’Brother!’saidtheoldman，conveyingasurprisingenergyintohistremblingvoice，’Iprotestagainstit!Iloveyou；youknowI
loveyoudearly。InthesemanyyearsIhaveneverbeenuntruetoyouinasinglethought。WeakasIam，Iwouldatanytimehavestruckanymanwhospokeillofyou。But，brother，brother，brother，Iprotestagainstit!’
Itwasextraordinarytoseeofwhataburstofearnestnesssuchadecrepitmanwascapable。Hiseyesbecamebright，hisgreyhairroseonhishead，markingsofpurposeonhisbrowandfacewhichhadfadedfromthemforfive-and-twentyyears，startedoutagain，andtherewasanenergyinhishandthatmadeitsactionnervousoncemore。
’MydearFrederick!’exclaimedMrDorritfaintly。’Whatiswrong？
Whatisthematter？’
’Howdareyou，’saidtheoldman，turningroundonFanny，’howdareyoudoit？Haveyounomemory？Haveyounoheart？’
’Uncle？’criedFanny，affrightedandburstingintotears，’whydoyouattackmeinthiscruelmanner？WhathaveIdone？’
’Done？’returnedtheoldman，pointingtohersister’splace，’where’syouraffectionateinvaluablefriend？Where’syourdevotedguardian？Where’syourmorethanmother？Howdareyousetupsuperioritiesagainstallthesecharacterscombinedinyoursister？
Forshame，youfalsegirl，forshame!’
’IloveAmy，’criedMissFanny，sobbingandweeping，’aswellasI
lovemylife——betterthanIlovemylife。Idon’tdeservetobesotreated。IamasgratefultoAmy，andasfondofAmy，asit’spossibleforanyhumanbeingtobe。IwishIwasdead。Ineverwassowickedlywronged。AndonlybecauseIamanxiousforthefamilycredit。’
’Tothewindswiththefamilycredit!’criedtheoldman，withgreatscornandindignation。’Brother，Iprotestagainstpride。
Iprotestagainstingratitude。Iprotestagainstanyoneofusherewhohaveknownwhatwehaveknown，andhaveseenwhatwehaveseen，settingupanypretensionthatputsAmyatamoment’sdisadvantage，ortothecostofamoment’spain。Wemayknowthatit’sabasepretensionbyitshavingthateffect。Itoughttobringajudgmentonus。Brother，IprotestagainstitinthesightofGod!’
Ashishandwentupabovehisheadandcamedownonthetable，itmighthavebeenablacksmith’s。Afterafewmoments’silence，ithadrelaxedintoitsusualweakcondition。Hewentroundtohisbrotherwithhisordinaryshufflingstep，putthehandonhisshoulder，andsaid，inasoftenedvoice，’William，mydear，Ifeltobligedtosayit；forgiveme，forIfeltobligedtosayit!’andthenwent，inhisbowedway，outofthepalacehall，justashemighthavegoneoutoftheMarshalsearoom。
AllthistimeFannyhadbeensobbingandcrying，andstillcontinuedtodoso。Edward，beyondopeninghismouthinamazement，hadnotopenedhislips，andhaddonenothingbutstare。MrDorritalsohadbeenutterlydiscomfited，andquiteunabletoasserthimselfinanyway。Fannywasnowthefirsttospeak。
’Inever，never，neverwassoused!’shesobbed。’Thereneverwasanythingsoharshandunjustifiable，sodisgracefullyviolentandcruel!Dear，kind，quietlittleAmy，too，whatwouldshefeelifshecouldknowthatshehadbeeninnocentlythemeansofexposingmetosuchtreatment!ButI’llnevertellher!No，gooddarling，I’llnevertellher!’
ThishelpedMrDorrittobreakhissilence。
’Mydear，’saidhe，’I——ha——approveofyourresolution。Itwillbe——hahum——muchbetternottospeakofthistoAmy。Itmight——
hum——itmightdistressher。Ha。Nodoubtitwoulddistresshergreatly。Itisconsiderateandrighttoavoiddoingso。Wewill——
ha——keepthistoourselves。’
’ButthecrueltyofUncle!’criedMissFanny。’O，InevercanforgivethewantoncrueltyofUncle!’
’Mydear，’saidMrDorrit，recoveringhistone，thoughheremainedunusuallypale，’Imustrequestyounottosayso。Youmustrememberthatyouruncleis——ha——notwhatheformerlywas。Youmustrememberthatyouruncle’sstaterequires——hum——greatforbearancefromus，greatforbearance。’
’Iamsure，’criedFanny，piteously，’itisonlycharitabletosupposethatthereMustbesomethingwronginhimsomewhere，orhenevercouldhavesoattackedMe，ofallthepeopleintheworld。’
’Fanny，’returnedMrDorritinadeeplyfraternaltone，’youknow，withhisinnumerablegoodpoints，whata——hum——wreckyouruncleis；
an]IentreatyoubythefondnessthatIhaveforhim，andbythefidelitythatyouknowIhavealwaysshownhim，to——ha——todrawyourownconclusions，andtosparemybrotherlyfeelings。’
Thisendedthescene；EdwardDorrit，Esquire，sayingnothingthroughout，butlooking，tothelast，perplexedanddoubtful。MissFannyawakenedmuchaffectionateuneasinessinhersister’smindthatdaybypassingthegreaterpartofitinviolentfitsofembracingher，andinalternatelygivingherbrooches，andwishingherselfdead。
SomethingRightSomewhereTobeinthehaltingstateofMrHenryGowan；tohaveleftoneoftwopowersindisgust；towantthenecessaryqualificationsforfindingpromotionwithanother，andtobeloiteringmoodilyaboutonneutralground，cursingboth；istobeinasituationunwholesomeforthemind，whichtimeisnotlikelytoimprove。Theworstclassofsumworkedintheevery-dayworldiscypheredbythediseasedarithmeticianswhoarealwaysintheruleofSubtractionastothemeritsandsuccessesofothers，andneverinAdditionastotheirown。
Thehabit，too，ofseekingsomesortofrecompenseinthediscontentedboastofbeingdisappointed，isahabitfraughtwithdegeneracy。Acertainidlecarelessnessandrecklessnessofconsistencysooncomesofit。Tobringdeservingthingsdownbysettingundeservingthingsupisoneofitsperverteddelights；andthereisnoplayingfastandloosewiththetruth，inanygame，withoutgrowingtheworseforit。
InhisexpressedopinionsofallperformancesintheArtofpaintingthatwerecompletelydestituteofmerit，Gowanwasthemostliberalfellowonearth。Hewoulddeclaresuchamantohavemorepowerinhislittlefingerprovidedhehadnone，thansuchanotherhadprovidedhehadmuchinhiswholemindandbody。Iftheobjectionweretakenthatthethingcommendedwastrash，hewouldreply，onbehalfofhisart，’Mygoodfellow，whatdoweallturnoutbuttrash？Iturnoutnothingelse，andImakeyouapresentoftheconfession。’
Tomakeavauntofbeingpoorwasanotheroftheincidentsofhisspleneticstate，thoughthismayhavehadthedesigninitofshowingthatheoughttoberich；justashewouldpubliclylaudanddecrytheBarnacles，lestitshouldbeforgottenthathebelongedtothefamily。Howbeit，thesetwosubjectswereveryoftenonhislips；andhemanagedthemsowellthathemighthavepraisedhimselfbythemonthtogether，andnothavemadehimselfouthalfsoimportantamanashedidbyhislightdisparagementofhisclaimsonanybody’sconsideration。
Outofthissameairytalkofhis，italwayssooncametobeunderstood，whereverheandhiswifewent，thathehadmarriedagainstthewishesofhisexaltedrelations，andhadhadmuchadotoprevailonthemtocountenanceher。Henevermadetherepresentation，onthecontraryseemedtolaughtheideatoscorn；
butitdidhappenthat，withallhispainstodepreciatehimself，hewasalwaysinthesuperiorposition。Fromthedaysoftheirhoneymoon，MinnieGowanfeltsensibleofbeingusuallyregardedasthewifeofamanwhohadmadeadescentinmarryingher，butwhosechivalrousloveforherhadcancelledthatinequality。
ToVenicetheyhadbeenaccompaniedbyMonsieurBlandoisofParis，andatVeniceMonsieurBlandoisofPariswasverymuchinthesocietyofGowan。WhentheyhadfirstmetthisgallantgentlemanatGeneva，Gowanhadbeenundecidedwhethertokickhimorencouragehim；andhadremainedforaboutfour-and-twentyhours，sotroubledtosettlethepointtohissatisfaction，thathehadthoughtoftossingupafive-francpieceontheterms，’Tails，kick；heads，encourage，’andabidingbythevoiceoftheoracle。
Itchanced，however，thathiswifeexpressedadisliketotheengagingBlandois，andthatthebalanceoffeelinginthehotelwasagainsthim。Uponit，Gowanresolvedtoencouragehim。
Whythisperversity，ifitwerenotinagenerousfit？——whichitwasnot。WhyshouldGowan，verymuchthesuperiorofBlandoisofParis，andverywellabletopullthatprepossessinggentlemantopiecesandfindoutthestuffhewasmadeof，takeupwithsuchaman？Inthefirstplace，heopposedthefirstseparatewishheobservedinhiswife，becauseherfatherhadpaidhisdebtsanditwasdesirabletotakeanearlyopportunityofassertinghisindependence。Inthesecondplace，heopposedtheprevalentfeeling，becausewithmanycapacitiesofbeingotherwise，hewasanill-conditionedman。HefoundapleasureindeclaringthatacourtierwiththerefinedmannersofBlandoisoughttorisetothegreatestdistinctioninanypolishedcountry。HefoundapleasureinsettingupBlandoisasthetypeofelegance，andmakinghimasatireuponotherswhopiquedthemselvesonpersonalgraces。HeseriouslyprotestedthatthebowofBlandoiswasperfect，thattheaddressofBlandoiswasirresistible，andthatthepicturesqueeaseofBlandoiswouldbecheaplypurchasedifitwerenotagift，andunpurchasableforahundredthousandfrancs。Thatexaggerationinthemannerofthemanwhichhasbeennoticedasappertainingtohimandtoeverysuchman，whateverhisoriginalbreeding，ascertainlyasthesunbelongstothissystem，wasacceptabletoGowanasacaricature，whichhefounditahumorousresourcetohaveathandfortheridiculingofnumbersofpeoplewhonecessarilydidmoreorlessofwhatBlandoisoverdid。Thushehadtakenupwithhim；andthus，negligentlystrengtheningtheseinclinationswithhabit，andidlyderivingsomeamusementfromhistalk，hehadglidedintoawayofhavinghimforacompanion。This，thoughhesupposedhimtolivebyhiswitsatplay-tablesandthelike；thoughhesuspectedhimtobeacoward，whilehehimselfwasdaringandcourageous；
thoughhethoroughlyknewhimtobedislikedbyMinnie；andthoughhecaredsolittleforhim，afterall，thatifhehadgivenheranytangiblepersonalcausetoregardhimwithaversion，hewouldhavehadnocompunctionwhateverinflinginghimoutofthehighestwindowinVeniceintothedeepestwaterofthecity。
LittleDorritwouldhavebeengladtomakehervisittoMrsGowan，alone；butasFanny，whohadnotyetrecoveredfromherUncle’sprotest，thoughitwasfour-and-twentyhoursofage，pressinglyofferedhercompany，thetwosisterssteppedtogetherintooneofthegondolasunderMrDorrit’swindow，and，withthecourierinattendance，weretakeninhighstatetoMrsGowan’slodging。Intruth，theirstatewasrathertoohighforthelodging，whichwas，asFannycomplained，’fearfullyoutoftheway，’andwhichtookthemthroughacomplexityofnarrowstreetsofwater，whichthesameladydisparagedas’mereditches。’
Thehouse，onalittledesertisland，lookedasifithadbrokenawayfromsomewhereelse，andhadfloatedbychanceintoitspresentanchorageincompanywithavinealmostasmuchinwantoftrainingasthepoorwretcheswhowerelyingunderitsleaves。Thefeaturesofthesurroundingpicturewere，achurchwithhoardingandscaffoldingaboutit，whichhadbeenundersuppositiousrepairsolongthatthemeansofrepairlookedahundredyearsold，andhadthemselvesfallenintodecay；aquantityofwashedlinen，spreadtodryinthesun；anumberofhousesatoddswithoneanotherandgrotesquelyoutoftheperpendicular，likerottenpre-
Adamitecheesescutintofantasticshapesandfullofmites；andafeverishbewildermentofwindows，withtheirlattice-blindsallhangingaskew，andsomethingdraggledanddirtydanglingoutofmostofthem。
Onthefirst-floorofthehousewasaBank——asurprisingexperienceforanygentlemanofcommercialpursuitsbringinglawsforallmankindfromaBritishcity——wheretwospareclerks，likedrieddragoons，ingreenvelvetcapsadornedwithgoldentassels，stood，bearded，behindasmallcounterinasmallroom，containingnoothervisibleobjectsthananemptyiron-safewiththedooropen，ajugofwater，andapaperingofgarlandofroses；butwho，onlawfulrequisition，bymerelydippingtheirhandsoutofsight，couldproduceexhaustlessmoundsoffive-francpieces。BelowtheBankwasasuiteofthreeorfourroomswithbarredwindows，whichhadtheappearanceofajailforcriminalrats。AbovetheBankwasMrsGowan’sresidence。