’Withamillionthanks，’saidshe，’andmyaddressuponmycardincaseofanythingtobecommunicatedpersonally，Iwillnotsendmylovetothedearlittlethingforitmightnotbeacceptable，andindeedthereisnodearlittlethingleftinthetransformationsowhydoitbutbothmyselfandMrF。’sAunteverwishherwellandlaynoclaimtoanyfavouronoursideyoumaybesureofthatbutquitetheotherwayforwhatsheundertooktodoshedidandthatismorethanagreatmanyofusdo，nottosayanythingofherdoingitasWellasitcouldbedoneandImyselfamoneofthemforIhavesaideversinceIbegantorecovertheblowofMrF’sdeaththatIwouldlearntheOrganofwhichIamextremelyfondbutofwhichIamashamedtosayIdonotyetknowanote，goodevening!’
　　WhenMrDorrit，whoattendedhertotheroom-door，hadhadalittletimetocollecthissenses，hefoundthattheinterviewhadsummonedbackdiscardedreminiscenceswhichjarredwiththeMerdledinner-table。Hewroteandsentoffabriefnoteexcusinghimselfforthatday，andordereddinnerpresentlyinhisownroomsatthehotel。Hehadanotherreasonforthis。HistimeinLondonwasverynearlyout，andwasanticipatedbyengagements；hisplansweremadeforreturning；andhethoughtitbehovedhisimportancetopursuesomedirectinquiryintotheBlandoisdisappearance，andbeinaconditiontocarrybacktoMrHenryGowantheresultofhisownpersonalinvestigation。Hethereforeresolvedthathewouldtakeadvantageofthatevening’sfreedomtogodowntoClennamandCo。’s，easilytobefoundbythedirectionsetforthinthehandbill；andseetheplace，andaskaquestionortwotherehimself。
　　HavingdinedasplainlyastheestablishmentandtheCourierwouldlethim，andhavingtakenashortsleepbythefireforhisbetterrecoveryfromMrsFinching，hesetoutinahackney-cabrioletalone。ThedeepbellofStPaul’swasstrikingnineashepassedundertheshadowofTempleBar，headlessandforlorninthesedegeneratedays。
　　Asheapproachedhisdestinationthroughtheby-streetsandwater-
　　sideways，thatpartofLondonseemedtohimanuglierspotatsuchanhourthanhehadeversupposedittobe。Manylongyearshadpassedsincehehadseenit；hehadneverknownmuchofit；anditworeamysteriousanddismalaspectinhiseyes。Sopowerfullywashisimaginationimpressedbyit，thatwhenhisdriverstopped，afterhavingaskedthewaymorethanonce，andsaidtothebestofhisbeliefthiswasthegatewaytheywanted，MrDorritstoodhesitating，withthecoach-doorinhishand，halfafraidofthedarklookoftheplace。
　　Truly，itlookedasgloomythatnightasevenithadeverlooked。
　　Twoofthehandbillswerepostedontheentrancewall，oneoneitherside，andasthelampflickeredinthenightair，shadowspassedoverthem，notunliketheshadowsoffingersfollowingthelines。Awatchwasevidentlykeptupontheplace。AsMrDorritpaused，amanpassedinfromovertheway，andanothermanpassedoutfromsomedarkcornerwithin；andbothlookedathiminpassing，andbothremainedstandingabout。
　　Astherewasonlyonehouseintheenclosure，therewasnoroomforuncertainty，sohewentupthestepsofthathouseandknocked。
　　Therewasadimlightintwowindowsonthefirst-floor。Thedoorgavebackadreary，vacantsound，asthoughthehousewereempty；
　　butitwasnot，foralightwasvisible，andastepwasaudible，almostdirectly。Theybothcametothedoor，andachaingrated，andawomanwithherapronthrownoverherfaceandheadstoodintheaperture。
　　’Whoisit？’saidthewoman。
　　MrDorrit，muchamazedbythisappearance，repliedthathewasfromItaly，andthathewishedtoaskaquestionrelativetothemissingperson，whomheknew。
　　’Hi!’criedthewoman，raisingacrackedvoice。’Jeremiah!’
　　Uponthis，adryoldmanappeared，whomMrDorritthoughtheidentifiedbyhisgaiters，astherustyscrew。ThewomanwasUnderapprehensionsofthedryoldman，forshewhiskedherapronawayasheapproached，anddisclosedapaleaffrightedface。’Openthedoor，youfool，’saidtheoldman；’andletthegentlemanin。’
　　MrDorrit，notwithoutaglanceoverhisshouldertowardshisdriverandthecabriolet，walkedintothedimhall。’Now，sir，’
　　saidMrFlintwinch，’youcanaskanythinghereyouthinkproper；
　　therearenosecretshere，sir。’
　　Beforeareplycouldbemade，astrongsternvoice，thoughawoman’s，calledfromabove，’Whoisit？’
　　’Whoisit？’returnedJeremiah。’Moreinquiries。AgentlemanfromItaly。’
　　’Bringhimuphere!’
　　MrFlintwinchmuttered，asifhedeemedthatunnecessary；but，turningtoMrDorrit，said，’MrsClennam。Shewilldoasshelikes。I’llshowyoutheway。’HethenprecededMrDorrituptheblackenedstaircase；thatgentleman，notunnaturallylookingbehindhimontheroad，sawthewomanfollowing，withherapronthrownoverherheadagaininherformerghastlymanner。
　　MrsClennamhadherbooksopenonherlittletable。’Oh!’saidsheabruptly，assheeyedhervisitorwithasteadylook。’YouarefromItaly，sir，areyou。Well？’
　　MrDorritwasatalossforanymoredistinctrejoinderatthemomentthan’Ha——well？’
　　’Whereisthismissingman？Haveyoucometogiveusinformationwhereheis？Ihopeyouhave？’
　　’Sofarfromit，I——hum——havecometoseekinformation。’
　　’Unfortunatelyforus，thereisnonetobegothere。Flintwinch，showthegentlemanthehandbill。Givehimseveraltotakeaway。
　　Holdthelightforhimtoreadit。’
　　MrFlintwinchdidashewasdirected，andMrDorritreaditthrough，asifhehadnotpreviouslyseenit；gladenoughoftheopportunityofcollectinghispresenceofmind，whichtheairofthehouseandofthepeopleinithadalittledisturbed。Whilehiseyeswereonthepaper，hefeltthattheeyesofMrFlintwinchandofMrsClennamwereonhim。Hefound，whenhelookedup，thatthissensationwasnotafancifulone。
　　’Nowyouknowasmuch，’saidMrsClennam，’asweknow，sir。IsMrBlandoisafriendofyours？’
　　’No——a——hum——anacquaintance，’answeredMrDorrit。
　　’Youhavenocommissionfromhim，perhaps？’
　　’I？Ha。Certainlynot。’
　　Thesearchinglookturnedgraduallytothefloor，aftertakingMrFlintwinch’sfaceinitsway。MrDorrit，discomfitedbyfindingthathewasthequestionedinsteadofthequestioner，appliedhimselftothereversalofthatunexpectedorderofthings。
　　’Iam——ha——agentlemanofproperty，atpresentresidinginItalywithmyfamily，myservants，and——hum——myratherlargeestablishment。BeinginLondonforashorttimeonaffairsconnectedwith——ha——myestate，andhearingofthisstrangedisappearance，Iwishedtomakemyselfacquaintedwiththecircumstancesatfirst-hand，becausethereis——hahum——anEnglishgentlemaninItalywhomIshallnodoubtseeonmyreturn，whohasbeeninhabitsofcloseanddailyintimacywithMonsieurBlandois。
　　MrHenryGowan。Youmayknowthename。’
　　’Neverheardofit。’
　　MrsClennamsaidit，andMrFlintwinchechoedit。
　　’Wishingto——ha——makethenarrativecoherentandconsecutivetohim，’saidMrDorrit，’mayIask——say，threequestions？’
　　’Thirty，ifyouchoose。’
　　’HaveyouknownMonsieurBlandoislong？’
　　’Notatwelvemonth。MrFlintwinchhere，willrefertothebooksandtellyouwhen，andbywhomatParishewasintroducedtous。
　　Ifthat，’MrsClennamadded，’shouldbeanysatisfactiontoyou。
　　Itispoorsatisfactiontous。’
　　’Haveyouseenhimoften？’
　　’No。Twice。Oncebefore，and——’
　　’Thatonce，’suggestedMrFlintwinch。
　　’Andthatonce。’
　　’Pray，madam，’saidMrDorrit，withagrowingfancyuponhimasherecoveredhisimportance，thathewasinsomesuperiorwayintheCommissionofthePeace；’pray，madam，mayIinquire，forthegreatersatisfactionofthegentlemanwhomIhavethehonourto——
　　ha——retain，orprotectorletmesayto——hum——know——toknow——WasMonsieurBlandoishereonbusinessonthenightindicatedinthispresentsheet？’
　　’Onwhathecalledbusiness，’returnedMrsClennam。
　　’Is——ha——excuseme——isitsnaturetobecommunicated？’
　　’No。’
　　Itwasevidentlyimpracticabletopassthebarrierofthatreply。
　　’Thequestionhasbeenaskedbefore，’saidMrsClennam，’andtheanswerhasbeen，No。Wedon’tchoosetopublishourtransactions，howeverunimportant，toallthetown。Wesay，No。’
　　’Imean，hetookawaynomoneywithhim，forexample，’saidMrDorrit。
　　’Hetookawaynoneofours，sir，andgotnonehere。’
　　’Isuppose，’observedMrDorrit，glancingfromMrsClennamtoMrFlintwinch，andfromMrFlintwinchtoMrsClennam，’youhavenowayofaccountingtoyourselfforthismystery？’
　　’Whydoyousupposeso？’rejoinedMrsClennam。
　　Disconcertedbythecoldandhardinquiry，MrDorritwasunabletoassignanyreasonforhissupposingso。
　　’Iaccountforit，sir，’shepursuedafteranawkwardsilenceonMrDorrit’spart，’byhavingnodoubtthatheistravellingsomewhere，orhidingsomewhere。’
　　’Doyouknow——ha——whyheshouldhideanywhere？’
　　’No。’
　　ItwasexactlythesameNoasbefore，andputanotherbarrierup。
　　’YouaskedmeifIaccountedforthedisappearancetomyself，’MrsClennamsternlyremindedhim，’notifIaccountedforittoyou。
　　Idonotpretendtoaccountforittoyou，sir。Iunderstandittobenomoremybusinesstodothat，thanitisyourstorequirethat。’
　　MrDorritansweredwithanapologeticbendofhishead。Ashesteppedback，preparatorytosayinghehadnomoretoask，hecouldnotbutobservehowgloomilyandfixedlyshesatwithhereyesfastenedontheground，andacertainairuponherofresolutewaiting；also，howexactlytheself-sameexpressionwasreflectedinMrFlintwinch，standingatalittledistancefromherchair，withhiseyesalsoontheground，andhisrighthandsoftlyrubbinghischin。
　　Atthatmoment，MistressAfferyofcourse，thewomanwiththeaprondroppedthecandlesticksheheld，andcriedout，’There!O
　　goodLord!thereitisagain。Hark，Jeremiah!Now!’
　　Iftherewereanysoundatall，itwassoslightthatshemusthavefallenintoaconfirmedhabitoflisteningforsounds；butMrDorritbelievedhedidhearasomething，likethefallingofdryleaves。Thewoman’sterror，foraveryshortspace，seemedtotouchthethree；andtheyalllistened。