’Hewasverysorry，Icantellyou，’sheannounced，’andwantedtosendadoctor。Andhe’scomingagainto-morrowheisandIdon’tthinkhe’llhaveagoodsleepto-nightalongo’hearingaboutyourhead，LittleMother。Ohmy!Ain’tyoubeena-crying!’
’IthinkIhave，alittle，Maggy。’
’Alittle!Oh!’
’Butit’sallovernow——alloverforgood，Maggy。Andmyheadismuchbetterandcooler，andIamquitecomfortable。IamverygladIdidnotgodown。’
Hergreatstaringchildtenderlyembracedher；andhavingsmoothedherhair，andbathedherforeheadandeyeswithcoldwaterofficesinwhichherawkwardhandsbecameskilful，huggedheragain，exultedinherbrighterlooks，andstationedherinherchairbythewindow。Overagainstthischair，Maggy，withapoplecticexertionsthatwerenotatallrequired，draggedtheboxwhichwasherseatonstory-tellingoccasions，satdownuponit，huggedherownknees，andsaid，withavoraciousappetiteforstories，andwithwidely-openedeyes：
’Now，LittleMother，let’shaveagood’un!’
’Whatshallitbeabout，Maggy？’
’Oh，let’shaveaprincess，’saidMaggy，’andletherbeareg’larone。Beyondallbelief，youknow!’
LittleDorritconsideredforamoment；andwitharathersadsmileuponherface，whichwasflushedbythesunset，began：
’Maggy，therewasonceuponatimeafineKing，andhehadeverythinghecouldwishfor，andagreatdealmore。Hehadgoldandsilver，diamondsandrubies，richesofeverykind。Hehadpalaces，andhehad——’
’Hospitals，’interposedMaggy，stillnursingherknees。’Lethimhavehospitals，becausethey’resocomfortable。HospitalswithlotsofChicking。’
’Yes，hehadplentyofthem，andhehadplentyofeverything。’
’Plentyofbakedpotatoes，forinstance？’saidMaggy。
’Plentyofeverything。’
’Lor!’chuckledMaggy，givingherkneesahug。’Wasn’titprime!’
’ThisKinghadadaughter，whowasthewisestandmostbeautifulPrincessthateverwasseen。Whenshewasachildsheunderstoodallherlessonsbeforehermasterstaughtthemtoher；andwhenshewasgrownup，shewasthewonderoftheworld。Now，nearthePalacewherethisPrincesslived，therewasacottageinwhichtherewasapoorlittletinywoman，wholivedallalonebyherself。’
’Anoldwoman，’saidMaggy，withanunctuoussmackofherlips。
’No，notanoldwoman。Quiteayoungone。’
’Iwondershewarn’tafraid，’saidMaggy。’Goon，please。’
’ThePrincesspassedthecottagenearlyeveryday，andwhenevershewentbyinherbeautifulcarriage，shesawthepoortinywomanspinningatherwheel，andshelookedatthetinywoman，andthetinywomanlookedather。So，onedayshestoppedthecoachmanalittlewayfromthecottage，andgotoutandwalkedonandpeepedinatthedoor，andthere，asusual，wasthetinywomanspinningatherwheel，andshelookedatthePrincess，andthePrincesslookedather。’
’Liketryingtostareoneanotherout，’saidMaggy。’Pleasegoon，LittleMother。’
’ThePrincesswassuchawonderfulPrincessthatshehadthepowerofknowingsecrets，andshesaidtothetinywoman，Whydoyoukeepitthere？ThisshowedherdirectlythatthePrincessknewwhyshelivedallalonebyherselfspinningatherwheel，andshekneeleddownatthePrincess’sfeet，andaskedhernevertobetrayher。SothePrincesssaid，Ineverwillbetrayyou。Letmeseeit。Sothetinywomanclosedtheshutterofthecottagewindowandfastenedthedoor，andtremblingfromheadtofootforfearthatanyoneshouldsuspecther，openedaverysecretplaceandshowedthePrincessashadow。’
’Lor!’saidMaggy。
’ItwastheshadowofSomeonewhohadgonebylongbefore：ofSomeonewhohadgoneonfarawayquiteoutofreach，never，nevertocomeback。Itwasbrighttolookat；andwhenthetinywomanshowedittothePrincess，shewasproudofitwithallherheart，asagreat，greattreasure。WhenthePrincesshadconsidereditalittlewhile，shesaidtothetinywoman，Andyoukeepwatchoverthiseveryday？Andshecastdownhereyes，andwhispered，Yes。
ThenthePrincesssaid，Remindmewhy。Towhichtheotherreplied，thatnoonesogoodandkindhadeverpassedthatway，andthatwaswhyinthebeginning。Shesaid，too，thatnobodymissedit，thatnobodywastheworseforit，thatSomeonehadgoneon，tothosewhowereexpectinghim——’
’Someonewasamanthen？’interposedMaggy。
LittleDorrittimidlysaidYes，shebelievedso；andresumed：
’——Hadgoneontothosewhowereexpectinghim，andthatthisremembrancewasstolenorkeptbackfromnobody。ThePrincessmadeanswer，Ah!Butwhenthecottagerdieditwouldbediscoveredthere。ThetinywomantoldherNo；whenthattimecame，itwouldsinkquietlyintoherowngrave，andwouldneverbefound。’
’Well，tobesure!’saidMaggy。’Goon，please。’
’ThePrincesswasverymuchastonishedtohearthis，asyoumaysuppose，Maggy。’’Andwellshemightbe，’saidMaggy。
’Sosheresolvedtowatchthetinywoman，andseewhatcameofit。
Everydayshedroveinherbeautifulcarriagebythecottage-door，andthereshesawthetinywomanalwaysalonebyherselfspinningatherwheel，andshelookedatthetinywoman，andthetinywomanlookedather。Atlastonedaythewheelwasstill，andthetinywomanwasnottobeseen。WhenthePrincessmadeinquirieswhythewheelhadstopped，andwherethetinywomanwas，shewasinformedthatthewheelhadstoppedbecausetherewasnobodytoturnit，thetinywomanbeingdead。’
’TheyoughttohavetookhertotheHospital，’saidMaggy，andthenshe’dhavegotoverit。’
’ThePrincess，aftercryingaverylittleforthelossofthetinywoman，driedhereyesandgotoutofhercarriageattheplacewhereshehadstoppeditbefore，andwenttothecottageandpeepedinatthedoor。Therewasnobodytolookathernow，andnobodyforhertolookat，soshewentinatoncetosearchforthetreasuredshadow。Buttherewasnosignofittobefoundanywhere；andthensheknewthatthetinywomanhadtoldherthetruth，andthatitwouldnevergiveanybodyanytrouble，andthatithadsunkquietlyintoherowngrave，andthatsheanditwereatresttogether。
’That’sall，Maggy。’
ThesunsetflushwassobrightonLittleDorrit’sfacewhenshecamethustotheendofherstory，thatsheinterposedherhandtoshadeit。
’Hadshegottobeold？’Maggyasked。
’Thetinywoman？’
’Ah!’
’Idon’tknow，’saidLittleDorrit。’Butitwouldhavebeenjustthesameifshehadbeeneversoold。’
’Woulditraly!’saidMaggy。’Well，Isupposeitwouldthough。’
Andsatstaringandruminating。
Shesatsolongwithhereyeswideopen，thatatlengthLittleDorrit，toenticeherfromherbox，roseandlookedoutofwindow。
Assheglanceddownintotheyard，shesawPanckscomeinandleerupwiththecornerofhiseyeashewentby。
’Who’she，LittleMother？’saidMaggy。Shehadjoinedheratthewindowandwasleaningonhershoulder。’Iseehimcomeinandoutoften。’
’Ihaveheardhimcalledafortune-teller，’saidLittleDorrit。
’ButIdoubtifhecouldtellmanypeopleeventheirpastorpresentfortunes。’
’Couldn’thavetoldthePrincesshers？’saidMaggy。
LittleDorrit，lookingmusinglydownintothedarkvalleyoftheprison，shookherhead。
’Northetinywomanhers？’saidMaggy。
’No，’saidLittleDorrit，withthesunsetverybrightuponher。
’Butletuscomeawayfromthewindow。’
ConspiratorsandOthersTheprivateresidenceofMrPanckswasinPentonville，wherehelodgedonthesecond-floorofaprofessionalgentlemaninanextremelysmallway，whohadaninner-doorwithinthestreetdoor，poisedonaspringandstartingopenwithaclicklikeatrap；andwhowroteupinthefan-light，RUGG，GENERALAGENT，ACCOUNTANT，DEBTSRECOVERED。
Thisscroll，majesticinitsseveresimplicity，illuminatedalittleslipoffrontgardenabuttingonthethirstyhigh-road，whereafewofthedustiestofleaveshungtheirdismalheadsandledalifeofchoking。Aprofessorofwritingoccupiedthefirst-
floor，andenlivenedthegardenrailingswithglass-casescontainingchoiceexamplesofwhathispupilshadbeenbeforesixlessonsandwhilethewholeofhisyoungfamilyshookthetable，andwhattheyhadbecomeaftersixlessonswhentheyoungfamilywasunderrestraint。ThetenancyofMrPanckswaslimitedtooneairybedroom；hecovenantingandagreeingwithMrRugghislandlord，thatinconsiderationofacertainscaleofpaymentsaccuratelydefined，andoncertainverbalnoticedulygiven，heshouldbeatlibertytoelecttosharetheSundaybreakfast，dinner，tea，orsupper，oreachoranyorallofthoserepastsormealsofMrandMissRugghisdaughterintheback-parlour。
MissRuggwasaladyofalittlepropertywhichshehadacquired，togetherwithmuchdistinctionintheneighbourhood，byhavingherheartseverelylaceratedandherfeelingsmangledbyamiddle-agedbakerresidentinthevicinity，againstwhomshehad，bytheagencyofMrRugg，founditnecessarytoproceedatlawtorecoverdamagesforabreachofpromiseofmarriage。Thebakerhavingbeen，bythecounselforMissRugg，witheringlydenouncedonthatoccasionuptothefullamountoftwentyguineas，attherateofabouteighteen-
penceanepithet，andhavingbeencastincorrespondingdamages，stillsufferedoccasionalpersecutionfromtheyouthofPentonville。ButMissRugg，environedbythemajestyofthelaw，andhavingherdamagesinvestedinthepublicsecurities，wasregardedwithconsideration。