TheInnkeeper，hatinhandintheyard，sworetothecourierthathewasblighted，thathewasdesolated，thathewasprofoundlyafflicted，thathewasthemostmiserableandunfortunateofbeasts，thathehadtheheadofawoodenpig。Heoughtnevertohavemadetheconcession，hesaid，buttheverygenteelladyhadsopassionatelyprayedhimfortheaccommodationofthatroomtodinein，onlyforalittlehalf-hour，thathehadbeenvanquished。Thelittlehalf-hourwasexpired，theladyandgentlemanweretakingtheirlittledessertandhalf-cupofcoffee，thenotewaspaid，thehorseswereordered，theywoulddepartimmediately；but，owingtoanunhappydestinyandthecurseofHeaven，theywerenotyetgone。
　　NothingcouldexceedMrDorrit’sindignation，asheturnedatthefootofthestaircaseonhearingtheseapologies。Hefeltthatthefamilydignitywasstruckatbyanassassin’shand。Hehadasenseofhisdignity，whichwasofthemostexquisitenature。Hecoulddetectadesignuponitwhennobodyelsehadanyperceptionofthefact。Hislifewasmadeanagonybythenumberoffinescalpelsthathefelttobeincessantlyengagedindissectinghisdignity。
　　’Isitpossible，sir，’saidMrDorrit，reddeningexcessively，’thatyouhave——ha——hadtheaudacitytoplaceoneofmyroomsatthedispositionofanyotherperson？’
　　Thousandsofpardons!Itwasthehost’sprofoundmisfortunetohavebeenovercomebythattoogenteellady。HebesoughtMonseigneurnottoenragehimself。HethrewhimselfonMonseigneurforclemency。IfMonseigneurwouldhavethedistinguishedgoodnesstooccupytheothersalonespeciallyreservedforhim，forbutfiveminutes，allwouldgowell。
　　’No，sir，’saidMrDorrit。’Iwillnotoccupyanysalon。Iwillleaveyourhousewithouteatingordrinking，orsettingfootinit。
　　Howdoyoudaretoactlikethis？WhoamIthatyou——ha——separatemefromothergentlemen？’
　　Alas!ThehostcalledalltheuniversetowitnessthatMonseigneurwasthemostamiableofthewholebodyofnobility，themostimportant，themostestimable，themosthonoured。IfheseparatedMonseigneurfromothers，itwasonlybecausehewasmoredistinguished，morecherished，moregenerous，morerenowned。
　　’Don’ttellmeso，sir，’returnedMrDorrit，inamightyheat。
　　’Youhaveaffrontedme。Youhaveheapedinsultsuponme。Howdareyou？Explainyourself。’
　　Ah，justHeaven，then，howcouldthehostexplainhimselfwhenhehadnothingmoretoexplain；whenhehadonlytoapologise，andconfidehimselftothesowell-knownmagnanimityofMonseigneur!
　　’Itellyou，sir，’saidMrDorrit，pantingwithanger，’thatyouseparateme——ha——fromothergentlemen；thatyoumakedistinctionsbetweenmeandothergentlemenoffortuneandstation。Idemandofyou，why？Iwishtoknowon——ha——whatauthority，onwhoseauthority。Replysir。Explain。Answerwhy。’
　　PermitthelandlordhumblytosubmittoMonsieurtheCourierthen，thatMonseigneur，ordinarilysogracious，enragedhimselfwithoutcause。Therewasnowhy。MonsieurtheCourierwouldrepresenttoMonseigneur，thathedeceivedhimselfinsuspectingthattherewasanywhy，butthewhyhisdevotedservanthadalreadyhadthehonourtopresenttohim。Theverygenteellady——
　　’Silence!’criedMrDorrit。’Holdyourtongue!Iwillhearnomoreoftheverygenteellady；Iwillhearnomoreofyou。Lookatthisfamily——myfamily——afamilymoregenteelthananylady。Youhavetreatedthisfamilywithdisrespect；youhavebeeninsolenttothisfamily。I’llruinyou。Ha——sendforthehorses，packthecarriages，I’llnotsetfootinthisman’shouseagain!’
　　Noonehadinterferedinthedispute，whichwasbeyondtheFrenchcolloquialpowersofEdwardDorrit，Esquire，andscarcelywithintheprovinceoftheladies。MissFanny，however，nowsupportedherfatherwithgreatbitterness；declaring，inhernativetongue，thatitwasquitecleartherewassomethingspecialinthisman’simpertinence；andthatsheconsidereditimportantthatheshouldbe，bysomemeans，forcedtogiveuphisauthorityformakingdistinctionsbetweenthatfamilyandotherwealthyfamilies。Whatthereasonsofhispresumptioncouldbe，shewasatalosstoimagine；butreasonshemusthave，andtheyoughttobetornfromhim。
　　Alltheguides，mule-drivers，andidlersintheyard，hadmadethemselvespartiestotheangryconference，andweremuchimpressedbythecourier’snowbestirringhimselftogetthecarriagesout。
　　Withtheaidofsomedozenpeopletoeachwheel，thiswasdoneatagreatcostofnoise；andthentheloadingwasproceededwith，pendingthearrivalofthehorsesfromthepost-house。
　　Buttheverygenteellady’sEnglishchariotbeingalreadyhorsedandattheinn-door，thelandlordhadslippedup-stairstorepresenthishardcase。Thiswasnotifiedtotheyardbyhisnowcomingdownthestaircaseinattendanceonthegentlemanandthelady，andbyhispointingouttheoffendedmajestyofMrDorrittothemwithasignificantmotionofhishand。
　　’Begyourpardon，’saidthegentleman，detachinghimselffromthelady，andcomingforward。’Iamamanoffewwordsandabadhandatanexplanation——butladyhereisextremelyanxiousthatthereshouldbenoRow。Lady——amotherofmine，inpointoffact——wishesmetosaythatshehopesnoRow。’
　　MrDorrit，stillpantingunderhisinjury，salutedthegentleman，andsalutedthelady，inadistant，final，andinvinciblemanner。
　　’No，butreally——here，oldfeller；you!’Thiswasthegentleman’swayofappealingtoEdwardDorrit，Esquire，onwhomhepouncedasagreatandprovidentialrelief。’LetyouandItrytomakethisallright。LadysoverymuchwishesnoRow。’
　　EdwardDorrit，Esquire，ledalittleapartbythebutton，assumedadiplomaticexpressionofcountenanceinreplying，’Whyyoumustconfess，thatwhenyoubespeakalotofroomsbeforehand，andtheybelongtoyou，it’snotpleasanttofindotherpeoplein’em。’
　　’No，’saidtheother，’Iknowitisn’t。Iadmitit。Still，letyouandItrytomakeitallright，andavoidRow。Thefaultisnotthischap’satall，butmymother’s。Beingaremarkablyfinewomanwithnobigoddnonsenseabouther——welleducated，too——shewastoomanyforthischap。Regularlypocketedhim。’
　　’Ifthat’sthecase——’EdwardDorrit，Esquire，began。
　　’Assureyou’ponmysoul’tisthecase。Consequently，’saidtheothergentleman，retiringonhismainposition，’whyRow？’
　　’Edmund，’saidtheladyfromthedoorway，’Ihopeyouhaveexplained，orareexplaining，tothesatisfactionofthisgentlemanandhisfamilythatthecivillandlordisnottoblame？’
　　’Assureyou，ma’am，’returnedEdmund，’perfectlyparalysingmyselfwithtryingiton。’HethenlookedsteadfastlyatEdwardDorrit，Esquire，forsomeseconds，andsuddenlyadded，inaburstofconfidence，’Oldfeller!Isitallright？’
　　’Idon’tknow，afterall，’saidthelady，gracefullyadvancingasteportwotowardsMrDorrit，’butthatIhadbettersaymyself，atonce，thatIassuredthisgoodmanItookalltheconsequencesonmyselfofoccupyingoneofastranger’ssuiteofroomsduringhisabsence，forjustasmuchoraslittletimeasIcoulddinein。Ihadnoideatherightfulownerwouldcomebacksosoon，norhadIanyideathathehadcomeback，orIshouldhavehastenedtomakerestorationofmyill-gottenchamber，andtohaveofferedmyexplanationandapology。Itrustinsayingthis——’
　　Foramomentthelady，withaglassathereye，stoodtransfixedandspeechlessbeforethetwoMissDorrits。Atthesamemoment，MissFanny，intheforegroundofagrandpictorialcomposition，formedbythefamily，thefamilyequipages，andthefamilyservants，heldhersistertightunderonearmtodetainheronthespot，andwiththeotherarmfannedherselfwithadistinguishedair，andnegligentlysurveyedtheladyfromheadtofoot。
　　Thelady，recoveringherselfquickly——foritwasMrsMerdleandshewasnoteasilydashed——wentontoaddthatshetrustedinsayingthis，sheapologisedforherboldness，andrestoredthiswell-
　　behavedlandlordtothefavourthatwassoveryvaluabletohim。
　　MrDorrit，onthealtarofwhosedignityallthiswasincense，madeagraciousreply；andsaidthathispeopleshould——ha——countermandhishorses，andhewould——hum——overlookwhathehadatfirstsupposedtobeanaffront，butnowregardedasanhonour。Uponthisthebosombenttohim；anditsowner，withawonderfulcommandoffeature，addressedawinningsmileofadieutothetwosisters，asyoungladiesoffortuneinwhosefavourshewasmuchprepossessed，andwhomshehadneverhadthegratificationofseeingbefore。
　　Notso，however，MrSparkler。Thisgentleman，becomingtransfixedatthesamemomentashislady-mother，couldnotbyanymeansunfixhimselfagain，butstoodstifflystaringatthewholecompositionwithMissFannyintheForeground。Onhismothersaying，’Edmund，wearequiteready；willyougivemeyourarm？’heseemed，bythemotionofhislips，toreplywithsomeremarkcomprehendingtheformofwordsinwhichhisshiningtalentsfoundthemostfrequentutterance，butherelaxednomuscle。Sofixedwashisfigure，thatitwouldhavebeenmatterofsomedifficultytobendhimsufficientlytogethiminthecarriage-door，ifhehadnotreceivedthetimelyassistanceofamaternalpullfromwithin。Hewasnosoonerwithinthanthepadofthelittlewindowinthebackofthechariotdisappeared，andhiseyeusurpeditsplace。Thereitremainedaslongassosmallanobjectwasdiscernible，andprobablymuchlonger，staringasthoughsomethinginexpressiblysurprisingshouldhappentoacodfishlikeanill-executedeyeinalargelocket。
　　ThisencounterwassohighlyagreeabletoMissFanny，andgavehersomuchtothinkofwithtriumphafterwards，thatitsoftenedherasperitiesexceedingly。Whentheprocessionwasagaininmotionnextday，sheoccupiedherplaceinitwithanewgaiety；andshowedsuchaflowofspiritsindeed，thatMrsGenerallookedrathersurprised。
　　LittleDorritwasgladtobefoundnofaultwith，andtoseethatFannywaspleased；butherpartintheprocessionwasamusingpart，andaquietone。Sittingoppositeherfatherinthetravelling-carriage，andrecallingtheoldMarshalsearoom，herpresentexistencewasadream。Allthatshesawwasnewandwonderful，butitwasnotreal；itseemedtoherasifthosevisionsofmountainsandpicturesquecountriesmightmeltawayatanymoment，andthecarriage，turningsomeabruptcorner，bringupwithajoltattheoldMarshalseagate。
　　Tohavenoworktodowasstrange，butnothalfsostrangeashavingglidedintoacornerwhereshehadnoonetothinkfor，nothingtoplanandcontrive，nocaresofotherstoloadherselfwith。Strangeasthatwas，itwasfarstrangeryettofindaspacebetweenherselfandherfather，whereothersoccupiedthemselvesintakingcareofhim，andwhereshewasneverexpectedtobe。Atfirst，thiswassomuchmoreunlikeheroldexperiencethaneventhemountainsthemselves，thatshehadbeenunabletoresignherselftoit，andhadtriedtoretainheroldplaceabouthim。
　　Buthehadspokentoheralone，andhadsaidthatpeople——ha——
　　peopleinanexaltedposition，mydear，mustscrupulouslyexactrespectfromtheirdependents；andthatforher，hisdaughter，MissAmyDorrit，ofthesoleremainingbranchoftheDorritsofDorsetshire，tobeknownto——hum——tooccupyherselfinfulfillingthefunctionsof——hahum——avalet，wouldbeincompatiblewiththatrespect。Therefore，mydear，he——ha——helaidhisparentalinjunctionsuponher，torememberthatshewasalady，whohadnowtoconductherselfwith——hum——aproperpride，andtopreservetherankofalady；andconsequentlyherequestedhertoabstainfromdoingwhatwouldoccasion——ha——unpleasantandderogatoryremarks。
　　Shehadobeyedwithoutamurmur。Thusithadbeenbroughtaboutthatshenowsatinhercorneroftheluxuriouscarriagewithherlittlepatienthandsfoldedbeforeher，quitedisplacedevenfromthelastpointoftheoldstandinggroundinlifeonwhichherfeethadlingered。
　　Itwasfromthispositionthatallshesawappearedunreal；themoresurprisingthescenes，themoretheyresembledtheunrealityofherowninnerlifeasshewentthroughitsvacantplacesalldaylong。ThegorgesoftheSimplon，itsenormousdepthsandthunderingwaterfalls，thewonderfulroad，thepointsofdangerwherealoosewheelorafalteringhorsewouldhavebeendestruction，thedescentintoItaly，theopeningofthatbeautifullandastheruggedmountain-chasmwidenedandletthemoutfromagloomyanddarkimprisonment——alladream——onlytheoldmeanMarshalseaareality。Nay，eventheoldmeanMarshalseawasshakentoitsfoundationswhenshepictureditwithoutherfather。Shecouldscarcelybelievethattheprisonerswerestilllingeringinthecloseyard，thatthemeanroomswerestilleveryonetenanted，andthattheturnkeystillstoodintheLodgelettingpeopleinandout，alljustasshewellknewittobe。