’PoorEdward!’sighedLittleDorrit，withthewholefamilyhistoryinthesigh。
　　’Yes。Andpooryouandme，too，’returnedFanny，rathersharply。
　　’Verytrue!Then，mydear，wehavenomother，andwehaveaMrsGeneral。AndItellyouagain，darling，thatMrsGeneral，ifImayreverseacommonproverbandadaptittoher，isacatingloveswhoWILLcatchmice。Thatwoman，Iamquitesureandconfident，willbeourmother-in-law。’
　　’Icanhardlythink，Fanny-’Fannystoppedher。
　　’Now，don’targuewithmeaboutit，Amy，’saidshe，’becauseIknowbetter。’Feelingthatshehadbeensharpagain，shedabbedhersister’sforeheadagain，andblewuponitagain。’Toresumeoncemore，mydear。ItthenbecomesaquestionwithmeIamproudandspirited，Amy，asyouverywellknow：toomuchso，Idaresay
　　whetherIshallmakeupmymindtotakeituponmyselftocarrythefamilythrough。’
　　’How？’askedhersister，anxiously。
　　’Iwillnot，’saidFanny，withoutansweringthequestion，’submittobemother-in-lawedbyMrsGeneral；andIwillnotsubmittobe，inanyrespectwhatever，eitherpatronisedortormentedbyMrsMerdle。’
　　LittleDorritlaidherhanduponthehandthatheldthebottleofsweetwater，withastillmoreanxiouslook。Fanny，quitepunishingherownforeheadwiththevehementdabsshenowbegantogiveit，fitfullywenton。
　　’Thathehassomehoworother，andhowisofnoconsequence，attainedaverygoodposition，noonecandeny。Thatitisaverygoodconnection，noonecandeny。Andastothequestionofcleverornotclever，Idoubtverymuchwhetheracleverhusbandwouldbesuitabletome。Icannotsubmit。Ishouldnotbeabletodefertohimenough。’
　　’O，mydearFanny!’expostulatedLittleDorrit，uponwhomakindofterrorhadbeenstealingassheperceivedwhathersistermeant。
　　’Ifyoulovedanyone，allthisfeelingwouldchange。Ifyoulovedanyone，youwouldnomorebeyourself，butyouwouldquiteloseandforgetyourselfinyourdevotiontohim。Ifyoulovedhim，Fanny——’Fannyhadstoppedthedabbinghand，andwaslookingatherfixedly。
　　’O，indeed!’criedFanny。’Really？Blessme，howmuchsomepeopleknowofsomesubjects!Theysayeveryonehasasubject，andI
　　certainlyseemtohavehituponyours，Amy。There，youlittlething，Iwasonlyinfun，’dabbinghersister’sforehead；’butdon’tyoubeasillypuss，anddon’tyouthinkflightilyandeloquentlyaboutdegenerateimpossibilities。There!Now，I’llgobacktomyself。’
　　’DearFanny，letmesayfirst，thatIwouldfarratherweworkedforascantylivingagainthanIwouldseeyourichandmarriedtoMrSparkler。’
　　’Letyousay，mydear？’retortedFanny。’Why，ofcourse，Iwillletyousayanything。Thereisnoconstraintuponyou，Ihope。Wearetogethertotalkitover。AndastomarryingMrSparkler，I
　　havenottheslightestintentionofdoingsoto-night，mydear，orto-morrowmorningeither。’
　　’Butatsometime？’
　　’Atnotime，foranythingIknowatpresent，’answeredFanny，withindifference。Then，suddenlychangingherindifferenceintoaburningrestlessness，sheadded，’Youtalkabouttheclevermen，youlittlething!It’sallveryfineandeasytotalkabouttheclevermen；butwherearethey？Idon’tseethemanywherenearme!’
　　’MydearFanny，soshortatime——’
　　’Shorttimeorlongtime，’interruptedFanny。’Iamimpatientofoursituation。Idon’tlikeoursituation，andverylittlewouldinducemetochangeit。Othergirls，differentlyrearedanddifferentlycircumstancedaltogether，mightwonderatwhatIsayormaydo。Letthem。Theyaredrivenbytheirlivesandcharacters；
　　Iamdrivenbymine。’
　　’Fanny，mydearFanny，youknowthatyouhavequalitiestomakeyouthewifeofoneverysuperiortoMrSparkler。’
　　’Amy，mydearAmy，’retortedFanny，parodyingherwords，’IknowthatIwishtohaveamoredefinedanddistinctposition，inwhichIcanassertmyselfwithgreatereffectagainstthatinsolentwoman。’
　　’Wouldyoutherefore——forgivemyasking，Fanny——thereforemarryherson？’
　　’Why，perhaps，’saidFanny，withatriumphantsmile。’Theremaybemanylesspromisingwaysofarrivingatanendthanthat，MYdear。
　　Thatpieceofinsolencemaythink，now，thatitwouldbeagreatsuccesstogethersonoffuponme，andshelveme。But，perhaps，shelittlethinkshowIwouldretortuponherifImarriedherson。
　　Iwouldopposeherineverything，andcompetewithher。Iwouldmakeitthebusinessofmylife。’
　　Fannysetdownthebottlewhenshecametothis，andwalkedabouttheroom；alwaysstoppingandstandingstillwhileshespoke。
　　’OnethingIcouldcertainlydo，mychild：Icouldmakeherolder。
　　AndIwould!’
　　Thiswasfollowedbyanotherwalk。
　　’Iwouldtalkofherasanoldwoman。Iwouldpretendtoknow——ifIdidn’t，butIshouldfromherson——allaboutherage。Andsheshouldhearmesay，Amy：affectionately，quitedutifullyandaffectionately：howwellshelooked，consideringhertimeoflife。
　　Icouldmakeherseemolderatonce，bybeingmyselfsomuchyounger。Imaynotbeashandsomeassheis；Iamnotafairjudgeofthatquestion，Isuppose；butIknowIamhandsomeenoughtobeathorninherside。AndIwouldbe!’
　　’Mydearsister，wouldyoucondemnyourselftoanunhappylifeforthis？’
　　’Itwouldn’tbeanunhappylife，Amy。ItwouldbethelifeIamfittedfor。Whetherbydisposition，orwhetherbycircumstances，isnomatter；Iambetterfittedforsuchalifethanforalmostanyother。’
　　Therewassomethingofadesolatetoneinthosewords；but，withashortproudlaughshetookanotherwalk，andafterpassingagreatlooking-glasscametoanotherstop。
　　’Figure!Figure，Amy!Well。Thewomanhasagoodfigure。Iwillgiveherherdue，andnotdenyit。Butisitsofarbeyondallothersthatitisaltogetherunapproachable？Uponmyword，Iamnotsosureofit。Givesomemuchyoungerwomanthelatitudeastodressthatshehas，beingmarried；andwewouldseeaboutthat，mydear!’
　　Somethinginthethoughtthatwasagreeableandflattering，broughtherbacktoherseatinagayertemper。Shetookhersister’shandsinhers，andclappedallfourhandsaboveherheadasshelookedinhersister’sfacelaughing：
　　’Andthedancer，Amy，thatshehasquiteforgotten——thedancerwhoborenosortofresemblancetome，andofwhomIneverremindher，ohdearno!——shoulddancethroughherlife，anddanceinherway，tosuchatuneaswoulddisturbherinsolentplacidityalittle。
　　justalittle，mydearAmy，justalittle!’
　　MeetinganearnestandimploringlookinAmy’sface，shebroughtthefourhandsdown，andlaidonlyoneonAmy’slips。
　　’Now，don’targuewithme，child，’shesaidinasternerway，’becauseitisofnouse。Iunderstandthesesubjectsmuchbetterthanyoudo。Ihavenotnearlymadeupmymind，butitmaybe。
　　Nowwehavetalkedthisovercomfortably，andmaygotobed。Youbestanddearestlittlemouse，Goodnight!’WiththosewordsFannyweighedherAnchor，and——havingtakensomuchadvice——leftoffbeingadvisedforthatoccasion。
　　Thenceforward，AmyobservedMrSparkler’streatmentbyhisenslaver，withnewreasonsforattachingimportancetoallthatpassedbetweenthem。ThereweretimeswhenFannyappearedquiteunabletoendurehismentalfeebleness，andwhenshebecamesosharplyimpatientofitthatshewouldallbutdismisshimforgood。Therewereothertimeswhenshegotonmuchbetterwithhim；
　　whenheamusedher，andwhenhersenseofsuperiorityseemedtocounterbalancethatoppositesideofthescale。IfMrSparklerhadbeenotherthanthefaithfullestandmostsubmissiveofswains，hewassufficientlyhardpressedtohavefledfromthesceneofhistrials，andhavesetatleastthewholedistancefromRometoLondonbetweenhimselfandhisenchantress。Buthehadnogreaterwillofhisownthanaboathaswhenitistowedbyasteam-ship；
　　andhefollowedhiscruelmistressthroughroughandsmooth，onequallystrongcompulsion。
　　MrsMerdle，duringthesepassages，saidlittletoFanny，butsaidmoreabouther。Shewas，asitwere，forcedtolookatherthroughhereye-glass，andingeneralconversationtoallowcommendationsofherbeautytobewrungfromherbyitsirresistibledemands。
　　ThedefiantcharacteritassumedwhenFannyheardtheseextollingsasitgenerallyhappenedthatshedid，wasnotexpressiveofconcessionstotheimpartialbosom；buttheutmostrevengethebosomtookwas，tosayaudibly，’Aspoiltbeauty——butwiththatfaceandshape，whocouldwonder？’
　　Itmighthavebeenaboutamonthorsixweeksafterthenightofthenewadvice，whenLittleDorritbegantothinkshedetectedsomenewunderstandingbetweenMrSparklerandFanny。MrSparkler，asifinattendancetosomecompact，scarcelyeverspokewithoutfirstlookingtowardsFannyforleave。Thatyoungladywastoodiscreetevertolookbackagain；but，ifMrSparklerhadpermissiontospeak，sheremainedsilent；ifhehadnot，sheherselfspoke。
　　Moreover，itbecameplainwheneverHenryGowanattemptedtoperformthefriendlyofficeofdrawinghimout，thathewasnottobedrawn。Andnotonlythat，butFannywouldpresently，withoutanypointedapplicationintheworld，chancetosaysomethingwithsuchastinginitthatGowanwoulddrawbackasifhehadputhishandintoabee-hive。
　　TherewasyetanothercircumstancewhichwentalongwaytoconfirmLittleDorritinherfears，thoughitwasnotagreatcircumstanceinitself。MrSparkler’sdemeanourtowardsherselfchanged。Itbecamefraternal。Sometimes，whenshewasintheoutercircleofassemblies——attheirownresidence，atMrsMerdle’s，orelsewhere——
　　shewouldfindherselfstealthilysupportedroundthewaistbyMrSparkler’sarm。MrSparklerneverofferedtheslightestexplanationofthisattention；butmerelysmiledwithanairofblundering，contented，good-naturedproprietorship，which，insoheavyagentleman，wasominouslyexpressive。
　　LittleDorritwasathomeoneday，thinkingaboutFannywithaheavyheart。Theyhadaroomatoneendoftheirdrawing-roomsuite，nearlyallirregularbay-window，projectingoverthestreet，andcommandingallthepicturesquelifeandvarietyoftheCorso，bothupanddown。Atthreeorfouro’clockintheafternoon，Englishtime，theviewfromthiswindowwasverybrightandpeculiar；andLittleDorritusedtositandmusehere，muchasshehadbeenusedtowhileawaythetimeinherbalconyatVenice。
　　Seatedthusoneday，shewassoftlytouchedontheshoulder，andFannysaid，’Well，Amydear，’andtookherseatatherside。Theirseatwasapartofthewindow；whentherewasanythinginthewayofaprocessiongoingon，theyusedtohavebrightdraperieshungoutofthewindow，andusedtokneelorsitonthisseat，andlookoutatit，leaningonthebrilliantcolour。Buttherewasnoprocessionthatday，andLittleDorritwasrathersurprisedbyFanny’sbeingathomeatthathour，asshewasgenerallyoutonhorsebackthen。
　　’Well，Amy，’saidFanny，’whatareyouthinkingof，littleone？’
　　’Iwasthinkingofyou，Fanny。’
　　’No？Whatacoincidence!Ideclarehere’ssomeoneelse。Youwerenotthinkingofthissomeoneelsetoo；wereyou，Amy？’