’Iamquitealone，’Arthurexplainedastheywalkedon。’Mypartnerisaway，busilyengagedatadistanceonhisbranchofourbusiness，andyoushalldojustasyoulike。’
’Thankyou。Youdidn’ttakeparticularnoticeoflittleAltrojustnow；didyou？’saidPancks。
’No。Why？’
’He’sabrightfellow，andIlikehim，’saidPancks。’Somethinghasgoneamisswithhimto-day。Haveyouanyideaofanycausethatcanhaveoversethim？’
’Yousurpriseme!Nonewhatever。’
MrPancksgavehisreasonsfortheinquiry。Arthurwasquiteunpreparedforthem，andquiteunabletosuggestanexplanationofthem。
’Perhapsyou’llaskhim，’saidPancks，’ashe’sastranger？’
’Askhimwhat？’returnedClennam。
’Whathehasonhismind。’
’Ioughtfirsttoseeformyselfthathehassomethingonhismind，Ithink，’saidClennam。’Ihavefoundhimineverywaysodiligent，sogratefulforlittleenough，andsotrustworthy，thatitmightlooklikesuspectinghim。Andthatwouldbeveryunjust。’
’True，’saidPancks。’But，Isay!Yououghtn’ttobeanybody’sproprietor，MrClennam。You’remuchtoodelicate。’
’Forthematterofthat，’returnedClennamlaughing，’IhavenotalargeproprietaryshareinCavalletto。Hiscarvingishislivelihood。HekeepsthekeysoftheFactory，watchesiteveryalternatenight，andactsasasortofhousekeepertoitgenerally；
butwehavelittleworkinthewayofhisingenuity，thoughwegivehimwhatwehave。No!Iamratherhisadviserthanhisproprietor。Tocallmehisstandingcounselandhisbankerwouldbenearerthefact。Speakingofbeinghisbanker，isitnotcurious，Pancks，thattheventureswhichrunjustnowinsomanypeople’sheads，shouldruneveninlittleCavalletto’s？’
’Ventures？’retortedPancks，withasnort。’Whatventures？’
’TheseMerdleenterprises。’
’Oh!Investments，’saidPancks。’Ay，ay!Ididn’tknowyouwerespeakingofinvestments。’
HisquickwayofreplyingcausedClennamtolookathim，withadoubtwhetherhemeantmorethanhesaid。Asitwasaccompanied，however，withaquickeningofhispaceandacorrespondingincreaseinthelabouringofhismachinery，Arthurdidnotpursuethematter，andtheysoonarrivedathishouse。
Adinnerofsoupandapigeon-pie，servedonalittleroundtablebeforethefire，andflavouredwithabottleofgoodwine，oiledMrPancks’sworksinahighlyeffectivemanner；sothatwhenClennamproducedhisEasternpipe，andhandedMrPancksanotherEasternpipe，thelattergentlemanwasperfectlycomfortable。
Theypuffedforawhileinsilence，MrPanckslikeasteam-vesselwithwind，tide，calmwater，andallothersea-goingconditionsinherfavour。Hewasthefirsttospeak，andhespokethus：
’Yes。Investmentsistheword。’
Clennam，withhisformerlook，said’Ah!’
’Iamgoingbacktoit，yousee，’saidPancks。
’Yes。Iseeyouaregoingbacktoit，’returnedClennam，wonderingwhy。
’Wasn’titacuriousthingthattheyshouldruninlittleAltro’shead？Eh？’saidPancksashesmoked。’Wasn’tthathowyouputit？’
’ThatwaswhatIsaid。’
’Ay!ButthinkofthewholeYardhavinggotit。Thinkoftheirallmeetingmewithit，onmycollectingdays，hereandthereandeverywhere。Whethertheypay，orwhethertheydon’tpay。Merdle，Merdle，Merdle。AlwaysMerdle。’
’Verystrangehowtheserunsonaninfatuationprevail，’saidArthur。
’An’tit？’returnedPancks。Aftersmokingforaminuteorso，moredrilythancomportedwithhisrecentoiling，headded：’Becauseyouseethesepeopledon’tunderstandthesubject。’
’Notabit，’assentedClennam。
’Notabit，’criedPancks。’Knownothingoffigures。Knownothingofmoneyquestions。Nevermadeacalculation。Neverworkedit，sir!’
’Iftheyhad——’Clennamwasgoingontosay；whenMrPancks，withoutchangeofcountenance，producedasoundsofarsurpassingallhisusualefforts，nasalorbronchial，thathestopped。
’Iftheyhad？’repeatedPancksinaninquiringtone。
’Ithoughtyou——spoke，’saidArthur，hesitatingwhatnametogivetheinterruption。
’Notatall，’saidPancks。’Notyet。Imayinaminute。Iftheyhad？’
’Iftheyhad，’observedClennam，whowasalittleatalosshowtotakehisfriend，’why，Isupposetheywouldhaveknownbetter。’
’Howso，MrClennam？’Pancksaskedquickly，andwithanoddeffectofhavingbeenfromthecommencementoftheconversationloadedwiththeheavychargehenowfiredoff。’They’reright，youknow。
Theydon’tmeantobe，butthey’reright。’
’RightinsharingCavalletto’sinclinationtospeculatewithMrMerdle？’
’Per-fectly，sir，’saidPancks。’I’vegoneintoit。I’vemadethecalculations。I’veworkedit。They’resafeandgenuine。’
Relievedbyhavinggottothis，MrPanckstookaslongapullashislungswouldpermitathisEasternpipe，andlookedsagaciouslyandsteadilyatClennamwhileinhalingandexhalingtoo。
Inthosemoments，MrPancksbegantogiveoutthedangerousinfectionwithwhichhewasladen。Itisthemannerofcommunicatingthesediseases；itisthesubtlewayinwhichtheygoabout。
’Doyoumean，mygoodPancks，’askedClennamemphatically，’thatyouwouldputthatthousandpoundsofyours，letussay，forinstance，outatthiskindofinterest？’
’Certainly，’saidPancks。’Alreadydoneit，sir。’
MrPanckstookanotherlonginhalation，anotherlongexhalation，anotherlongsagaciouslookatClennam。
’Itellyou，MrClennam，I’vegoneintoit，’saidPancks。’He’samanofimmenseresources——enormouscapital——governmentinfluence。
They’rethebestschemesafloat。They’resafe。They’recertain。’
’Well!’returnedClennam，lookingfirstathimgravelyandthenatthefiregravely。’Yousurpriseme!’
’Bah!’Pancksretorted。’Don’tsaythat，sir。It’swhatyououghttodoyourself!Whydon’tyoudoasIdo？’
OfwhomMrPanckshadtakentheprevalentdisease，hecouldnomorehavetoldthanifhehadunconsciouslytakenafever。Bredatfirst，asmanyphysicaldiseasesare，inthewickednessofmen，andthendisseminatedintheirignorance，theseepidemics，afteraperiod，getcommunicatedtomanysuffererswhoareneitherignorantnorwicked。MrPancksmight，ormightnot，havecaughttheillnesshimselffromasubjectofthisclass；butinthiscategoryheappearedbeforeClennam，andtheinfectionhethrewoffwasallthemorevirulent。
’Andyouhavereallyinvested，’Clennamhadalreadypassedtothatword，’yourthousandpounds，Pancks？’
’Tobesure，sir!’repliedPancksboldly，withapuffofsmoke。
’Andonlywishitten!’
Now，Clennamhadtwosubjectslyingheavyonhislonelymindthatnight；theone，hispartner’slong-deferredhope；theother，whathehadseenandheardathismother’s。Inthereliefofhavingthiscompanion，andoffeelingthathecouldtrusthim，hepassedontoboth，andbothbroughthimroundagain，withanincreaseandaccelerationofforce，tohispointofdeparture。
Itcameaboutinthesimplestmanner。Quittingtheinvestmentsubject，afteranintervalofsilentlookingatthefirethroughthesmokeofhispipe，hetoldPanckshowandwhyhewasoccupiedwiththegreatNationalDepartment。’Ahardcaseithasbeen，andahardcaseitisonDoyce，’hefinishedbysaying，withallthehonestfeelingthetopicrousedinhim。
’Hardindeed，’Pancksacquiesced。’Butyoumanageforhim，MrClennam？’
’Howdoyoumean？’
’Managethemoneypartofthebusiness？’
’Yes。AswellasIcan。’
’Manageitbetter，sir，’saidPancks。’Recompensehimforhistoilsanddisappointments。Givehimthechancesofthetime。
He’llneverbenefithimselfinthatway，patientandpreoccupiedworkman。Helookstoyou，sir。’
’Idomybest，Pancks，’returnedClennam，uneasily。’AstodulyweighingandconsideringthesenewenterprisesofwhichIhavehadnoexperience，IdoubtifIamfitforit，Iamgrowingold。’
’Growingold？’criedPancks。’Ha，ha!’
Therewassomethingsoindubitablygenuineinthewonderfullaugh，andseriesofsnortsandpuffs，engenderedinMrPancks’sastonishmentat，andutterrejectionof，theidea，thathisbeingquiteinearnestcouldnotbequestioned。
’Growingold？’criedPancks。’Hear，hear，hear!Old？Hearhim，hearhim!’
ThepositiverefusalexpressedinMrPancks’scontinuedsnorts，nolessthanintheseexclamations，toentertainthesentimentforasingleinstant，droveArthurawayfromit。Indeed，hewasfearfulofsomethinghappeningtoMrPancksintheviolentconflictthattookplacebetweenthebreathhejerkedoutofhimselfandthesmokehejerkedintohimself。Thisabandonmentofthesecondtopicthrewhimonthethird。
’Young，old，ormiddle-aged，Pancks，’hesaid，whentherewasafavourablepause，’Iaminaveryanxiousanduncertainstate；astatethatevenleadsmetodoubtwhetheranythingnowseemingtobelongtome，maybereallymine。ShallItellyouhowthisis？
ShallIputagreattrustinyou？’
’Youshall，sir，’saidPancks，’ifyoubelievemeworthyofit。’
’Ido。’
’Youmay!’MrPancks’sshortandsharprejoinder，confirmedbythesuddenoutstretchingofhiscoalyhand，wasmostexpressiveandconvincing。Arthurshookthehandwarmly。
Hethen，softeningthenatureofhisoldapprehensionsasmuchaswaspossibleconsistentlywiththeirbeingmadeintelligibleandneveralludingtohismotherbyname，butspeakingvaguelyofarelationofhis，confidedtoMrPancksabroadoutlineofthemisgivingsheentertained，andoftheinterviewhehadwitnessed。
MrPanckslistenedwithsuchinterestthat，regardlessofthecharmsoftheEasternpipe，heputitinthegrateamongthefire-
irons，andoccupiedhishandsduringthewholerecitalinsoerectingtheloopsandhooksofhairalloverhishead，thathelooked，whenitcametoaconclusion，likeajourneymanHamletinconversationwithhisfather’sspirit。
’Bringsmeback，sir，’washisexclamationthen，withastartlingtouchonClennam’sknee，’bringsmeback，sir，totheInvestments!
Idon’tsayanythingofyourmakingyourselfpoortorepairawrongyounevercommitted。That’syou。Amanmustbehimself。ButI
saythis，fearingyoumaywantmoneytosaveyourownbloodfromexposureanddisgrace——makeasmuchasyoucan!’
Arthurshookhishead，butlookedathimthoughtfullytoo。