Sometimes，onholidaystowardsevening，hewillbeseentowalkwithaslightlyincreasedinfirmity，andhisoldeyeswillglimmerwithamoistandmarshylight。Thenthelittleoldmanisdrunk。
Averysmallmeasurewilloversethim；hemaybebowledoffhisunsteadylegswithahalf-pintpot。Somepityingacquaintance——
chanceacquaintanceveryoften——haswarmeduphisweaknesswithatreatofbeer，andtheconsequencewillbethelapseofalongertimethanusualbeforeheshallpassagain。ForthelittleoldmanisgoinghometotheWorkhouse；andonhisgoodbehaviourtheydonotlethimoutoftenthoughmethinkstheymight，consideringthefewyearshehasbeforehimtogooutin，underthesun；andonhisbadbehaviourtheyshuthimupcloserthaneverinagroveoftwoscoreandnineteenmoreoldmen，everyoneofwhomsmellsofalltheothers。
MrsPlornish’sfather，——apoorlittlereedypipingoldgentleman，likeaworn-outbird；whohadbeeninwhathecalledthemusic-
bindingbusiness，andmetwithgreatmisfortunes，andwhohadseldombeenabletomakehisway，ortoseeitortopayit，ortodoanythingatallwithitbutfinditnothoroughfare，——hadretiredofhisownaccordtotheWorkhousewhichwasappointedbylawtobetheGoodSamaritanofhisdistrictwithoutthetwopence，whichwasbadpoliticaleconomy，onthesettlementofthatexecutionwhichhadcarriedMrPlornishtotheMarshalseaCollege。
Previoustohisson-in-law’sdifficultiescomingtothathead，OldNandyhewasalwayssocalledinhislegalRetreat，buthewasOldMrNandyamongtheBleedingHeartshadsatinacornerofthePlornishfireside，andtakenhisbiteandsupoutofthePlornishcupboard。HestillhopedtoresumethatdomesticpositionwhenFortuneshouldsmileuponhisson-in-law；inthemeantime，whileshepreservedanimmovablecountenance，hewas，andresolvedtoremain，oneoftheselittleoldmeninagroveoflittleoldmenwithacommunityofflavour。
Butnopovertyinhim，andnocoatonhimthatneverwasthemode，andnoOldMen’sWardforhisdwelling-place，couldquenchhisdaughter’sadmiration。MrsPlornishwasasproudofherfather’stalentsasshecouldpossiblyhavebeeniftheyhadmadehimLordChancellor。ShehadasfirmabeliefinthesweetnessandproprietyofhismannersasshecouldpossiblyhavehadifhehadbeenLordChamberlain。Thepoorlittleoldmanknewsomepaleandvapidlittlesongs，longoutofdate，aboutChloe，andPhyllis，andStrephonbeingwoundedbythesonofVenus；andforMrsPlornishtherewasnosuchmusicattheOperaasthesmallinternalflutteringsandchirpingswhereinhewoulddischargehimselfoftheseditties，likeaweak，little，brokenbarrel-organ，groundbyababy。Onhis’daysout，’thoseflecksoflightinhisflatvistaofpollardoldmen，’itwasatonceMrsPlornish’sdelightandsorrow，whenhewasstrongwithmeat，andhadtakenhisfullhalfpenny-worthofporter，tosay，’Singusasong，Father。’ThenhewouldgivethemChloe，andifhewereinprettygoodspirits，Phyllisalso——Strephonhehadhardlybeenuptosincehewentintoretirement——andthenwouldMrsPlornishdeclareshedidbelievethereneverwassuchasingerasFather，andwipehereyes。
IfhehadcomefromCourtontheseoccasions，nay，ifhehadbeenthenobleRefrigeratorcomehometriumphantlyfromaforeigncourttobepresentedandpromotedonhislasttremendousfailure，MrsPlornishcouldnothavehandedhimwithgreaterelevationaboutBleedingHeartYard。’Here’sFather，’shewouldsay，presentinghimtoaneighbour。’Fatherwillsoonbehomewithusforgood，now。Ain’tFatherlookingwell？Father’sasweetersingerthanever；you’dneverhaveforgottenit，ifyou’daheardhimjustnow。’
AstoMrPlornish，hehadmarriedthesearticlesofbeliefinmarryingMrNandy’sdaughter，andonlywonderedhowitwasthatsogiftedanoldgentlemanhadnotmadeafortune。Thisheattributed，aftermuchreflection，tohismusicalgeniusnothavingbeenscientificallydevelopedinhisyouth。’Forwhy，’arguedMrPlornish，’whygoa-bindingmusicwhenyou’vegotitinyourself？
That’swhereitis，Iconsider。’
OldNandyhadapatron：onepatron。Hehadapatronwhoinacertainsumptuousway——anapologeticway，asifheconstantlytookanadmiringaudiencetowitnessthathereallycouldnothelpbeingmorefreewiththisoldfellowthantheymighthaveexpected，onaccountofhissimplicityandpoverty——wasmightilygoodtohim。
OldNandyhadbeenseveraltimestotheMarshalseaCollege，communicatingwithhisson-in-lawduringhisshortdurancethere；
andhadhappilyacquiredtohimself，andhadbydegreesandincourseoftimemuchimproved，thepatronageoftheFatherofthatnationalinstitution。
MrDorritwasinthehabitofreceivingthisoldmanasiftheoldmanheldofhiminvassalageundersomefeudaltenure。Hemadelittletreatsandteasforhim，asifhecameinwithhishomagefromsomeoutlyingdistrictwherethetenantrywereinaprimitivestate。
Itseemedasifthereweremomentswhenhecouldbynomeanshaveswornbutthattheoldmanwasanancientretainerofhis，whohadbeenmeritoriouslyfaithful。Whenhementionedhim，hespokeofhimcasuallyashisoldpensioner。Hehadawonderfulsatisfactioninseeinghim，andincommentingonhisdecayedconditionafterhewasgone。Itappearedtohimamazingthathecouldholduphisheadatall，poorcreature。’IntheWorkhouse，sir，theUnion；noprivacy，novisitors，nostation，norespect，nospeciality。Mostdeplorable!’
ItwasOldNandy’sbirthday，andtheylethimout。Hesaidnothingaboutitsbeinghisbirthday，ortheymighthavekepthimin；forsucholdmenshouldnotbeborn。HepassedalongthestreetsasusualtoBleedingHeartYard，andhadhisdinnerwithhisdaughterandson-in-law，andgavethemPhyllis。Hehadhardlyconcluded，whenLittleDorritlookedintoseehowtheyallwere。
’MissDorrit，’saidMrsPlornish，’here’sFather!Ain’thelookingnice？Andsuchvoicehe’sin!’
LittleDorritgavehimherhand，andsmilinglysaidshehadnotseenhimthislongtime。
’No，they’reratherhardonpoorFather，’saidMrsPlornishwithalengtheningface，’anddon’tlethimhavehalfasmuchchangeandfreshairaswouldbenefithim。Buthe’llsoonbehomeforgood，now。Won’tyou，Father？’
’Yes，mydear，Ihopeso。Ingoodtime，pleaseGod。’
HereMrPlornishdeliveredhimselfofanorationwhichheinvariablymade，wordforwordthesame，onallsuchopportunities。
Itwascouchedinthefollowingterms：
’JohnEdwardNandy。Sir。Whilethere’saounceofwittlesordrinkofanysortinthispresentroof，you’refullywelcometoyourshareonit。Whilethere’sahandfuloffireoramouthfulofbedinthispresentroof，you’refullywelcometoyourshareonit。
Ifsobeasthereshouldbenothinginthispresentroof，youshouldbeaswelcometoyourshareonitasifitwassomething，muchorlittle。AndthisiswhatImeanandsoIdon’tdeceiveyou，andconsequentlywhichistostandoutistoentreatofyou，andthereforewhynotdoit？’
Tothislucidaddress，whichMrPlornishalwaysdeliveredasifhehadcomposeditasnodoubthehadwithenormouslabour，MrsPlornish’sfatherpipinglyreplied：
’Ithankyoukindly，Thomas，andIknowyourintentionswell，whichisthesameIthankyoukindlyfor。Butno，Thomas。Untilsuchtimesasit’snottotakeitoutofyourchildren’smouths，whichtakeitis，andcallitbywhatnameyouwillitdoremainandequallydeprive，thoughmaytheycome，andtoosoontheycannotcome，noThomas，no!’
MrsPlornish，whohadbeenturningherfacealittleawaywithacornerofheraproninherhand，broughtherselfbacktotheconversationagainbytellingMissDorritthatFatherwasgoingoverthewatertopayhisrespects，unlesssheknewofanyreasonwhyitmightnotbeagreeable。
Heranswerwas，’Iamgoingstraighthome，andifhewillcomewithmeIshallbesogladtotakecareofhim——soglad，’saidLittleDorrit，alwaysthoughtfulofthefeelingsoftheweak，’ofhiscompany。’
’There，Father!’criedMrsPlornish。’Ain’tyouagayyoungmantobegoingforawalkalongwithMissDorrit!Letmetieyourneck-
handkerchiefintoaregulargoodbow，foryou’rearegularbeauyourself，Father，ifevertherewasone。’
Withthisfilialjokehisdaughtersmartenedhimup，andgavehimalovinghug，andstoodatthedoorwithherweakchildinherarms，andherstrongchildtumblingdownthesteps，lookingafterherlittleoldfatherashetoddledawaywithhisarmunderLittleDorrit’s。
Theywalkedataslowpace，andLittleDorrittookhimbytheIronBridgeandsathimdownthereforarest，andtheylookedoveratthewaterandtalkedabouttheshipping，andtheoldmanmentionedwhathewoulddoifhehadashipfullofgoldcominghometohimhisplanwastotakeanoblelodgingforthePlornishesandhimselfataTeaGardens，andlivetherealltherestoftheirlives，attendedonbythewaiter，anditwasaspecialbirthdayoftheoldman。Theywerewithinfiveminutesoftheirdestination，when，atthecornerofherownstreet，theycameuponFannyinhernewbonnetboundforthesameport。
’Why，goodgraciousme，Amy!’criedthatyoungladystarting。’Younevermeanit!’
’Meanwhat，Fannydear？’
’Well!Icouldhavebelievedagreatdealofyou，’returnedtheyoungladywithburningindignation，’butIdon’tthinkevenI
couldhavebelievedthis，ofevenyou!’
’Fanny!’criedLittleDorrit，woundedandastonished。
’Oh!Don’tFannyme，youmeanlittlething，don’t!Theideaofcomingalongtheopenstreets，inthebroadlightofday，withaPauper!’firingoffthelastwordasifitwereaballfromanair-gun。
’OFanny!’
’ItellyounottoFannyme，forI’llnotsubmittoit!Ineverknewsuchathing。Thewayinwhichyouareresolvedanddeterminedtodisgraceusonalloccasions，isreallyinfamous。
Youbadlittlething!’
’Doesitdisgraceanybody，’saidLittleDorrit，verygently，’totakecareofthispooroldman？’
’Yes，miss，’returnedhersister，’andyououghttoknowitdoes。
Andyoudoknowitdoes，andyoudoitbecauseyouknowitdoes。
Theprincipalpleasureofyourlifeistoremindyourfamilyoftheirmisfortunes。Andthenextgreatpleasureofyourexistenceistokeeplowcompany。But，however，ifyouhavenosenseofdecency，Ihave。You’llpleasetoallowmetogoontheothersideoftheway，unmolested。’