Covereithertwoofthosechannelsofexpression，andthethirdwouldhavesaidsostill。Maskthemall，andthemereturnoftheheadwouldhaveshownanunsubduablenature。
　　PethadmoveduptohershehadbeenthesubjectofremarkamongherfamilyandMrClennam，whowerenowtheonlyotheroccupantsoftheroom，andwasstandingatherside。
　　’Areyou’——sheturnedhereyes，andPetfaltered——’expectinganyonetomeetyouhere，MissWade？’
　　’I？No。’
　　’FatherissendingtothePosteRestante。Shallhehavethepleasureofdirectingthemessengertoaskifthereareanylettersforyou？’
　　’Ithankhim，butIknowtherecanbenone。’
　　’Weareafraid，’saidPet，sittingdownbesideher，shylyandhalftenderly，’thatyouwillfeelquitedesertedwhenweareallgone。’
　　’Indeed!’
　　’Not，’saidPet，apologeticallyandembarrassedbyhereyes，’not，ofcourse，thatweareanycompanytoyou，orthatwehavebeenabletobeso，orthatwethoughtyouwishedit。’
　　’IhavenotintendedtomakeitunderstoodthatIdidwishit。’
　　’No。Ofcourse。But——inshort，’saidPet，timidlytouchingherhandasitlayimpassiveonthesofabetweenthem，’willyounotallowFathertotenderyouanyslightassistanceorservice？Hewillbeveryglad。’
　　’Veryglad，’saidMrMeagles，comingforwardwithhiswifeandClennam。’Anythingshortofspeakingthelanguage，Ishallbedelightedtoundertake，Iamsure。’
　　’Iamobligedtoyou，’shereturned，’butmyarrangementsaremade，andIprefertogomyownwayinmyownmanner。’
　　’Doyou？’saidMrMeaglestohimself，ashesurveyedherwithapuzzledlook。’Well!There’scharacterinthat，too。’
　　’Iamnotmuchusedtothesocietyofyoungladies，andIamafraidImaynotshowmyappreciationofitasothersmight。Apleasantjourneytoyou。Good-bye!’
　　Shewouldnothaveputoutherhand，itseemed，butthatMrMeaglesputouthissostraightbeforeherthatshecouldnotpassit。Sheputhersinit，anditlaytherejustasithadlainuponthecouch。
　　’Good-bye!’saidMrMeagles。’Thisisthelastgood-byeuponthelist，forMotherandIhavejustsaidittoMrClennamhere，andheonlywaitstosayittoPet。Good-bye!Wemaynevermeetagain。’
　　’Inourcoursethroughlifeweshallmeetthepeoplewhoarecomingtomeetus，frommanystrangeplacesandbymanystrangeroads，’
　　wasthecomposedreply；’andwhatitissettoustodotothem，andwhatitissettothemtodotous，willallbedone。’
　　TherewassomethinginthemannerofthesewordsthatjarreduponPet’sear。Itimpliedthatwhatwastobedonewasnecessarilyevil，anditcausedhertosayinawhisper，’OFather!’andtoshrinkchildishly，inherspoiltway，alittleclosertohim。Thiswasnotlostonthespeaker。
　　’Yourprettydaughter，’shesaid，’startstothinkofsuchthings。
　　Yet，’lookingfulluponher，’youmaybesurethattherearemenandwomenalreadyontheirroad，whohavetheirbusinesstodowithYOU，andwhowilldoit。Ofacertaintytheywilldoit。Theymaybecominghundreds，thousands，ofmilesovertheseathere；theymaybecloseathandnow；theymaybecoming，foranythingyouknoworanythingyoucandotopreventit，fromthevilestsweepingsofthisverytown。’
　　Withthecoldestoffarewells，andwithacertainwornexpressiononherbeautythatgaveit，thoughscarcelyyetinitsprime，awastedlook，shelefttheroom。
　　Now，thereweremanystairsandpassagesthatshehadtotraverseinpassingfromthatpartofthespacioushousetothechambershehadsecuredforherownoccupation。Whenshehadalmostcompletedthejourney，andwaspassingalongthegalleryinwhichherroomwas，sheheardanangrysoundofmutteringandsobbing。Adoorstoodopen，andwithinshesawtheattendantuponthegirlshehadjustleft；themaidwiththecuriousname。
　　Shestoodstill，tolookatthismaid。Asullen，passionategirl!
　　Herrichblackhairwasallaboutherface，herfacewasflushedandhot，andasshesobbedandraged，shepluckedatherlipswithanunsparinghand。
　　’Selfishbrutes!’saidthegirl，sobbingandheavingbetweenwhiles。’Notcaringwhatbecomesofme!Leavingmeherehungryandthirstyandtired，tostarve，foranythingtheycare!Beasts!
　　Devils!Wretches!’
　　’Mypoorgirl，whatisthematter？’
　　Shelookedupsuddenly，withreddenedeyes，andwithherhandssuspended，intheactofpinchingherneck，freshlydisfiguredwithgreatscarletblots。’It’snothingtoyouwhat’sthematter。Itdon’tsignifytoanyone。’
　　’Oyesitdoes；Iamsorrytoseeyouso。’
　　’Youarenotsorry，’saidthegirl。’Youareglad。Youknowyouareglad。Ineverwaslikethisbuttwiceoverinthequarantineyonder；andbothtimesyoufoundme。Iamafraidofyou。’
　　’Afraidofme？’
　　’Yes。Youseemtocomelikemyownanger，myownmalice，myown——
　　whateveritis——Idon’tknowwhatitis。ButIamill-used，Iamill-used，Iamill-used!’Herethesobsandthetears，andthetearinghand，whichhadallbeensuspendedtogethersincethefirstsurprise，wentontogetheranew。
　　Thevisitorstoodlookingatherwithastrangeattentivesmile。
　　Itwaswonderfultoseethefuryofthecontestinthegirl，andthebodilystruggleshemadeasifshewererentbytheDemonsofold。
　　’Iamyoungerthansheisbytwoorthreeyears，andyetit’smethatlooksafterher，asifIwasold，andit’sshethat’salwayspettedandcalledBaby!Idetestthename。Ihateher!Theymakeafoolofher，theyspoilher。Shethinksofnothingbutherself，shethinksnomoreofmethanifIwasastockandastone!’Sothegirlwenton。
　　’Youmusthavepatience。’
　　’IWON’Thavepatience!’
　　’Iftheytakemuchcareofthemselves，andlittleornoneofyou，youmustnotmindit。’
　　IWILLmindit。’
　　’Hush!Bemoreprudent。Youforgetyourdependentposition。’
　　’Idon’tcareforthat。I’llrunaway。I’lldosomemischief。I
　　won’tbearit；Ican’tbearit；IshalldieifItrytobearit!’
　　Theobserverstoodwithherhanduponherownbosom，lookingatthegirl，asoneafflictedwithadiseasedpartmightcuriouslywatchthedissectionandexpositionofananalogouscase。
　　Thegirlragedandbattledwithalltheforceofheryouthandfulnessoflife，untilbylittleandlittleherpassionateexclamationstrailedoffintobrokenmurmursasifshewereinpain。Bycorrespondingdegreesshesankintoachair，thenuponherknees，thenuponthegroundbesidethebed，drawingthecoverletwithher，halftohidehershamedheadandwethairinit，andhalf，asitseemed，toembraceit，ratherthanhavenothingtotaketoherrepentantbreast。
　　’Goawayfromme，goawayfromme!Whenmytempercomesuponme，Iammad。IknowImightkeepitoffifIonlytriedhardenough，andsometimesIdotryhardenough，andatothertimesIdon’tandwon’t。WhathaveIsaid!IknewwhenIsaidit，itwasalllies。
　　TheythinkIambeingtakencareofsomewhere，andhaveallIwant。
　　Theyarenothingbutgoodtome。Ilovethemdearly；nopeoplecouldeverbekindertoathanklesscreaturethantheyalwaysaretome。Do，dogoaway，forIamafraidofyou。IamafraidofmyselfwhenIfeelmytempercoming，andIamasmuchafraidofyou。Goawayfromme，andletmeprayandcrymyselfbetter!’
　　Thedaypassedon；andagainthewidestarestareditselfout；andthehotnightwasonMarseilles；andthroughitthecaravanofthemorning，alldispersed，wenttheirappointedways。Andthuseverbydayandnight，underthesunandunderthestars，climbingthedustyhillsandtoilingalongthewearyplains，journeyingbylandandjourneyingbysea，comingandgoingsostrangely，tomeetandtoactandreactononeanother，moveallwerestlesstravellersthroughthepilgrimageoflife。
　　HomeItwasaSundayeveninginLondon，gloomy，close，andstale。
　　Maddeningchurchbellsofalldegreesofdissonance，sharpandflat，crackedandclear，fastandslow，madethebrick-and-mortarechoeshideous。Melancholystreets，inapenitentialgarbofsoot，steepedthesoulsofthepeoplewhowerecondemnedtolookatthemoutofwindows，indiredespondency。Ineverythoroughfare，upalmosteveryalley，anddownalmosteveryturning，somedolefulbellwasthrobbing，jerking，tolling，asifthePlaguewereinthecityandthedead-cartsweregoinground。Everythingwasboltedandbarredthatcouldbypossibilityfurnishrelieftoanoverworkedpeople。Nopictures，nounfamiliaranimals，norareplantsorflowers，nonaturalorartificialwondersoftheancientworld——allTABOOwiththatenlightenedstrictness，thattheuglySouthSeagodsintheBritishMuseummighthavesupposedthemselvesathomeagain。Nothingtoseebutstreets，streets，streets。
　　Nothingtobreathebutstreets，streets，streets。Nothingtochangethebroodingmind，orraiseitup。Nothingforthespenttoilertodo，buttocomparethemonotonyofhisseventhdaywiththemonotonyofhissixdays，thinkwhatawearylifeheled，andmakethebestofit——ortheworst，accordingtotheprobabilities。
　　Atsuchahappytime，sopropitioustotheinterestsofreligionandmorality，MrArthurClennam，newlyarrivedfromMarseillesbywayofDover，andbyDovercoachtheBlue-eyedMaid，satinthewindowofacoffee-houseonLudgateHill。Tenthousandresponsiblehousessurroundedhim，frowningasheavilyonthestreetstheycomposed，asiftheywereeveryoneinhabitedbythetenyoungmenoftheCalender’sstory，whoblackenedtheirfacesandbemoanedtheirmiserieseverynight。FiftythousandlairssurroundedhimwherepeoplelivedsounwholesomelythatfairwaterputintotheircrowdedroomsonSaturdaynight，wouldbecorruptonSundaymorning；albeitmylord，theircountymember，wasamazedthattheyfailedtosleepincompanywiththeirbutcher’smeat。Milesofclosewellsandpitsofhouses，wheretheinhabitantsgaspedforair，stretchedfarawaytowardseverypointofthecompass。
　　Throughtheheartofthetownadeadlysewerebbedandflowed，intheplaceofafinefreshriver。Whatsecularwantcouldthemillionorsoofhumanbeingswhosedailylabour，sixdaysintheweek，layamongtheseArcadianobjects，fromthesweetsamenessofwhichtheyhadnoescapebetweenthecradleandthegrave——whatsecularwantcouldtheypossiblyhaveupontheirseventhday？