"To be sure you couldn"t have known him before unless you had been in China or had corresponded neither of which is likely," returned Flora, "for travelling-people usually get more or less mahogany and you are not at all so and as to corresponding what about? that"s very true unless tea, so it was at his mother"s was it really that you knew him first, highly sensible and firm but dreadfully severe--ought to be the mother of the man in the iron mask."
"Mrs Clennam has been kind to me," said Little Dorrit.
"Really? I am sure I am glad to hear it because as Arthur"s mother it"s naturally pleasant to my feelings to have a better opinion of her than I had before, though what she thinks of me when I run on as I am certain to do and she sits glowering at me like Fate in a go-cart--shocking comparison really--invalid and not her fault--I never know or can imagine."
"Shall I find my work anywhere, ma"am?" asked Little Dorrit, looking timidly about; "can I get it?"
"You industrious little fairy," returned Flora, taking, in another cup of tea, another of the doses prescribed by her medical man, "there"s not the slightest hurry and it"s better that we should begin by being confidential about our mutual friend--too cold a word for me at least I don"t mean that, very proper expression mutual friend--than become through mere formalities not you but me like the Spartan boy with the fox biting him, which I hope you"ll excuse my bringing up for of all the tiresome boys that will go tumbling into every sort of company that boy"s the tiresomest."
Little Dorrit, her face very pale, sat down again to listen. "Hadn"t I better work the while?" she asked. "I can work and attend too. I would rather, if I may."
Her earnestness was so expressive of her being uneasy without her work, that Flora answered, "Well my dear whatever you like best," and produced a basket of white handkerchiefs. Little Dorrit gladly put it by her side, took out her little pocket-housewife, threaded the needle, and began to hem.
"What nimble fingers you have," said Flora, "but are you sure you are well?"
"Oh yes, indeed!"
Flora put her feet upon the fender, and settled herself for a thorough good romantic disclosure. She started off at score, tossing her head, sighing in the most demonstrative manner, making a great deal of use of her eyebrows, and occasionally, but not often, glancing at the quiet face that bent over the work.
"You must know my dear," said Flora, "but that I have no doubt you know already not only because I have already thrown it out in a general way but because I feel I carry it stamped in burning what"s his names upon my brow that before I was introduced to the late Mr F. I had been engaged to Arthur Clennam--Mr Clennam in public where reserve is necessary Arthur here--we were all in all to one another it was the morning of life it was bliss it was frenzy it was everything else of that sort in the highest degree, when rent asunder we turned to stone in which capacity Arthur went to China and I became the statue bride of the late Mr F."
Flora, uttering these words in a deep voice, enjoyed herself immensely.
"To paint," said she, "the emotions of that morning when all was marble within and Mr F."s Aunt followed in a gla.s.s-coach which it stands to reason must have been in shameful repair or it never could have broken down two streets from the house and Mr F."s Aunt brought home like the fifth of November in a rush-bottomed chair I will not attempt, suffice it to say that the hollow form of breakfast took place in the dining-room downstairs that papa partaking too freely of pickled salmon was ill for weeks and that Mr F. and myself went upon a continental tour to Calais where the people fought for us on the pier until they separated us though not for ever that was not yet to be."
The statue bride, hardly pausing for breath, went on, with the greatest complacency, in a rambling manner sometimes incidental to flesh and blood.
"I will draw a veil over that dreamy life, Mr F. was in good spirits his appet.i.te was good he liked the cookery he considered the wine weak but palatable and all was well, we returned to the immediate neighbourhood of Number Thirty Little Gosling Street London Docks and settled down, ere we had yet fully detected the housemaid in selling the feathers out of the spare bed Gout flying upwards soared with Mr F. to another sphere."
His relict, with a glance at his portrait, shook her head and wiped her eyes.
"I revere the memory of Mr F. as an estimable man and most indulgent husband, only necessary to mention Asparagus and it appeared or to hint at any little delicate thing to drink and it came like magic in a pint bottle it was not ecstasy but it was comfort, I returned to papa"s roof and lived secluded if not happy during some years until one day papa came smoothly blundering in and said that Arthur Clennam awaited me below, I went below and found him ask me not what I found him except that he was still unmarried still unchanged!"
The dark mystery with which Flora now enshrouded herself might have stopped other fingers than the nimble fingers that worked near her.
They worked on without pause, and the busy head bent over them watching the st.i.tches.
"Ask me not," said Flora, "if I love him still or if he still loves me or what the end is to be or when, we are surrounded by watchful eyes and it may be that we are destined to pine asunder it may be never more to be reunited not a word not a breath not a look to betray us all must be secret as the tomb wonder not therefore that even if I should seem comparatively cold to Arthur or Arthur should seem comparatively cold to me we have fatal reasons it is enough if we understand them hush!"
All of which Flora said with so much headlong vehemence as if she really believed it. There is not much doubt that when she worked herself into full mermaid condition, she did actually believe whatever she said in it.
"Hush!" repeated Flora, "I have now told you all, confidence is established between us hush, for Arthur"s sake I will always be a friend to you my dear girl and in Arthur"s name you may always rely upon me."
The nimble fingers laid aside the work, and the little figure rose and kissed her hand. "You are very cold," said Flora, changing to her own natural kind-hearted manner, and gaining greatly by the change. "Don"t work to-day. I am sure you are not well I am sure you are not strong."
"It is only that I feel a little overcome by your kindness, and by Mr Clennam"s kindness in confiding me to one he has known and loved so long."
"Well really my dear," said Flora, who had a decided tendency to be always honest when she gave herself time to think about it, "it"s as well to leave that alone now, for I couldn"t undertake to say after all, but it doesn"t signify lie down a little!"
"I have always been strong enough to do what I want to do, and I shall be quite well directly," returned Little Dorrit, with a faint smile.
"You have overpowered me with grat.i.tude, that"s all. If I keep near the window for a moment I shall be quite myself."
Flora opened a window, sat her in a chair by it, and considerately retired to her former place. It was a windy day, and the air stirring on Little Dorrit"s face soon brightened it. In a very few minutes she returned to her basket of work, and her nimble fingers were as nimble as ever.
Quietly pursuing her task, she asked Flora if Mr Clennam had told her where she lived? When Flora replied in the negative, Little Dorrit said that she understood why he had been so delicate, but that she felt sure he would approve of her confiding her secret to Flora, and that she would therefore do so now with Flora"s permission. Receiving an encouraging answer, she condensed the narrative of her life into a few scanty words about herself and a glowing eulogy upon her father; and Flora took it all in with a natural tenderness that quite understood it, and in which there was no incoherence.
When dinner-time came, Flora drew the arm of her new charge through hers, and led her down-stairs, and presented her to the Patriarch and Mr Pancks, who were already in the dining-room waiting to begin. (Mr F."s Aunt was, for the time, laid up in ordinary in her chamber.) By those gentlemen she was received according to their characters; the Patriarch appearing to do her some inestimable service in saying that he was glad to see her, glad to see her; and Mr Pancks blowing off his favourite sound as a salute.
In that new presence she would have been bashful enough under any circ.u.mstances, and particularly under Flora"s insisting on her drinking a gla.s.s of wine and eating of the best that was there; but her constraint was greatly increased by Mr Pancks. The demeanour of that gentleman at first suggested to her mind that he might be a taker of likenesses, so intently did he look at her, and so frequently did he glance at the little note-book by his side. Observing that he made no sketch, however, and that he talked about business only, she began to have suspicions that he represented some creditor of her father"s, the balance due to whom was noted in that pocket volume. Regarded from this point of view Mr Pancks"s puffings expressed injury and impatience, and each of his louder snorts became a demand for payment.
But here again she was undeceived by anomalous and incongruous conduct on the part of Mr Pancks himself. She had left the table half an hour, and was at work alone. Flora had "gone to lie down" in the next room, concurrently with which retirement a smell of something to drink had broken out in the house. The Patriarch was fast asleep, with his philanthropic mouth open under a yellow pocket-handkerchief in the dining-room. At this quiet time, Mr Pancks softly appeared before her, urbanely nodding.
"Find it a little dull, Miss Dorrit?" inquired Pancks in a low voice.
"No, thank you, sir," said Little Dorrit.
"Busy, I see," observed Mr Pancks, stealing into the room by inches.
"What are those now, Miss Dorrit?"
"Handkerchiefs."
"Are they, though!" said Pancks. "I shouldn"t have thought it." Not in the least looking at them, but looking at Little Dorrit. "Perhaps you wonder who I am. Shall I tell you? I am a fortune-teller."
Little Dorrit now began to think he was mad.
"I belong body and soul to my proprietor," said Pancks; "you saw my proprietor having his dinner below. But I do a little in the other way, sometimes; privately, very privately, Miss Dorrit."
Little Dorrit looked at him doubtfully, and not without alarm.
"I wish you"d show me the palm of your hand," said Pancks. "I should like to have a look at it. Don"t let me be troublesome." He was so far troublesome that he was not at all wanted there, but she laid her work in her lap for a moment, and held out her left hand with her thimble on it.
"Years of toil, eh?" said Pancks, softly, touching it with his blunt forefinger. "But what else are we made for? Nothing. Hallo!" looking into the lines. "What"s this with bars? It"s a College! And what"s this with a grey gown and a black velvet cap? it"s a father! And what"s this with a clarionet? It"s an uncle! And what"s this in dancing-shoes? It"s a sister! And what"s this straggling about in an idle sort of a way?
It"s a brother! And what"s this thinking for "em all? Why, this is you, Miss Dorrit!" Her eyes met his as she looked up wonderingly into his face, and she thought that although his were sharp eyes, he was a brighter and gentler-looking man than she had supposed at dinner. His eyes were on her hand again directly, and her opportunity of confirming or correcting the impression was gone.
"Now, the deuce is in it," muttered Pancks, tracing out a line in her hand with his clumsy finger, "if this isn"t me in the corner here! What do I want here? What"s behind me?"
He carried his finger slowly down to the wrist, and round the wrist, and affected to look at the back of the hand for what was behind him.
"Is it any harm?" asked Little Dorrit, smiling.
"Deuce a bit!" said Pancks. "What do you think it"s worth?"
"I ought to ask you that. I am not the fortune-teller."
"True," said Pancks. "What"s it worth? You shall live to see, Miss Dorrit."
Releasing the hand by slow degrees, he drew all his fingers through his p.r.o.ngs of hair, so that they stood up in their most portentous manner; and repeated slowly, "Remember what I say, Miss Dorrit. You shall live to see."