Notwithstandingthatitswallswereblotched，asifmissionarymapswereburstingoutofthemtoimpartgeographicalknowledge；
notwithstandingthatitsweirdfurniturewasforlornlyfadedandmusty，andthattheprevailingVenetianodourofbilgewaterandanebbtideonaweedyshorewasverystrong；theplacewasbetterwithin，thanitpromised。Thedoorwasopenedbyasmilingmanlikeareformedassassin——atemporaryservant——whousheredthemintotheroomwhereMrsGowansat，withtheannouncementthattwobeautifulEnglishladieswerecometoseethemistress。
MrsGowan，whowasengagedinneedlework，putherworkasideinacoveredbasket，androse，alittlehurriedly。MissFannywasexcessivelycourteoustoher，andsaidtheusualnothingswiththeskillofaveteran。
’Papawasextremelysorry，’proceededFanny，’tobeengagedto-dayheissomuchengagedhere，ouracquaintancebeingsowretchedlylarge!；andparticularlyrequestedmetobringhiscardforMrGowan。ThatImaybesuretoacquitmyselfofacommissionwhichheimpresseduponmeatleastadozentimes，allowmetorelievemyconsciencebyplacingitonthetableatonce。’
Whichshedidwithveteranease。
’Wehavebeen，’saidFanny，’charmedtounderstandthatyouknowtheMerdles。Wehopeitmaybeanothermeansofbringingustogether。’
’Theyarefriends，’saidMrsGowan，’ofMrGowan’sfamily。IhavenotyethadthepleasureofapersonalintroductiontoMrsMerdle，butIsupposeIshallbepresentedtoheratRome。’
’Indeed？’returnedFanny，withanappearanceofamiablyquenchingherownsuperiority。’Ithinkyou’lllikeher。’
’Youknowherverywell？’
’Why，yousee，’saidFanny，withafrankactionofherprettyshoulders，’inLondononeknowseveryone。Wemetheronourwayhere，and，tosaythetruth，papawasatfirstrathercrosswithherfortakingoneoftheroomsthatourpeoplehadorderedforus。
However，ofcourse，thatsoonblewover，andwewereallgoodfriendsagain。’
AlthoughthevisithadasyetgivenLittleDorritnoopportunityofconversingwithMrsGowan，therewasasilentunderstandingbetweenthem，whichdidaswell。ShelookedatMrsGowanwithkeenandunabatedinterest；thesoundofhervoicewasthrillingtoher；
nothingthatwasnearher，orabouther，oratallconcernedher，escapedLittleDorrit。Shewasquickertoperceivetheslightestmatterhere，thaninanyothercase——butone。
’Youhavebeenquitewell，’shenowsaid，’sincethatnight？’
’Quite，mydear。Andyou？’
’Oh!Iamalwayswell，’saidLittleDorrit，timidly。’I——yes，thankyou。’
Therewasnoreasonforherfalteringandbreakingoff，otherthanthatMrsGowanhadtouchedherhandinspeakingtoher，andtheirlookshadmet。Somethingthoughtfullyapprehensiveinthelarge，softeyes，hadcheckedLittleDorritinaninstant。
’Youdon’tknowthatyouareafavouriteofmyhusband’s，andthatIamalmostboundtobejealousofyou？’saidMrsGowan。
LittleDorrit，blushing，shookherhead。
’Hewilltellyou，ifhetellsyouwhathetellsme，thatyouarequieterandquickerofresourcethananyoneheeversaw。’
’Hespeaksfartoowellofme，’saidLittleDorrit。
’Idoubtthat；butIdon’tatalldoubtthatImusttellhimyouarehere。Ishouldneverbeforgiven，ifIweretoletyou——andMissDorrit——go，withoutdoingso。MayI？Youcanexcusethedisorderanddiscomfortofapainter’sstudio？’
TheinquirieswereaddressedtoMissFanny，whograciouslyrepliedthatshewouldbebeyondanythinginterestedandenchanted。MrsGowanwenttoadoor，lookedinbeyondit，andcameback。’DoHenrythefavourtocomein，’saidshe，’Iknewhewouldbepleased!’
ThefirstobjectthatconfrontedLittleDorrit，enteringfirst，wasBlandoisofParisinagreatcloakandafurtiveslouchedhat，standingonathroneplatforminacorner，ashehadstoodontheGreatSaintBernard，whenthewarningarmsseemedtobeallpointingupathim。Sherecoiledfromthisfigure，asitsmiledather。
’Don’tbealarmed，’saidGowan，comingfromhiseaselbehindthedoor。’It’sonlyBlandois。Heisdoingdutyasamodelto-day。
Iammakingastudyofhim。Itsavesmemoneytoturnhimtosomeuse。Wepoorpaintershavenonetospare。’
BlandoisofParispulledoffhisslouchedhat，andsalutedtheladieswithoutcomingoutofhiscorner。
’Athousandpardons!’saidhe。’ButtheProfessorehereissoinexorablewithme，thatIamafraidtostir。’
’Don’tstir，then，’saidGowancoolly，asthesistersapproachedtheeasel。’Lettheladiesatleastseetheoriginalofthedaub，thattheymayknowwhatit’smeantfor。Therehestands，yousee。
Abravowaitingforhisprey，adistinguishednoblewaitingtosavehiscountry，thecommonenemywaitingtodosomebodyabadturn，anangelicmessengerwaitingtodosomebodyagoodturn——whateveryouthinkhelooksmostlike!’
’Say，ProfessoreMio，apoorgentlemanwaitingtodohomagetoeleganceandbeauty，’remarkedBlandois。
’Orsay，CattivoSoggettoMio，’returnedGowan，touchingthepaintedfacewithhisbrushinthepartwheretherealfacehadmoved，’amurdererafterthefact。Showthatwhitehandofyours，Blandois。Putitoutsidethecloak。Keepitstill。’
Blandois’handwasunsteady；buthelaughed，andthatwouldnaturallyshakeit。
’Hewasformerlyinsomescufflewithanothermurderer，orwithavictim，youobserve，’saidGowan，puttinginthemarkingsofthehandwithaquick，impatient，unskilfultouch，’andthesearethetokensofit。Outsidethecloak，man!——CorpodiSanMarco，whatareyouthinkingof？’
BlandoisofParisshookwithalaughagain，sothathishandshookmore；nowheraisedittotwisthismoustache，whichhadadampappearance；andnowhestoodintherequiredposition，withalittlenewswagger。
HisfacewassodirectedinreferencetothespotwhereLittleDorritstoodbytheeasel，thatthroughouthelookedather。Onceattractedbyhispeculiareyes，shecouldnotremoveherown，andtheyhadlookedateachotherallthetime。Shetremblednow；
Gowan，feelingit，andsupposinghertobealarmedbythelargedogbesidehim，whoseheadshecaressedinherhand，andwhohadjustutteredalowgrowl，glancedathertosay，’Hewon’thurtyou，MissDorrit。’
’Iamnotafraidofhim，’shereturnedinthesamebreath；’butwillyoulookathim？’
InamomentGowanhadthrowndownhisbrush，andseizedthedogwithbothhandsbythecollar。
’Blandois!Howcanyoubesuchafoolastoprovokehim!ByHeaven，andtheotherplacetoo，he’lltearyoutobits!Liedown!
Lion!Doyouhearmyvoice，yourebel!
’Thegreatdog，regardlessofbeinghalf-chokedbyhiscollar，wasobduratelypullingwithhisdeadweightagainsthismaster，resolvedtogetacrosstheroom。Hehadbeencrouchingforaspringatthemomentwhenhismastercaughthim。
’Lion!Lion!’Hewasuponhishindlegs，anditwasawrestlebetweenmasteranddog。’Getback!Down，Lion!Getoutofhissight，Blandois!Whatdevilhaveyouconjuredintothedog？’
’Ihavedonenothingtohim。’
’GetoutofhissightorIcan’tholdthewildbeast!Getoutoftheroom!Bymysoul，he’llkillyou!’
Thedog，withaferociousbark，madeoneotherstruggleasBlandoisvanished；then，inthemomentofthedog’ssubmission，themaster，littlelessangrythanthedog，felledhimwithablowonthehead，andstandingoverhim，struckhimmanytimesseverelywiththeheelofhisboot，sothathismouthwaspresentlybloody。
’Nowgetyouintothatcornerandliedown，’saidGowan，’orI’lltakeyououtandshootyou。’
Liondidashewasordered，andlaydownlickinghismouthandchest。Lion’smasterstoppedforamomenttotakebreath，andthen，recoveringhisusualcoolnessofmanner，turnedtospeaktohisfrightenedwifeandhervisitors。Probablythewholeoccurrencehadnotoccupiedtwominutes。
’Come，come，Minnie!Youknowheisalwaysgood-humouredandtractable。Blandoismusthaveirritatedhim，——madefacesathim。
Thedoghashislikingsanddislikings，andBlandoisisnogreatfavouriteofhis；butIamsureyouwillgivehimacharacter，Minnie，forneverhavingbeenlikethisbefore。’
Minniewastoomuchdisturbedtosayanythingconnectedinreply；
LittleDorritwasalreadyoccupiedinsoothingher；Fanny，whohadcriedouttwiceorthrice，heldGowan’sarmforprotection；Lion，deeplyashamedofhavingcausedthemthisalarm，cametrailinghimselfalongthegroundtothefeetofhismistress。
’Youfuriousbrute，’saidGowan，strikinghimwithhisfootagain。
’Youshalldopenanceforthis。’Andhestruckhimagain，andyetagain。
’O，praydon’tpunishhimanymore，’criedLittleDorrit。’Don’thurthim。Seehowgentleheis!’Atherentreaty，Gowansparedhim；andhedeservedherintercession，fortrulyhewasassubmissive，andassorry，andaswretchedasadogcouldbe。
Itwasnoteasytorecoverthisshockandmakethevisitunrestrained，eventhoughFannyhadnotbeen，underthebestofcircumstances，theleasttrifleintheway。Insuchfurthercommunicationaspassedamongthembeforethesisterstooktheirdeparture，LittleDorritfancieditwasrevealedtoherthatMrGowantreatedhiswife，eveninhisveryfondness，toomuchlikeabeautifulchild。Heseemedsounsuspiciousofthedepthsoffeelingwhichsheknewmustliebelowthatsurface，thatshedoubtediftherecouldbeanysuchdepthsinhimself。Shewonderedwhetherhiswantofearnestnessmightbethenaturalresultofhiswantofsuchqualities，andwhetheritwaswithpeopleaswithships，that，intooshallowandrockywaters，theiranchorshadnohold，andtheydriftedanywhere。
Heattendedthemdownthestaircase，jocoselyapologisingforthepoorquarterstowhichsuchpoorfellowsashimselfwerelimited，andremarkingthatwhenthehighandmightyBarnacles，hisrelatives，whowouldbedreadfullyashamedofthem，presentedhimwithbetter，hewouldliveinbettertoobligethem。Atthewater’sedgetheyweresalutedbyBlandois，wholookedwhiteenoughafterhislateadventure，butwhomadeverylightofitnotwithstanding，——laughingatthementionofLion。
Leavingthetwotogetherunderthescrapofvineuponthecauseway，Gowanidlyscatteringtheleavesfromitintothewater，andBlandoislightingacigarette，thesisterswerepaddledawayinstateastheyhadcome。Theyhadnotglidedonformanyminutes，whenLittleDorritbecameawarethatFannywasmoreshowyinmannerthantheoccasionappearedtorequire，and，lookingaboutforthecausethroughthewindowandthroughtheopendoor，sawanothergondolaevidentlyinwaitingonthem。
Asthisgondolaattendedtheirprogressinvariousartfulways；