ButhereagainshewasundeceivedbyanomalousandincongruousconductonthepartofMrPanckshimself。Shehadleftthetablehalfanhour，andwasatworkalone。Florahad’gonetoliedown’
　　inthenextroom，concurrentlywithwhichretirementasmellofsomethingtodrinkhadbrokenoutinthehouse。ThePatriarchwasfastasleep，withhisphilanthropicmouthopenunderayellowpocket-handkerchiefinthedining-room。Atthisquiettime，MrPanckssoftlyappearedbeforeher，urbanelynodding。
　　’Finditalittledull，MissDorrit？’inquiredPancksinalowvoice。
　　’No，thankyou，sir，’saidLittleDorrit。
　　’Busy，Isee，’observedMrPancks，stealingintotheroombyinches。’Whatarethosenow，MissDorrit？’
　　’Handkerchiefs。’
　　’Arethey，though!’saidPancks。’Ishouldn’thavethoughtit。’
　　Notintheleastlookingatthem，butlookingatLittleDorrit。
　　’PerhapsyouwonderwhoIam。ShallItellyou？Iamafortune-
　　teller。’
　　LittleDorritnowbegantothinkhewasmad。
　　’Ibelongbodyandsoultomyproprietor，’saidPancks；’yousawmyproprietorhavinghisdinnerbelow。ButIdoalittleintheotherway，sometimes；privately，veryprivately，MissDorrit。’
　　LittleDorritlookedathimdoubtfully，andnotwithoutalarm。
　　’Iwishyou’dshowmethepalmofyourhand，’saidPancks。’I
　　shouldliketohavealookatit。Don’tletmebetroublesome。’
　　Hewassofartroublesomethathewasnotatallwantedthere，butshelaidherworkinherlapforamoment，andheldoutherlefthandwithherthimbleonit。
　　’Yearsoftoil，eh？’saidPancks，softly，touchingitwithhisbluntforefinger。’Butwhatelsearewemadefor？Nothing。
　　Hallo!’lookingintothelines。’What’sthiswithbars？It’saCollege!Andwhat’sthiswithagreygownandablackvelvetcap？
　　it’safather!Andwhat’sthiswithaclarionet？It’sanuncle!
　　Andwhat’sthisindancing-shoes？It’sasister!Andwhat’sthisstragglingaboutinanidlesortofaway？It’sabrother!Andwhat’sthisthinkingfor’emall？Why，thisisyou，MissDorrit!’
　　Hereyesmethisasshelookedupwonderinglyintohisface，andshethoughtthatalthoughhisweresharpeyes，hewasabrighterandgentler-lookingmanthanshehadsupposedatdinner。Hiseyeswereonherhandagaindirectly，andheropportunityofconfirmingorcorrectingtheimpressionwasgone。
　　’Now，thedeuceisinit，’mutteredPancks，tracingoutalineinherhandwithhisclumsyfinger，’ifthisisn’tmeinthecornerhere!WhatdoIwanthere？What’sbehindme？’
　　Hecarriedhisfingerslowlydowntothewrist，androundthewrist，andaffectedtolookatthebackofthehandforwhatwasbehindhim。
　　’Isitanyharm？’askedLittleDorrit，smiling。
　　’Deuceabit!’saidPancks。’Whatdoyouthinkit’sworth？’
　　’Ioughttoaskyouthat。Iamnotthefortune-teller。’
　　’True，’saidPancks。’What’sitworth？Youshalllivetosee，MissDorrit。’
　　Releasingthehandbyslowdegrees，hedrewallhisfingersthroughhisprongsofhair，sothattheystoodupintheirmostportentousmanner；andrepeatedslowly，’RememberwhatIsay，MissDorrit。
　　Youshalllivetosee。’
　　Shecouldnothelpshowingthatshewasmuchsurprised，ifitwereonlybyhisknowingsomuchabouther。
　　’Ah!That’sit!’saidPancks，pointingather。’MissDorrit，notthat，ever!’
　　Moresurprisedthanbefore，andalittlemorefrightened，shelookedtohimforanexplanationofhislastwords。
　　’Notthat，’saidPancks，making，withgreatseriousness，animitationofasurprisedlookandmannerthatappearedtobeunintentionallygrotesque。’Don’tdothat。Neveronseeingme，nomatterwhen，nomatterwhere。Iamnobody。Don’ttakeontomindme。Don’tmentionme。Takenonotice。Willyouagree，MissDorrit？’
　　’Ihardlyknowwhattosay，’returnedLittleDorrit，quiteastounded。’Why？’
　　’BecauseIamafortune-teller。Pancksthegipsy。Ihaven’ttoldyousomuchofyourfortuneyet，MissDorrit，astotellyouwhat’sbehindmeonthatlittlehand。Ihavetoldyouyoushalllivetosee。Isitagreed，MissDorrit？’
　　’AgreedthatI——am——to——’
　　’Totakenonoticeofmeawayfromhere，unlessItakeonfirst。
　　NottomindmewhenIcomeandgo。It’sveryeasy。Iamnoloss，Iamnothandsome，Iamnotgoodcompany，Iamonlymyproprietorsgrubber。Youneeddonomorethanthink，“Ah!Pancksthegipsyathisfortune-telling——he’lltelltherestofmyfortuneoneday——I
　　shalllivetoknowit。“Isitagreed，MissDorrit？’
　　’Ye-es，’falteredLittleDorrit，whomhegreatlyconfused，’I
　　supposeso，whileyoudonoharm。’
　　’Good!’MrPancksglancedatthewalloftheadjoiningroom，andstoopedforward。’Honestcreature，womanofcapitalpoints，butheedlessandaloosetalker，MissDorrit。’Withthatherubbedhishandsasiftheinterviewhadbeenverysatisfactorytohim，pantedawaytothedoor，andurbanelynoddedhimselfoutagain。
　　IfLittleDorritwerebeyondmeasureperplexedbythiscuriousconductonthepartofhernewacquaintance，andbyfindingherselfinvolvedinthissingulartreaty，herperplexitywasnotdiminishedbyensuingcircumstances。BesidesthatMrPanckstookeveryopportunityaffordedhiminMrCasby’shouseofsignificantlyglancingatherandsnortingather——whichwasnotmuch，afterwhathehaddonealready——hebegantopervadeherdailylife。Shesawhiminthestreet，constantly。WhenshewenttoMrCasby’s，hewasalwaysthere。WhenshewenttoMrsClennam’s，hecamethereonanypretence，asiftokeepherinhissight。Aweekhadnotgoneby，whenshefoundhimtoherastonishmentintheLodgeonenight，conversingwiththeturnkeyonduty，andtoallappearanceoneofhisfamiliarcompanions。Hernextsurprisewastofindhimequallyathiseasewithintheprison；tohearofhispresentinghimselfamongthevisitorsatherfather’sSundaylevee；toseehimarminarmwithaCollegiatefriendabouttheyard；tolearn，fromFame，thathehadgreatlydistinguishedhimselfoneeveningatthesocialclubthathelditsmeetingsintheSnuggery，byaddressingaspeechtothemembersoftheinstitution，singingasong，andtreatingthecompanytofivegallonsofale——reportmadlyaddedabushelofshrimps。TheeffectonMrPlornishofsuchofthesephenomenaashebecameaneye-witnessofinhisfaithfulvisits，madeanimpressiononLittleDorritonlysecondtothatproducedbythephenomenathemselves。Theyseemedtogagandbindhim。Hecouldonlystare，andsometimesweaklymutterthatitwouldn’tbebelieveddownBleedingHeartYardthatthiswasPancks；butheneversaidawordmore，ormadeasignmore，eventoLittleDorrit。
　　MrPanckscrownedhismysteriesbymakinghimselfacquaintedwithTipinsomeunknownmanner，andtakingaSundaysaunterintotheCollegeonthatgentleman’sarm。ThroughouthenevertookanynoticeofLittleDorrit，saveonceortwicewhenhehappenedtocomeclosetoherandtherewasnooneverynear；onwhichoccasions，hesaidinpassing，withafriendlylookandapuffofencouragement，’Pancksthegipsy——fortune-telling。’
　　LittleDorritworkedandstroveasusual，wonderingatallthis，butkeepingherwonder，asshehadfromherearliestyearskeptmanyheavierloads，inherownbreast。Achangehadstolen，andwasstealingyet，overthepatientheart。Everydayfoundhersomethingmoreretiringthanthedaybefore。Topassinandoutoftheprisonunnoticed，andelsewheretobeoverlookedandforgotten，were，forherself，herchiefdesires。
　　Toherownroomtoo，strangelyassortedroomforherdelicateyouthandcharacter，shewasgladtoretreatasoftenasshecouldwithoutdesertionofanyduty。Therewereafternoontimeswhenshewasunemployed，whenvisitorsdroppedintoplayahandatcardswithherfather，whenshecouldbesparedandwasbetteraway。
　　Thenshewouldflitalongtheyard，climbthescoresofstairsthatledtoherroom，andtakeherseatatthewindow。Manycombinationsdidthosespikesuponthewallassume，manylightshapesdidthestrongironweaveitselfinto，manygoldentouchesfellupontherust，whileLittleDorritsattheremusing。Newzig-
　　zagssprungintothecruelpatternsometimes，whenshesawitthroughaburstoftears；butbeautifiedorhardenedstill，alwaysoveritandunderitandthroughit，shewasfaintolookinhersolitude，seeingeverythingwiththatineffaceablebrand。
　　Agarret，andaMarshalseagarretwithoutcompromise，wasLittleDorrit’sroom。Beautifullykept，itwasuglyinitself，andhadlittlebutcleanlinessandairtosetitoff；forwhatembellishmentshehadeverbeenabletobuy，hadgonetoherfather’sroom。Howbeit，forthispoorplacesheshowedanincreasinglove；andtositinitalonebecameherfavouriterest。
　　Insomuch，thatonacertainafternoonduringthePancksmysteries，whenshewasseatedatherwindow，andheardMaggy’swell-knownstepcomingupthestairs，shewasverymuchdisturbedbytheapprehensionofbeingsummonedaway。AsMaggy’sstepcamehigherupandnearer，shetrembledandfaltered；anditwasasmuchasshecoulddotospeak，whenMaggyatlengthappeared。
　　’Please，LittleMother，’saidMaggy，pantingforbreath，’youmustcomedownandseehim。He’shere。’
　　’Who，Maggy？’
　　’Who，o’courseMrClennam。He’sinyourfather’sroom，andhesaystome，Maggy，willyoubesokindandgoandsayit’sonlyme。’
　　’Iamnotverywell，Maggy。Ihadbetternotgo。Iamgoingtoliedown。See!Iliedownnow，toeasemyhead。Say，withmygratefulregard，thatyouleftmeso，orIwouldhavecome。’
　　’Well，itan’tverypolitethough，LittleMother，’saidthestaringMaggy，’toturnyourfaceaway，neither!’
　　Maggywasverysusceptibletopersonalslights，andveryingeniousininventingthem。’Puttingbothyourhandsaforeyourfacetoo!’
　　shewenton。’Ifyoucan’tbearthelooksofapoorthing，itwouldbebettertotellhersoatonce，andnotgoandshutheroutlikethat，hurtingherfeelingsandbreakingherheartattenyearold，poorthing!’
　　’It’stoeasemyhead，Maggy。’
　　’Well，andifyoucrytoeaseyourhead，LittleMother，letmecrytoo。Don’tgoandhaveallthecryingtoyourself，’expostulatedMaggy，’thatan’tnotbeinggreedy。’Andimmediatelybegantoblubber。
　　Itwaswithsomedifficultythatshecouldbeinducedtogobackwiththeexcuse；butthepromiseofbeingtoldastory——ofoldhergreatdelight——onconditionthatsheconcentratedherfacultiesupontheerrandandleftherlittlemistresstoherselfforanhourlonger，combinedwithamisgivingonMaggy’spartthatshehadlefthergoodtemperatthebottomofthestaircase，prevailed。Soawayshewent，mutteringhermessageallthewaytokeepitinhermind，and，attheappointedtime，cameback。