Hestoppedinthehopethatshewouldspeak。Buthergreyhairwasnotmoreimmovableinitstwofolds，thanwereherfirmlips。
　　’Ifreparationcanbemadetoanyone，ifrestitutioncanbemadetoanyone，letusknowitandmakeit。Nay，mother，ifwithinmymeans，letMEmakeit。Ihaveseensolittlehappinesscomeofmoney；ithasbroughtwithinmyknowledgesolittlepeacetothishouse，ortoanyonebelongingtoit，thatitisworthlesstomethantoanother。Itcanbuymenothingthatwillnotbeareproachandmiserytome，ifIamhauntedbyasuspicionthatitdarkenedmyfather’slasthourswithremorse，andthatitisnothonestlyandjustlymine。’
　　Therewasabell-ropehangingonthepanelledwall，sometwoorthreeyardsfromthecabinet。Byaswiftandsuddenactionofherfoot，shedroveherwheeledchairrapidlybacktoitandpulleditviolently——stillholdingherarmupinitsshield-likeposture，asifhewerestrikingather，andshewardingofftheblow。
　　Agirlcamehurryingin，frightened。
　　’SendFlintwinchhere!’
　　Inamomentthegirlhadwithdrawn，andtheoldmanstoodwithinthedoor。’What!You’rehammerandtongs，already，youtwo？’hesaid，coollystrokinghisface。’Ithoughtyouwouldbe。Iwasprettysureofit。’
　　’Flintwinch!’saidthemother，’lookatmyson。Lookathim!’
　　’Well，IAMlookingathim，’saidFlintwinch。
　　Shestretchedoutthearmwithwhichshehadshieldedherself，andasshewenton，pointedattheobjectofheranger。
　　’Intheveryhourofhisreturnalmost——beforetheshoeuponhisfootisdry——heasperseshisfather’smemorytohismother!Askshismothertobecome，withhim，aspyuponhisfather’stransactionsthroughalifetime!Hasmisgivingsthatthegoodsofthisworldwhichwehavepainfullygottogetherearlyandlate，withwearandtearandtoilandself-denial，aresomuchplunder；
　　andaskstowhomtheyshallbegivenup，asreparationandrestitution!’
　　Althoughshesaidthisraging，shesaiditinavoicesofarfrombeingbeyondhercontrolthatitwasevenlowerthanherusualtone。Shealsospokewithgreatdistinctness。
　　’Reparation!’saidshe。’Yes，truly!Itiseasyforhimtotalkofreparation，freshfromjourneyingandjunketinginforeignlands，andlivingalifeofvanityandpleasure。Butlethimlookatme，inprison，andinbondshere。Iendurewithoutmurmuring，becauseitisappointedthatIshallsomakereparationformysins。Reparation!Istherenoneinthisroom？Hastherebeennoneherethisfifteenyears？’
　　ThuswasshealwaysbalancingherbargainswiththeMajestyofheaven，postinguptheentriestohercredit，strictlykeepingherset-off，andclaimingherdue。Shewasonlyremarkableinthis，fortheforceandemphasiswithwhichshedidit。Thousandsuponthousandsdoit，accordingtotheirvaryingmanner，everyday。
　　’Flintwinch，givemethatbook!’
　　Theoldmanhandedittoherfromthetable。Sheputtwofingersbetweentheleaves，closedthebookuponthem，andheldituptohersoninathreateningway。
　　’Inthedaysofold，Arthur，treatedofinthiscommentary，therewerepiousmen，belovedoftheLord，whowouldhavecursedtheirsonsforlessthanthis：whowouldhavesentthemforth，andsentwholenationsforth，ifsuchhadsupportedthem，tobeavoidedofGodandman，andperish，downtothebabyatthebreast。ButI
　　onlytellyouthatifyoueverrenewthatthemewithme，Iwillrenounceyou；Iwillsodismissyouthroughthatdoorway，thatyouhadbetterhavebeenmotherlessfromyourcradle。Iwillneverseeorknowyoumore。Andif，afterall，youweretocomeintothisdarkenedroomtolookuponmelyingdead，mybodyshouldbleed，ifIcouldmakeit，whenyoucamenearme。’
　　Inpartrelievedbytheintensityofthisthreat，andinpartmonstrousasthefactisbyageneralimpressionthatitwasinsomesortareligiousproceeding，shehandedbackthebooktotheoldman，andwassilent。
　　’Now，’saidJeremiah；’premisingthatI’mnotgoingtostandbetweenyoutwo，willyouletmeaskasIhavebeencalledin，andmadeathirdwhatisallthisabout？’
　　’Takeyourversionofit，’returnedArthur，findingitlefttohimtospeak，’frommymother。Letitrestthere。WhatIhavesaid，wassaidtomymotheronly。’
　　’Oh!’returnedtheoldman。’Fromyourmother？Takeitfromyourmother？Well!Butyourmothermentionedthatyouhadbeensuspectingyourfather。That’snotdutiful，MrArthur。Whowillyoubesuspectingnext？’
　　’Enough，’saidMrsClennam，turningherfacesothatitwasaddressedforthemomenttotheoldmanonly。’Letnomorebesaidaboutthis。’
　　’Yes，butstopabit，stopabit，’theoldmanpersisted。’Letusseehowwestand。HaveyoutoldMrArthurthathemustn’tlayoffencesathisfather’sdoor？Thathehasnorighttodoit？
　　Thathehasnogroundtogoupon？’
　　’Itellhimsonow。’
　　’Ah!Exactly，’saidtheoldman。’Youtellhimsonow。Youhadn’ttoldhimsobefore，andyoutellhimsonow。Ay，ay!
　　That’sright!YouknowIstoodbetweenyouandhisfathersolong，thatitseemsasifdeathhadmadenodifference，andIwasstillstandingbetweenyou。SoIwill，andsoinfairnessIrequiretohavethatplainlyputforward。Arthur，youpleasetohearthatyouhavenorighttomistrustyourfather，andhavenogroundtogoupon。’
　　Heputhishandstothebackofthewheeledchair，andmutteringtohimself，slowlywheeledhismistressbacktohercabinet。’Now，’
　　heresumed，standingbehindher：’incaseIshouldgoawayleavingthingshalfdone，andsoshouldbewantedagainwhenyoucometotheotherhalfandgetintooneofyourflights，hasArthurtoldyouwhathemeanstodoaboutthebusiness？’
　　’Hehasrelinquishedit。’
　　’Infavourofnobody，Isuppose？’
　　MrsClennamglancedatherson，leaningagainstoneofthewindows。
　　Heobservedthelookandsaid，’Tomymother，ofcourse。Shedoeswhatshepleases。’
　　’Andifanypleasure，’shesaidafterashortpause，’couldariseformeoutofthedisappointmentofmyexpectationsthatmyson，intheprimeofhislife，wouldinfusenewyouthandstrengthintoit，andmakeitofgreatprofitandpower，itwouldbeinadvancinganoldandfaithfulservant。Jeremiah，thecaptaindesertstheship，butyouandIwillsinkorfloatwithit。’
　　Jeremiah，whoseeyesglistenedasiftheysawmoney，dartedasuddenlookattheson，whichseemedtosay，’IoweYOUnothanksforthis；YOUhavedonenothingtowardsit!’andthentoldthemotherthathethankedher，andthatAfferythankedher，andthathewouldneverdeserther，andthatAfferywouldneverdeserther。
　　Finally，hehauleduphiswatchfromitsdepths，andsaid，’Eleven。
　　Timeforyouroysters!’andwiththatchangeofsubject，whichinvolvednochangeofexpressionormanner，rangthebell。
　　ButMrsClennam，resolvedtotreatherselfwiththegreaterrigourforhavingbeensupposedtobeunacquaintedwithreparation，refusedtoeatheroysterswhentheywerebrought。Theylookedtempting；eightinnumber，circularlysetoutonawhiteplateonatraycoveredwithawhitenapkin，flankedbyasliceofbutteredFrenchroll，andalittlecompactglassofcoolwineandwater；butsheresistedallpersuasions，andsentthemdownagain——placingtheacttohercredit，nodoubt，inherEternalDay-Book。
　　ThisrefectionofoysterswasnotpresidedoverbyAffery，butbythegirlwhohadappearedwhenthebellwasrung；thesamewhohadbeeninthedimly-lightedroomlastnight。Nowthathehadanopportunityofobservingher，Arthurfoundthatherdiminutivefigure，smallfeatures，andslightsparedress，gavehertheappearanceofbeingmuchyoungerthanshewas。Awoman，probablyofnotlessthantwo-and-twenty，shemighthavebeenpassedinthestreetforlittlemorethanhalfthatage。Notthatherfacewasveryyouthful，forintruththerewasmoreconsiderationandcareinitthannaturallybelongedtoherutmostyears；butshewassolittleandlight，sonoiselessandshy，andappearedsoconsciousofbeingoutofplaceamongthethreehardelders，thatshehadallthemannerandmuchoftheappearanceofasubduedchild。
　　Inahardway，andinanuncertainwaythatfluctuatedbetweenpatronageandputtingdown，thesprinklingfromawatering-potandhydraulicpressure，MrsClennamshowedaninterestinthisdependent。Eveninthemomentofherentrance，upontheviolentringingofthebell，whenthemothershieldedherselfwiththatsingularactionfromtheson，MrsClennam’seyeshadhadsomeindividualrecognitioninthem，whichseemedreservedforher。Astherearedegreesofhardnessinthehardestmetal，andshadesofcolourinblackitself，so，evenintheasperityofMrsClennam’sdemeanourtowardsalltherestofhumanityandtowardsLittleDorrit，therewasafinegradation。
　　LittleDorritletherselfouttodoneedlework。Atsomuchaday——
　　oratsolittle——fromeighttoeight，LittleDorritwastobehired。Punctualtothemoment，LittleDorritappeared；punctualtothemoment，LittleDorritvanished。WhatbecameofLittleDorritbetweenthetwoeightswasamystery。
　　AnotherofthemoralphenomenaofLittleDorrit。Besidesherconsiderationmoney，herdailycontractincludedmeals。Shehadanextraordinaryrepugnancetodiningincompany；wouldneverdoso，ifitwerepossibletoescape。Wouldalwayspleadthatshehadthisbitofworktobeginfirst，orthatbitofworktofinishfirst；andwould，ofacertainty，schemeandplan——notverycunningly，itwouldseem，forshedeceivednoone——todinealone。
　　Successfulinthis，happyincarryingoffherplateanywhere，tomakeatableofherlap，orabox，ortheground，orevenaswassupposed，tostandontip-toe，diningmoderatelyatamantel-shelf；
　　thegreatanxietyofLittleDorrit’sdaywassetatrest。
　　ItwasnoteasytomakeoutLittleDorrit’sface；shewassoretiring，pliedherneedleinsuchremovedcorners，andstartedawaysoscaredifencounteredonthestairs。Butitseemedtobeapaletransparentface，quickinexpression，thoughnotbeautifulinfeature，itssofthazeleyesexcepted。Adelicatelybenthead，atinyform，aquicklittlepairofbusyhands，andashabbydress——itmustneedshavebeenveryshabbytolookatallso，beingsoneat——wereLittleDorritasshesatatwork。
　　FortheseparticularsorgeneralitiesconcerningLittleDorrit，MrArthurwasindebtedinthecourseofthedaytohisowneyesandtoMrsAffery’stongue。IfMrsAfferyhadhadanywillorwayofherown，itwouldprobablyhavebeenunfavourabletoLittleDorrit。