’MrRugg，’saidArthur，inhisdejection，’myonlywishis，thatitshouldbeover。Iwillgoon，andtakemychance。’
’Anotherwordofreason，sir!’criedMrRugg。’Now，thisisreason。Theothermaybetaste；butthisisreason。Ifyoushouldbetakenonalittleone，sir，youwouldgototheMarshalsea。
Now，youknowwhattheMarshalseais。Veryclose。Excessivelyconfined。WhereasintheKing’sBench——’MrRuggwavedhisrighthandfreely，asexpressingabundanceofspace。
’Iwouldrather，’saidClennam，’betakentotheMarshalseathantoanyotherprison。’
’Doyousaysoindeed，sir？’returnedMrRugg。’Thenthisistaste，too，andwemaybewalking。’
Hewasalittleoffendedatfirst，buthesoonoverlookedit。TheywalkedthroughtheYardtotheotherend。TheBleedingHeartsweremoreinterestedinArthursincehisreversesthanformerly；nowregardinghimasonewhowastruetotheplaceandhadtakenuphisfreedom。Manyofthemcameouttolookafterhim，andtoobservetooneanother，withgreatunctuousness，thathewas’pulleddownbyit。’MrsPlornishandherfatherstoodatthetopofthestepsattheirownend，muchdepressedandshakingtheirheads。
TherewasnobodyvisiblyinwaitingwhenArthurandMrRuggarrivedattheCounting-house。ButanelderlymemberoftheJewishpersuasion，preservedinrum，followedthemclose，andlookedinattheglassbeforeMrRugghadopenedoneoftheday’sletters。
’Oh!’saidMrRugg，lookingup。’Howdoyoudo？Stepin——MrClennam，IthinkthisisthegentlemanIwasmentioning。’
Thisgentlemanexplainedtheobjectofhisvisittobe’atyflingmadderobbithznithz，’andexecutedhislegalfunction。
’ShallIaccompanyyou，MrClennam？’askedMrRuggpolitely，rubbinghishands。
’Iwouldrathergoalone，thankyou。Besogoodassendmemyclothes。’MrRugginalightairywayrepliedintheaffirmative，andshookhandswithhim。Heandhisattendantthenwentdown-
stairs，gotintothefirstconveyancetheyfound，anddrovetotheoldgates。
’WhereIlittlethought，Heavenforgiveme，’saidClennamtohimself，’thatIshouldeverenterthus!’
MrChiverywasontheLock，andYoungJohnwasintheLodge：eithernewlyreleasedfromit，orwaitingtotakehisownspellofduty。
Bothweremoreastonishedonseeingwhotheprisonerwas，thanonemighthavethoughtturnkeyswouldhavebeen。TheelderMrChiveryshookhandswithhiminashame-facedkindofway，andsaid，’I
don’tcalltomind，sir，asIwaseverlessgladtoseeyou。’TheyoungerMrChivery，moredistant，didnotshakehandswithhimatall；hestoodlookingathiminastateofindecisionsoobservablethatitevencamewithintheobservationofClennamwithhisheavyeyesandheavyheart。Presentlyafterwards，YoungJohndisappearedintothejail。
AsClennamknewenoughoftheplacetoknowthathewasrequiredtoremainintheLodgeacertaintime，hetookaseatinacorner，andfeignedtobeoccupiedwiththeperusaloflettersfromhispocket。
Theydidnotsoengrosshisattention，butthathesaw，withgratitude，howtheelderMrChiverykepttheLodgeclearofprisoners；howhesignedtosome，withhiskeys，nottocomein，howhenudgedotherswithhiselbowstogoout，andhowhemadehismiseryaseasytohimashecould。
Arthurwassittingwithhiseyesfixedonthefloor，recallingthepast，broodingoverthepresent，andnotattendingtoeither，whenhefelthimselftouchedupontheshoulder。ItwasbyYoungJohn；
andhesaid，’Youcancomenow。’
HegotupandfollowedYoungJohn。Whentheyhadgoneasteportwowithintheinneriron-gate，YoungJohnturnedandsaidtohim：
’Youwantaroom。Ihavegotyouone。’
’Ithankyouheartily。’
YoungJohnturnedagain，andtookhiminattheolddoorway，uptheoldstaircase，intotheoldroom。Arthurstretchedouthishand。
YoungJohnlookedatit，lookedathim——sternly——swelled，choked，andsaid：
’Idon’tknowasIcan。No，IfindIcan’t。ButIthoughtyou’dliketheroom，andhereitisforyou。’
SurpriseatthisinconsistentbehaviouryieldedwhenhewasgonehewentawaydirectlytothefeelingswhichtheemptyroomawakenedinClennam’swoundedbreast，andtothecrowdingassociationswiththeonegoodandgentlecreaturewhohadsanctifiedit。Herabsenceinhisalteredfortunesmadeit，andhiminit，soverydesolateandsomuchinneedofsuchafaceofloveandtruth，thatheturnedagainstthewalltoweep，sobbingout，ashisheartrelieveditself，’OmyLittleDorrit!’
ThePupiloftheMarshalseaThedaywassunny，andtheMarshalsea，withthehotnoonstrikinguponit，wasunwontedlyquiet。ArthurClennamdroppedintoasolitaryarm-chair，itselfasfadedasanydebtorinthejail，andyieldedhimselftohisthoughts。
Intheunnaturalpeaceofhavinggonethroughthedreadedarrest，andgotthere，——thefirstchangeoffeelingwhichtheprisonmostcommonlyinduced，andfromwhichdangerousresting-placesomanymenhadslippeddowntothedepthsofdegradationanddisgracebysomanyways，——hecouldthinkofsomepassagesinhislife，almostasifhewereremovedfromthemintoanotherstateofexistence。
Takingintoaccountwherehewas，theinterestthathadfirstbroughthimtherewhenhehadbeenfreetokeepaway，andthegentlepresencethatwasequallyinseparablefromthewallsandbarsabouthimandfromtheimpalpableremembrancesofhislaterlifewhichnowallsorbarscouldimprison，itwasnotremarkablethateverythinghismemoryturneduponshouldbringhimroundagaintoLittleDorrit。Yetitwasremarkabletohim；notbecauseofthefactitself，butbecauseofthereminderitbroughtwithit，howmuchthedearlittlecreaturehadinfluencedhisbetterresolutions。
Noneofusclearlyknowtowhomortowhatweareindebtedinthiswise，untilsomemarkedstopinthewhirlingwheeloflifebringstherightperceptionwithit。Itcomeswithsickness，itcomeswithsorrow，itcomeswiththelossofthedearlyloved，itisoneofthemostfrequentusesofadversity。ItcametoClennaminhisadversity，stronglyandtenderly。’WhenIfirstgatheredmyselftogether，’hethought，’andsetsomethinglikepurposebeforemyjadedeyes，whomhadIbeforeme，toilingon，foragoodobject’ssake，withoutencouragement，withoutnotice，againstignobleobstaclesthatwouldhaveturnedanarmyofreceivedheroesandheroines？Oneweakgirl!WhenItriedtoconquermymisplacedlove，andtobegeneroustothemanwhowasmorefortunatethanI，thoughheshouldneverknowitorrepaymewithagraciousword，inwhomhadIwatchedpatience，self-denial，self-subdual，charitableconstruction，thenoblestgenerosityoftheaffections？Inthesamepoorgirl!IfI，aman，withaman’sadvantagesandmeansandenergies，hadslightedthewhisperinmyheart，thatifmyfatherhaderred，itwasmyfirstdutytoconcealthefaultandtorepairit，whatyouthfulfigurewithtenderfeetgoingalmostbareonthedampground，withsparehandseverworking，withitsslightshapebuthalfprotectedfromthesharpweather，wouldhavestoodbeforemetoputmetoshame？LittleDorrit’s。’Soalwaysashesataloneinthefadedchair，thinking。Always，LittleDorrit。Untilitseemedtohimasifhemettherewardofhavingwanderedawayfromher，andsufferedanythingtopassbetweenhimandhisremembranceofhervirtues。
Hisdoorwasopened，andtheheadoftheelderChiverywasputinaverylittleway，withoutbeingturnedtowardshim。
’IamofftheLock，MrClennam，andgoingout。CanIdoanythingforyou？’
’Manythanks。Nothing。’
’You’llexcusemeopeningthedoor，’saidMrChivery；’butI
couldn’tmakeyouhear。’
’Didyouknock？’
’Half-a-dozentimes。’
Rousinghimself，Clennamobservedthattheprisonhadawakenedfromitsnoontidedoze，thattheinmateswereloiteringabouttheshadyyard，andthatitwaslateintheafternoon。Hehadbeenthinkingforhours。
’Yourthingsiscome，’saidMrChivery，’andmysonisgoingtocarry’emup。Ishouldhavesent’emupbutforhiswishingtocarry’emhimself。Indeedhewouldhave’emhimself，andsoI
couldn’tsend’emup。MrClennam，couldIsayawordtoyou？’
’Praycomein，’saidArthur；forMrChivery’sheadwasstillputinatthedooraverylittleway，andMrChiveryhadbutoneearuponhim，insteadofbotheyes。ThiswasnativedelicacyinMrChivery——truepoliteness；thoughhisexteriorhadverymuchofaturnkeyaboutit，andnottheleastofagentleman。
’Thankyou，sir，’saidMrChivery，withoutadvancing；’it’snooddsmecomingin。MrClennam，don’tyoutakenonoticeofmysonifyou’llbesogoodincaseyoufindhimcutupanywaysdifficult。
Mysonhasa’art，andmyson’s’artisintherightplace。Meandhismotherknowswheretofindit，andwefinditsitiwatedcorrect。’
Withthismysteriousspeech，MrChiverytookhisearawayandshutthedoor。Hemighthavebeengonetenminutes，whenhissonsucceededhim。
’Here’syourportmanteau，’hesaidtoArthur，puttingitcarefullydown。
’It’sverykindofyou。Iamashamedthatyoushouldhavethetrouble。’
Hewasgonebeforeitcametothat；butsoonreturned，sayingexactlyasbefore，’Here’syourblackbox：’whichhealsoputdownwithcare。
’Iamverysensibleofthisattention。Ihopewemayshakehandsnow，MrJohn。’
YoungJohn，however，drewback，turninghisrightwristinasocketmadeofhisleftthumbandmiddle-fingerandsaidashehadsaidatfirst，’Idon’tknowasIcan。No；IfindIcan’t!’Hethenstoodregardingtheprisonersternly，thoughwithaswellinghumourinhiseyesthatlookedlikepity。
’Whyareyouangrywithme，’saidClennam，’andyetsoreadytodomethesekindservices？Theremustbesomemistakebetweenus。IfIhavedoneanythingtooccasionitIamsorry。’
’Nomistake，sir，’returnedJohn，turningthewristbackwardsandforwardsinthesocket，forwhichitwasrathertight。’Nomistake，sir，inthefeelingswithwhichmyeyesbeholdyouatthepresentmoment!IfIwasatallfairlyequaltoyourweight，MrClennam——whichIamnot；andifyouweren’tunderacloud——whichyouare；andifitwasn’tagainstallrulesoftheMarshalsea——
whichitis；thosefeelingsaresuch，thattheywouldstimulateme，moretohavingitoutwithyouinaRoundonthepresentspotthantoanythingelseIcouldname。’
Arthurlookedathimforamomentinsomewonder，andsomelittleanger。’Well，well!’hesaid。’Amistake，amistake!’Turningaway，hesatdownwithaheavysighinthefadedchairagain。
YoungJohnfollowedhimwithhiseyes，and，afterashortpause，criedout，’Ibegyourpardon!’