’MrClennam，hadyoulaidout——everything？’Hegotoverthebreakbeforethelastword，andalsobroughtoutthelastworditselfwithgreatdifficulty。
’Everything。’
MrPanckstookholdofhistoughhairagain，andgaveitsuchawrenchthathepulledoutseveralprongsofit。Afterlookingatthesewithaneyeofwildhatred，heputtheminhispocket。
’Mycourse，’saidClennam，brushingawaysometearsthathadbeensilentlydroppingdownhisface，’mustbetakenatonce。WhatwretchedamendsIcanmakemustbemade。Imustclearmyunfortunatepartner’sreputation。Imustretainnothingformyself。ImustresigntoourcreditorsthepowerofmanagementI
havesomuchabused，andImustworkoutasmuchofmyfault——orcrime——asissusceptibleofbeingworkedoutintherestofmydays。’
’Isitimpossible，sir，totideoverthepresent？’
’Outofthequestion。Nothingcanbetidedovernow，Pancks。Thesoonerthebusinesscanpassoutofmyhands，thebetterforit。
Thereareengagementstobemet，thisweek，whichwouldbringthecatastrophebeforemanydayswereover，evenifIwouldpostponeitforasingledaybygoingonforthatspace，secretlyknowingwhatIknow。AlllastnightIthoughtofwhatIwoulddo；whatremainsistodoit。’
’Notentirelyofyourself？’saidPancks，whosefacewasasdampasifhissteamwereturningintowaterasfastashedismallyblewitoff。’Havesomelegalhelp。’
’PerhapsIhadbetter。’
’HaveRugg。’
’Thereisnotmuchtodo。Hewilldoitaswellasanother。’
’ShallIfetchRugg，MrClennam？’
’Ifyoucouldsparethetime，Ishouldbemuchobligedtoyou。’
MrPancksputonhishatthatmoment，andsteamedawaytoPentonville。WhilehewasgoneArthurneverraisedhisheadfromthedesk，butremainedinthatoneposition。
MrPancksbroughthisfriendandprofessionaladviser，MrRugg，backwithhim。MrRugghadhadsuchampleexperience，ontheroad，ofMrPancks’sbeingatthatpresentinanirrationalstateofmind，thatheopenedhisprofessionalmediationbyrequestingthatgentlemantotakehimselfoutoftheway。MrPancks，crushedandsubmissive，obeyed。
’Heisnotunlikewhatmydaughterwas，sir，whenwebegantheBreachofPromiseactionofRuggandBawkins，inwhichshewasPlaintiff，’saidMrRugg。’Hetakestoostronganddirectaninterestinthecase。Hisfeelingsareworkedupon。Thereisnogettingon，inourprofession，withfeelingsworkedupon，sir。’
Ashepulledoffhisglovesandputtheminhishat，hesaw，inasideglanceortwo，thatagreatchangehadcomeoverhisclient。
’Iamsorrytoperceive，sir，’saidMrRugg，’thatyouhavebeenallowingyourownfeelingstobeworkedupon。Now，praydon’t，praydon’t。Theselossesaremuchtobedeplored，sir，butwemustlook’emintheface。’
’IfthemoneyIhavesacrificedhadbeenallmyown，MrRugg，’
sighedMrClennam，’Ishouldhavecaredfarless。’
’Indeed，sir？’saidMrRugg，rubbinghishandswithacheerfulair。
’Yousurpriseme。That’ssingular，sir。Ihavegenerallyfound，inmyexperience，thatit’stheirownmoneypeoplearemostparticularabout。Ihaveseenpeoplegetridofagooddealofotherpeople’smoney，andbearitverywell：verywellindeed。’
Withthesecomfortingremarks，MrRuggseatedhimselfonanoffice-
stoolatthedeskandproceededtobusiness。
’Now，MrClennam，byyourleave，letusgointothematter。Letusseethestateofthecase。Thequestionissimple。Thequestionistheusualplain，straightforward，common-sensequestion。Whatcanwedoforourself？Whatcanwedoforourself？’
’Thisisnotthequestionwithme，MrRugg，’saidArthur。’Youmistakeitinthebeginning。Itis，whatcanIdoformypartner，howcanIbestmakereparationtohim？’
’Iamafraid，sir，doyouknow，’arguedMrRuggpersuasively，’thatyouarestillallowingyourfeelingtobeworkedupon。Idon’tliketheterm“reparation，“sir，exceptasaleverinthehandsofcounsel。WillyouexcusemysayingthatIfeelitmydutytoofferyouthecaution，thatyoureallymustnotallowyourfeelingstobeworkedupon？’
’MrRugg，’saidClennam，nervinghimselftogothroughwithwhathehadresolvedupon，andsurprisingthatgentlemanbyappearing，inhisdespondency，tohaveasettleddeterminationofpurpose；’yougivemetheimpressionthatyouwillnotbemuchdisposedtoadoptthecourseIhavemadeupmymindtotake。Ifyourdisapprovalofitshouldrenderyouunwillingtodischargesuchbusinessasitnecessitates，Iamsorryforit，andmustseekotheraid。ButI
willrepresenttoyouatonce，thattoargueagainstitwithmeisuseless。’
’Good，sir，’answeredMrRugg，shrugginghisshoulders。’Good，sir。
Sincethebusinessistobedonebysomehands，letitbedonebymine。SuchwasmyprincipleinthecaseofRuggandBawkins。Suchismyprincipleinmostcases。’
ClennamthenproceededtostatetoMrRugghisfixedresolution。
HetoldMrRuggthathispartnerwasamanofgreatsimplicityandintegrity，andthatinallhemeanttodo，hewasguidedaboveallthingsbyaknowledgeofhispartner’scharacter，andarespectforhisfeelings。Heexplainedthathispartnerwasthenabsentonanenterpriseofimportance，andthatitparticularlybehovedhimselfpubliclytoaccepttheblameofwhathehadrashlydone，andpubliclytoexoneratehispartnerfromallparticipationintheresponsibilityofit，lestthesuccessfulconductofthatenterpriseshouldbeendangeredbytheslightestsuspicionwronglyattachingtohispartner’shonourandcreditinanothercountry。
HetoldMrRuggthattoclearhispartnermorally，tothefullestextent，andpubliclyandunreservedlytodeclarethathe，ArthurClennam，ofthatFirm，hadofhisownsoleact，andevenexpresslyagainsthispartner’scaution，embarkeditsresourcesintheswindlesthathadlatelyperished，wastheonlyrealatonementwithinhispower；wasabetteratonementtotheparticularmanthanitwouldbetomanymen；andwasthereforetheatonementhehadfirsttomake。Withthisview，hisintentionwastoprintadeclarationtotheforegoingeffect，whichhehadalreadydrawnup；
and，besidescirculatingitamongallwhohaddealingswiththeHouse，toadvertiseitinthepublicpapers。ConcurrentlywiththismeasurethedescriptionofwhichcostMrRugginnumerablewryfacesandgreatuneasinessinhislimbs，hewouldaddressalettertoallthecreditors，exoneratinghispartnerinasolemnmanner，informingthemofthestoppageoftheHouseuntiltheirpleasurecouldbeknownandhispartnercommunicatedwith，andhumblysubmittinghimselftotheirdirection。If，throughtheirconsiderationforhispartner’sinnocence，theaffairscouldeverbegotintosuchtrainasthatthebusinesscouldbeprofitablyresumed，anditspresentdownfallovercome，thenhisownshareinitshouldreverttohispartner，astheonlyreparationhecouldmaketohiminmoneyvalueforthedistressandlosshehadunhappilybroughtuponhim，andhehimself，atasmallasalaryashecouldliveupon，wouldasktobeallowedtoservethebusinessasafaithfulclerk。
ThoughMrRuggsawplainlytherewasnopreventingthisfrombeingdone，stillthewrynessofhisfaceandtheuneasinessofhislimbssosorelyrequiredthepropitiationofaProtest，thathemadeone。
’Ioffernoobjection，sir，’saidhe，’Iarguenopointwithyou。
Iwillcarryoutyourviews，sir；but，underprotest。’MrRuggthenstated，notwithoutprolixity，theheadsofhisprotest。
Thesewere，ineffect，becausethewholetown，orhemightsaythewholecountry，wasinthefirstmadnessofthelatediscovery，andtheresentmentagainstthevictimswouldbeverystrong：thosewhohadnotbeendeludedbeingcertaintowaxexceedinglywrothwiththemfornothavingbeenaswiseastheywere：andthosewhohadbeendeludedbeingcertaintofindexcusesandreasonsforthemselves，ofwhichtheywereequallycertaintoseethatothersuffererswerewhollydevoid：nottomentionthegreatprobabilityofeveryindividualsuffererpersuadinghimself，tohisviolentindignation，thatbutfortheexampleofalltheothersufferersheneverwouldhaveputhimselfinthewayofsuffering。BecausesuchadeclarationasClennam’s，madeatsuchatime，wouldcertainlydrawdownuponhimastormofanimosity，renderingitimpossibletocalculateonforbearanceinthecreditors，oronunanimityamongthem；andexposinghimasolitarytargettoastragglingcross-
fire，whichmightbringhimdownfromhalf-a-dozenquartersatonce。
ToallthisClennammerelyrepliedthat，grantingthewholeprotest，nothinginitlessenedtheforce，orcouldlessentheforce，ofthevoluntaryandpublicexonerationofhispartner。Hetherefore，onceandforall，requestedMrRugg’simmediateaidingettingthebusinessdespatched。Uponthat，MrRuggfelltowork；
andArthur，retainingnopropertytohimselfbuthisclothesandbooks，andalittleloosemoney，placedhissmallprivatebanker’s-
accountwiththepapersofthebusiness。
Thedisclosurewasmade，andthestormragedfearfully。Thousandsofpeoplewerewildlystaringaboutforsomebodyalivetoheapreproacheson；andthisnotablecase，courtingpublicity，setthelivingsomebodysomuchwanted，onascaffold。Whenpeoplewhohadnothingtodowiththecaseweresosensibleofitsflagrancy，peoplewholostmoneybyitcouldscarcelybeexpectedtodealmildlywithit。Lettersofreproachandinvectiveshoweredinfromthecreditors；andMrRugg，whosatuponthehighstooleverydayandreadthemall，informedhisclientwithinaweekthathefearedtherewerewritsout。
’ImusttaketheconsequencesofwhatIhavedone，’saidClennam。
’Thewritswillfindmehere。’
Ontheverynextmorning，ashewasturninginBleedingHeartYardbyMrsPlornish’scorner，MrsPlornishstoodatthedoorwaitingforhim，andmysteriouslybesoughthimtostepintoHappyCottage。
TherehefoundMrRugg。
’IthoughtI’dwaitforyouhere。Iwouldn’tgoontotheCounting-housethismorningifIwasyou，sir。’
’Whynot，MrRugg？’
’Thereareasmanyasfiveout，tomyknowledge。’
’Itcannotbetoosoonover，’saidClennam。’Letthemtakemeatonce。’
’Yes，but，’saidMrRugg，gettingbetweenhimandthedoor，’hearreason，hearreason。They’lltakeyousoonenough，MrClennam，I
don’tdoubt；but，hearreason。Italmostalwayshappens，inthesecases，thatsomeinsignificantmatterpushesitselfinfrontandmakesmuchofitself。Now，Ifindthere’salittleoneout——amerePalaceCourtjurisdiction——andIhavereasontobelievethatacaptionmaybemadeuponthat。Iwouldn’tbetakenuponthat。’
’Whynot？’askedClennam。
’I’dbetakenonafull-grownone，sir，’saidMrRugg。’It’saswelltokeepupappearances。Asyourprofessionaladviser，I
shouldpreferyourbeingtakenonawritfromoneoftheSuperiorCourts，ifyouhavenoobjectiontodomethatfavour。Itlooksbetter。’