’Such，yousee，MrClennam，’saidtheFather，’aretheincongruitiesofmypositionhere。Butapublicduty!Noman，I
amsure，wouldmorereadilyrecogniseapublicdutythanyourself。’
Clennambesoughthimnottodelayamoment。
’Amy，mydear，ifyoucanpersuadeMrClennamtostaylonger，Icanleavethehonoursofourpoorapologyforanestablishmentwithconfidenceinyourhands，andperhapsyoumaydosomethingtowardserasingfromMrClennam’smindthe——ha——untowardandunpleasantcircumstancewhichhasoccurredsincetea-time。’
Clennamassuredhimthatithadmadenoimpressiononhismind，andthereforerequirednoerasure。
’Mydearsir，’saidtheFather，witharemovalofhisblackcapandagraspofClennam’shand，combiningtoexpressthesafereceiptofhisnoteandenclosurethatafternoon，’Heaveneverblessyou!’
So，atlast，Clennam’spurposeinremainingwasattained，andhecouldspeaktoLittleDorritwithnobodyby。Maggycountedasnobody，andshewasby。
MoreFortune-TellingMaggysatatherworkinhergreatwhitecapwithitsquantityofopaquefrillinghidingwhatprofileshehadshehadnonetospare，andherserviceableeyebroughttobearuponheroccupation，onthewindowsideoftheroom。Whatwithherflappingcap，andwhatwithherunserviceableeye，shewasquitepartitionedofffromherLittleMother，whoseseatwasoppositethewindow。
ThetreadandshuffleoffeetonthepavementoftheyardhadmuchdiminishedsincethetakingoftheChair，thetideofCollegianshavingsetstronglyinthedirectionofHarmony。Somefewwhohadnomusicintheirsouls，ornomoneyintheirpockets，dawdledabout；andtheoldspectacleofthevisitor-wifeandthedepressedunseasonedprisonerstilllingeredincorners，asbrokencobwebsandsuchunsightlydiscomfortsdraggleincornersofotherplaces。
ItwasthequietesttimetheCollegeknew，savingthenighthourswhentheCollegianstookthebenefitoftheactofsleep。TheoccasionalrattleofapplauseuponthetablesoftheSnuggery，denotedthesuccessfulterminationofamorselofHarmony；ortheresponsiveacceptance，bytheunitedchildren，ofsometoastorsentimentofferedtothembytheirFather。Occasionally，avocalstrainmoresonorousthanthegeneralityinformedthelistenerthatsomeboastfulbasswasinbluewater，orinthehuntingfield，orwiththereindeer，oronthemountain，oramongtheheather；buttheMarshaloftheMarshalseaknewbetter，andhadgothimhardandfast。
AsArthurClennammovedtositdownbythesideofLittleDorrit，shetrembledsothatshehadmuchadotoholdherneedle。Clennamgentlyputhishanduponherwork，andsaid，’DearLittleDorrit，letmelayitdown。’
Sheyieldedittohim，andheputitaside。Herhandswerethennervouslyclaspingtogether，buthetookoneofthem。
’HowseldomIhaveseenyoulately，LittleDorrit!’
’Ihavebeenbusy，sir。’
’ButIheardonlyto-day，’saidClennam，’bymereaccident，ofyourhavingbeenwiththosegoodpeopleclosebyme。Whynotcometome，then？’
’I——Idon’tknow。Orrather，Ithoughtyoumightbebusytoo。Yougenerallyarenow，areyounot？’
Hesawhertremblinglittleformandherdowncastface，andtheeyesthatdroopedthemomenttheywereraisedtohis——hesawthemalmostwithasmuchconcernastenderness。
’Mychild，yourmannerissochanged!’
Thetremblingwasnowquitebeyondhercontrol。Softlywithdrawingherhand，andlayingitinherotherhand，shesatbeforehimwithherheadbentandherwholeformtrembling。
’MyownLittleDorrit，’saidClennam，compassionately。
Sheburstintotears。Maggylookedroundofasudden，andstaredforatleastaminute；butdidnotinterpose。Clennamwaitedsomelittlewhilebeforehespokeagain。
’Icannotbear，’hesaidthen，’toseeyouweep；butIhopethisisarelieftoanoverchargedheart。’
’Yesitis，sir。Nothingbutthat。’
’Well，well!Ifearedyouwouldthinktoomuchofwhatpassedherejustnow。Itisofnomoment；nottheleast。Iamonlyunfortunatetohavecomeintheway。Letitgobywiththesetears。Itisnotworthoneofthem。Oneofthem？Suchanidlethingshouldberepeated，withmygladconsent，fiftytimesaday，tosaveyouamoment’sheart-ache，LittleDorrit。’
Shehadtakencouragenow，andanswered，farmoreinherusualmanner，’Youaresogood!Buteveniftherewasnothingelseinittobesorryforandashamedof，itissuchabadreturntoyou——’
’Hush!’saidClennam，smilingandtouchingherlipswithhishand。
’Forgetfulnessinyouwhoremembersomanyandsomuch，wouldbenewindeed。ShallIremindyouthatIamnot，andthatIneverwas，anythingbutthefriendwhomyouagreedtotrust？No。Yourememberit，don’tyou？’
’Itrytodoso，orIshouldhavebrokenthepromisejustnow，whenmymistakenbrotherwashere。Youwillconsiderhisbringing-upinthisplace，andwillnotjudgehimhardly，poorfellow，Iknow!’
Inraisinghereyeswiththesewords，sheobservedhisfacemorenearlythanshehaddoneyet，andsaid，withaquickchangeoftone，’Youhavenotbeenill，MrClennam？’
’No。’
’Nortried？Norhurt？’sheaskedhim，anxiously。
ItfelltoClennamnow，tobenotquitecertainhowtoanswer。Hesaidinreply：
’Tospeakthetruth，Ihavebeenalittletroubled，butitisover。
DoIshowitsoplainly？Ioughttohavemorefortitudeandself-
commandthanthat。IthoughtIhad。Imustlearnthemofyou。
Whocouldteachmebetter!’
Heneverthoughtthatshesawinhimwhatnooneelsecouldsee。
Heneverthoughtthatinthewholeworldtherewerenoothereyesthatlookeduponhimwiththesamelightandstrengthashers。
’ButitbringsmetosomethingthatIwishtosay，’hecontinued，’andthereforeIwillnotquarrelevenwithmyownfacefortellingtalesandbeingunfaithfultome。Besides，itisaprivilegeandpleasuretoconfideinmyLittleDorrit。Letmeconfessthen，that，forgettinghowgraveIwas，andhowoldIwas，andhowthetimeforsuchthingshadgonebymewiththemanyyearsofsamenessandlittlehappinessthatmadeupmylonglifefaraway，withoutmarkingit——that，forgettingallthis，IfanciedIlovedsomeone。’
’DoIknowher，sir？’askedLittleDorrit。
’No，mychild。’
’Nottheladywhohasbeenkindtomeforyoursake？’
’Flora。No，no。Doyouthink——’
’Ineverquitethoughtso，’saidLittleDorrit，moretoherselfthanhim。’Ididwonderatitalittle。’
’Well!’saidClennam，abidingbythefeelingthathadfallenonhimintheavenueonthenightoftheroses，thefeelingthathewasanolderman，whohaddonewiththattenderpartoflife，’Ifoundoutmymistake，andIthoughtaboutitalittle——inshort，agooddeal——andgotwiser。Beingwiser，IcountedupmyyearsandconsideredwhatIam，andlookedback，andlookedforward，andfoundthatIshouldsoonbegrey。IfoundthatIhadclimbedthehill，andpassedthelevelgrounduponthetop，andwasdescendingquickly。’
Ifhehadknownthesharpnessofthepainhecausedthepatientheart，inspeakingthus!Whiledoingit，too，withthepurposeofeasingandservingher。
’Ifoundthatthedaywhenanysuchthingwouldhavebeengracefulinme，orgoodinme，orhopefulorhappyformeoranyoneinconnectionwithme，wasgone，andwouldnevershineagain。’
O!Ifhehadknown，ifhehadknown!Ifhecouldhaveseenthedaggerinhishand，andthecruelwoundsitstruckinthefaithfulbleedingbreastofhisLittleDorrit!
’Allthatisover，andIhaveturnedmyfacefromit。WhydoI
speakofthistoLittleDorrit？WhydoIshowyou，mychild，thespaceofyearsthatthereisbetweenus，andrecalltoyouthatI
havepassed，bytheamountofyourwholelife，thetimethatispresenttoyou？’
’Becauseyoutrustme，Ihope。Becauseyouknowthatnothingcantouchyouwithouttouchingme；thatnothingcanmakeyouhappyorunhappy，butitmustmakeme，whoamsogratefultoyou，thesame。’
Heheardthethrillinhervoice，hesawherearnestface，hesawhercleartrueeyes，hesawthequickenedbosomthatwouldhavejoyfullythrownitselfbeforehimtoreceiveamortalwounddirectedathisbreast，withthedyingcry，’Ilovehim!’andtheremotestsuspicionofthetruthneverdawneduponhismind。No。
Hesawthedevotedlittlecreaturewithherwornshoes，inhercommondress，inherjail-home；aslenderchildinbody，astrongheroineinsoul；andthelightofherdomesticstorymadeallelsedarktohim。
’Forthosereasonsassuredly，LittleDorrit，butforanothertoo。
Sofarremoved，sodifferent，andsomucholder，Iamthebetterfittedforyourfriendandadviser。Imean，Iamthemoreeasilytobetrusted；andanylittleconstraintthatyoumightfeelwithanother，mayvanishbeforeme。Whyhaveyoukeptsoretiredfromme？Tellme。’
’Iambetterhere。Myplaceandusearehere。Iammuchbetterhere，’saidLittleDorrit，faintly。
’Soyousaidthatdayuponthebridge。Ithoughtofitmuchafterwards。Haveyounosecretyoucouldentrusttome，withhopeandcomfort，ifyouwould!’
’Secret？No，Ihavenosecret，’saidLittleDorritinsometrouble。
Theyhadbeenspeakinginlowvoices；morebecauseitwasnaturaltowhattheysaidtoadoptthattone，thanwithanycaretoreserveitfromMaggyatherwork。AllofasuddenMaggystaredagain，andthistimespoke：
’Isay!LittleMother!’
’Yes，Maggy。’
’Ifyouan’tgotnosecretofyourowntotellhim，tellhimthataboutthePrincess。Shehadasecret，youknow。’
’ThePrincesshadasecret？’saidClennam，insomesurprise。’WhatPrincesswasthat，Maggy？’
’Lor!Howyoudogoandbotheragaloften，’saidMaggy，’catchingthepoorthingupinthatway。WhoeversaidthePrincesshadasecret？_I_neversaidso。’
’Ibegyourpardon。Ithoughtyoudid。’
’No，Ididn’t。HowcouldI，whenitwasheraswantedtofinditout？Itwasthelittlewomanashadthesecret，andshewasalwaysaspinningatherwheel。Andsoshesaystoher，whydoyoukeepitthere？Andsothet’otheronesaystoher，noIdon’t；andsothet’otheronesaystoher，yesyoudo；andthentheybothgoestothecupboard，andthereitis。Andshewouldn’tgointotheHospital，andsoshedied。Youknow，LittleMother；tellhimthat。