’Soweareverymuchdisposed，areMotherandI，’saidMrMeagles，’topackupbagsandbaggageandgoamongtheAllongersandMarshongersoncemore。Imean，weareverymuchdisposedtobeoff，strikerightthroughFranceintoItaly，andseeourPet。’
’AndIdon’tthink，’repliedArthur，touchedbythemotherlyanticipationinthebrightfaceofMrsMeaglesshemusthavebeenverylikeherdaughter，once，’thatyoucoulddobetter。Andifyouaskmeformyadvice，itisthatyousetoffto-morrow。’
’Isitreally，though？’saidMrMeagles。’Mother，thisisbeingbackedinanidea!’
Mother，withalookwhichthankedClennaminamannerveryagreeabletohim，answeredthatitwasindeed。
’Thefactis，besides，Arthur，’saidMrMeagles，theoldcloudcomingoverhisface，’thatmyson-in-lawisalreadyindebtagain，andthatIsupposeImustclearhimagain。Itmaybeaswell，evenonthisaccount，thatIshouldstepoverthere，andlookhimupinafriendlyway。Thenagain，here’sMotherfoolishlyanxiousandyetnaturallytooaboutPet’sstateofhealth，andthatsheshouldnotbelefttofeellonesomeatthepresenttime。It’sundeniablyalongwayoff，Arthur，andastrangeplaceforthepoorloveunderallthecircumstances。Letherbeaswellcaredforasanyladyinthatland，stillitisalongwayoff。justasHomeisHomethoughit’sneversoHomely，whyyousee，’saidMrMeagles，addinganewversiontotheproverb，’RomeisRome，thoughit’sneversoRomely。’
’Allperfectlytrue，’observedArthur，’andallsufficientreasonsforgoing。’
’Iamgladyouthinkso；itdecidesme。Mother，mydear，youmaygetready。Wehavelostourpleasantinterpretershespokethreeforeignlanguagesbeautifully，Arthur；youhaveheardhermanyatime，andyoumustpullmethroughit，Mother，aswellasyoucan。
Irequireadealofpullingthrough，Arthur，’saidMrMeagles，shakinghishead，’adealofpullingthrough。Istickateverythingbeyondanoun-substantive——andIstickathim，ifhe’satallatightone。’
’NowIthinkofit，’returnedClennam，’there’sCavalletto。Heshallgowithyou，ifyoulike。Icouldnotaffordtolosehim，butyouwillbringhimsafeback。’
’Well!Iammuchobligedtoyou，myboy，’saidMrMeagles，turningitover，’butIthinknot。No，IthinkI’llbepulledthroughbyMother。CavallooroIstickathisverynametostartwith，anditsoundslikethechorustoacomicsongissonecessarytoyou，thatIdon’tlikethethoughtoftakinghimaway。Morethanthat，there’snosayingwhenwemaycomehomeagain；anditwouldneverdototakehimawayforanindefinitetime。Thecottageisnotwhatitwas。Itonlyholdstwolittlepeoplelessthaniteverdid，Pet，andherpoorunfortunatemaidTattycoram；butitseemsemptynow。Onceoutofit，there’snoknowingwhenwemaycomebacktoit。No，Arthur，I’llbepulledthroughbyMother。’
Theywoulddobestbythemselvesperhaps，afterall，Clennamthought；thereforedidnotpresshisproposal。
’Ifyouwouldcomedownandstayhereforachange，whenitwouldn’ttroubleyou，’MrMeaglesresumed，’Ishouldbegladtothink——andsowouldMothertoo，Iknow——thatyouwerebrighteninguptheoldplacewithabitoflifeitwasusedtowhenitwasfull，andthattheBabiesonthewalltherehadakindeyeuponthemsometimes。Yousobelongtothespot，andtothem，Arthur，andweshouldeveryoneofushavebeensohappyifithadfallenout——but，letussee——how’stheweatherfortravellingnow？’MrMeaglesbrokeoff，clearedhisthroat，andgotuptolookoutofthewindow。
Theyagreedthattheweatherwasofhighpromise；andClennamkeptthetalkinthatsafedirectionuntilithadbecomeeasyagain，whenhegentlydivertedittoHenryGowanandhisquicksenseandagreeablequalitieswhenhewasdelicatelydealtWith；helikewisedweltontheindisputableaffectionheentertainedforhiswife。
ClennamdidnotfailofhiseffectupongoodMrMeagles，whomthesecommendationsgreatlycheered；andwhotookMothertowitnessthatthesingleandcordialdesireofhisheartinreferencetotheirdaughter’shusband，washarmoniouslytoexchangefriendshipforfriendship，andconfidenceforconfidence。Withinafewhoursthecottagefurniturebegantobewrappedupforpreservationinthefamilyabsence——or，asMrMeaglesexpressedit，thehousebegantoputitshairinpapers——andwithinafewdaysFatherandMotherweregone，MrsTickitandDrBuchanwereposted，asofyore，behindtheparlourblind，andArthur’ssolitaryfeetwererustlingamongthedryfallenleavesinthegardenwalks。
Ashehadalikingforthespot，heseldomletaweekpasswithoutpayingavisit。Sometimes，hewentdownalonefromSaturdaytoMonday；sometimeshispartneraccompaniedhim；sometimes，hemerelystrolledforanhourortwoaboutthehouseandgarden，sawthatallwasright，andreturnedtoLondonagain。Atalltimes，andunderallcircumstances，MrsTickit，withherdarkrowofcurls，andDrBuchan，satintheparlourwindow，lookingoutforthefamilyreturn。
OnoneofhisvisitsMrsTickitreceivedhimwiththewords，’I
havesomethingtotellyou，MrClennam，thatwillsurpriseyou。’
Sosurprisingwasthesomethinginquestion，thatitactuallybroughtMrsTickitoutoftheparlourwindowandproducedherinthegardenwalk，whenClennamwentinatthegateonitsbeingopenedforhim。
’Whatisit，MrsTickit？’saidhe。
’Sir，’returnedthatfaithfulhousekeeper，havingtakenhimintotheparlourandclosedthedoor；’ifeverIsawtheledawayanddeludedchildinmylife，Isawheridenticallyintheduskofyesterdayevening。’
’Youdon’tmeanTatty——’
’CoramyesIdo!’quothMrsTickit，clearingthedisclosureataleap。
’Where？’
’MrClennam，’returnedMrsTickit，’Iwasalittleheavyinmyeyes，beingthatIwaswaitinglongerthancustomaryformycupofteawhichwasthenpreparingbyMaryJane。Iwasnotsleeping，norwhatapersonwouldtermcorrectly，dozing。Iwasmorewhatapersonwouldstrictlycallwatchingwithmyeyesclosed。’
Withoutenteringuponaninquiryintothiscuriousabnormalcondition，Clennamsaid，’Exactly。Well？’
’Well，sir，’proceededMrsTickit，’Iwasthinkingofonethingandthinkingofanother。justasyouyourselfmight。justasanybodymight。’
’Preciselyso，’saidClennam。’Well？’
’AndwhenIdothinkofonethinganddothinkofanother，’pursuedMrsTickit，’Ihardlyneedtotellyou，MrClennam，thatIthinkofthefamily。Because，dearme!aperson’sthoughts，’MrsTickitsaidthiswithanargumentativeandphilosophicair，’howevertheymaystray，willgomoreorlessonwhatisuppermostintheirminds。Theywilldoit，sir，andapersoncan’tpreventthem。’
Arthursubscribedtothisdiscoverywithanod。
’Youfinditsoyourself，sir，I’llbeboldtosay，’saidMrsTickit，’andweallfinditso。Itan’tourstationsinlifethatchangesus，MrClennam；thoughtsisfree!——AsIwassaying，Iwasthinkingofonethingandthinkingofanother，andthinkingverymuchofthefamily。Notofthefamilyinthepresenttimesonly，butinthepasttimestoo。Forwhenapersondoesbeginthinkingofonethingandthinkingofanotherinthatmanner，asit’sgettingdark，whatIsayis，thatalltimesseemtobepresent，andapersonmustgetoutofthatstateandconsiderbeforetheycansaywhichiswhich。’
Henoddedagain；afraidtoutteraword，lestitshouldpresentanynewopeningtoMrsTickit’sconversationalpowers。
’Inconsequenceofwhich，’saidMrsTickit，’whenIquiveredmyeyesandsawheractualformandfigurelookinginatthegate，I
letthemcloseagainwithoutsomuchasstarting，forthatactualformandfigurecamesopattothetimewhenitbelongedtothehouseasmuchasmineoryourown，thatIneverthoughtatthemomentofitshavinggoneaway。But，sir，whenIquiveredmyeyesagain，andsawthatitwasn’tthere，thenitallfloodeduponmewithafright，andIjumpedup。’
’Youranoutdirectly？’saidClennam。
’Iranout，’assentedMrsTickit，’asfastasevermyfeetwouldcarryme；andifyou’llcreditit，MrClennam，therewasn’tinthewholeshiningHeavens，nonotsomuchasafingerofthatyoungwoman。’
Passingovertheabsencefromthefirmamentofthisnovelconstellation，ArthurinquiredofMrsTickitifsheherselfwentbeyondthegate？
’Wenttoandfro，andhighandlow，’saidMrsTickit，’andsawnosignofher!’
HethenaskedMrsTickithowlongaspaceoftimeshesupposedtheremighthavebeenbetweenthetwosetsofocularquiveringsshehadexperienced？MrsTickit，thoughminutelycircumstantialinherreply，hadnosettledopinionbetweenfivesecondsandtenminutes。
Shewassoplainlyatseaonthispartofthecase，andhadsoclearlybeenstartledoutofslumber，thatClennamwasmuchdisposedtoregardtheappearanceasadream。WithouthurtingMrsTickit’sfeelingswiththatinfidelsolutionofhermystery，hetookitawayfromthecottagewithhim；andprobablywouldhaveretainediteverafterwardsifacircumstancehadnotsoonhappenedtochangehisopinion。
HewaspassingatnightfallalongtheStrand，andthelamp-lighterwasgoingonbeforehim，underwhosehandthestreet-lamps，blurredbythefoggyair，burstoutoneafteranother，likesomanyblazingsunflowerscomingintofull-blowallatonce，——whenastoppageonthepavement，causedbyatrainofcoal-waggonstoilingupfromthewharvesattheriver-side，broughthimtoastand-still。Hehadbeenwalkingquickly，andgoingwithsomecurrentofthought，andthesuddencheckgiventobothoperationscausedhimtolookfreshlyabouthim，aspeopleundersuchcircumstancesusuallydo。
Immediately，hesawinadvance——afewpeopleintervening，butstillsoneartohimthathecouldhavetouchedthembystretchingouthisarm——Tattycoramandastrangemanofaremarkableappearance：
aswaggeringman，withahighnose，andablackmoustacheasfalseinitscolourashiseyeswerefalseintheirexpression，whoworehisheavycloakwiththeairofaforeigner。Hisdressandgeneralappearancewerethoseofamanontravel，andheseemedtohaveveryrecentlyjoinedthegirl。Inbendingdownbeingmuchtallerthanshewas，listeningtowhatevershesaidtohim，helookedoverhisshoulderwiththesuspiciousglanceofonewhowasnotunusedtobemistrustfulthathisfootstepsmightbedogged。ItwasthenthatClennamsawhisface；ashiseyesloweredonthepeoplebehindhimintheaggregate，withoutparticularlyrestinguponClennam’sfaceoranyother。
Hehadscarcelyturnedhisheadaboutagain，anditwasstillbentdown，listeningtothegirl，whenthestoppageceased，andtheobstructedstreamofpeopleflowedon。Stillbendinghisheadandlisteningtothegirl，hewentonatherside，andClennamfollowedthem，resolvedtoplaythisunexpectedplayout，andseewheretheywent。
Hehadhardlymadethedeterminationthoughhewasnotlongaboutit，whenhewasagainassuddenlybroughtupashehadbeenbythestoppage。TheyturnedshortintotheAdelphi，——thegirlevidentlyleading，——andwentstraighton，asiftheyweregoingtotheTerracewhichoverhangstheriver。
Thereisalways，tothisday，asuddenpauseinthatplacetotheroarofthegreatthoroughfare。Themanysoundsbecomesodeadenedthatthechangeislikeputtingcottonintheears，orhavingtheheadthicklymuffled。Atthattimethecontrastwasfargreater；
therebeingnosmallsteam-boatsontheriver，nolandingplacesbutslipperywoodenstairsandfoot-causeways，norailroadontheoppositebank，nohangingbridgeorfish-marketnearathand，notrafficonthenearestbridgeofstone，nothingmovingonthestreambutwatermen’swherriesandcoal-lighters。Longandbroadblacktiersofthelatter，mooredfastinthemudasiftheywerenevertomoveagain，madetheshorefunerealandsilentafterdark；
andkeptwhatlittlewater-movementtherewas，farouttowardsmid-