’Youknow，now，whatIhavedone。’
’Ithinkso。Iamafraidso；thoughmymindissohurried，andsosorry，andhassomuchtopitythatithasnotbeenabletofollowallIhaveread，’saidLittleDorrittremulously。
’IwillrestoretoyouwhatIhavewithheldfromyou。Forgiveme。
Canyouforgiveme？’
’Ican，andHeavenknowsIdo!Donotkissmydressandkneeltome；youaretoooldtokneeltome；Iforgiveyoufreelywithoutthat。’
’Ihavemoreyettoask。’
’Notinthatposture，’saidLittleDorrit。’Itisunnaturaltoseeyourgreyhairlowerthanmine。Prayrise；letmehelpyou。’Withthatsheraisedherup，andstoodrathershrinkingfromher，butlookingatherearnestly。
’ThegreatpetitionthatImaketoyouthereisanotherwhichgrowsoutofit，thegreatsupplicationthatIaddresstoyourmercifulandgentleheart，is，thatyouwillnotdisclosethistoArthuruntilIamdead。Ifyouthink，whenyouhavehadtimeforconsideration，thatitcandohimanygoodtoknowitwhileIamyetalive，thentellhim。Butyouwillnotthinkthat；andinsuchcase，willyoupromisemetosparemeuntilIamdead？’
’Iamsosorry，andwhatIhavereadhassoconfusedmythoughts，’
returnedLittleDorrit，’thatIcanscarcelygiveyouasteadyanswer。IfIshouldbequitesurethattobeacquaintedwithitwilldoMrClennamnogood——’
’Iknowyouareattachedtohim，andwillmakehimthefirstconsideration。Itisrightthatheshouldbethefirstconsideration。Iaskthat。But，havingregardedhim，andstillfindingthatyoumaysparemeforthelittletimeIshallremainonearth，willyoudoit？’
’Iwill。’
’GODblessyou!’
ShestoodintheshadowsothatshewasonlyaveiledformtoLittleDorritinthelight；butthesoundofhervoice，insayingthosethreegratefulwords，wasatonceferventandbroken——brokenbyemotionasunfamiliartoherfrozeneyesasactiontoherfrozenlimbs。
’Youwillwonder，perhaps，’shesaidinastrongertone，’thatI
canbetterbeartobeknowntoyouwhomIhavewronged，thantothesonofmyenemywhowrongedme——Forshedidwrongme!ShenotonlysinnedgrievouslyagainsttheLord，butshewrongedme。WhatArthur’sfatherwastome，shemadehim。FromourmarriagedayI
washisdread，andthatshemademe。Iwasthescourgeofboth，andthatisreferabletoher。YouloveArthurIcanseetheblushuponyourface；mayitbethedawnofhappierdaystobothofyou!，andyouwillhavethoughtalreadythatheisasmercifulandkindasyou，andwhydoInottrustmyselftohimassoonastoyou。Haveyounotthoughtso？’
’Nothought，’saidLittleDorrit，’canbequiteastrangertomyheart，thatspringsoutoftheknowledgethatMrClennamisalwaystoberelieduponforbeingkindandgenerousandgood。’
’Idonotdoubtit。YetArthuris，ofthewholeworld，theonepersonfromwhomIwouldconcealthis，whileIaminit。Ikeptoverhimasachild，inthedaysofhisfirstremembrance，myrestrainingandcorrectinghand。Iwassternwithhim，knowingthatthetransgressionsoftheparentsarevisitedontheiroffspring，andthattherewasanangrymarkuponhimathisbirth。
Ihavesatwithhimandhisfather，seeingtheweaknessofhisfatheryearningtounbendtohim；andforcingitback，thatthechildmightworkouthisreleaseinbondageandhardship。Ihaveseenhim，withhismother’sface，lookingupatmeinawefromhislittlebooks，andtryingtosoftenmewithhismother’swaysthathardenedme。’
Theshrinkingofherauditressstoppedherforamomentinherflowofwords，deliveredinaretrospectivegloomyvoice。
’Forhisgood。Notforthesatisfactionofmyinjury。WhatwasI，andwhatwastheworthofthat，beforethecurseofHeaven!Ihaveseenthatchildgrowup；nottobepiousinachosenwayhismother’sinfluencelaytooheavyonhimforthat，butstilltobejustandupright，andtobesubmissivetome。Heneverlovedme，asIoncehalf-hopedhemight——sofrailweare，andsodothecorruptaffectionsofthefleshwarwithourtrustsandtasks；buthealwaysrespectedmeandorderedhimselfdutifullytome。Hedoestothishour。Withanemptyplaceinhisheartthathehasneverknownthemeaningof，hehasturnedawayfrommeandgonehisseparateroad；buteventhathehasdoneconsideratelyandwithdeference。Thesehavebeenhisrelationstowardsme。Yourshavebeenofamuchslighterkind，spreadoveramuchshortertime。
Whenyouhavesatatyourneedleinmyroom，youhavebeeninfearofme，butyouhavesupposedmetohavebeendoingyouakindness；
youarebetterinformednow，andknowmetohavedoneyouaninjury。Yourmisconstructionandmisunderstandingofthecauseinwhich，andthemotiveswithwhich，Ihaveworkedoutthiswork，islightertoendurethanhiswouldbe。Iwouldnot，foranyworldlyrecompenseIcanimagine，havehiminamoment，howeverblindly，throwmedownfromthestationIhaveheldbeforehimallhislife，andchangemealtogetherintosomethinghewouldcastoutofhisrespect，andthinkdetectedandexposed。Lethimdoit，ifitmustbedone，whenIamnotheretoseeit。Letmeneverfeel，whileI
amstillalive，thatIdiebeforehisface，andutterlyperishawayfromhim，likeoneconsumedbylightningandswallowedbyanearthquake。’
Herpridewasverystronginher，thepainofitandofheroldpassionswasverysharpwithher，whenshethusexpressedherself。
Notlessso，whensheadded：
’Evennow，IseeYOUshrinkfromme，asifIhadbeencruel。’
LittleDorritcouldnotgainsayit。Shetriednottoshowit，butsherecoiledwithdreadfromthestateofmindthathadburntsofiercelyandlastedsolong。Itpresenteditselftoher，withnosophistryuponit，initsownplainnature。
’Ihavedone，’saidMrsClennam，’whatitwasgiventometodo。I
havesetmyselfagainstevil；notagainstgood。Ihavebeenaninstrumentofseverityagainstsin。Havenotmeresinnerslikemyselfbeencommissionedtolayitlowinalltime？’
’Inalltime？’repeatedLittleDorrit。
’Evenifmyownwronghadprevailedwithme，andmyownvengeancehadmovedme，couldIhavefoundnojustification？Noneintheolddayswhentheinnocentperishedwiththeguilty2athousandtoone？Whenthewrathofthehateroftheunrighteouswasnotslakedeveninblood，andyetfoundfavour？’
’O，MrsClennam，MrsClennam，’saidLittleDorrit，’angryfeelingsandunforgivingdeedsarenocomfortandnoguidetoyouandme。
Mylifehasbeenpassedinthispoorprison，andmyteachinghasbeenverydefective；butletmeimploreyoutorememberlaterandbetterdays。Beguidedonlybythehealerofthesick，theraiserofthedead，thefriendofallwhowereafflictedandforlorn，thepatientMasterwhoshedtearsofcompassionforourinfirmities。
Wecannotbutberightifweputalltherestaway，anddoeverythinginremembranceofHim。ThereisnovengeanceandnoinflictionofsufferinginHislife，Iamsure。TherecanbenoconfusioninfollowingHim，andseekingfornootherfootsteps，I
amcertain。’
Inthesoftenedlightofthewindow，lookingfromthesceneofherearlytrialstotheshiningsky，shewasnotinstrongeroppositiontotheblackfigureintheshadethanthelifeanddoctrineonwhichsherestedweretothatfigure’shistory。Itbentitsheadlowagain，andsaidnotaword。Itremainedthus，untilthefirstwarningbellbegantoring。
’Hark!’criedMrsClennamstarting，’IsaidIhadanotherpetition。
Itisonethatdoesnotadmitofdelay。Themanwhobroughtyouthispacketandpossessestheseproofs，isnowwaitingatmyhousetobeboughtoff。IcankeepthisfromArthur，onlybybuyinghimoff。Heasksalargesum；morethanIcangettogethertopayhimwithouthavingtime。Herefusestomakeanyabatement，becausehisthreatis，thatifhefailswithme，hewillcometoyou。Willyoureturnwithmeandshowhimthatyoualreadyknowit？Willyoureturnwithmeandtrytoprevailwithhim？Willyoucomeandhelpmewithhim？DonotrefusewhatIaskinArthur’sname，thoughI
darenotaskitforArthur’ssake!’
LittleDorrityieldedwillingly。Sheglidedawayintotheprisonforafewmoments，returned，andsaidshewasreadytogo。Theywentoutbyanotherstaircase，avoidingthelodge；andcomingintothefrontcourt-yard，nowallquietanddeserted，gainedthestreet。
Itwasoneofthosesummereveningswhenthereisnogreaterdarknessthanalongtwilight。Thevistaofstreetandbridgewasplaintosee，andtheskywassereneandbeautiful。Peoplestoodandsatattheirdoors，playingwithchildrenandenjoyingtheevening；numberswerewalkingforair；theworryofthedayhadalmostworrieditselfout，andfewbutthemselveswerehurried。Astheycrossedthebridge，theclearsteeplesofthemanychurcheslookedasiftheyhadadvancedoutofthemurkthatusuallyenshroudedthem，andcomemuchnearer。Thesmokethatroseintotheskyhadlostitsdingyhueandtakenabrightnessuponit。Thebeautiesofthesunsethadnotfadedfromthelonglightfilmsofcloudthatlayatpeaceinthehorizon。Fromaradiantcentre，overthewholelengthandbreadthofthetranquilfirmament，greatshootsoflightstreamedamongtheearlystars，likesignsoftheblessedlatercovenantofpeaceandhopethatchangedthecrownofthornsintoaglory。
Lessremarkable，nowthatshewasnotaloneanditwasdarker，MrsClennamhurriedonatLittleDorrit’sside，unmolested。Theyleftthegreatthoroughfareattheturningbywhichshehadenteredit，andwoundtheirwaydownamongthesilent，empty，cross-streets。
Theirfeetwereatthegateway，whentherewasasuddennoiselikethunder。
’Whatwasthat!Letusmakehastein，’criedMrsClennam。
Theywereinthegateway。LittleDorrit，withapiercingcry，heldherback。
Inoneswiftinstanttheoldhousewasbeforethem，withthemanlyingsmokinginthewindow；anotherthunderingsound，anditheaved，surgedoutward，openedasunderinfiftyplaces，collapsed，andfell。Deafenedbythenoise，stifled，choked，andblindedbythedust，theyhidtheirfacesandstoodrootedtothespot。Theduststorm，drivingbetweenthemandtheplacidsky，partedforamomentandshowedthemthestars。Astheylookedup，wildlycryingforhelp，thegreatpileofchimneys，whichwasthenaloneleftstandinglikeatowerinawhirlwind，rocked，broke，andhaileditselfdownupontheheapofruin，asifeverytumblingfragmentwereintentonburyingthecrushedwretchdeeper。
Soblackenedbytheflyingparticlesofrubbishastobeunrecognisable，theyranbackfromthegatewayintothestreet，cryingandshrieking。There，MrsClennamdroppeduponthestones；
andsheneverfromthathourmovedsomuchasafingeragain，orhadthepowertospeakoneword。Forupwardsofthreeyearsshereclinedinawheeledchair，lookingattentivelyatthoseaboutherandappearingtounderstandwhattheysaid；buttherigidsilenceshehadsolongheldwasevermoreenforceduponher，andexceptthatshecouldmovehereyesandfaintlyexpressanegativeandaffirmativewithherhead，shelivedanddiedastatue。
Afferyhadbeenlookingforthemattheprison，andhadcaughtsightofthematadistanceonthebridge。Shecameuptoreceiveheroldmistressinherarms，tohelptocarryherintoaneighbouringhouse，andtobefaithfultoher。Themysteryofthenoiseswasoutnow；Affery，likegreaterpeople，hadalwaysbeenrightinherfacts，andalwayswronginthetheoriesshededucedfromthem。
Whenthestormofdusthadclearedawayandthesummernightwascalmagain，numbersofpeoplechokedupeveryavenueofaccess，andpartiesofdiggerswereformedtorelieveoneanotherindiggingamongtheruins。Therehadbeenahundredpeopleinthehouseatthetimeofitsfall，therehadbeenfifty，therehadbeenfifteen，therehadbeentwo。Rumourfinallysettledthenumberattwo；theforeignerandMrFlintwinch。
Thediggersdugallthroughtheshortnightbyflaringpipesofgas，andonalevelwiththeearlysun，anddeeperanddeeperbelowitasitroseintoitszenith，andaslantofitasitdeclined，andonalevelwithitagainasitdeparted。Sturdydigging，andshovelling，andcarryingaway，incarts，barrows，andbaskets，wentonwithoutintermission，bynightandbyday；butitwasnightforthesecondtimewhentheyfoundthedirtyheapofrubbishthathadbeentheforeignerbeforehisheadhadbeenshiveredtoatoms，likesomuchglass，bythegreatbeamthatlayuponhim，crushinghim。
Still，theyhadnotcomeuponFlintwinchyet；sothesturdydiggingandshovellingandcarryingawaywentonwithoutintermissionbynightandbyday。Itgotaboutthattheoldhousehadhadfamouscellaragewhichindeedwastrue，andthatFlintwinchhadbeeninacellaratthemoment，orhadhadtimetoescapeintoone，andthathewassafeunderitsstrongarch，andeventhathehadbeenheardtocry，inhollow，subterranean，suffocatednotes，’HereI
am!’Attheoppositeextremityofthetownitwasevenknownthattheexcavatorshadbeenabletoopenacommunicationwithhimthroughapipe，andthathehadreceivedbothsoupandbrandybythatchannel，