’IsaidIwashurt。SoIam。SoI——ha——amdeterminedtobe，whateverisadvancedtothecontrary。Iamhurtthatmydaughter，seatedinthe——hum——lapoffortune，shouldmopeandretireandproclaimherselfunequaltoherdestiny。Iamhurtthatsheshould——ha——systematicallyreproducewhattherestofusblotout；andseem——hum——Ihadalmostsaidpositivelyanxious——toannouncetowealthyanddistinguishedsocietythatshewasbornandbredin——hahum——aplacethatImyselfdeclinetoname。Butthereisnoinconsistency——ha——nottheleast，inmyfeelinghurt，andyetcomplainingprincipallyforyoursake，Amy。Ido；Isayagain，I
do。ItisforyoursakethatIwishyou，undertheauspicesofMrsGeneral，toforma——hum——asurface。ItisforyoursakethatI
wishyoutohavea——ha——trulyrefinedmind，andinthestrikingwordsofMrsGeneraltobeignorantofeverythingthatisnotperfectlyproper，placid，andpleasant。’
Hehadbeenrunningdownbyjerks，duringhislastspeech，likeasortofill-adjustedalarum。Thetouchwasstilluponhisarm。Hefellsilent；andafterlookingabouttheceilingagainforalittlewhile，lookeddownather。Herheaddrooped，andhecouldnotseeherface；buthertouchwastenderandquiet，andintheexpressionofherdejectedfiguretherewasnoblame——nothingbutlove。Hebegantowhimper，justashehaddonethatnightintheprisonwhensheafterwardssatathisbedsidetillmorning；exclaimedthathewasapoorruinandapoorwretchinthemidstofhiswealth；andclaspedherinhisarms。’Hush，hush，myowndear!Kissme!’wasallshesaidtohim。Histearsweresoondried，muchsoonerthanontheformeroccasion；andhewaspresentlyafterwardsveryhighwithhisvalet，asawayofrightinghimselfforhavingshedany。
Withoneremarkableexception，toberecordedinitsplace，thiswastheonlytime，inhislifeoffreedomandfortune，whenhespoketohisdaughterAmyoftheolddays。
But，now，thebreakfasthourarrived；andwithitMissFannyfromherapartment，andMrEdwardfromhisapartment。Boththeseyoungpersonsofdistinctionweresomethingtheworseforlatehours。AstoMissFanny，shehadbecomethevictimofaninsatiatemaniaforwhatshecalled’goingintosociety；’andwouldhavegoneintoithead-foremostfiftytimesbetweensunsetandsunrise，ifsomanyopportunitieshadbeenatherdisposal。AstoMrEdward，he，too，hadalargeacquaintance，andwasgenerallyengagedforthemostpart，indiceingcircles，orothersofakindrednature，duringthegreaterpartofeverynight。Forthisgentleman，whenhisfortuneschanged，hadstoodatthegreatadvantageofbeingalreadypreparedforthehighestassociates，andhavinglittletolearn：somuchwasheindebtedtothehappyaccidentswhichhadmadehimacquaintedwithhorse-dealingandbilliard-marking。
Atbreakfast，MrFrederickDorritlikewiseappeared。Astheoldgentlemaninhabitedthehigheststoryofthepalace，wherehemighthavepractisedpistol-shootingwithoutmuchchanceofdiscoverybytheotherinmates，hisyoungerniecehadtakencouragetoproposetherestorationtohimofhisclarionet，whichMrDorrithadorderedtobeconfiscated，butwhichshehadventuredtopreserve。
NotwithstandingsomeobjectionsfromMissFanny，thatitwasalowinstrument，andthatshedetestedthesoundofit，theconcessionhadbeenmade。Butitwasthendiscoveredthathehadhadenoughofit，andneverplayedit，nowthatitwasnolongerhismeansofgettingbread。Hehadinsensiblyacquiredanewhabitofshufflingintothepicture-galleries，alwayswithhistwistedpaperofsnuffinhishandmuchtotheindignationofMissFanny，whohadproposedthepurchaseofagoldboxforhimthatthefamilymightnotbediscredited，whichhehadabsolutelyrefusedtocarrywhenitwasbought；andofpassinghoursandhoursbeforetheportraitsofrenownedVenetians。Itwasnevermadeoutwhathisdazedeyessawinthem；whetherhehadaninterestinthemmerelyaspictures，orwhetherheconfusedlyidentifiedthemwithaglorythatwasdeparted，likethestrengthofhisownmind。Buthepaidhiscourttothemwithgreatexactness，andclearlyderivedpleasurefromthepursuit。Afterthefirstfewdays，LittleDorrithappenedonemorningtoassistattheseattentions。Itsoevidentlyheightenedhisgratificationthatsheoftenaccompaniedhimafterwards，andthegreatestdelightofwhichtheoldmanhadshownhimselfsusceptiblesincehisruin，aroseoutoftheseexcursions，whenhewouldcarryachairaboutforherfrompicturetopicture，andstandbehindit，inspiteofallherremonstrances，silentlypresentinghertothenobleVenetians。
Itfelloutthat，atthisfamilybreakfast，hereferredtotheirhavingseeninagallery，onthepreviousday，theladyandgentlemanwhomtheyhadencounteredontheGreatSaintBernard，’I
forgetthename，’saidhe。’Idaresayyourememberthem，William？
Idaresayyoudo，Edward？’
’_I_remember’emwellenough，’saidthelatter。
’Ishouldthinkso，’observedMissFanny，withatossofherheadandaglanceathersister。’Buttheywouldnothavebeenrecalledtoourremembrance，Isuspect，ifUnclehadn’ttumbledoverthesubject。’
’Mydear，whatacuriousphrase，’saidMrsGeneral。’Wouldnotinadvertentlylightedupon，oraccidentallyreferredto，bebetter？’
’Thankyouverymuch，MrsGeneral，’returnedtheyounglady，no
Ithinknot。OnthewholeIprefermyownexpression。’ThiswasalwaysMissFanny’swayofreceivingasuggestionfromMrsGeneral。
Butshealwaysstoreditupinhermind，andadopteditatanothertime。
’IshouldhavementionedourhavingmetMrandMrsGowan，Fanny，’
saidLittleDorrit，’evenifUnclehadnot。Ihavescarcelyseenyousince，youknow。Imeanttohavespokenofitatbreakfast；
becauseIshouldliketopayavisittoMrsGowan，andtobecomebetteracquaintedwithher，ifPapaandMrsGeneraldonotobject。’
’Well，Amy，’saidFanny，’IamsureIamgladtofindyouatlastexpressingawishtobecomebetteracquaintedwithanybodyinVenice。ThoughwhetherMrandMrsGowanaredesirableacquaintances，remainstobedetermined。’
’MrsGowanIspokeof，dear。’
’Nodoubt，’saidFanny。’Butyoucan’tseparateherfromherhusband，Ibelieve，withoutanActofParliament。’
’Doyouthink，Papa，’inquiredLittleDorrit，withdiffidenceandhesitation，’thereisanyobjectiontomymakingthisvisit？’
’Really，’hereplied，’I——ha——whatisMrsGeneral’sview？’
MrsGeneral’sviewwas，thatnothavingthehonourofanyacquaintancewiththeladyandgentlemanreferredto，shewasnotinapositiontovarnishthepresentarticle。Shecouldonlyremark，asageneralprincipleobservedinthevarnishingtrade，thatmuchdependedonthequarterfromwhichtheladyunderconsiderationwasaccreditedtoafamilysoconspicuouslynichedinthesocialtempleasthefamilyofDorrit。
AtthisremarkthefaceofMrDorritgloomedconsiderably。HewasaboutconnectingtheaccreditingwithanobtrusivepersonofthenameofClennam，whomheimperfectlyrememberedinsomeformerstateofexistencetoblack-ballthenameofGowanfinally，whenEdwardDorrit，Esquire，cameintotheconversation，withhisglassinhiseye，andthepreliminaryremarkof’Isay——youthere!Goout，willyou!’——whichwasaddressedtoacoupleofmenwhowerehandingthedishesround，asacourteousintimationthattheirservicescouldbetemporarilydispensedwith。
Thosemenialshavingobeyedthemandate，EdwardDorrit，Esquire，proceeded。
’Perhapsit’samatterofpolicytoletyouallknowthattheseGowans——inwhosefavour，oratleastthegentleman’s，Ican’tbesupposedtobemuchprepossessedmyself——areknowntopeopleofimportance，ifthatmakesanydifference。’
’That，Iwouldsay，’observedthefairvarnisher，’Makesthegreatestdifference。Theconnectioninquestion，beingreallypeopleofimportanceandconsideration——’
’Astothat，’saidEdwardDorrit，Esquire，’I’llgiveyouthemeansofjudgingforyourself。Youareacquainted，perhaps，withthefamousnameofMerdle？’
’ThegreatMerdle!’exclaimedMrsGeneral。
’THEMerdle，’saidEdwardDorrit，Esquire。’Theyareknowntohim。
MrsGowan——Imeanthedowager，mypolitefriend’smother——isintimatewithMrsMerdle，andIknowthesetwotobeontheirvisitinglist。’
’Ifso，amoreundeniableguaranteecouldnotbegiven，’saidMrsGeneraltoMrDorrit，raisingherglovesandbowingherhead，asifsheweredoinghomagetosomevisiblegravenimage。
’Ibegtoaskmyson，frommotivesof——ah——curiosity，’MrDorritobserved，withadecidedchangeinhismanner，’howhebecomespossessedofthis——hum——timelyinformation？’
’It’snotalongstory，sir，’returnedEdwardDorrit，Esquire，’andyoushallhaveitoutofhand。Tobeginwith，MrsMerdleistheladyyouhadtheparleywithatwhat’s-his-nameplace。’
’Martigny，’interposedMissFannywithanairofinfinitelanguor。
’Martigny，’assentedherbrother，withaslightnodandaslightwink；inacknowledgmentofwhich，MissFannylookedsurprised，andlaughedandreddened。
’Howcanthatbe，Edward？’saidMrDorrit。’Youinformedmethatthenameofthegentlemanwithwhomyouconferredwas——ha——
Sparkler。Indeed，youshowedmehiscard。Hum。Sparkler。’
’Nodoubtofit，father；butitdoesn’tfollowthathismother’snamemustbethesame。MrsMerdlewasmarriedbefore，andheisherson。SheisinRomenow；whereprobablyweshallknowmoreofher，asyoudecidetowinterthere。Sparklerisjustcomehere。
IpassedlasteveningincompanywithSparkler。Sparklerisaverygoodfellowonthewhole，thoughratheraboreononesubject，inconsequenceofbeingtremendouslysmittenwithacertainyounglady。’HereEdwardDorrit，Esquire，eyedMissFannythroughhisglassacrossthetable。’Wehappenedlastnighttocomparenotesaboutourtravels，andIhadtheinformationIhavegivenyoufromSparklerhimself。’Hereheceased；continuingtoeyeMissFannythroughhisglass，withafacemuchtwisted，andnotornamentallyso，inpartbytheactionofkeepinghisglassinhiseye，andinpartbythegreatsubtletyofhissmile。
’Underthesecircumstances，’saidMrDorrit，’IbelieveIexpressthesentimentsof——ha——MrsGeneral，nolessthanmyown，whenIsaythatthereisnoobjection，but——hahum——quitethecontrary——toyourgratifyingyourdesire，Amy。ItrustImay——ha——hail——thisdesire，’saidMrDorrit，inanencouragingandforgivingmanner，’asanauspiciousomen。Itisquiterighttoknowthesepeople。
Itisaveryproperthing。MrMerdle’sisanameof——ha——world-
widerepute。MrMerdle’sundertakingsareimmense。Theybringhiminsuchvastsumsofmoneythattheyareregardedas——hum——nationalbenefits。MrMerdleisthemanofthistime。ThenameofMerdleisthenameoftheage。PraydoeverythingonmybehalfthatisciviltoMrandMrsGowan，forwewill——ha——wewillcertainlynoticethem。’
ThismagnificentaccordanceofMrDorrit’srecognitionsettledthematter。ItwasnotobservedthatUnclehadpushedawayhisplate，andforgottenhisbreakfast；buthewasnotmuchobservedatanytime，exceptbyLittleDorrit。Theservantswererecalled，andthemealproceededtoitsconclusion。MrsGeneralroseandleftthetable。LittleDorritroseandleftthetable。WhenEdwardandFannyremainedwhisperingtogetheracrossit，andwhenMrDorritremainedeatingfigsandreadingaFrenchnewspaper，Unclesuddenlyfixedtheattentionofallthreebyrisingoutofhischair，strikinghishanduponthetable，andsaying，’Brother!Iprotestagainstit!’
Ifhehadmadeaproclamationinanunknowntongue，andgivenuptheghostimmediatelyafterwards，hecouldnothaveastoundedhisaudiencemore。ThepaperfellfromMrDorrit’shand，andhesatpetrified，withafighalfwaytohismouth。