Hefelt，fromthetoneinwhichshespoke，thatshewasglancingupathimwiththosepartedlips；thereforehelookedbeforehim，ratherthanmakeherheartbeatquickerstillbyembarrassingherafresh。
　　ThustheyemergedupontheIronBridge，whichwasasquietaftertheroaringstreetsasthoughithadbeenopencountry。Thewindblewroughly，thewetsquallscamerattlingpastthem，skimmingthepoolsontheroadandpavement，andrainingthemdownintotheriver。Thecloudsracedonfuriouslyinthelead-Colouredsky，thesmokeandmistracedafterthem，thedarktideranfierceandstronginthesamedirection。LittleDorritseemedtheleast，thequietest，andweakestofHeaven’screatures。
　　’Letmeputyouinacoach，’saidClennam，verynearlyadding’mypoorchild。’
　　Shehurriedlydeclined，sayingthatwetordrymadelittledifferencetoher；shewasusedtogoaboutinallweathers。Heknewittobeso，andwastouchedwithmorepity；thinkingoftheslightfigureathisside，makingitsnightlywaythroughthedampdarkboisterousstreetstosuchaplaceofrest。
　　’Youspokesofeelinglytomelastnight，sir，andIfoundafterwardsthatyouhadbeensogeneroustomyfather，thatIcouldnotresistyourmessage，ifitwasonlytothankyou；especiallyasIwishedverymuchtosaytoyou——’shehesitatedandtrembled，andtearsroseinhereyes，butdidnotfall。
　　’Tosaytome——？’
　　’ThatIhopeyouwillnotmisunderstandmyfather。Don’tjudgehim，sir，asyouwouldjudgeothersoutsidethegates。Hehasbeentheresolong!Ineversawhimoutside，butIcanunderstandthathemusthavegrowndifferentinsomethingssince。’
　　’Mythoughtswillneverbeunjustorharshtowardshim，believeme。’
　　’Not，’shesaid，withaprouderair，asthemisgivingevidentlycreptuponherthatshemightseemtobeabandoninghim，’notthathehasanythingtobeashamedofforhimself，orthatIhaveanythingtobeashamedofforhim。Heonlyrequirestobeunderstood。Ionlyaskforhimthathislifemaybefairlyremembered。Allthathesaidwasquitetrue。Itallhappenedjustasherelatedit。Heisverymuchrespected。Everybodywhocomesin，isgladtoknowhim。Heismorecourtedthananyoneelse。HeisfarmorethoughtofthantheMarshalis。’
　　Ifeverpridewereinnocent，itwasinnocentinLittleDorritwhenshegrewboastfulofherfather。
　　’Itisoftensaidthathismannersareatruegentleman’s，andquiteastudy。Iseenoneliketheminthatplace，butheisadmittedtobesuperiortoalltherest。Thisisquiteasmuchwhytheymakehimpresents，asbecausetheyknowhimtobeneedy。Heisnottobeblamedforbeinginneed，poorlove。Whocouldbeinprisonaquarterofacentury，andbeprosperous!’
　　Whataffectioninherwords，whatcompassioninherrepressedtears，whatagreatsouloffidelitywithinher，howtruethelightthatshedfalsebrightnessroundhim!
　　’IfIhavefounditbesttoconcealwheremyhomeis，itisnotbecauseIamashamedofhim。Godforbid!NoramIsomuchashamedoftheplaceitselfasmightbesupposed。Peoplearenotbadbecausetheycomethere。Ihaveknownnumbersofgood，persevering，honestpeoplecometherethroughmisfortune。Theyarealmostallkind-heartedtooneanother。Anditwouldbeungratefulindeedinme，toforgetthatIhavehadmanyquiet，comfortablehoursthere；thatIhadanexcellentfriendtherewhenIwasquiteababy，whowasveryveryfondofme；thatIhavebeentaughtthere，andhaveworkedthere，andhavesleptsoundlythere。I
　　thinkitwouldbealmostcowardlyandcruelnottohavesomelittleattachmentforit，afterallthis。’
　　Shehadrelievedthefaithfulfulnessofherheart，andmodestlysaid，raisinghereyesappealinglytohernewfriend’s，’Ididnotmeantosaysomuch，norhaveIeverbutoncespokenaboutthisbefore。Butitseemstosetitmorerightthanitwaslastnight。
　　IsaidIwishedyouhadnotfollowedme，sir。Idon’twishitsomuchnow，unlessyoushouldthink——indeedIdon’twishitatall，unlessIshouldhavespokensoconfusedly，that——thatyoucanscarcelyunderstandme，whichIamafraidmaybethecase。’
　　Hetoldherwithperfecttruththatitwasnotthecase；andputtinghimselfbetweenherandthesharpwindandrain，shelteredheraswellashecould。
　　’Ifeelpermittednow，’hesaid，’toaskyoualittlemoreconcerningyourfather。Hashemanycreditors？’
　　’Oh!agreatnumber。’
　　’Imeandetainingcreditors，whokeephimwhereheis？’
　　’Ohyes!agreatnumber。’
　　’Canyoutellme——Icangettheinformation，nodoubt，elsewhere，ifyoucannot——whoisthemostinfluentialofthem？’
　　LittleDorritsaid，afterconsideringalittle，thatsheusedtohearlongagoofMrTiteBarnacleasamanofgreatpower。Hewasacommissioner，oraboard，oratrustee，’orsomething。’HelivedinGrosvenorSquare，shethought，orverynearit。HewasunderGovernment——highintheCircumlocutionOffice。Sheappearedtohaveacquired，inherinfancy，someawfulimpressionofthemightofthisformidableMrTiteBarnacleofGrosvenorSquare，orverynearit，andtheCircumlocutionOffice，whichquitecrushedherwhenshementionedhim。
　　’Itcandonoharm，’thoughtArthur，’ifIseethisMrTiteBarnacle。’
　　Thethoughtdidnotpresentitselfsoquietlybutthatherquicknessinterceptedit。’Ah!’saidLittleDorrit，shakingherheadwiththemilddespairofalifetime。’Manypeopleusedtothinkonceofgettingmypoorfatherout，butyoudon’tknowhowhopelessitis。’
　　Sheforgottobeshyatthemoment，inhonestlywarninghimawayfromthesunkenwreckhehadadreamofraising；andlookedathimwitheyeswhichassuredly，inassociationwithherpatientface，herfragilefigure，hersparedress，andthewindandrain，didnotturnhimfromhispurposeofhelpingher。
　　’Evenifitcouldbedone，’saidshe——’anditnevercanbedonenow——wherecouldfatherlive，orhowcouldhelive？Ihaveoftenthoughtthatifsuchachangecouldcome，itmightbeanythingbutaservicetohimnow。Peoplemightnotthinksowellofhimoutsideastheydothere。Hemightnotbesogentlydealtwithoutsideasheisthere。Hemightnotbesofithimselfforthelifeoutsideasheisforthat。’
　　Hereforthefirsttimeshecouldnotrestrainhertearsfromfalling；andthelittlethinhandshehadwatchedwhentheyweresobusy，trembledastheyclaspedeachother。
　　’ItwouldbeanewdistresstohimeventoknowthatIearnalittlemoney，andthatFannyearnsalittlemoney。Heissoanxiousaboutus，yousee，feelinghelplesslyshutupthere。Suchagood，goodfather!’
　　Heletthelittleburstoffeelinggobybeforehespoke。Itwassoongone。Shewasnotaccustomedtothinkofherself，ortotroubleanyonewithheremotions。Hehadbutglancedawayatthepilesofcityroofsandchimneysamongwhichthesmokewasrollingheavily，andatthewildernessofmastsontheriver，andthewildernessofsteeplesontheshore，indistinctlymixedtogetherinthestormyhaze，whenshewasagainasquietasifshehadbeenplyingherneedleinhismother’sroom。
　　’Youwouldbegladtohaveyourbrothersetatliberty？’
　　’Ohvery，veryglad，sir!’
　　’Well，wewillhopeforhimatleast。Youtoldmelastnightofafriendyouhad？’
　　HisnamewasPlornish，LittleDorritsaid。
　　AndwheredidPlornishlive？PlornishlivedinBleedingHeartYard。Hewas’onlyaplasterer，’LittleDorritsaid，asacautiontohimnottoformhighsocialexpectationsofPlornish。HelivedatthelasthouseinBleedingHeartYard，andhisnamewasoveralittlegateway。
　　Arthurtookdowntheaddressandgaveherhis。Hehadnowdoneallhesoughttodoforthepresent，exceptthathewishedtoleaveherwitharelianceuponhim，andtohavesomethinglikeapromisefromherthatshewouldcherishit。
　　’Thereisonefriend!’hesaid，puttinguphispocketbook。’AsI
　　takeyouback——youaregoingback？’
　　’Ohyes!goingstraighthome。’
　　’AsItakeyouback，’thewordhomejarreduponhim，’letmeaskyoutopersuadeyourselfthatyouhaveanotherfriend。Imakenoprofessions，andsaynomore。’
　　’Youaretrulykindtome，sir。IamsureIneednomore。’
　　Theywalkedbackthroughthemiserablemuddystreets，andamongthepoor，meanshops，andwerejostledbythecrowdsofdirtyhuckstersusualtoapoorneighbourhood。Therewasnothing，bytheshortway，thatwaspleasanttoanyofthefivesenses。Yetitwasnotacommonpassagethroughcommonrain，andmire，andnoise，toClennam，havingthislittle，slender，carefulcreatureonhisarm。
　　Howyoungsheseemedtohim，orhowoldhetoher；orwhatasecreteithertotheother，inthatbeginningofthedestinedinterweavingoftheirstories，mattersnothere。Hethoughtofherhavingbeenbornandbredamongthesescenes，andshrinkingthroughthemnow，familiaryetmisplaced；hethoughtofherlongacquaintancewiththesqualidneedsoflife，andofherinnocence；ofhersolicitudeforothers，andherfewyears，andherchildishaspect。
　　TheywerecomeintotheHighStreet，wheretheprisonstood，whenavoicecried，’Littlemother，littlemother!’LittleDorritstoppingandlookingback，anexcitedfigureofastrangekindbouncedagainstthemstillcrying’littlemother’，felldown，andscatteredthecontentsofalargebasket，filledwithpotatoes，inthemud。
　　’Oh，Maggy，’saidLittleDorrit，’whataclumsychildyouare!’
　　Maggywasnothurt，butpickedherselfupimmediately，andthenbegantopickupthepotatoes，inwhichbothLittleDorritandArthurClennamhelped。Maggypickedupveryfewpotatoesandagreatquantityofmud；buttheywereallrecovered，anddepositedinthebasket。Maggythensmearedhermuddyfacewithhershawl，andpresentingittoMrClennamasatypeofpurity，enabledhimtoseewhatshewaslike。
　　Shewasabouteight-and-twenty，withlargebones，largefeatures，largefeetandhands，largeeyesandnohair。Herlargeeyeswerelimpidandalmostcolourless；theyseemedtobeverylittleaffectedbylight，andtostandunnaturallystill。Therewasalsothatattentivelisteningexpressioninherface，whichisseeninthefacesoftheblind；butshewasnotblind，havingonetolerablyserviceableeye。Herfacewasnotexceedinglyugly，thoughitwasonlyredeemedfrombeingsobyasmile；agood-humouredsmile，andpleasantinitself，butrenderedpitiablebybeingconstantlythere。Agreatwhitecap，withaquantityofopaquefrillingthatwasalwaysflappingabout，apologisedforMaggy’sbaldness，andmadeitsoverydifficultforheroldblackbonnettoretainitsplaceuponherhead，thatitheldonroundhernecklikeagipsy’sbaby。Acommissionofhaberdasherscouldalonehavereportedwhattherestofherpoordresswasmadeof，butithadastronggeneralresemblancetoseaweed，withhereandthereagigantictea-leaf。
　　Hershawllookedparticularlylikeatea-leafafterlonginfusion。
　　ArthurClennamlookedatLittleDorritwiththeexpressionofonesaying，’MayIaskwhothisis？’LittleDorrit，whosehandthisMaggy，stillcallingherlittlemother，hadbeguntofondle，answeredinwordstheywereunderagatewayintowhichthemajorityofthepotatoeshadrolled。
　　’ThisisMaggy，sir。’
　　’Maggy，sir，’echoedthepersonagepresented。’Littlemother!’
　　’Sheisthegrand-daughter——’saidLittleDorrit。
　　’Grand-daughter，’echoedMaggy。
　　’Ofmyoldnurse，whohasbeendeadalongtime。Maggy，howoldareyou？’
　　’Ten，mother，’saidMaggy。