There，thetablewaslaidforhissupper，andhisoldgreygownwasreadyforhimonhischair-backatthefire。Hisdaughterputherlittleprayer-bookinherpocket——hadshebeenprayingforpityonallprisonersandcaptives!——androsetowelcomehim。
　　Unclehadgonehome，then？sheasked@asshechangedhiscoatandgavehimhisblackvelvetcap。Yes，unclehadgonehome。Hadherfatherenjoyedhiswalk？Why，notmuch，Amy；notmuch。No!Didhenotfeelquitewell？
　　Asshestoodbehindhim，leaningoverhischairsolovingly，helookedwithdowncasteyesatthefire。Anuneasinessstoleoverhimthatwaslikeatouchofshame；andwhenhespoke，ashepresentlydid，itwasinanunconnectedandembarrassedmanner。
　　’Something，I——hem!——Idon’tknowwhat，hasgonewrongwithChivery。Heisnot——ha!——notnearlysoobligingandattentiveasusualto-night。It——hem!——it’salittlething，butitputsmeout，mylove。It’simpossibletoforget，’turninghishandsoverandoverandlookingcloselyatthem，’that——hem!——thatinsuchalifeasmine，Iamunfortunatelydependentonthesemenforsomethingeveryhourintheday。’
　　Herarmwasonhisshoulder，butshedidnotlookinhisfacewhilehespoke。Bendingherheadshelookedanotherway。
　　’I——hem!——Ican’tthink，Amy，whathasgivenChiveryoffence。Heisgenerallyso——soveryattentiveandrespectful。Andto-nighthewasquite——quiteshortwithme。Otherpeopletheretoo!Why，goodHeaven!ifIwastolosethesupportandrecognitionofChiveryandhisbrotherofficers，Imightstarvetodeathhere。’Whilehespoke，hewasopeningandshuttinghishandslikevalves；soconsciousallthetimeofthattouchofshame，thatheshrunkbeforehisownknowledgeofhismeaning。
　　’I——ha!——Ican’tthinkwhatit’sowingto。IamsureIcannotimaginewhatthecauseofitis。TherewasacertainJacksonhereonce，aturnkeyofthenameofJacksonIdon’tthinkyoucanrememberhim，mydear，youwereveryyoung，and——hem!——andhehada——brother，andthis——youngbrotherpaidhisaddressesto——atleast，didnotgosofarastopayhisaddressesto——butadmired——
　　respectfullyadmired——the——notdaughter，thesister——ofoneofus；
　　aratherdistinguishedCollegian；Imaysay，verymuchso。HisnamewasCaptainMartin；andheconsultedmeonthequestionwhetherItwasnecessarythathisdaughter——sister——shouldhazardoffendingtheturnkeybrotherbybeingtoo——ha!——tooplainwiththeotherbrother。CaptainMartinwasagentlemanandamanofhonour，andIputittohimfirsttogivemehis——hisownopinion。CaptainMartinhighlyrespectedinthearmythenunhesitatinglysaidthatitappearedtohimthathis——hem!——sisterwasnotcalledupontounderstandtheyoungmantoodistinctly，andthatshemightleadhimon——Iamdoubtfulwhether“leadhimon“wasCaptainMartin’sexactexpression：indeedIthinkhesaidtoleratehim——onherfather’s——Ishouldsay，brother’s——account。IhardlyknowhowI
　　havestrayedintothisstory。IsupposeithasbeenthroughbeingunabletoaccountforChivery；butastotheconnectionbetweenthetwo，Idon’tsee——’
　　Hisvoicediedaway，asifshecouldnotbearthepainofhearinghim，andherhandhadgraduallycrepttohislips。Foralittlewhiletherewasadeadsilenceandstillness；andheremainedshrunkinhischair，andsheremainedwithherarmroundhisneckandherheadboweddownuponhisshoulder。
　　Hissupperwascookinginasaucepanonthefire，and，whenshemoved，itwastomakeitreadyforhimonthetable。Hetookhisusualseat，shetookhers，andhebeganhismeal。Theydidnot，asyet，lookatoneanother。Bylittleandlittlehebegan；layingdownhisknifeandforkwithanoise，takingthingsupsharply，bitingathisbreadasifhewereoffendedwithit，andinothersimilarwaysshowingthathewasoutofsorts。Atlengthhepushedhisplatefromhim，andspokealoud；withthestrangestinconsistency。
　　’WhatdoesitmatterwhetherIeatorstarve？Whatdoesitmatterwhethersuchablightedlifeasminecomestoanend，now，nextweek，ornextyear？WhatamIworthtoanyone？Apoorprisoner，fedonalmsandbrokenvictuals；asqualid，disgracedwretch!’
　　’Father，father!’Asheroseshewentonherkneestohim，andheldupherhandstohim。
　　’Amy，’hewentoninasuppressedvoice，tremblingviolently，andlookingatheraswildlyasifhehadgonemad。’Itellyou，ifyoucouldseemeasyourmothersawme，youwouldn’tbelieveittobethecreatureyouhaveonlylookedatthroughthebarsofthiscage。Iwasyoung，Iwasaccomplished，Iwasgood-looking，Iwasindependent——byGodIwas，child!——andpeoplesoughtmeout，andenviedme。Enviedme!’
　　’Dearfather!’Shetriedtotakedowntheshakingarmthatheflourishedintheair，butheresisted，andputherhandaway。
　　’IfIhadbutapictureofmyselfinthosedays，thoughitwaseversoilldone，youwouldbeproudofit，youwouldbeproudofit。
　　ButIhavenosuchthing。Now，letmebeawarning!Letnoman，’
　　hecried，lookinghaggardlyabout，’failtopreserveatleastthatlittleofthetimesofhisprosperityandrespect。Lethischildrenhavethatcluetowhathewas。Unlessmyface，whenIamdead，subsidesintothelongdepartedlook——theysaysuchthingshappen，Idon’tknow——mychildrenwillhaveneverseenme。’
　　’Father，father!’
　　’Odespiseme，despiseme!Lookawayfromme，don’tlistentome，stopme，blushforme，cryforme——evenyou，Amy!Doit，doit!
　　Idoittomyself!Iamhardenednow，Ihavesunktoolowtocarelongevenforthat。’
　　’Dearfather，lovedfather，darlingofmyheart!’Shewasclingingtohimwithherarms，andshegothimtodropintohischairagain，andcaughtattheraisedarm，andtriedtoputitroundherneck。
　　’Letitliethere，father。Lookatme，father，kissme，father!
　　Onlythinkofme，father，foronelittlemoment!’
　　Stillhewentoninthesamewildway，thoughitwasgraduallybreakingdownintoamiserablewhining。
　　’AndyetIhavesomerespecthere。Ihavemadesomestandagainstit。Iamnotquitetroddendown。Gooutandaskwhoisthechiefpersonintheplace。They’lltellyouit’syourfather。Gooutandaskwhoisnevertrifledwith，andwhoisalwaystreatedwithsomedelicacy。They’llsay，yourfather。Gooutandaskwhatfuneralhereitmustbehere，Iknowitcanbenowhereelsewillmakemoretalk，andperhapsmoregrief，thananythathasevergoneoutatthegate。They’llsayyourfather’s。Wellthen。Amy!
　　Amy!Isyourfathersouniversallydespised？Istherenothingtoredeemhim？Willyouhavenothingtorememberhimbybuthisruinanddecay？Willyoubeabletohavenoaffectionforhimwhenheisgone，poorcastaway，gone？’
　　Heburstintotearsofmaudlinpityforhimself，andatlengthsufferinghertoembracehimandtakechargeofhim，lethisgreyheadrestagainsthercheek，andbewailedhiswretchedness。
　　Presentlyhechangedthesubjectofhislamentations，andclaspinghishandsaboutherassheembracedhim，cried，OAmy，hismotherless，forlornchild!Othedaysthathehadseenhercarefulandlaboriousforhim!Thenherevertedtohimself，andweaklytoldherhowmuchbettershewouldhavelovedhimifshehadknownhiminhisvanishedcharacter，andhowhewouldhavemarriedhertoagentlemanwhoshouldhavebeenproudofherashisdaughter，andhowatwhichhecriedagainsheshouldfirsthaveriddenathisfatherlysideonherownhorse，andhowthecrowdbywhichhemeantineffectthepeoplewhohadgivenhimthetwelveshillingshethenhadinhispocketshouldhavetrudgedthedustyroadsrespectfully。
　　Thus，nowboasting，nowdespairing，ineitherfitacaptivewiththejail-rotuponhim，andtheimpurityofhisprisonwornintothegrainofhissoul，herevealedhisdegeneratestatetohisaffectionatechild。Nooneelseeverbeheldhiminthedetailsofhishumiliation。LittlereckedtheCollegianswhowerelaughingintheirroomsoverhislateaddressintheLodge，whataseriouspicturetheyhadintheirobscuregalleryoftheMarshalseathatSundaynight。
　　Therewasaclassicaldaughteronce——perhaps——whoministeredtoherfatherinhisprisonashermotherhadministeredtoher。LittleDorrit，thoughoftheunheroicmodernstockandmereEnglish，didmuchmore，incomfortingherfather’swastedheartuponherinnocentbreast，andturningtoitafountainofloveandfidelitythatneverrandryorwanedthroughallhisyearsoffamine。
　　Shesoothedhim；askedhimforhisforgivenessifshehadbeen，orseemedtohavebeen，undutiful；toldhim，Heavenknowstruly，thatshecouldnothonourhimmoreifhewerethefavouriteofFortuneandthewholeworldacknowledgedhim。Whenhistearsweredried，andhesobbedinhisweaknessnolonger，andwasfreefromthattouchofshame，andhadrecoveredhisusualbearing，shepreparedtheremainsofhissupperafresh，and，sittingbyhisside，rejoicedtoseehimeatanddrink。Fornowhesatinhisblackvelvetcapandoldgreygown，magnanimousagain；andwouldhavecomportedhimselftowardsanyCollegianwhomighthavelookedintoaskhisadvice，likeagreatmoralLordChesterfield，orMasteroftheethicalceremoniesoftheMarshalsea。
　　Tokeephisattentionengaged，shetalkedwithhimabouthiswardrobe；whenhewaspleasedtosay，thatYes，indeed，thoseshirtssheproposedwouldbeexceedinglyacceptable，forthosehehadwerewornout，and，beingready-made，hadneverfittedhim。
　　Beingconversational，andinareasonableflowofspirits，hetheninvitedherattentiontohiscoatasithungbehindthedoor：
　　remarkingthattheFatheroftheplacewouldsetanindifferentexampletohischildren，alreadydisposedtobeslovenly，ifhewentamongthemoutatelbows。Hewasjocular，too，astotheheelingofhisshoes；butbecamegraveonthesubjectofhiscravat，andpromisedherthat，whenshecouldaffordit，sheshouldbuyhimanewone。
　　Whilehesmokedouthiscigarinpeace，shemadehisbed，andputthesmallroominorderforhisrepose。Beingwearythen，owingtotheadvancedhourandhisemotions，hecameoutofhischairtoblessherandwishherGoodnight。AllthistimehehadneveroncethoughtofHERdress，hershoes，herneedofanything。Nootherpersonuponearth，saveherself，couldhavebeensounmindfulofherwants。
　　Hekissedhermanytimeswith’Blessyou，mylove。Goodnight，MY
　　dear!’
　　Buthergentlebreasthadbeensodeeplywoundedbywhatshehadseenofhimthatshewasunwillingtoleavehimalone，lestheshouldlamentanddespairagain。’Father，dear，Iamnottired；
　　letmecomebackpresently，whenyouareinbed，andsitbyyou。’
　　Heaskedher，withanairofprotection，ifshefeltsolitary？
　　’Yes，father。’
　　’Thencomebackbyallmeans，mylove。’
　　’Ishallbeveryquiet，father。’
　　’Don’tthinkofme，mydear，’hesaid，givingherhiskindpermissionfully。’Comebackbyallmeans。’
　　Heseemedtobedozingwhenshereturned，andsheputthelowfiretogetherverysoftlylestsheshouldawakehim。Butheoverheardher，andcalledoutwhowasthat？
　　’OnlyAmy，father。’
　　’Amy，mychild，comehere。Iwanttosayawordtoyou。’Heraisedhimselfalittleinhislowbed，asshekneeledbesideittobringherfacenearhim；andputhishandbetweenhers。O!BoththeprivatefatherandtheFatheroftheMarshalseawerestrongwithinhimthen。
　　’Mylove，youhavehadalifeofhardshiphere。Nocompanions，norecreations，manycaresIamafraid？’
　　’Don’tthinkofthat，dear。Ineverdo。’
　　’Youknowmyposition，Amy。Ihavenotbeenabletodomuchforyou；butallIhavebeenabletodo，Ihavedone。’
　　’Yes，mydearfather，’sherejoined，kissinghim。’Iknow，I
　　know。’