’Nooneknowsit。Don’tlooktowardsme；looktowardshim。Hewillturnhisfaceinamoment。Nooneknowsit，butIamsurehedid。Youare？’
’I——Ithinkso，’LittleDorritanswered。
’Henrylikeshim，andhewillnotthinkillofhim；heissogenerousandopenhimself。ButyouandIfeelsurethatwethinkofhimashedeserves。HearguedwithHenrythatthedoghadbeenalreadypoisonedwhenhechangedso，andsprangathim。Henrybelievesit，butwedonot。Iseeheislistening，butcan’thear。
Good-bye，mylove!Good-bye!’
Thelastwordswerespokenaloud，asthevigilantBlandoisstopped，turnedhishead，andlookedatthemfromthebottomofthestaircase。Assuredlyhedidlookthen，thoughhelookedhispolitest，asifanyrealphilanthropistcouldhavedesirednobetteremploymentthantolashagreatstonetohisneck，anddrophimintothewaterflowingbeyondthedarkarchedgatewayinwhichhestood。Nosuchbenefactortomankindbeingonthespot，hehandedMrsGowantoherboat，andstoodthereuntilithadshotoutofthenarrowview；whenhehandedhimselfintohisownboatandfollowed。
LittleDorrithadsometimesthought，andnowthoughtagainassheretracedherstepsupthestaircase，thathehadmadehiswaytooeasilyintoherfather’shouse。Butsomanyandsuchvarietiesofpeopledidthesame，throughMrDorrit’sparticipationinhiselderdaughter’ssocietymania，thatitwashardlyanexceptionalcase。
Aperfectfuryformakingacquaintancesonwhomtoimpresstheirrichesandimportance，hadseizedtheHouseofDorrit。
Itappearedonthewhole，toLittleDorritherself，thatthissamesocietyinwhichtheylived，greatlyresembledasuperiorsortofMarshalsea。Numbersofpeopleseemedtocomeabroad，prettymuchaspeoplehadcomeintotheprison；throughdebt，throughidleness，relationship，curiosity，andgeneralunfitnessforgettingonathome。Theywerebroughtintotheseforeigntownsinthecustodyofcouriersandlocalfollowers，justasthedebtorshadbeenbroughtintotheprison。Theyprowledaboutthechurchesandpicture-
galleries，muchintheold，dreary，prison-yardmanner。Theywereusuallygoingawayagainto-morrowornextweek，andrarelyknewtheirownminds，andseldomdidwhattheysaidtheywoulddo，orwentwheretheysaidtheywouldgo：inallthisagain，veryliketheprisondebtors。Theypaidhighforpooraccommodation，anddisparagedaplacewhiletheypretendedtolikeit：whichwasexactlytheMarshalseacustom。Theywereenviedwhentheywentawaybypeopleleftbehind，feigningnottowanttogo：andthatagainwastheMarshalseahabitinvariably。Acertainsetofwordsandphrases，asmuchbelongingtotouristsastheCollegeandtheSnuggerybelongedtothejail，wasalwaysintheirmouths。Theyhadpreciselythesameincapacityforsettlingdowntoanything，astheprisonersusedtohave；theyratherdeterioratedoneanother，astheprisonersusedtodo；andtheyworeuntidydresses，andfellintoaslouchingwayoflife：still，alwayslikethepeopleintheMarshalsea。
Theperiodofthefamily’sstayatVenicecame，initscourse，toanend，andtheymoved，withtheirretinue，toRome。ThrougharepetitionoftheformerItalianscenes，growingmoredirtyandmorehaggardastheywenton，andbringingthematlengthtowheretheveryairwasdiseased，theypassedtotheirdestination。A
fineresidencehadbeentakenforthemontheCorso，andtheretheytookuptheirabode，inacitywhereeverythingseemedtobetryingtostandstillforeverontheruinsofsomethingelse——exceptthewater，which，followingeternallaws，tumbledandrolledfromitsgloriousmultitudeoffountains。
HereitseemedtoLittleDorritthatachangecameovertheMarshalseaspiritoftheirsociety，andthatPrunesandPrismgottheupperhand。EverybodywaswalkingaboutStPeter’sandtheVaticanonsomebodyelse’scorklegs，andstrainingeveryvisibleobjectthroughsomebodyelse’ssieve。Nobodysaidwhatanythingwas，buteverybodysaidwhattheMrsGenerals，MrEustace，orsomebodyelsesaiditwas。Thewholebodyoftravellersseemedtobeacollectionofvoluntaryhumansacrifices，boundhandandfoot，anddeliveredovertoMrEustaceandhisattendants，tohavetheentrailsoftheirintellectsarrangedaccordingtothetasteofthatsacredpriesthood。Throughtheruggedremainsoftemplesandtombsandpalacesandsenatehallsandtheatresandamphitheatresofancientdays，hostsoftongue-tiedandblindfoldedmodernswerecarefullyfeelingtheirway，incessantlyrepeatingPrunesandPrismintheendeavourtosettheirlipsaccordingtothereceivedform。
MrsGeneralwasinherpureelement。Nobodyhadanopinion。Therewasaformationofsurfacegoingonaroundheronanamazingscale，andithadnotaflawofcourageorhonestfreespeechinit。
AnothermodificationofPrunesandPrisminsinuateditselfonLittleDorrit’snoticeveryshortlyaftertheirarrival。TheyreceivedanearlyvisitfromMrsMerdle，wholedthatextensivedepartmentoflifeintheEternalCitythatwinter；andtheskilfulmannerinwhichsheandFannyfencedwithoneanotherontheoccasion，almostmadeherquietsisterwink，liketheglitteringofsmall-swords。
’Sodelighted，’saidMrsMerdle，’toresumeanacquaintancesoinauspiciouslybegunatMartigny。’
’AtMartigny，ofcourse，’saidFanny。’Charmed，Iamsure!’
’Iunderstand，’saidMrsMerdle，’frommysonEdmundSparkler，thathehasalreadyimprovedthatchanceoccasion。HehasreturnedquitetransportedwithVenice。’
’Indeed？’returnedthecarelessFanny。’Washetherelong？’
’ImightreferthatquestiontoMrDorrit，’saidMrsMerdle，turningthebosomtowardsthatgentleman；’Edmundhavingbeensomuchindebtedtohimforrenderinghisstayagreeable。’
’Oh，praydon’tspeakofit，’returnedFanny。’IbelievePapahadthepleasureofinvitingMrSparklertwiceorthrice，——butitwasnothing。Wehadsomanypeopleaboutus，andkeptsuchopenhouse，thatifhehadthatpleasure，itwaslessthannothing。’
’Except，mydear，’saidMrDorrit，’except——ha——asitaffordedmeunusualgratificationto——hum——showbyanymeans，howeverslightandworthless，the——ha，hum——highestimationinwhich，in——ha——
commonwiththerestoftheworld，IholdsodistinguishedandprincelyacharacterasMrMerdle’s。’
Thebosomreceivedthistributeinitsmostengagingmanner。’MrMerdle，’observedFanny，asameansofdismissingMrSparklerintothebackground，’isquiteathemeofPapa’s，youmustknow，MrsMerdle。’
’Ihavebeen——ha——disappointed，madam，’saidMrDorrit，’tounderstandfromMrSparklerthatthereisnogreat——hum——
probabilityofMrMerdle’scomingabroad。’
’Why，indeed，’saidMrsMerdle，’heissomuchengagedandinsuchrequest，thatIfearnot。Hehasnotbeenabletogetabroadforyears。You，MissDorrit，Ibelievehavebeenalmostcontinuallyabroadforalongtime。’
’Ohdearyes，’drawledFanny，withthegreatesthardihood。’Animmensenumberofyears。’
’SoIshouldhaveinferred，’saidMrsMerdle。
’Exactly，’saidFanny。
’Itrust，however，’resumedMrDorrit，’thatifIhavenotthe——
hum——greatadvantageofbecomingknowntoMrMerdleonthissideoftheAlpsorMediterranean，IshallhavethathonouronreturningtoEngland。ItisanhonourIparticularlydesireandshallparticularlyesteem。’
’MrMerdle，’saidMrsMerdle，whohadbeenlookingadmiringlyatFannythroughhereye-glass，’willesteemit，Iamsure，noless。’
LittleDorrit，stillhabituallythoughtfulandsolitarythoughnolongeralone，atfirstsupposedthistobemerePrunesandPrism。
ButasherfatherwhentheyhadbeentoabrilliantreceptionatMrsMerdle’s，harpedattheirownfamilybreakfast-tableonhiswishtoknowMrMerdle，withthecontingentviewofbenefitingbytheadviceofthatwonderfulmaninthedisposalofhisfortune，shebegantothinkithadarealmeaning，andtoentertainacuriosityonherownparttoseetheshininglightofthetime。
TheDowagerMrsGowanisremindedthat’ItNeverDoes’
WhilethewatersofVeniceandtheruinsofRomeweresunningthemselvesforthepleasureoftheDorritfamily，andweredailybeingsketchedoutofallearthlyproportion，lineament，andlikeness，bytravellingpencilsinnumerable，thefirmofDoyceandClennamhammeredawayinBleedingHeartYard，andthevigorousclinkofironuponironwasheardtherethroughtheworkinghours。
Theyoungerpartnerhad，bythistime，broughtthebusinessintosoundtrim；andtheelder，leftfreetofollowhisowningeniousdevices，haddonemuchtoenhancethecharacterofthefactory。Asaningeniousman，hehadnecessarilytoencountereverydiscouragementthattherulingpowersforalengthoftimehadbeenablebyanymeanstoputinthewayofthisclassofculprits；butthatwasonlyreasonableself-defenceinthepowers，sinceHowtodoitmustobviouslyberegardedasthenaturalandmortalenemyofHownottodoit。Inthiswastobefoundthebasisofthewisesystem，bytoothandnailupheldbytheCircumlocutionOffice，ofwarningeveryingeniousBritishsubjecttobeingeniousathisperil：ofharassinghim，obstructinghim，invitingrobbersbymakinghisremedyuncertain，andexpensivetoplunderhim，andatthebestofconfiscatinghispropertyafterashorttermofenjoyment，asthoughinventionwereonaparwithfelony。ThesystemhaduniformlyfoundgreatfavourwiththeBarnacles，andthatwasonlyreasonable，too；foronewhoworthilyinventsmustbeinearnest，andtheBarnaclesabhorredanddreadednothinghalfsomuch。Thatagainwasveryreasonable；sinceinacountrysufferingundertheafflictionofagreatamountofearnestness，theremight，inanexceedingshortspaceoftime，benotasingleBarnacleleftstickingtoapost。
DanielDoycefacedhisconditionwithitspainsandpenaltiesattachedtoit，andsoberlyworkedonforthework’ssake。Clennamcheeringhimwithaheartyco-operation，wasamoralsupporttohim，besidesdoinggoodserviceinhisbusinessrelation。Theconcernprospered，andthepartnerswerefastfriends。
ButDanielcouldnotforgettheolddesignofsomanyyears。Itwasnotinreasontobeexpectedthatheshould；ifhecouldhavelightlyforgottenit，hecouldneverhaveconceivedit，orhadthepatienceandperseverancetoworkitout。SoClennamthought，whenhesometimesobservedhimofaneveninglookingoverthemodelsanddrawings，andconsolinghimselfbymutteringwithasighasheputthemawayagain，thatthethingwasastrueasiteverwas。
Toshownosympathywithsomuchendeavour，andsomuchdisappointment，wouldhavebeentofailinwhatClennamregardedasamongtheimpliedobligationsofhispartnership。ArevivalofthepassinginterestinthesubjectwhichhadbeenbychanceawakenedatthedooroftheCircumlocutionOffice，originatedinthisfeeling。Heaskedhispartnertoexplaintheinventiontohim；
’havingalenientconsideration，’hestipulated，’formybeingnoworkman，Doyce。’
’Noworkman？’saidDoyce。’Youwouldhavebeenathoroughworkmanifyouhadgivenyourselftoit。YouhaveasgoodaheadforunderstandingsuchthingsasIhavemetwith。’
’Atotallyuneducatedone，Iamsorrytoadd，’saidClennam。
’Idon’tknowthat，’returnedDoyce，’andIwouldn’thaveyousaythat。Nomanofsensewhohasbeengenerallyimproved，andhasimprovedhimself，canbecalledquiteuneducatedastoanything。
Idon’tparticularlyfavourmysteries。Iwouldassoon，onafairandclearexplanation，bejudgedbyoneclassofmanasanother，providedhehadthequalificationIhavenamed。’
’Atallevents，’saidClennam——’thissoundsasifwewereexchangingcompliments，butweknowwearenot——Ishallhavetheadvantageofasplainanexplanationascanbegiven。’
’Well!’saidDaniel，inhissteadyevenway，’I’lltrytomakeitso。’