Shepausedforaninstantinherworktolookathim，andherlookrevivedthatformerpaininherfather’sbreast；inhispoorweakbreast，sofullofcontradictions，vacillations，inconsistencies，thelittlepeevishperplexitiesofthisignorantlife，mistswhichthemorningwithoutanightonlycanclearaway。
’Ihavebeenfreerwithyou，yousee，mydove，’saidtheoldman，’sincewehavebeenalone。Isay，alone，forIdon’tcountMrsGeneral；Idon’tcareforher；shehasnothingtodowithme。ButIknowFannywasimpatientofme。AndIdon’twonderatit，orcomplainofit，forIamsensiblethatImustbeintheway，thoughItrytokeepoutofitaswellasIcan。IknowIamnotfitcompanyforourcompany。MybrotherWilliam，’saidtheoldmanadmiringly，’isfitcompanyformonarchs；butnotsoyouruncle，mydear。FrederickDorritisnocredittoWilliamDorrit，andheknowsitquitewell。Ah!Why，here’syourfather，Amy!MydearWilliam，welcomeback!Mybelovedbrother，Iamrejoicedtoseeyou!’
Turninghisheadinspeaking，hehadcaughtsightofhimashestoodinthedoorway。
LittleDorritwithacryofpleasureputherarmsaboutherfather’sneck，andkissedhimagainandagain。Herfatherwasalittleimpatient，andalittlequerulous。’Iamgladtofindyouatlast，Amy，’hesaid。’Ha。ReallyIamgladtofind——hum——anyonetoreceivemeatlast。Iappeartohavebeen——ha——solittleexpected，thatuponmywordIbegan——hahum——tothinkitmightberighttoofferanapologyfor——ha——takingthelibertyofcomingbackatall。’
’Itwassolate，mydearWilliam，’saidhisbrother，’thatwehadgivenyouupforto-night。’
’Iamstrongerthanyou，dearFrederick，’returnedhisbrotherwithanelaborationoffraternityinwhichtherewasseverity；’andI
hopeIcantravelwithoutdetrimentat——ha——anyhourIchoose。’
’Surely，surely，’returnedtheother，withamisgivingthathehadgivenoffence。’Surely，William。’
’Thankyou，Amy，’pursuedMrDorrit，asshehelpedhimtoputoffhiswrappers。’Icandoitwithoutassistance。I——ha——neednottroubleyou，Amy。CouldIhaveamorselofbreadandaglassofwine，or——hum——woulditcausetoomuchinconvenience？’
’Dearfather，youshallhavesupperinaveryfewminutes。’
’Thankyou，mylove，’saidMrDorrit，withareproachfulfrostuponhim；’I——ha——amafraidIamcausinginconvenience。Hum。MrsGeneralprettywell？’
’MrsGeneralcomplainedofaheadache，andofbeingfatigued；andso，whenwegaveyouup，shewenttobed，dear。’
PerhapsMrDorritthoughtthatMrsGeneralhaddonewellinbeingovercomebythedisappointmentofhisnotarriving。Atanyrate，hisfacerelaxed，andhesaidwithobvioussatisfaction，’ExtremelysorrytohearthatMrsGeneralisnotwell。’
Duringthisshortdialogue，hisdaughterhadbeenobservantofhim，withsomethingmorethanherusualinterest。Itwouldseemasthoughhehadachangedorwornappearanceinhereyes，andheperceivedandresentedit；forhesaidwithrenewedpeevishness，whenhehaddivestedhimselfofhistravelling-cloak，andhadcometothefire：
’Amy，whatareyoulookingat？Whatdoyouseeinmethatcausesyouto——ha——concentrateyoursolicitudeonmeinthat——hum——veryparticularmanner？’
’Ididnotknowit，father；Ibegyourpardon。Itgladdensmyeyestoseeyouagain；that’sall。’
’Don’tsaythat’sall，because——ha——that’snotall。You——hum——youthink，’saidMrDorrit，withanaccusatoryemphasis，’thatIamnotlookingwell。’
’Ithoughtyoulookedalittletired，love。’
’Thenyouaremistaken，’saidMrDorrit。’Ha，Iamnottired。Ha，hum。IamverymuchfresherthanIwaswhenIwentaway。’
Hewassoinclinedtobeangrythatshesaidnothingmoreinherjustification，butremainedquietlybesidehimembracinghisarm。
Ashestoodthus，withhisbrotherontheotherside，hefellintoaheavydoze，ofnotaminute’sduration，andawokewithastart。
’Frederick，’hesaid，turningtohisbrother：’Irecommendyoutogotobedimmediately。’
’No，William。I’llwaitandseeyousup。’
’Frederick，’heretorted，’Ibegyoutogotobed。I——ha——makeitapersonalrequestthatyougotobed。Yououghttohavebeeninbedlongago。Youareveryfeeble。’
’Hah!’saidtheoldman，whohadnowishbuttopleasehim。’Well，well，well!IdaresayIam。’
’MydearFrederick，’returnedMrDorrit，withanastonishingsuperioritytohisbrother’sfailingpowers，’therecanbenodoubtofit。Itispainfultometoseeyousoweak。Ha。Itdistressesme。Hum。Idon’tfindyoulookingatallwell。Youarenotfitforthissortofthing。Youshouldbemorecareful，youshouldbeverycareful。’
’ShallIgotobed？’askedFrederick。
’DearFrederick，’saidMrDorrit，’do，Iadjureyou!Goodnight，brother。Ihopeyouwillbestrongerto-morrow。Iamnotatallpleasedwithyourlooks。Goodnight，dearfellow。’Afterdismissinghisbrotherinthisgraciousway，hefellintoadozeagainbeforetheoldmanwaswelloutoftheroom：andhewouldhavestumbledforwarduponthelogs，butforhisdaughter’srestraininghold。
’Yourunclewandersverymuch，Amy，’hesaid，whenhewasthusroused。’Heisless——ha——coherent，andhisconversationismore——
hum——broken，thanIhave——ha，hum——everknown。HashehadanyillnesssinceIhavebeengone？’
’No，father。’
’You——ha——seeagreatchangeinhim，Amy？’
’Ihavenotobservedit，dear。’
’Greatlybroken，’saidMrDorrit。’Greatlybroken。Mypoor，affectionate，failingFrederick!Ha。Eventakingintoaccountwhathewasbefore，heis——hum——sadlybroken!’
Hissupper，whichwasbroughttohimthere，andspreaduponthelittletablewherehehadseenherworking，divertedhisattention。
Shesatathissideasinthedaysthatweregone，forthefirsttimesincethosedaysended。Theywerealone，andshehelpedhimtohismeatandpouredouthisdrinkforhim，asshehadbeenusedtodointheprison。Allthishappenednow，forthefirsttimesincetheiraccessiontowealth。Shewasafraidtolookathimmuch，aftertheoffencehehadtaken；butshenoticedtwooccasionsinthecourseofhismeal，whenheallofasuddenlookedather，andlookedabouthim，asiftheassociationweresostrongthatheneededassurancefromhissenseofsightthattheywerenotintheoldprison-room。Bothtimes，heputhishandtohisheadasifhemissedhisoldblackcap——thoughithadbeenignominiouslygivenawayintheMarshalsea，andhadnevergotfreetothathour，butstillhoveredabouttheyardsontheheadofhissuccessor。
Hetookverylittlesupper，butwasalongtimeoverit，andoftenrevertedtohisbrother’sdecliningstate。Thoughheexpressedthegreatestpityforhim，hewasalmostbitteruponhim。HesaidthatpoorFrederick——hahum——drivelled。Therewasnootherwordtoexpressit；drivelled。Poorfellow!ItwasmelancholytoreflectwhatAmymusthaveundergonefromtheexcessivetediousnessofhisSociety——wanderingandbabblingon，poordearestimablecreature，wanderingandbabblingon——ifithadnotbeenforthereliefshehadhadinMrsGeneral。Extremelysorry，hethenrepeatedwithhisformersatisfaction，thatthat——ha——superiorwomanwaspoorly。
LittleDorrit，inherwatchfullove，wouldhaverememberedthelightestthinghesaidordidthatnight，thoughshehadhadnosubsequentreasontorecallthatnight。Shealwaysrememberedthat，whenhelookedabouthimunderthestronginfluenceoftheoldassociation，hetriedtokeepitoutofhermind，andperhapsoutofhisowntoo，byimmediatelyexpatiatingonthegreatrichesandgreatcompanythathadencompassedhiminhisabsence，andontheloftypositionheandhisfamilyhadtosustain。Nordidshefailtorecallthatthereweretwounder-currents，sidebyside，pervadingallhisdiscourseandallhismanner；oneshowingherhowwellhehadgotonwithouther，andhowindependenthewasofher；
theother，inafitfulandunintelligiblewayalmostcomplainingofher，asifithadbeenpossiblethatshehadneglectedhimwhilehewasaway。
HistellingherofthegloriousstatethatMrMerdlekept，andofthecourtthatbowedbeforehim，naturallybroughthimtoMrsMerdle。Sonaturallyindeed，thatalthoughtherewasanunusualwantofsequenceinthegreaterpartofhisremarks，hepassedtoheratonce，andaskedhowshewas。
’Sheisverywell。Sheisgoingawaynextweek。’
’Home？’askedMrDorrit。
’Afterafewweeks’stayupontheroad。’
’Shewillbeavastlosshere，’saidMrDorrit。’Avast——ha——
acquisitionathome。ToFanny，andto——hum——therestofthe——ha——
greatworld。’
LittleDorritthoughtofthecompetitionthatwastobeenteredupon，andassentedverysoftly。
’MrsMerdleisgoingtohaveagreatfarewellAssembly，dear，andadinnerbeforeit。Shehasbeenexpressingheranxietythatyoushouldreturnintime。Shehasinvitedbothyouandmetoherdinner。’
’Sheis——ha——verykind。Whenistheday？’
’Thedayafterto-morrow。’
’Writeroundinthemorning，andsaythatIhavereturned，andshall——hum——bedelighted。’
’MayIwalkwithyouupthestairstoyourroom，dear？’
’No!’heanswered，lookingangrilyround；forhewasmovingaway，asifforgetfulofleave-taking。’Youmaynot，Amy。Iwantnohelp。Iamyourfather，notyourinfirmuncle!’Hecheckedhimself，asabruptlyashehadbrokenintothisreply，andsaid，’Youhavenotkissedme，Amy。Goodnight，mydear!Wemustmarry——ha——wemustmarryYOU，now。’Withthathewent，moreslowlyandmoretired，upthestaircasetohisrooms，and，almostassoonashegotthere，dismissedhisvalet。HisnextcarewastolookabouthimforhisParispurchases，and，afteropeningtheircasesandcarefullysurveyingthem，toputthemawayunderlockandkey。
Afterthat，whatwithdozingandwhatwithcastle-building，helosthimselfforalongtime，sothattherewasatouchofmorningontheeastwardrimofthedesolateCampagnawhenhecrepttobed。
MrsGeneralsentuphercomplimentsingoodtimenextday，andhopedhehadrestedwellafterthisfatiguingjourney。Hesentdownhiscompliments，andbeggedtoinformMrsGeneralthathehadrestedverywellindeed，andwasinhighcondition。Nevertheless，hedidnotcomeforthfromhisownroomsuntillateintheafternoon；and，althoughhethencausedhimselftobemagnificentlyarrayedforadrivewithMrsGeneralandhisdaughter，hisappearancewasscarcelyuptohisdescriptionofhimself。
Asthefamilyhadnovisitorsthatday，itsfourmembersdinedalonetogether。HeconductedMrsGeneraltotheseatathisrighthandwithimmenseceremony；andLittleDorritcouldnotbutnoticeasshefollowedwithheruncle，boththathewasagainelaboratelydressed，andthathismannertowardsMrsGeneralwasveryparticular。Theperfectformationofthataccomplishedlady’ssurfacerendereditdifficulttodisplaceanatomofitsgenteelglaze，butLittleDorritthoughtshedescriedaslightthawoftriumphinacornerofherfrostyeye。