’Fannyisnotgoingtolivewithusjustnow,father。Shewillbehereagooddealintheday,butsheisgoingtoliveoutsidewithuncle。’
’Yousurpriseme。Why?’
’Ithinkunclewantsacompanion,father。Heshouldbeattendedto,andlookedafter。’
’Acompanion?Hepassesmuchofhistimehere。Andyouattendtohimandlookafterhim,Amy,agreatdealmorethaneveryoursisterwill。Youallgooutsomuch;youallgooutsomuch。’
ThiswastokeepuptheceremonyandpretenceofhishavingnoideathatAmyherselfwentoutbythedaytowork。
’Butwearealwaysgladtocomehome,father;now,arewenot?AndastoFanny,perhapsbesideskeepingunclecompanyandtakingcareofhim,itmaybeaswellforhernotquitetolivehere,always。
ShewasnotbornhereasIwas,youknow,father。’
’Well,Amy,well。Idon’tquitefollowyou,butit’snaturalI
supposethatFannyshouldprefertobeoutside,andeventhatyouoftenshould,too。So,youandFannyandyouruncle,mydear,shallhaveyourownway。Good,good。I’llnotmeddle;don’tmindme。’
Togetherbrotheroutoftheprison;outofthesuccessiontoMrsBanghaminexecutingcommissions,andoutoftheslanginterchangewithverydoubtfulcompanionsconsequentuponboth;washerhardesttask。Ateighteenhewouldhavedraggedonfromhandtomouth,fromhourtohour,frompennytopenny,untileighty。Nobodygotintotheprisonfromwhomhederivedanythingusefulorgood,andshecouldfindnopatronforhimbutheroldfriendandgodfather。
’DearBob,’saidshe,’whatistobecomeofpoorTip?’HisnamewasEdward,andTedhadbeentransformedintoTip,withinthewalls。
TheturnkeyhadstrongprivateopinionsastowhatwouldbecomeofpoorTip,andhadevengonesofarwiththeviewofavertingtheirfulfilment,astosoundTipinreferencetotheexpediencyofrunningawayandgoingtoservehiscountry。ButTiphadthankedhim,andsaidhedidn’tseemtocareforhiscountry。
’Well,mydear,’saidtheturnkey,’somethingoughttobedonewithhim。SupposeItryandgethimintothelaw?’
’Thatwouldbesogoodofyou,Bob!’
Theturnkeyhadnowtwopointstoputtotheprofessionalgentlemenastheypassedinandout。HeputthissecondonesoperseveringlythatastoolandtwelveshillingsaweekwereatlastfoundforTipintheofficeofanattorneyinagreatNationalPalladiumcalledthePalaceCourt;atthattimeoneofaconsiderablelistofeverlastingbulwarkstothedignityandsafetyofAlbion,whoseplacesknowthemnomore。
TiplanguishedinClifford’sInnsforsixmonths,andattheexpirationofthattermsaunteredbackoneeveningwithhishandsinhispockets,andincidentallyobservedtohissisterthathewasnotgoingbackagain。
’Notgoingbackagain?’saidthepoorlittleanxiousChildoftheMarshalsea,alwayscalculatingandplanningforTip,inthefrontrankofhercharges。
’Iamsotiredofit,’saidTip,’thatIhavecutit。’
Tiptiredofeverything。WithintervalsofMarshalsealounging,andMrsBanghamsuccession,hissmallsecondmother,aidedbyhertrustyfriend,gothimintoawarehouse,intoamarketgarden,intothehoptrade,intothelawagain,intoanauctioneers,intoabrewery,intoastockbroker’s,intothelawagain,intoacoachoffice,intoawaggonoffice,intothelawagain,intoageneraldealer’s,intoadistillery,intothelawagain,intoawoolhouse,intoadrygoodshouse,intotheBillingsgatetrade,intotheforeignfruittrade,andintothedocks。ButwhateverTipwentinto,hecameoutoftired,announcingthathehadcutit。
Whereverhewent,thisforedoomedTipappearedtotaketheprisonwallswithhim,andtosetthemupinsuchtradeorcalling;andtoprowlaboutwithintheirnarrowlimitsintheoldslip-shod,purposeless,down-at-heelway;untiltherealimmovableMarshalseawallsassertedtheirfascinationoverhim,andbroughthimback。
Nevertheless,thebravelittlecreaturedidsofixherheartonherbrother’srescue,thatwhilehewasringingoutthesedolefulchanges,shepinchedandscrapedenoughtogethertoshiphimforCanada。Whenhewastiredofnothingtodo,anddisposedinitsturntocuteventhat,hegraciouslyconsentedtogotoCanada。
Andtherewasgriefinherbosomoverpartingwithhim,andjoyinthehopeofhisbeingputinastraightcourseatlast。
’Godblessyou,dearTip。Don’tbetooproudtocomeandseeus,whenyouhavemadeyourfortune。’
’Allright!’saidTip,andwent。
ButnotallthewaytoCanada;infact,notfurtherthanLiverpool。
AftermakingthevoyagetothatportfromLondon,hefoundhimselfsostronglyimpelledtocutthevessel,thatheresolvedtowalkbackagain。Carryingoutwhichintention,hepresentedhimselfbeforeherattheexpirationofamonth,inrags,withoutshoes,andmuchmoretiredthanever。
Atlength,afteranotherintervalofsuccessorshiptoMrsBangham,hefoundapursuitforhimself,andannouncedit。
’Amy,Ihavegotasituation。’
’Haveyoureallyandtruly,Tip?’
’Allright。Ishalldonow。Youneedn’tlookanxiousaboutmeanymore,oldgirl。’
’Whatisit,Tip?’
’Why,youknowSlingobysight?’
’Notthemantheycallthedealer?’
’That’sthechap。He’llbeoutonMonday,andhe’sgoingtogivemeaberth。’
’Whatisheadealerin,Tip?’
’Horses。Allright!Ishalldonow,Amy。’
Shelostsightofhimformonthsafterwards,andonlyheardfromhimonce。AwhisperpassedamongtheeldercollegiansthathehadbeenseenatamockauctioninMoorfields,pretendingtobuyplatedarticlesformassivesilver,andpayingforthemwiththegreatestliberalityinbanknotes;butitneverreachedherears。Oneeveningshewasaloneatwork——standingupatthewindow,tosavethetwilightlingeringabovethewall——whenheopenedthedoorandwalkedin。
Shekissedandwelcomedhim;butwasafraidtoaskhimanyquestions。Hesawhowanxiousandtimidshewas,andappearedsorry。
’Iamafraid,Amy,you’llbevexedthistime。UponmylifeIam!’
’Iamverysorrytohearyousayso,Tip。Haveyoucomeback?’
’Why——yes。’
’Notexpectingthistimethatwhatyouhadfoundwouldanswerverywell,IamlesssurprisedandsorrythanImighthavebeen,Tip。’
’Ah!Butthat’snottheworstofit。’
’Nottheworstofit?’
’Don’tlooksostartled。No,Amy,nottheworstofit。Ihavecomeback,yousee;but——DON’Tlooksostartled——IhavecomebackinwhatImaycallanewway。Iamoffthevolunteerlistaltogether。Iaminnow,asoneoftheregulars。’
’Oh!Don’tsayyouareaprisoner,Tip!Don’t,don’t!’
’Well,Idon’twanttosayit,’hereturnedinareluctanttone;
’butifyoucan’tunderstandmewithoutmysayingit,whatamItodo?Iaminforfortypoundodd。’
Forthefirsttimeinallthoseyears,shesunkunderhercares。
Shecried,withherclaspedhandsliftedaboveherhead,thatitwouldkilltheirfatherifheeverknewit;andfelldownatTip’sgracelessfeet。
ItwaseasierforTiptobringhertohersensesthanforhertobringhimtounderstandthattheFatheroftheMarshalseawouldbebesidehimselfifheknewthetruth。ThethingwasincomprehensibletoTip,andaltogetherafancifulnotion。Heyieldedtoitinthatlightonly,whenhesubmittedtoherentreaties,backedbythoseofhisuncleandsister。Therewasnowantofprecedentforhisreturn;itwasaccountedfortothefatherintheusualway;andthecollegians,withabettercomprehensionofthepiousfraudthanTip,supporteditloyally。
Thiswasthelife,andthisthehistory,ofthechildoftheMarshalseaattwenty-two。Withastillsurvivingattachmenttotheonemiserableyardandblockofhousesasherbirthplaceandhome,shepassedtoandfroinitshrinkinglynow,withawomanlyconsciousnessthatshewaspointedouttoeveryone。Sinceshehadbeguntoworkbeyondthewalls,shehadfounditnecessarytoconcealwhereshelived,andtocomeandgoassecretlyasshecould,betweenthefreecityandtheirongates,outsideofwhichshehadneversleptinherlife。Heroriginaltimidityhadgrownwiththisconcealment,andherlightstepandherlittlefigureshunnedthethrongedstreetswhiletheypassedalongthem。
Worldlywiseinhardandpoornecessities,shewasinnocentinallthingselse。Innocent,inthemistthroughwhichshesawherfather,andtheprison,andtheturbidlivingriverthatflowedthroughitandflowedon。
Thiswasthelife,andthisthehistory,ofLittleDorrit;nowgoinghomeuponadullSeptemberevening,observedatadistancebyArthurClennam。Thiswasthelife,andthisthehistory,ofLittleDorrit;turningattheendofLondonBridge,recrossingit,goingbackagain,passingontoSaintGeorge’sChurch,turningbacksuddenlyoncemore,andflittinginattheopenoutergateandlittlecourt-yardoftheMarshalsea。