’It’stheonlychangehetakes，’saidMrsChivery，shakingherheadafresh。’Hewon’tgoout，evenintheback-yard，whenthere’snolinen；butwhenthere’slinentokeeptheneighbours’eyesoff，he’llsitthere，hours。Hourshewill。Sayshefeelsasifitwasgroves!’MrsChiveryshookherheadagain，putheraproninamotherlywaytohereyes，andreconductedhervisitorintotheregionsofthebusiness。
　　’Pleasetotakeaseat，sir，’saidMrsChivery。’MissDorritisthematterwithOurJohn，sir；he’sabreakinghisheartforher，andIwouldwishtotakethelibertytoaskhowit’stobemadegoodtohisparentswhenbust？’
　　MrsChivery，whowasacomfortable-lookingwomanmuchrespectedaboutHorsemongerLaneforherfeelingsandherconversation，utteredthisspeechwithfellcomposure，andimmediatelyafterwardsbeganagaintoshakeherheadanddryhereyes。
　　’Sir，’saidsheincontinuation，’youareacquaintedwiththefamily，andhaveinterestedyourselfwiththefamily，andareinfluentialwiththefamily。Ifyoucanpromoteviewscalculatedtomaketwoyoungpeoplehappy，letme，forOurjohn’ssake，andforboththeirsakes，imploreyousotodo!’
　　’Ihavebeensohabituated，’returnedArthur，ataloss，’duringtheshorttimeIhaveknownher，toconsiderLittle——IhavebeensohabituatedtoconsiderMissDorritinalightaltogetherremovedfromthatinwhichyoupresenthertome，thatyouquitetakemebysurprise。Doessheknowyourson？’
　　’Broughtuptogether，sir，’saidMrsChivery。’Playedtogether。’
　　’Doessheknowyoursonasheradmirer？’
　　’Oh!blessyou，sir，’saidMrsChivery，withasortoftriumphantshiver，’shenevercouldhaveseenhimonaSundaywithoutknowinghewasthat。Hiscanealonewouldhavetolditlongago，ifnothingelsehad。YoungmenlikeJohndon’ttaketoivoryhandsapinting，fornothing。HowdidIfirstknowitmyself？Similarly。’
　　’PerhapsMissDorritmaynotbesoreadyasyou，yousee。’
　　’Thensheknowsit，sir，’saidMrsChivery，’bywordofmouth。’
　　’Areyousure？’
　　’Sir，’saidMrsChivery，’sureandcertainasinthishouseIam。
　　IseemysongooutwithmyowneyeswheninthishouseIwas，andIseemysoncomeinwithmyowneyeswheninthishouseIwas，andIknowhedoneit!’MrsChiveryderivedasurprisingforceofemphasisfromtheforegoingcircumstantialityandrepetition。
　　’MayIaskyouhowhecametofallintothedespondingstatewhichcausesyousomuchuneasiness？’
　　’That，’saidMrsChivery，’tookplaceonthatsamedaywhentothishouseIseethatJohnwiththeseeyesreturn。Neverbeenhimselfinthishousesince。Neverwaslikewhathehasbeensince，notfromthehourwhentothishousesevenyearagomeandhisfather，astenantsbythequarter，came!’AneffectinthenatureofanaffidavitwasgainedfromthisspeechbyMrsChivery’speculiarpowerofconstruction。
　　’MayIventuretoinquirewhatisyourversionofthematter？’
　　’Youmay，’saidMrsChivery，’andIwillgiveittoyouinhonourandinwordastrueasinthisshopIstand。OurJohnhaseveryone’sgoodwordandeveryone’sgoodwish。Heplayedwithherasachildwheninthatyardachildsheplayed。Hehasknownhereversince。HewentoutupontheSundayafternoonwheninthisveryparlourhehaddined，andmether，withappointmentorwithoutappointment；which，Idonotpretendtosay。Hemadehisoffertoher。Herbrotherandsisterishighintheirviews，andagainstOurJohn。Herfatherisallforhimselfinhisviewsandagainstsharingherwithanyone。UnderwhichcircumstancesshehasansweredOurJohn，“No，John，Icannothaveyou，Icannothaveanyhusband，itisnotmyintentionsevertobecomeawife，itismyintentionstobealwaysasacrifice，farewell，findanotherworthyofyou，andforgetme!“Thisisthewayinwhichsheisdoomedtobeaconstantslavetothemthatarenotworthythataconstantslavesheuntothemshouldbe。ThisisthewayinwhichOurJohnhascometofindnopleasurebutintakingcoldamongthelinen，andinshowinginthatyard，asinthatyardIhavemyselfshownyou，abroken-downruinthatgoeshometohismother’sheart!’
　　Herethegoodwomanpointedtothelittlewindow，whencehersonmightbeseensittingdisconsolateinthetunelessgroves；andagainshookherheadandwipedhereyes，andbesoughthim，fortheunitedsakesofboththeyoungpeople，toexercisehisinfluencetowardsthebrightreversalofthesedismalevents。
　　Shewassoconfidentinherexpositionofthecase，anditwassoundeniablyfoundedoncorrectpremisesinsofarastherelativepositionsofLittleDorritandherfamilywereconcerned，thatClennamcouldnotfeelpositiveontheotherside。HehadcometoattachtoLittleDorritaninterestsopeculiar——aninterestthatremovedherfrom，whileitgrewoutof，thecommonandcoarsethingssurroundingher——thathefounditdisappointing，disagreeable，almostpainful，tosupposeherinlovewithyoungMrChiveryintheback-yard，oranysuchperson。Ontheotherhand，hereasonedwithhimselfthatshewasjustasgoodandjustastrueinlovewithhim，asnotinlovewithhim；andthattomakeakindofdomesticatedfairyofher，onthepenaltyofisolationatheartfromtheonlypeoplesheknew，wouldbebutaweaknessofhisownfancy，andnotakindone。Still，heryouthfulandetherealappearance，hertimidmanner，thecharmofhersensitivevoiceandeyes，theverymanyrespectsinwhichshehadinterestedhimoutofherownindividuality，andthestrongdifferencebetweenherselfandthoseabouther，werenotinunison，andweredeterminednottobeinunison，withthisnewlypresentedidea。
　　HetoldtheworthyMrsChivery，afterturningthesethingsoverinhismind——hedidthat，indeed，whileshewasyetspeaking——thathemightbereliedupontodohisutmostatalltimestopromotethehappinessofMissDorrit，andtofurtherthewishesofherheartifitwereinhispowertodoso，andifhecoulddiscoverwhattheywere。Atthesametimehecautionedheragainstassumptionsandappearances；enjoinedstrictsilenceandsecrecy，lestMissDorritshouldbemadeunhappy；andparticularlyadvisedhertoendeavourtowinherson’sconfidenceandsotomakequitesureofthestateofthecase。MrsChiveryconsideredthelatterprecautionsuperfluous，butsaidshewouldtry。Sheshookherheadasifshehadnotderivedallthecomfortshehadfondlyexpectedfromthisinterview，butthankedhimneverthelessforthetroublehehadkindlytaken。Theythenpartedgoodfriends，andArthurwalkedaway。
　　Thecrowdinthestreetjostlingthecrowdinhismind，andthetwocrowdsmakingaconfusion，heavoidedLondonBridge，andturnedoffinthequieterdirectionoftheIronBridge。Hehadscarcelysetfootuponit，whenhesawLittleDorritwalkingonbeforehim。Itwasapleasantday，withalightbreezeblowing，andsheseemedtohavethatminutecomethereforair。Hehadleftherinherfather’sroomwithinanhour。
　　Itwasatimelychance，favourabletohiswishofobservingherfaceandmannerwhennooneelsewasby。Hequickenedhispace；
　　butbeforehereachedher，sheturnedherhead。
　　’HaveIstartledyou？’heasked。
　　’IthoughtIknewthestep，’sheanswered，hesitating。
　　’Anddidyouknowit，LittleDorrit？Youcouldhardlyhaveexpectedmine。’
　　’Ididnotexpectany。ButwhenIheardastep，Ithoughtit——
　　soundedlikeyours。’
　　’Areyougoingfurther？’
　　’No，sir，Iamonlywalkingherforalittlechange。’
　　Theywalkedtogether，andsherecoveredherconfidingmannerwithhim，andlookedupinhisfaceasshesaid，afterglancingaround：
　　’Itissostrange。Perhapsyoucanhardlyunderstandit。I
　　sometimeshaveasensationasifitwasalmostunfeelingtowalkhere。’
　　’Unfeeling？’
　　’Toseetheriver，andsomuchsky，andsomanyobjects，andsuchchangeandmotion。Thentogoback，youknow，andfindhiminthesamecrampedplace。’
　　’Ahyes!Butgoingback，youmustrememberthatyoutakewithyouthespiritandinfluenceofsuchthingstocheerhim。’
　　’DoI？IhopeImay!Iamafraidyoufancytoomuch，sir，andmakemeouttoopowerful。Ifyouwereinprison，couldIbringsuchcomforttoyou？’
　　’Yes，LittleDorrit，Iamsureofit。’
　　Hegatheredfromatremoronherlip，andapassingshadowofgreatagitationonherface，thathermindwaswithherfather。Heremainedsilentforafewmoments，thatshemightregainhercomposure。TheLittleDorrit，tremblingonhisarm，waslessinunisonthaneverwithMrsChivery’stheory，andyetwasnotirreconcilablewithanewfancywhichsprungupwithinhim，thattheremightbesomeoneelseinthehopeless——newerfancystill——inthehopelessunattainabledistance。
　　Theyturned，andClennamsaid，HerewasMaggycoming!LittleDorritlookedup，surprised，andtheyconfrontedMaggy，whobroughtherselfatsightofthemtoadeadstop。Shehadbeentrottingalong，sopreoccupiedandbusythatshehadnotrecognisedthemuntiltheyturneduponher。Shewasnowinamomentsoconscience-
　　strickenthatherverybasketpartookofthechange。
　　’Maggy，youpromisedmetostopnearfather。’
　　’SoIwould，LittleMother，onlyhewouldn’tletme。IfhetakesandsendsmeoutImustgo。Ifhetakesandsays，“Maggy，youhurryawayandbackwiththatletter，andyoushallhaveasixpenceiftheanswer’sagood’un，“Imusttakeit。Lor，LittleMother，what’sapoorthingoftenyearoldtodo？AndifMrTip——ifhehappenstobeacominginasIcomeout，andifhesays“Whereareyougoing，Maggy？“andifIsays，“I’magoingSoandSo，“andifhesays，“I’llhaveaTrytoo，“andifhegoesintotheGeorgeandwritesaletterandifhegivesitmeandsays，“Takethatonetothesameplace，andiftheanswer’sagood’unI’llgiveyouashilling，“itain’tmyfault，mother!’
　　Arthurread，inLittleDorrit’sdowncasteyes，towhomsheforesawthattheletterswereaddressed。
　　’I’magoingSoandSo。There!That’swhereIamagoingto，’
　　saidMaggy。’I’magoingSoandSo。Itain’tyou，LittleMother，that’sgotanythingtodowithit——it’syou，youknow，’saidMaggy，addressingArthur。’You’dbettercome，SoandSo，andletmetakeandgive’emtoyou。’
　　’Wewillnotbesoparticularasthat，Maggy。Givethemmehere，’
　　saidClennaminalowvoice。
　　’Well，then，comeacrosstheroad，’answeredMaggyinaveryloudwhisper。’LittleMotherwasn’ttoknownothingofit，andshewouldneverhaveknownnothingofitifyouhadonlygoneSoandSo，insteadofbotheringandloiteringabout。Itain’tmyfault。
　　ImustdowhatIamtold。Theyoughttobeashamedofthemselvesfortellingme。’
　　Clennamcrossedtotheotherside，andhurriedlyopenedtheletters。ThatfromthefathermentionedthatmostunexpectedlyfindinghimselfinthenovelpositionofhavingbeendisappointedofaremittancefromtheCityonwhichhehadconfidentlycounted，hetookuphispen，beingrestrainedbytheunhappycircumstanceofhisincarcerationduringthree-and-twentyyearsdoublyunderlined，fromcominghimself，ashewouldotherwisecertainlyhavedone——tookuphispentoentreatMrClennamtoadvancehimthesumofThreePoundsTenShillingsuponhisI。O。U。，whichhebeggedtoenclose。ThatfromthesonsetforththatMrClennamwould，heknew，begratifiedtohearthathehadatlengthobtainedpermanentemploymentofahighlysatisfactorynature，accompaniedwitheveryprospectofcompletesuccessinlife；butthatthetemporaryinabilityofhisemployertopayhimhisarrearsofsalarytothatdateinwhichconditionsaidemployerhadappealedtothatgenerousforbearanceinwhichhetrustedheshouldneverbewantingtowardsafellow-creature，combinedwiththefraudulentconductofafalsefriendandthepresenthighpriceofprovisions，hadreducedhimtothevergeofruin，unlesshecouldbyaquarterbeforesixthateveningraisethesumofeightpounds。Thissum，MrClennamwouldbehappytolearn，hehad，throughthepromptitudeofseveralfriendswhohadalivelyconfidenceinhisprobity，alreadyraised，withtheexceptionofatriflingbalanceofonepoundseventeenandfourpence；theloanofwhichbalance，fortheperiodofonemonth，wouldbefraughtwiththeusualbeneficentconsequences。
　　TheselettersClennamansweredwiththeaidofhispencilandpocket-book，onthespot；sendingthefatherwhatheaskedfor，andexcusinghimselffromcompliancewiththedemandoftheson。HethencommissionedMaggytoreturnwithhisreplies，andgavehertheshillingofwhichthefailureofhersupplementalenterprisewouldhavedisappointedherotherwise。