme。’
’Iamnotverywell，Maggy。Ihadbetternotgo。Iamgoingtoliedown。See!Iliedownnow，toeasemyhead。Say，withmygratefulregard，thatyouleftmeso，orIwouldhavecome。’
’Well，itan’tverypolitethough，LittleMother，’saidthestaringMaggy，’toturnyourfaceaway，neither!’
Maggywasverysusceptibletopersonalslights，andveryingeniousininventingthem。’Puttingbothyourhandsaforeyourfacetoo!’
shewenton。’Ifyoucan’tbearthelooksofapoorthing，itwouldbebettertotellhersoatonce，andnotgoandshutheroutlikethat，hurtingherfeelingsandbreakingherheartattenyearold，poorthing!’
’It’stoeasemyhead，Maggy。’
’Well，andifyoucrytoeaseyourhead，LittleMother，letmecrytoo。Don’tgoandhaveallthecryingtoyourself，’expostulatedMaggy，’thatan’tnotbeinggreedy。’Andimmediatelybegantoblubber。
Itwaswithsomedifficultythatshecouldbeinducedtogobackwiththeexcuse；butthepromiseofbeingtoldastory——ofoldhergreatdelight——onconditionthatsheconcentratedherfacultiesupontheerrandandleftherlittlemistresstoherselfforanhourlonger，combinedwithamisgivingonMaggy’spartthatshehadlefthergoodtemperatthebottomofthestaircase，prevailed。Soawayshewent，mutteringhermessageallthewaytokeepitinhermind，and，attheappointedtime，cameback。