So，TinklerthevaletwasinstructedtofindMissAmy’smaid，andtorequestthatsubordinatetoinformMissAmythatMrDorritwishedtoseeherinhisownroom。IndeliveringthischargetoTinkler，MrDorritlookedseverelyathim，andalsokeptajealouseyeuponhimuntilhewentoutatthedoor，mistrustingthathemighthavesomethinginhismindprejudicialtothefamilydignity；
thathemighthaveevengotwindofsomeCollegiatejokebeforehecameintotheservice，andmightbederisivelyrevivingitsremembranceatthepresentmoment。IfTinklerhadhappenedtosmile，howeverfaintlyandinnocently，nothingwouldhavepersuadedMrDorrit，tothehourofhisdeath，butthatthiswasthecase。
AsTinklerhappened，however，veryfortunatelyforhimself，tobeofaseriousandcomposedcountenance，heescapedthesecretdangerthatthreatenedhim。Andasonhisreturn——whenMrDorriteyedhimagain——heannouncedMissAmyasifshehadcometoafuneral，heleftavagueimpressiononMrDorrit’smindthathewasawell-
conductedyoungfellow，whohadbeenbroughtupinthestudyofhisCatechismbyawidowedmother。
’Amy，’saidMrDorrit，’youhavejustnowbeenthesubjectofsomeconversationbetweenmyselfandMrsGeneral。Weagreethatyouscarcelyseemathomehere。Ha——howisthis？’
Apause。
’Ithink，father，Irequirealittletime。’
’Papaisapreferablemodeofaddress，’observedMrsGeneral。
’Fatherisrathervulgar，mydear。ThewordPapa，besides，givesaprettyformtothelips。Papa，potatoes，poultry，prunes，andprismareallverygoodwordsforthelips：especiallyprunesandprism。Youwillfinditserviceable，intheformationofademeanour，ifyousometimessaytoyourselfincompany——onenteringaroom，forinstance——Papa，potatoes，poultry，prunesandprism，prunesandprism。’
’Pray，mychild，’saidMrDorrit，’attendtothe——hum——preceptsofMrsGeneral。’
PoorLittleDorrit，witharatherforlornglanceatthateminentvarnisher，promisedtotry。
’Yousay，Amy，’pursuedMrDorrit，’thatyouthinkyourequiretime。Timeforwhat？’
Anotherpause。
’Tobecomeaccustomedtothenoveltyofmylife，wasallImeant，’
saidLittleDorrit，withherlovingeyesuponherfather；whomshehadverynearlyaddressedaspoultry，ifnotprunesandprismtoo，inherdesiretosubmitherselftoMrsGeneralandpleasehim。
MrDorritfrowned，andlookedanythingbutpleased。’Amy，’hereturned，’itappearstome，Imustsay，thatyouhavehadabundanceoftimeforthat。Ha——yousurpriseme。Youdisappointme。Fannyhasconqueredanysuchlittledifficulties，and——hum——
whynotyou？’
’IhopeIshalldobettersoon，’saidLittleDorrit。
’Ihopeso，’returnedherfather。’I——ha——Imostdevoutlyhopeso，Amy。Isentforyou，inorderthatImightsay——hum——impressivelysay，inthepresenceofMrsGeneral，towhomweareallsomuchindebtedforobliginglybeingpresentamongus，on——ha——onthisoranyotheroccasion，’MrsGeneralshuthereyes，’thatI——hahum——amnotpleasedwithyou。YoumakeMrsGeneral’sathanklesstask。
You——ha——embarrassmeverymuch。YouhavealwaysasIhaveinformedMrsGeneralbeenmyfavouritechild；Ihavealwaysmadeyoua——hum——afriendandcompanion；inreturn，Ibeg——I——ha——Idobeg，thatyouaccommodateyourselfbetterto——hum——circumstances，anddutifullydowhatbecomesyour——yourstation。’
MrDorritwasevenalittlemorefragmentarythanusual，beingexcitedonthesubjectandanxioustomakehimselfparticularlyemphatic。
’Idobeg，’herepeated，’thatthismaybeattendedto，andthatyouwillseriouslytakepainsandtrytoconductyourselfinamannerbothbecomingyourpositionas——ha——MissAmyDorrit，andsatisfactorytomyselfandMrsGeneral。’
Thatladyshuthereyesagain，onbeingagainreferredto；then，slowlyopeningthemandrising，addedthesewords：
’IfMissAmyDorritwilldirectherownattentionto，andwillacceptofmypoorassistancein，theformationofasurface，Mr。
Dorritwillhavenofurthercauseofanxiety。MayItakethisopportunityofremarking，asaninstanceinpoint，thatitisscarcelydelicatetolookatvagrantswiththeattentionwhichI
haveseenbestoweduponthembyaverydearyoungfriendofmine？
Theyshouldnotbelookedat。Nothingdisagreeableshouldeverbelookedat。Apartfromsuchahabitstandinginthewayofthatgracefulequanimityofsurfacewhichissoexpressiveofgoodbreeding，ithardlyseemscompatiblewithrefinementofmind。A
trulyrefinedmindwillseemtobeignorantoftheexistenceofanythingthatisnotperfectlyproper，placid，andpleasant。’
Havingdeliveredthisexaltedsentiment，MrsGeneralmadeasweepingobeisance，andretiredwithanexpressionofmouthindicativeofPrunesandPrism。
LittleDorrit，whetherspeakingorsilent，hadpreservedherquietearnestnessandherlovinglook。Ithadnotbeenclouded，exceptforapassingmoment，untilnow。Butnowthatshewasleftalonewithhimthefingersofherlightlyfoldedhandswereagitated，andtherewasrepressedemotioninherface。
Notforherself。Shemightfeelalittlewounded，buthercarewasnotforherself。Herthoughtsstillturned，astheyalwayshadturned，tohim。Afaintmisgiving，whichhadhungabouthersincetheiraccessiontofortune，thatevennowshecouldneverseehimasheusedtobebeforetheprisondays，hadgraduallybeguntoassumeforminhermind。Shefeltthat，inwhathehadjustnowsaidtoherandinhiswholebearingtowardsher，therewasthewell-knownshadowoftheMarshalseawall。Ittookanewshape，butitwastheoldsadshadow。Shebeganwithsorrowfulunwillingnesstoacknowledgetoherselfthatshewasnotstrongenoughtokeepoffthefearthatnospaceinthelifeofmancouldovercomethatquarterofacenturybehindtheprisonbars。Shehadnoblametobestowuponhim，therefore：nothingtoreproachhimwith，noemotionsinherfaithfulheartbutgreatcompassionandunboundedtenderness。
Thisiswhyitwas，that，evenashesatbeforeheronhissofa，inthebrilliantlightofabrightItalianday，thewonderfulcitywithoutandthesplendoursofanoldpalacewithin，shesawhimatthemomentinthelong-familiargloomofhisMarshalsealodging，andwishedtotakeherseatbesidehim，andcomforthim，andbeagainfullofconfidencewithhim，andofusefulnesstohim。Ifhedivinedwhatwasinherthoughts，hisownwerenotintunewithit。
Aftersomeuneasymovinginhisseat，hegotupandwalkedabout，lookingverymuchdissatisfied。
’Isthereanythingelseyouwishtosaytome，dearfather？’
’No，no。Nothingelse。’
’Iamsorryyouhavenotbeenpleasedwithme，dear。Ihopeyouwillnotthinkofmewithdispleasurenow。Iamgoingtotry，morethanever，toadaptmyselfasyouwishtowhatsurroundsme——forindeedIhavetriedallalong，thoughIhavefailed，Iknow。’
’Amy，’hereturned，turningshortuponher。’You——ha——habituallyhurtme。’
’Hurtyou，father!I!’
’Thereisa——hum——atopic，’saidMrDorrit，lookingallabouttheceilingoftheroom，andneverattheattentive，uncomplaininglyshockedface，’apainfultopic，aseriesofeventswhichIwish——
ha——altogethertoobliterate。Thisisunderstoodbyyoursister，whohasalreadyremonstratedwithyouinmypresence；itisunderstoodbyyourbrother；itisunderstoodby——hahum——byeveryoneofdelicacyandsensitivenessexceptyourself——ha——Iamsorrytosay，exceptyourself。You，Amy——hum——youaloneandonlyyou——
constantlyrevivethetopic，thoughnotinwords。’
Shelaidherhandonhisarm。Shedidnothingmore。Shegentlytouchedhim。Thetremblinghandmayhavesaid，withsomeexpression，’Thinkofme，thinkhowIhaveworked，thinkofmymanycares!’Butshesaidnotasyllableherself。
Therewasareproachinthetouchsoaddressedtohimthatshehadnotforeseen，orshewouldhavewithheldherhand。Hebegantojustifyhimselfinaheated，stumbling，angrymanner，whichmadenothingofit。
’Iwasthereallthoseyears。Iwas——ha——universallyacknowledgedastheheadoftheplace。I——hum——Icausedyoutoberespectedthere，Amy。I——hahum——Igavemyfamilyapositionthere。I
deserveareturn。Iclaimareturn。Isay，sweepitoffthefaceoftheearthandbeginafresh。Isthatmuch？Iask，isthatmuch？’Hedidnotoncelookather，asherambledoninthisway；
butgesticulatedat，andappealedto，theemptyair。
’Ihavesuffered。ProbablyIknowhowmuchIhavesufferedbetterthananyone——ha——Isaythananyone!IfIcanputthataside，ifIcaneradicatethemarksofwhatIhaveendured，andcanemergebeforetheworld——a——ha——gentlemanunspoiled，unspotted——isitagreatdealtoexpect——Isayagain，isitagreatdealtoexpect——
thatmychildrenshould——hum——dothesameandsweepthataccursedexperienceoffthefaceoftheearth？’
Inspiteofhisflusteredstate，hemadealltheseexclamationsinacarefullysuppressedvoice，lestthevaletshouldoverhearanything。
’Accordingly，theydoit。Yoursisterdoesit。Yourbrotherdoesit。Youalone，myfavouritechild，whomImadethefriendandcompanionofmylifewhenyouwereamere——hum——Baby，donotdoit。
Youalonesayyoucan’tdoit。Iprovideyouwithvaluableassistancetodoit。Iattachanaccomplishedandhighlybredlady——ha——MrsGeneral，toyou，forthepurposeofdoingit。IsitsurprisingthatIshouldbedispleased？IsitnecessarythatI
shoulddefendmyselfforexpressingmydispleasure？No!’
Notwithstandingwhich，hecontinuedtodefendhimself，withoutanyabatementofhisflushedmood。
’Iamcarefultoappealtothatladyforconfirmation，beforeI
expressanydispleasureatall。I——hum——Inecessarilymakethatappealwithinlimitedbounds，orI——ha——shouldrenderlegible，bythatlady，whatIdesiretobeblottedout。AmIselfish？DoI
complainformyownsake？No。No。Principallyfor——hahum——yoursake，Amy。’
Thislastconsiderationplainlyappeared，fromhismannerofpursuingit，tohavejustthatinstantcomeintohishead。