ThePatriarch，meanwhile，cameinanelybeamingtowardsthecounting-houseinthewakeofPancks。Pancksopenedthedoorforhim，towedhimin，andretiredtohisownmooringsinacorner。
　　’IheardfromFlora，’saidthePatriarchwithhisbenevolentsmile，’thatshewascomingtocall，comingtocall。Andbeingout，I
　　thoughtI’dcomealso，thoughtI’dcomealso。’
　　Thebenignwisdomheinfusedintothisdeclarationnotofitselfprofound，bymeansofhisblueeyes，hisshininghead，andhislongwhitehair，wasmostimpressive。Itseemedworthputtingdownamongthenoblestsentimentsenunciatedbythebestofmen。Also，whenhesaidtoClennam，seatinghimselfintheprofferedchair，’Andyouareinanewbusiness，MrClennam？Iwishyouwell，sir，Iwishyouwell!’heseemedtohavedonebenevolentwonders。
　　’MrsFinchinghasbeentellingme，sir，’saidArthur，aftermakinghisacknowledgments；therelictofthelateMrF。meanwhileprotesting，withagesture，againsthisuseofthatrespectablename；’thatshehopesoccasionallytoemploytheyoungneedlewomanyourecommendedtomymother。ForwhichIhavebeenthankingher。’
　　ThePatriarchturninghisheadinalumberingwaytowardsPancks，thatassistantputupthenote-bookinwhichhehadbeenabsorbed，andtookhimintow。
　　’Youdidn’trecommendher，youknow，’saidPancks；’howcouldyou？
　　Youknewnothingabouther，youdidn’t。Thenamewasmentionedtoyou，andyoupassediton。That’swhatYOUdid。’
　　’Well!’saidClennam。’Asshejustifiesanyrecommendation，itismuchthesamething。’
　　’Youaregladsheturnsoutwell，’saidPancks，’butitwouldn’thavebeenyourfaultifshehadturnedoutill。Thecredit’snotyoursasitis，andtheblamewouldn’thavebeenyoursasitmighthavebeen。Yougavenoguarantee。Youknewnothingabouther。’
　　’Youarenotacquainted，then，’saidArthur，hazardingarandomquestion，’withanyofherfamily？’
　　’Acquaintedwithanyofherfamily？’returnedPancks。’Howshouldyoubeacquaintedwithanyofherfamily？Youneverheardof’em。
　　Youcan’tbeacquaintedwithpeopleyouneverheardof，canyou？
　　Youshouldthinknot!’
　　AllthistimethePatriarchsatserenelysmiling；noddingorshakinghisheadbenevolently，asthecaserequired。
　　’Astobeingareference，’saidPancks，’youknow，inageneralway，whatbeingareferencemeans。It’sallyoureye，thatis!
　　LookatyourtenantsdowntheYardhere。They’dallbereferencesforoneanother，ifyou’dlet’em。Whatwouldbethegoodofletting’em？It’snosatisfactiontobedonebytwomeninsteadofone。One’senough。Apersonwhocan’tpay，getsanotherpersonwhocan’tpay，toguaranteethathecanpay。Likeapersonwithtwowoodenlegsgettinganotherpersonwithtwowoodenlegs，toguaranteethathehasgottwonaturallegs。Itdon’tmakeeitherofthemabletodoawalkingmatch。Andfourwoodenlegsaremoretroublesometoyouthantwo，whenyoudon’twantany。’MrPancksconcludedbyblowingoffthatsteamofhis。
　　AmomentarysilencethatensuedwasbrokenbyMrF。’sAunt，whohadbeensittinguprightinacatalepticstatesinceherlastpublicremark。Shenowunderwentaviolenttwitch，calculatedtoproduceastartlingeffectonthenervesoftheuninitiated，andwiththedeadliestanimosityobserved：
　　’Youcan’tmakeaheadandbrainsoutofabrassknobwithnothinginit。Youcouldn’tdoitwhenyourUncleGeorgewasliving；muchlesswhenhe’sdead。’
　　MrPanckswasnotslowtoreply，withhisusualcalmness，’Indeed，ma’am!Blessmysoul!I’msurprisedtohearit。’Despitehispresenceofmind，however，thespeechofMrF。’sAuntproducedadepressingeffectonthelittleassembly；firstly，becauseitwasimpossibletodisguisethatClennam’sunoffendingheadwastheparticulartempleofreasondepreciated；andsecondly，becausenobodyeverknewontheseoccasionswhoseUncleGeorgewasreferredto，orwhatspectralpresencemightbeinvokedunderthatappellation。
　　ThereforeFlorasaid，thoughstillnotwithoutacertainboastfulnessandtriumphinherlegacy，thatMrF。’sAuntwas’verylivelyto-day，andshethoughttheyhadbettergo。’ButMrF。’sAuntprovedsolivelyastotakethesuggestioninunexpecteddudgeonanddeclarethatshewouldnotgo；adding，withseveralinjuriousexpressions，thatif’He’——tooevidentlymeaningClennam——wantedtogetridofher，’lethimchuckheroutofwinder；’andurgentlyexpressingherdesiretosee’Him’performthatceremony。
　　Inthisdilemma，MrPancks，whoseresourcesappearedequaltoanyemergencyinthePatriarchalwaters，slippedonhishat，slippedoutatthecounting-housedoor，andslippedinagainamomentafterwardswithanartificialfreshnessuponhim，asifhehadbeeninthecountryforsomeweeks。’Why，blessmyheart，ma’am!’saidMrPancks，rubbinguphishairingreatastonishment，’isthatyou？
　　Howdoyoudo，ma’am？Youarelookingcharmingto-day!Iamdelightedtoseeyou。Favourmewithyourarm，ma’am；we’llhavealittlewalktogether，youandme，ifyou’llhonourmewithyourcompany。’AndsoescortedMrF。’sAuntdowntheprivatestaircaseofthecounting-housewithgreatgallantryandsuccess。ThepatriarchalMrCasbythenrosewiththeairofhavingdoneithimself，andblandlyfollowed：leavinghisdaughter，asshefollowedinherturn，toremarktoherformerloverinadistractedwhisperwhichsheverymuchenjoyed，thattheyhaddrainedthecupoflifetothedregs；andfurthertohintmysteriouslythatthelateMrF。wasatthebottomofit。
　　Aloneagain，ClennambecameapreytohisolddoubtsinreferencetohismotherandLittleDorrit，andrevolvedtheoldthoughtsandsuspicions。Theywereallinhismind，blendingthemselveswiththedutieshewasmechanicallydischarging，whenashadowonhispaperscausedhimtolookupforthecause。ThecausewasMrPancks。Withhishatthrownbackuponhisearsasifhiswiryprongsofhairhaddarteduplikespringsandcastitoff，withhisjet-blackbeadsofeyesinquisitivelysharp，withthefingersofhisrighthandinhismouththathemightbitethenails，andwiththefingersofhislefthandinreserveinhispocketforanothercourse，MrPanckscasthisshadowthroughtheglassuponthebooksandpapers。
　　MrPancksasked，withalittleinquiringtwistofhishead，ifhemightcomeinagain？Clennamrepliedwithanodofhisheadintheaffirmative。MrPancksworkedhiswayin，camealongsidethedesk，madehimselffastbyleaninghisarmsuponit，andstartedconversationwithapuffandasnort。
　　’MrF。’sAuntisappeased，Ihope？’saidClennam。
　　’Allright，sir，’saidPancks。
　　’Iamsounfortunateastohaveawakenedastronganimosityinthebreastofthatlady，’saidClennam。’Doyouknowwhy？’
　　’DoesSHEknowwhy？’saidPancks。
　　’Isupposenot。’
　　’_I_supposenot，’saidPancks。
　　Hetookouthisnote-book，openedit，shutit，droppeditintohishat，whichwasbesidehimonthedesk，andlookedinatitasitlayatthebottomofthehat：allwithagreatappearanceofconsideration。
　　’MrClennam，’hethenbegan，’Iaminwantofinformation，sir。’
　　’Connectedwiththisfirm？’askedClennam。
　　’No，’saidPancks。
　　’Withwhatthen，MrPancks？Thatistosay，assumingthatyouwantitofme。’
　　’Yes，sir；yes，Iwantitofyou，’saidPancks，’ifIcanpersuadeyoutofurnishit。A，B，C，D。DA，DE，DI，DO。Dictionaryorder。
　　Dorrit。That’sthename，sir？’
　　MrPancksblewoffhispeculiarnoiseagain，andfelltoathisright-handnails。Arthurlookedsearchinglyathim；hereturnedthelook。
　　’Idon’tunderstandyou，MrPancks。’
　　’That’sthenamethatIwanttoknowabout。’
　　’Andwhatdoyouwanttoknow？’
　　’Whateveryoucanandwilltellme。’ThiscomprehensivesummaryofhisdesireswasnotdischargedwithoutsomeheavylabouringonthepartofMrPancks’smachinery。
　　’Thisisasingularvisit，MrPancks。Itstrikesmeasratherextraordinarythatyoushouldcome，withsuchanobject，tome。’
　　’Itmaybeallextraordinarytogether，’returnedPancks。’Itmaybeoutoftheordinarycourse，andyetbebusiness。Inshort，itisbusiness。Iamamanofbusiness。WhatbusinesshaveIinthispresentworld，excepttosticktobusiness？Nobusiness。’
　　Withhisformerdoubtwhetherthisdryhardpersonagewerequiteinearnest，Clennamagainturnedhiseyesattentivelyuponhisface。
　　Itwasasscrubbyanddingyasever，andaseagerandquickasever，andhecouldseenothinglurkinginitthatwasatallexpressiveofalatentmockerythathadseemedtostrikeuponhisearinthevoice。
　　’Now，’saidPancks，’toputthisbusinessonitsownfooting，it’snotmyproprietor’s。’
　　’DoyourefertoMrCasbyasyourproprietor？’
　　Pancksnodded。’Myproprietor。Putacase。Say，atmyproprietor’sIhearname——nameofyoungpersonMrClennamwantstoserve。Say，namefirstmentionedtomyproprietorbyPlornishintheYard。Say，IgotoPlornish。Say，IaskPlornishasamatterofbusinessforinformation。Say，Plornish，thoughsixweeksinarreartomyproprietor，declines。Say，MrsPlornishdeclines。
　　Say，bothrefertoMrClennam。Putthecase。’
　　’Well？’
　　’Well，sir，’returnedPancks，’say，Icometohim。Say，hereI
　　am。’
　　Withthoseprongsofhairstickingupalloverhishead，andhisbreathcomingandgoingveryhardandshort，thebusyPancksfellbackastepinTugmetaphor，tookhalfaturnasternasiftoshowhisdingyhullcomplete，thenforgeda-headagain，anddirectedhisquickglancebyturnsintohishatwherehisnote-bookwas，andintoClennam’sface。
　　’MrPancks，nottotrespassonyourgroundsofmystery，IwillbeasplainwithyouasIcan。Letmeasktwoquestions。First——’
　　’Allright!’saidPancks，holdinguphisdirtyforefingerwithhisbrokennail。’Isee!“What’syourmotive？“’
　　’Exactly。’
　　’Motive，’saidPancks，’good。Nothingtodowithmyproprietor；
　　notstateableatpresent，ridiculoustostateatpresent；butgood。
　　Desiringtoserveyoungperson，nameofDorrit，’saidPancks，withhisforefingerstillupasacaution。’Betteradmitmotivetobegood。’
　　’Secondly，andlastly，whatdoyouwanttoknow？’
　　MrPancksfisheduphisnote-bookbeforethequestionwasput，andbuttoningitwithcareinaninnerbreast-pocket，andlookingstraightatClennamallthetime，repliedwithapauseandapuff，’Iwantsupplementaryinformationofanysort。’
　　Clennamcouldnotwithholdasmile，asthepantinglittlesteam-
　　tug，sousefultothatunwieldyship，theCasby，waitedonandwatchedhimasifitwereseekinganopportunityofrunninginandriflinghimofallhewantedbeforehecouldresistitsmanoeuvres；
　　thoughtherewasthatinMrPancks’seagerness，too，whichawakenedmanywonderingspeculationsinhismind。Afteralittleconsideration，heresolvedtosupplyMrPanckswithsuchleadinginformationasitwasinhispowertoimparthim；wellknowingthatMrPancks，ifhefailedinhispresentresearch，wasprettysuretofindothermeansofgettingit。