MrF。’sAuntholdingoutlikeagrimfortress，andFlorabecominginneedofrefreshment，amessengerwasdespatchedtothehotelforthetumbleralreadyglancedat，whichwasafterwardsreplenished。
Withtheaidofitscontent，anewspaper，andsomeskimmingofthecreamofthepie-stock，Floragotthroughtheremainderofthedayinperfectgoodhumour；thoughoccasionallyembarrassedbytheconsequencesofanidlerumourwhichcirculatedamongthecredulousinfantsoftheneighbourhood，totheeffectthatanoldladyhadsoldherselftothepie-shoptobemadeup，andwasthensittinginthepie-shopparlour，decliningtocompletehercontract。Thisattractedsomanyyoungpersonsofbothsexes，and，whentheshadesofeveningbegantofall，occasionedsomuchinterruptiontothebusiness，thatthemerchantbecameverypressinginhisproposalsthatMrF。’sAuntshouldberemoved。Aconveyancewasaccordinglybroughttothedoor，which，bythejointeffortsofthemerchantandFlora，thisremarkablewomanwasatlastinducedtoenter；
thoughnotwithouteventhenputtingherheadoutofthewindow，anddemandingtohavehim’broughtfor’ard’forthepurposeoriginallymentioned。AsshewasobservedatthistimetodirectbalefulglancestowardstheMarshalsea，ithasbeensupposedthatthisadmirablyconsistentfemaleintendedby’him，’ArthurClennam。
This，however，ismerespeculation；whothepersonwas，who，forthesatisfactionofMrF。’sAunt’smind，oughttohavebeenbroughtforwardandneverwasbroughtforward，willneverbepositivelyknown。
Theautumndayswenton，andLittleDorritnevercametotheMarshalseanowandwentawaywithoutseeinghim。No，no，no。
Onemorning，asArthurlistenedforthelightfeetthateverymorningascendedwingedtohisheart，bringingtheheavenlybrightnessofanewloveintotheroomwheretheoldlovehadwroughtsohardandbeensotrue；onemorning，ashelistened，heheardhercoming，notalone。
’DearArthur，’saidherdelightedvoiceoutsidethedoor，’Ihavesomeonehere。MayIbringsomeonein？’
Hehadthoughtfromthetreadthereweretwowithher。Heanswered’Yes，’andshecameinwithMrMeagles。Sun-brownedandjollyMrMeagleslooked，andheopenedhisarmsandfoldedArthurinthem，likeasun-brownedandjollyfather。
’NowIamallright，’saidMrMeagles，afteraminuteorso。’Nowit’sover。Arthur，mydearfellow，confessatoncethatyouexpectedmebefore。’
’Idid，’saidArthur；’butAmytoldme——’
’LittleDorrit。Neveranyothername。’Itwasshewhowhisperedit。
’——ButmyLittleDorrittoldmethat，withoutaskingforanyfurtherexplanation，IwasnottoexpectyouuntilIsawyou。’
’Andnowyouseeme，myboy，’saidMrMeagles，shakinghimbythehandstoutly；’andnowyoushallhaveanyexplanationandeveryexplanation。Thefactis，Iwashere——camestraighttoyoufromtheAllongersandMarshongers，orIshouldbeashamedtolookyouinthefacethisday，——butyouwerenotincompanytrimatthemoment，andIhadtostartoffagaintocatchDoyce。’
’PoorDoyce!’sighedArthur。
’Don’tcallhimnamesthathedon’tdeserve，’saidMrMeagles。
’He’snotpoor；he’sdoingwellenough。Doyceisawonderfulfellowoverthere。Iassureyouheismakingouthiscaselikeahousea-fire。Hehasfallenonhislegs，hasDan。Wheretheydon’twantthingsdoneandfindamantodo’em，thatman’soffhislegs；butwheretheydowantthingsdoneandfindamantodo’em，thatman’sonhislegs。Youwon’thaveoccasiontotroubletheCircumlocutionOfficeanymore。Letmetellyou，Danhasdonewithout’em!’
’Whataloadyoutakefrommymind!’criedArthur。’Whathappinessyougiveme!’
’Happiness？’retortedMrMeagles。’Don’ttalkabouthappinesstillyouseeDan。IassureyouDanisdirectingworksandexecutinglaboursoveryonder，thatitwouldmakeyourhairstandonendtolookat。He’snopublicoffender，blessyou，now!He’smedalledandribboned，andstarredandcrossed，andIdon’t-know-whatall’d，likeabornnobleman。Butwemustn’ttalkaboutthatoverhere。’
’Whynot？’
’Oh，egad!’saidMrMeagles，shakinghisheadveryseriously，’hemusthideallthosethingsunderlockandkeywhenhecomesoverhere。Theywon’tdooverhere。Inthatparticular，BritanniaisaBritanniaintheManger——won’tgiveherchildrensuchdistinctionsherself，andwon’tallowthemtobeseenwhentheyaregivenbyothercountries。No，no，Dan!’saidMrMeagles，shakinghisheadagain。’Thatwon’tdohere!’
’IfyouhadbroughtmeexceptforDoyce’ssaketwicewhatIhavelost，’criedArthur，’youwouldnothavegivenmethepleasurethatyougivemeinthisnews。’
’Why，ofcourse，ofcourse，’assentedMrMeagles。’OfcourseI
knowthat，mygoodfellow，andthereforeIcomeoutwithitinthefirstburst。Now，togoback，aboutcatchingDoyce。IcaughtDoyce。Ranagainsthimamongalotofthosedirtybrowndogsinwomen’snightcapsagreatdealtoobigfor’em，callingthemselvesArabsandallsortsofincoherentraces。YOUknow’em!Well!Hewascomingstraighttome，andIwasgoingtohim，andsowecamebacktogether。’
’DoyceinEngland!’exclaimedArthur。
’There!’saidMrMeagles，throwingopenhisarms。’Iamtheworstmanintheworldtomanageathingofthissort。Idon’tknowwhatIshouldhavedoneifIhadbeeninthediplomaticline——right，perhaps!Thelongandshortofitis，Arthur，wehavebothbeeninEnglandthisfortnight。AndifyougoontoaskwhereDoyceisatthepresentmoment，why，myplainansweris——hereheis!AndnowIcanbreatheagainatlast!’
Doycedartedinfrombehindthedoor，caughtArthurbybothhands，andsaidtherestforhimself。
’Thereareonlythreebranchesofmysubject，mydearClennam，’
saidDoyce，proceedingtomouldthemseverally，withhisplasticthumb，onthepalmofhishand，’andthey’resoondisposedof。
First，notawordmorefromyouaboutthepast。Therewasanerrorinyourcalculations。Iknowwhatthatis。Itaffectsthewholemachine，andfailureistheconsequence。Youwillprofitbythefailure，andwillavoiditanothertime。Ihavedoneasimilarthingmyself，inconstruction，often。Everyfailureteachesamansomething，ifhewilllearn；andyouaretoosensibleamannottolearnfromthisfailure。Somuchforfirstly。Secondly。Iwassorryyoushouldhavetakenitsoheavilytoheart，andreproachedyourselfsoseverely；Iwastravellinghomenightanddaytoputmattersright，withtheassistanceofourfriend，whenIfellinwithourfriendashehasinformedyou。Thirdly。Wetwoagreed，that，afterwhatyouhadundergone，afteryourdistressofmind，andafteryourillness，itwouldbeapleasantsurpriseifwecouldsofarkeepquietastogetthingsperfectlyarrangedwithoutyourknowledge，andthencomeandsaythatalltheaffairsweresmooth，thateverythingwasright，thatthebusinessstoodingreaterwantofyouthaneveritdid，andthatanewandprosperouscareerwasopenedbeforeyouandmeaspartners。That’sthirdly。Butyouknowwealwaysmakeanallowanceforfriction，andsoIhavereservedspacetoclosein。MydearClennam，Ithoroughlyconfideinyou；youhaveitinyourpowertobequiteasusefultomeasI
have，orhavehad，itinmypowertobeusefultoyou；youroldplaceawaitsyou，andwantsyouverymuch；thereisnothingtodetainyouhereonehalf-hourlonger。’
Therewassilence，whichwasnotbrokenuntilArthurhadstoodforsometimeatthewindowwithhisbacktowardsthem，anduntilhislittlewifethatwastobehadgonetohimandstayedbyhim。
’Imadearemarkalittlewhileago，’saidDanielDoycethen，’whichIaminclinedtothinkwasanincorrectone。Isaidtherewasnothingtodetainyouhere，Clennam，halfanhourlonger。AmImistakeninsupposingthatyouwouldrathernotleaveheretillto-morrowmorning？DoIknow，withoutbeingverywise，whereyouwouldliketogo，directfromthesewallsandfromthisroom？’
’Youdo，’returnedArthur。’Ithasbeenourcherishedpurpose。’
’Verywell!’saidDoyce。’Then，ifthisyoungladywilldomethehonourofregardingmeforfour-and-twentyhoursinthelightofafather，andwilltakearidewithmenowtowardsSaintPaul’sChurchyard，IdaresayIknowwhatwewanttogetthere。’
LittleDorritandhewentouttogethersoonafterwards，andMrMeagleslingeredbehindtosayawordtohisfriend。
’Ithink，Arthur，youwillnotwantMotherandmeinthemorningandwewillkeepaway。ItmightsetMotherthinkingaboutPet；
she’sasoft-heartedwoman。She’sbestattheCottage，andI’llstaythereandkeephercompany。’
Withthattheypartedforthetime。Andthedayended，andthenightended，andthemorningcame，andLittleDorrit，simplydressedasusualandhavingnoonewithherbutMaggy，cameintotheprisonwiththesunshine。Thepoorroomwasahappyroomthatmorning。Whereintheworldwastherearoomsofullofquietjoy!
’Mydearlove，’saidArthur。’WhydoesMaggylightthefire？Weshallbegonedirectly。’
’Iaskedhertodoit。Ihavetakensuchanoddfancy。Iwantyoutoburnsomethingforme。’
’What？’
’Onlythisfoldedpaper。Ifyouwillputitinthefirewithyourownhand，justasitis，myfancywillbegratified。’
’Superstitious，darlingLittleDorrit？Isitacharm？’
’Itisanythingyoulikebest，myown，’sheanswered，laughingwithglisteningeyesandstandingontiptoetokisshim，’ifyouwillonlyhumourmewhenthefireburnsup。’
Sotheystoodbeforethefire，waiting：Clennamwithhisarmaboutherwaist，andthefireshining，asfireinthatsameplacehadoftenshone，inLittleDorrit’seyes。’Isitbrightenoughnow？’
saidArthur。’Quitebrightenoughnow，’saidLittleDorrit。’Doesthecharmwantanywordstobesaid？’askedArthur，asheheldthepaperovertheflame。’Youcansayifyoudon’tmind“Iloveyou!’answeredLittleDorrit。Sohesaidit，andthepaperburnedaway。
Theypassedveryquietlyalongtheyard；fornoonewasthere，thoughmanyheadswerestealthilypeepingfromthewindows。
Onlyoneface，familiarofold，wasintheLodge。Whentheyhadbothaccostedit，andspokenmanykindwords，LittleDorritturnedbackonelasttimewithherhandstretchedout，saying，’Good-bye，goodJohn!Ihopeyouwillliveveryhappy，dear!’
ThentheywentupthestepsoftheneighbouringSaintGeorge’sChurch，andwentuptothealtar，whereDanielDoycewaswaitinginhispaternalcharacter。AndtherewasLittleDorrit’soldfriendwhohadgivenhertheBurialRegisterforapillow；fullofadmirationthatsheshouldcomebacktothemtobemarried，afterall。
AndtheyweremarriedwiththesunshiningonthemthroughthepaintedfigureofOurSaviouronthewindow。AndtheywentintotheveryroomwhereLittleDorrithadslumberedafterherparty，tosigntheMarriageRegister。Andthere，MrPancks，destinedtobechiefclerktoDoyceandClennam，andafterwardspartnerinthehouse，sinkingtheIncendiaryinthepeacefulfriend，lookedinatthedoortoseeitdone，withFloragallantlysupportedononearmandMaggyontheother，andaback-groundofJohnChiveryandfatherandotherturnkeyswhohadrunroundforthemoment，desertingtheparentMarshalseaforitshappychild。NorhadFloratheleastsignsofseclusionuponher，notwithstandingherrecentdeclaration；but，onthecontrary，waswonderfullysmart，andenjoyedtheceremoniesmightily，thoughinaflutteredway。
LittleDorrit’soldfriendheldtheinkstandasshesignedhername，andtheclerkpausedintakingoffthegoodclergyman’ssurplice，andallthewitnesseslookedonwithspecialinterest。
’For，yousee，’saidLittleDorrit’soldfriend，’thisyoungladyisoneofourcuriosities，andhascomenowtothethirdvolumeofourRegisters。HerbirthisinwhatIcallthefirstvolume；shelayasleep，onthisveryfloor，withherprettyheadonwhatIcallthesecondvolume；andshe’snowa-writingherlittlenameasabrideinwhatIcallthethirdvolume。’
Theyallgaveplacewhenthesigningwasdone，andLittleDorritandherhusbandwalkedoutofthechurchalone。Theypausedforamomentonthestepsoftheportico，lookingatthefreshperspectiveofthestreetintheautumnmorningsun’sbrightrays，andthenwentdown。
Wentdownintoamodestlifeofusefulnessandhappiness。Wentdowntogiveamother’scare，inthefulnessoftime，toFanny’sneglectedchildrennolessthantotheirown，andtoleavethatladygoingintoSocietyforeverandaday。WentdowntogiveatendernurseandfriendtoTipforsomefewyears，whowasnevervexedbythegreatexactionshemadeofherinreturnforthericheshemighthavegivenherifhehadeverhadthem，andwholovinglyclosedhiseyesupontheMarshalseaandallitsblightedfruits。Theywentquietlydownintotheroaringstreets，inseparableandblessed；andastheypassedalonginsunshineandshade，thenoisyandtheeager，andthearrogantandthefrowardandthevain，frettedandchafed，andmadetheirusualuproar。
End