’Whatdoyoucallyourself？’wasthesurlydemandofthatgentleman。’Youhavetheheadoftwomen。’
’Mysexdisqualifiesme，’sheproceededwithmerelyaslightturnofhereyesinjeremiah’sdirection，’fromtakingaresponsiblepartinthebusiness，evenifIhadtheability；andthereforeMrFlintwinchcombinesmyinterestwithhisown，andconductsit。Itisnotwhatitusedtobe；butsomeofouroldfriendsprincipallythewritersofthisletterhavethekindnessnottoforgetus，andweretainthepowerofdoingwhattheyentrusttousasefficientlyasweeverdid。Thishoweverisnotinterestingtoyou。YouareEnglish，sir？’
’Faith，madam，no；IamneitherbornnorbredinEngland。Ineffect，Iamofnocountry，’saidMrBlandois，stretchingouthislegandsmitingit：’Idescendfromhalf-a-dozencountries。’
’Youhavebeenmuchabouttheworld？’
’Itistrue。ByHeaven，madam，Ihavebeenhereandthereandeverywhere!’
’Youhavenoties，probably。Arenotmarried？’
’Madam，’saidMrBlandois，withanuglyfallofhiseyebrows，’I
adoreyoursex，butIamnotmarried——neverwas。’
MistressAffery，whostoodatthetablenearhim，pouringoutthetea，happenedinherdreamystatetolookathimashesaidthesewords，andtofancythatshecaughtanexpressioninhiseyeswhichattractedherowneyessothatshecouldnotgetthemaway。Theeffectofthisfancywastokeepherstaringathimwiththetea-
potinherhand，notonlytoherowngreatuneasiness，butmanifestlytohis，too；and，throughthemboth，toMrsClennam’sandMrFlintwinch’s。Thusafewghostlymomentssupervened，whentheywereallconfusedlystaringwithoutknowingwhy。
’Affery，’hermistresswasthefirsttosay，’whatisthematterwithyou？’
’Idon’tknow，’saidMistressAffery，withherdisengagedlefthandextendedtowardsthevisitor。’Itain’tme。It’shim!’
’Whatdoesthisgoodwomanmean？’criedMrBlandois，turningwhite，hot，andslowlyrisingwithalookofsuchdeadlywraththatitcontrastedsurprisinglywiththeslightforceofhiswords。’Howisitpossibletounderstandthisgoodcreature？’
’It’sNOTpossible，’saidMrFlintwinch，screwinghimselfrapidlyinthatdirection。’Shedon’tknowwhatshemeans。She’sanidiot，awandererinhermind。Sheshallhaveadose，sheshallhavesuchadose!Getalongwithyou，mywoman，’headdedinherear，’getalongwithyou，whileyouknowyou’reAffery，andbeforeyou’reshakentoyeast。’
MistressAffery，sensibleofthedangerinwhichheridentitystood，relinquishedthetea-potasherhusbandseizedit，putherapronoverherhead，andinatwinklingvanished。Thevisitorgraduallybrokeintoasmile，andsatdownagain。
’You’llexcuseher，MrBlandois，’saidJeremiah，pouringouttheteahimself，’she’sfailingandbreakingup；that’swhatshe’sabout。Doyoutakesugar，sir？’
’Thankyou，noteaforme——Pardonmyobservingit，butthat’saveryremarkablewatch!’
Thetea-tablewasdrawnupnearthesofa，withasmallintervalbetweenitandMrsClennam’sownparticulartable。MrBlandoisinhisgallantryhadrisentohandthatladyherteaherdishoftoastwasalreadythere，anditwasinplacingthecupconvenientlywithinherreachthatthewatch，lyingbeforeherasitalwaysdid，attractedhisattention。MrsClennamlookedsuddenlyupathim。
’MayIbepermitted？Thankyou。Afineold-fashionedwatch，’hesaid，takingitinhishand。’Heavyforuse，butmassiveandgenuine。Ihaveapartialityforeverythinggenuine。SuchasI
am，Iamgenuinemyself。Hah!Agentleman’swatchwithtwocasesintheoldfashion。MayIremoveitfromtheoutercase？Thankyou。Aye？Anoldsilkwatch-lining，workedwithbeads!IhaveoftenseentheseamongoldDutchpeopleandBelgians。Quaintthings!’
’Theyareold-fashioned，too，’saidMrsClennam。
’Very。Butthisisnotsooldasthewatch，Ithink？’
’Ithinknot。’
’Extraordinaryhowtheyusedtocomplicatethesecyphers!’remarkedMrBlandois，glancingupwithhisownsmileagain。’NowisthisD。
N。F。？Itmightbealmostanything。’
’Thosearetheletters。’
MrFlintwinch，whohadbeenobservantlypausingallthistimewithacupofteainhishand，andhismouthopenreadytoswallowthecontents，begantodoso：alwaysentirelyfillinghismouthbeforeheemptieditatagulp；andalwaysdeliberatingagainbeforeherefilledit。
’D。N。F。wassometender，lovely，fascinatingfair-creature，I
makenodoubt，’observedMrBlandois，ashesnappedonthecaseagain。’Iadorehermemoryontheassumption。Unfortunatelyformypeaceofmind，Iadorebuttooreadily。Itmaybeavice，itmaybeavirtue，butadorationoffemalebeautyandmeritconstitutesthreepartsofmycharacter，madam。’
MrFlintwinchhadbythistimepouredhimselfoutanothercupoftea，whichhewasswallowingingulpsasbefore，withhiseyesdirectedtotheinvalid。
’Youmaybeheart-freehere，sir，’shereturnedtoMrBlandois。
’Thoselettersarenotintended，Ibelieve，fortheinitialsofanyname。’
’Ofamotto，perhaps，’saidMrBlandois，casually。
’Ofasentence。Theyhavealwaysstood，Ibelieve，forDoNotForget!’
’Andnaturally，’saidMrBlandois，replacingthewatchandsteppingbackwardtohisformerchair，’youdonotforget。’
MrFlintwinch，finishinghistea，notonlytookalongergulpthanhehadtakenyet，butmadehissucceedingpauseundernewcircumstances：thatistosay，withhisheadthrownbackandhiscupheldstillathislips，whilehiseyeswerestilldirectedattheinvalid。Shehadthatforceofface，andthatconcentratedairofcollectingherfirmnessorobstinacy，whichrepresentedinhercasewhatwouldhavebeengestureandactioninanother，assherepliedwithherdeliberatestrengthofspeech：
’No，sir，Idonotforget。Toleadalifeasmonotonousasminehasbeenduringmanyyears，isnotthewaytoforget。Toleadalifeofself-correctionisnotthewaytoforget。Tobesensibleofhavingasweallhave，everyoneofus，allthechildrenofAdam!offencestoexpiateandpeacetomake，doesnotjustifythedesiretoforget。ThereforeIhavelongdismissedit，andI
neitherforgetnorwishtoforget。’
MrFlintwinch，whohadlatterlybeenshakingthesedimentatthebottomofhistea-cup，roundandround，heregulpeditdown，andputtingthecupinthetea-tray，asdonewith，turnedhiseyesuponMrBlandoisasiftoaskhimwhathethoughtofthat？
’Allexpressed，madam，’saidMrBlandois，withhissmoothestbowandhiswhitehandonhisbreast，’bytheword“naturally，“whichIamproudtohavehadsufficientapprehensionandappreciationbutwithoutappreciationIcouldnotbeBlandoistoemploy。’
’Pardonme，sir，’shereturned，’ifIdoubtthelikelihoodofagentlemanofpleasure，andchange，andpoliteness，accustomedtocourtandtobecourted——’
’Ohmadam!ByHeaven!’
’——IfIdoubtthelikelihoodofsuchacharacterquitecomprehendingwhatbelongstomineinmycircumstances。Nottoobtrudedoctrineuponyou，’shelookedattherigidpileofhardpalebooksbeforeher，’foryougoyourownway，andtheconsequencesareonyourownhead，Iwillsaythismuch：thatI
shapemycoursebypilots，strictlybyprovedandtriedpilots，underwhomIcannotbeshipwrecked——cannotbe——andthatifIwereunmindfuloftheadmonitionconveyedinthosethreeletters，I
shouldnotbehalfaschastenedasIam。’
Itwascurioushowsheseizedtheoccasiontoarguewithsomeinvisibleopponent。Perhapswithherownbettersense，alwaysturninguponherselfandherowndeception。
’IfIforgotmyignorancesinmylifeofhealthandfreedom，I
mightcomplainofthelifetowhichIamnowcondemned。Ineverdo；Ineverhavedone。IfIforgotthatthisscene，theEarth，isexpresslymeanttobeasceneofgloom，andhardship，anddarktrial，forthecreatureswhoaremadeoutofitsdust，Imighthavesometendernessforitsvanities。ButIhavenosuchtenderness。
IfIdidnotknowthatweare，everyone，thesubjectmostjustlythesubjectofawraththatmustbesatisfied，andagainstwhichmereactionsarenothing，Imightrepineatthedifferencebetweenme，imprisonedhere，andthepeoplewhopassthatgatewayyonder。
ButItakeitasagraceandfavourtobeelectedtomakethesatisfactionIammakinghere，toknowwhatIknowforcertainhere，andtoworkoutwhatIhaveworkedouthere。Myafflictionmightotherwisehavehadnomeaningtome。HenceIwouldforget，andIdoforget，nothing。HenceIamcontented，andsayitisbetterwithmethanwithmillions。’
Asshespokethesewords，sheputherhanduponthewatch，andrestoredittotheprecisespotonherlittletablewhichitalwaysoccupied。Withhertouchlingeringuponit，shesatforsomemomentsafterwards，lookingatitsteadilyandhalf-defiantly。
MrBlandois，duringthisexposition，hadbeenstrictlyattentive，keepinghiseyesfastenedonthelady，andthoughtfullystrokinghismoustachewithhistwohands。MrFlintwinchhadbeenalittlefidgety，andnowstruckin。
’There，there，there!’saidhe。’Thatisquiteunderstood，MrsClennam，andyouhavespokenpiouslyandwell。MrBlandois，I
suspect，isnotofapiouscast。’
’Onthecontrary，sir!’thatgentlemanprotested，snappinghisfingers。’Yourpardon!It’sapartofmycharacter。Iamsensitive，ardent，conscientious，andimaginative。Asensitive，ardent，conscientious，andimaginativeman，MrFlintwinch，mustbethat，ornothing!’
TherewasaninklingofsuspicioninMrFlintwinch’sfacethathemightbenothing，asheswaggeredoutofhischairitwascharacteristicofthisman，asitisofallmensimilarlymarked，thatwhateverhedid，heoverdid，thoughitweresometimesbyonlyahairsbreadth，andapproachedtotakehisleaveofMrsClennam。
’Withwhatwillappeartoyoutheegotismofasickoldwoman，sir，’shethensaid，’thoughreallythroughyouraccidentalallusion，Ihavebeenledawayintothesubjectofmyselfandmyinfirmities。Beingsoconsiderateastovisitme，Ihopeyouwillbelikewisesoconsiderateastooverlookthat。Don’tcomplimentme，ifyouplease。’Forhewasevidentlygoingtodoit。’MrFlintwinchwillbehappytorenderyouanyservice，andIhopeyourstayinthiscitymayproveagreeable。’
MrBlandoisthankedher，andkissedhishandseveraltimes。’Thisisanoldroom，’heremarked，withasuddensprightlinessofmanner，lookingroundwhenhegotnearthedoor，’IhavebeensointerestedthatIhavenotobservedit。Butit’sagenuineoldroom。’
’Itisagenuineoldhouse，’saidMrsClennam，withherfrozensmile。’Aplaceofnopretensions，butapieceofantiquity。’
’Faith!’criedthevisitor。’IfMrFlintwinchwoulddomethefavourtotakemethroughtheroomsonmywayout，hecouldhardlyobligememore。Anoldhouseisaweaknesswithme。Ihavemanyweaknesses，butnonegreater。Iloveandstudythepicturesqueinallitsvarieties。Ihavebeencalledpicturesquemyself。Itisnomerittobepicturesque——Ihavegreatermerits，perhaps——butI