Shelookedathimforaninstant，andthensaidfrowningly，’I
won’t。MissWade，takemeaway，please。’
Thecontentionthatragedwithinherhadnosofteninginitnow；itwaswhollybetweenpassionatedefianceandstubborndefiance。Herrichcolour，herquickblood，herrapidbreath，wereallsettingthemselvesagainsttheopportunityofretracingtheirsteps。’I
won’t。Iwon’t。Iwon’t!’sherepeatedinalow，thickvoice。
’I’dbetorntopiecesfirst。I’dtearmyselftopiecesfirst!’
MissWade，whohadreleasedherhold，laidherhandprotectinglyonthegirl’sneckforamoment，andthensaid，lookingroundwithherformersmileandspeakingexactlyinherformertone，’Gentlemen!
Whatdoyoudouponthat？’
’Oh，Tattycoram，Tattycoram!’criedMrMeagles，adjuringherbesideswithanearnesthand。’Hearthatlady’svoice，lookatthatlady’sface，considerwhatisinthatlady’sheart，andthinkwhatafutureliesbeforeyou。Mychild，whateveryoumaythink，thatlady’sinfluenceoveryou——astonishingtous，andIshouldhardlygotoofarinsayingterribletoustosee——isfoundedinpassionfiercerthanyours，andtempermoreviolentthanyours。
Whatcanyoutwobetogether？Whatcancomeofit？’
’Iamalonehere，gentlemen，’observedMissWade，withnochangeofvoiceormanner。’Sayanythingyouwill。’
’Politenessmustyieldtothismisguidedgirl，ma’am，’saidMrMeagles，’atherpresentpass；thoughIhopenotaltogethertodismissit，evenwiththeinjuryyoudohersostronglybeforeme。
Excusemeforremindingyouinherhearing——Imustsayit——thatyouwereamysterytoallofus，andhadnothingincommonwithanyofuswhensheunfortunatelyfellinyourway。Idon’tknowwhatyouare，butyoudon’thide，can’thide，whatadarkspirityouhavewithinyou。Ifitshouldhappenthatyouareawoman，who，fromwhatevercause，hasaperverteddelightinmakingasister-womanaswretchedassheisIamoldenoughtohaveheardofsuch，Iwarnheragainstyou，andIwarnyouagainstyourself。’
’Gentlemen!’saidMissWade，calmly。’Whenyouhaveconcluded——MrClennam，perhapsyouwillinduceyourfriend——’
’Notwithoutanothereffort，’saidMrMeagles，stoutly。
’Tattycoram，mypoordeargirl，countfive-and-twenty。’
’Donotrejectthehope，thecertainty，thiskindmanoffersyou，’
saidClennaminalowemphaticvoice。’Turntothefriendsyouhavenotforgotten。Thinkoncemore!’
’Iwon’t!MissWade，’saidthegirl，withherbosomswellinghigh，andspeakingwithherhandheldtoherthroat，’takemeaway!’
’Tattycoram，’saidMrMeagles。’Oncemoreyet!TheonlythingI
askofyouintheworld，mychild!Countfive-and-twenty!’
Sheputherhandstightlyoverherears，confusedlytumblingdownherbrightblackhairinthevehemenceoftheaction，andturnedherfaceresolutelytothewall。MissWade，whohadwatchedherunderthisfinalappealwiththatstrangeattentivesmile，andthatrepressinghanduponherownbosomwithwhichshehadwatchedherinherstruggleatMarseilles，thenputherarmaboutherwaistasifshetookpossessionofherforevermore。
Andtherewasavisibletriumphinherfacewhensheturnedittodismissthevisitors。
’AsitisthelasttimeIshallhavethehonour，’shesaid，’andasyouhavespokenofnotknowingwhatIam，andalsoofthefoundationofmyinfluencehere，youmaynowknowthatitisfoundedinacommoncause。Whatyourbrokenplaythingisastobirth，Iam。Shehasnoname，Ihavenoname。Herwrongismywrong。Ihavenothingmoretosaytoyou。’
ThiswasaddressedtoMrMeagles，whosorrowfullywentout。AsClennamfollowed，shesaidtohim，withthesameexternalcomposureandinthesamelevelvoice，butwithasmilethatisonlyseenoncruelfaces：averyfaintsmile，liftingthenostril，scarcelytouchingthelips，andnotbreakingawaygradually，butinstantlydismissedwhendonewith：
’IhopethewifeofyourdearfriendMrGowan，maybehappyinthecontrastofherextractiontothisgirl’sandmine，andinthehighgoodfortunethatawaitsher。’
Nobody’sDisappearanceNotrestingsatisfiedwiththeendeavourshehadmadetorecoverhislostcharge，MrMeaglesaddressedaletterofremonstrance，breathingnothingbutgoodwill，notonlytoher，buttoMissWadetoo。Noanswercomingtotheseepistles，ortoanotherwrittentothestubborngirlbythehandofherlateyoungmistress，whichmighthavemeltedherifanythingcouldallthreeletterswerereturnedweeksafterwardsashavingbeenrefusedatthehouse-
door，hedeputedMrsMeaglestomaketheexperimentofapersonalinterview。Thatworthyladybeingunabletoobtainone，andbeingsteadfastlydeniedadmission，MrMeaglesbesoughtArthurtoessayoncemorewhathecoulddo。Allthatcameofhiscompliancewas，hisdiscoverythattheemptyhousewasleftinchargeoftheoldwoman，thatMissWadewasgone，thatthewaifsandstraysoffurnitureweregone，andthattheoldwomanwouldacceptanynumberofhalf-crownsandthankthedonorkindly，buthadnoinformationwhatevertoexchangeforthosecoins，beyondconstantlyofferingforperusalamemorandumrelativetofixtures，whichthehouse-
agent’syoungmanhadleftinthehall。
Unwilling，evenunderthisdiscomfiture，toresigntheingrateandleaveherhopeless，incaseofherbetterdispositionsobtainingthemasteryoverthedarkersideofhercharacter，MrMeagles，forsixsuccessivedays，publishedadiscreetlycovertadvertisementinthemorningpapers，totheeffectthatifacertainyoungpersonwhohadlatelylefthomewithoutreflection，wouldatanytimeapplytohisaddressatTwickenham，everythingwouldbeasithadbeenbefore，andnoreproachesneedbeapprehended。TheunexpectedconsequencesofthisnotificationsuggestedtothedismayedMrMeaglesforthefirsttimethatsomehundredsofyoungpersonsmustbeleavingtheirhomeswithoutreflectioneveryday；forshoalsofwrongyoungpeoplecamedowntoTwickenham，who，notfindingthemselvesreceivedwithenthusiasm，generallydemandedcompensationbywayofdamages，inadditiontocoach-hirethereandback。Norwerethesetheonlyuninvitedclientswhomtheadvertisementproduced。Theswarmofbegging-letterwriters，whowouldseemtobealwayswatchingeagerlyforanyhook，howeversmall，tohangaletterupon，wrotetosaythathavingseentheadvertisement，theywereinducedtoapplywithconfidenceforvarioussums，rangingfromtenshillingstofiftypounds：notbecausetheyknewanythingabouttheyoungperson，butbecausetheyfeltthattopartwiththosedonationswouldgreatlyrelievetheadvertiser’smind。Severalprojectors，likewise，availedthemselvesofthesameopportunitytocorrespondwithMrMeagles；
as，forexample，toapprisehimthattheirattentionhavingbeencalledtotheadvertisementbyafriend，theybeggedtostatethatiftheyshouldeverhearanythingoftheyoungperson，theywouldnotfailtomakeitknowntohimimmediately，andthatinthemeantimeifhewouldobligethemwiththefundsnecessaryforbringingtoperfectionacertainentirelynoveldescriptionofPump，thehappiestresultswouldensuetomankind。
MrMeaglesandhisfamily，underthesecombineddiscouragements，hadbegunreluctantlytogiveupTattycoramasirrecoverable，whenthenewandactivefirmofDoyceandClennam，intheirprivatecapacities，wentdownonaSaturdaytostayatthecottageuntilMonday。Theseniorpartnertookthecoach，andthejuniorpartnertookhiswalking-stick。
Atranquilsummersunsetshoneuponhimasheapproachedtheendofhiswalk，andpassedthroughthemeadowsbytheriverside。Hehadthatsenseofpeace，andofbeinglightenedofaweightofcare，whichcountryquietawakensinthebreastsofdwellersintowns。
Everythingwithinhisviewwaslovelyandplacid。Therichfoliageofthetrees，theluxuriantgrassdiversifiedwithwildflowers，thelittlegreenislandsintheriver，thebedsofrushes，thewater-liliesfloatingonthesurfaceofthestream，thedistantvoicesinboatsbornemusicallytowardshimontherippleofthewaterandtheeveningair，wereallexpressiveofrest。Intheoccasionalleapofafish，ordipofanoar，ortwitteringofabirdnotyetatroost，ordistantbarkingofadog，orlowingofacow——inallsuchsounds，therewastheprevailingbreathofrest，whichseemedtoencompasshimineveryscentthatsweetenedthefragrantair。Thelonglinesofredandgoldinthesky，andtheglorioustrackofthedescendingsun，werealldivinelycalm。Uponthepurpletree-topsfaraway，andonthegreenheightnearathandupwhichtheshadeswereslowlycreeping，therewasanequalhush。
Betweenthereallandscapeanditsshadowinthewater，therewasnodivision；bothweresountroubledandclear，and，whilesofraughtwithsolemnmysteryoflifeanddeath，sohopefullyreassuringtothegazer’ssoothedheart，becausesotenderlyandmercifullybeautiful。
Clennamhadstopped，notforthefirsttimebymanytimes，tolookabouthimandsufferwhathesawtosinkintohissoul，astheshadows，lookedat，seemedtosinkdeeperanddeeperintothewater。Hewasslowlyresuminghisway，whenhesawafigureinthepathbeforehimwhichhehad，perhaps，alreadyassociatedwiththeeveninganditsimpressions。
Minniewasthere，alone。Shehadsomerosesinherhand，andseemedtohavestoodstillonseeinghim，waitingforhim。Herfacewastowardshim，andsheappearedtohavebeencomingfromtheoppositedirection。Therewasaflutterinhermanner，whichClennamhadneverseeninitbefore；andashecamenearher，itenteredhismindallatoncethatshewasthereofasetpurposetospeaktohim。
Shegavehimherhand，andsaid，’Youwondertoseemeherebymyself？Buttheeveningissolovely，IhavestrolledfurtherthanImeantatfirst。IthoughtitlikelyImightmeetyou，andthatmadememoreconfident。Youalwayscomethisway，doyounot？’