’Hewasverysorry，Icantellyou，’sheannounced，’andwantedtosendadoctor。Andhe’scomingagainto-morrowheisandIdon’tthinkhe’llhaveagoodsleepto-nightalongo’hearingaboutyourhead，LittleMother。Ohmy!Ain’tyoubeena-crying!’
　　’IthinkIhave，alittle，Maggy。’
　　’Alittle!Oh!’
　　’Butit’sallovernow——alloverforgood，Maggy。Andmyheadismuchbetterandcooler，andIamquitecomfortable。IamverygladIdidnotgodown。’
　　Hergreatstaringchildtenderlyembracedher；andhavingsmoothedherhair，andbathedherforeheadandeyeswithcoldwaterofficesinwhichherawkwardhandsbecameskilful，huggedheragain，exultedinherbrighterlooks，andstationedherinherchairbythewindow。Overagainstthischair，Maggy，withapoplecticexertionsthatwerenotatallrequired，draggedtheboxwhichwasherseatonstory-tellingoccasions，satdownuponit，huggedherownknees，andsaid，withavoraciousappetiteforstories，andwithwidely-openedeyes：
　　’Now，LittleMother，let’shaveagood’un!’
　　’Whatshallitbeabout，Maggy？’
　　’Oh，let’shaveaprincess，’saidMaggy，’andletherbeareg’larone。Beyondallbelief，youknow!’
　　LittleDorritconsideredforamoment；andwitharathersadsmileuponherface，whichwasflushedbythesunset，began：
　　’Maggy，therewasonceuponatimeafineKing，andhehadeverythinghecouldwishfor，andagreatdealmore。Hehadgoldandsilver，diamondsandrubies，richesofeverykind。Hehadpalaces，andhehad——’
　　’Hospitals，’interposedMaggy，stillnursingherknees。’Lethimhavehospitals，becausethey’resocomfortable。HospitalswithlotsofChicking。’
　　’Yes，hehadplentyofthem，andhehadplentyofeverything。’
　　’Plentyofbakedpotatoes，forinstance？’saidMaggy。
　　’Plentyofeverything。’
　　’Lor!’chuckledMaggy，givingherkneesahug。’Wasn’titprime!’
　　’ThisKinghadadaughter，whowasthewisestandmostbeautifulPrincessthateverwasseen。Whenshewasachildsheunderstoodallherlessonsbeforehermasterstaughtthemtoher；andwhenshewasgrownup，shewasthewonderoftheworld。Now，nearthePalacewherethisPrincesslived，therewasacottageinwhichtherewasapoorlittletinywoman，wholivedallalonebyherself。’
　　’Anoldwoman，’saidMaggy，withanunctuoussmackofherlips。
　　’No，notanoldwoman。Quiteayoungone。’
　　’Iwondershewarn’tafraid，’saidMaggy。’Goon，please。’
　　’ThePrincesspassedthecottagenearlyeveryday，andwhenevershewentbyinherbeautifulcarriage，shesawthepoortinywomanspinningatherwheel，andshelookedatthetinywoman，andthetinywomanlookedather。So，onedayshestoppedthecoachmanalittlewayfromthecottage，andgotoutandwalkedonandpeepedinatthedoor，andthere，asusual，wasthetinywomanspinningatherwheel，andshelookedatthePrincess，andthePrincesslookedather。’
　　’Liketryingtostareoneanotherout，’saidMaggy。’Pleasegoon，LittleMother。’
　　’ThePrincesswassuchawonderfulPrincessthatshehadthepowerofknowingsecrets，andshesaidtothetinywoman，Whydoyoukeepitthere？ThisshowedherdirectlythatthePrincessknewwhyshelivedallalonebyherselfspinningatherwheel，andshekneeleddownatthePrincess’sfeet，andaskedhernevertobetrayher。SothePrincesssaid，Ineverwillbetrayyou。Letmeseeit。Sothetinywomanclosedtheshutterofthecottagewindowandfastenedthedoor，andtremblingfromheadtofootforfearthatanyoneshouldsuspecther，openedaverysecretplaceandshowedthePrincessashadow。’
　　’Lor!’saidMaggy。
　　’ItwastheshadowofSomeonewhohadgonebylongbefore：ofSomeonewhohadgoneonfarawayquiteoutofreach，never，nevertocomeback。Itwasbrighttolookat；andwhenthetinywomanshowedittothePrincess，shewasproudofitwithallherheart，asagreat，greattreasure。WhenthePrincesshadconsidereditalittlewhile，shesaidtothetinywoman，Andyoukeepwatchoverthiseveryday？Andshecastdownhereyes，andwhispered，Yes。
　　ThenthePrincesssaid，Remindmewhy。Towhichtheotherreplied，thatnoonesogoodandkindhadeverpassedthatway，andthatwaswhyinthebeginning。Shesaid，too，thatnobodymissedit，thatnobodywastheworseforit，thatSomeonehadgoneon，tothosewhowereexpectinghim——’
　　’Someonewasamanthen？’interposedMaggy。
　　LittleDorrittimidlysaidYes，shebelievedso；andresumed：
　　’——Hadgoneontothosewhowereexpectinghim，andthatthisremembrancewasstolenorkeptbackfromnobody。ThePrincessmadeanswer，Ah!Butwhenthecottagerdieditwouldbediscoveredthere。ThetinywomantoldherNo；whenthattimecame，itwouldsinkquietlyintoherowngrave，andwouldneverbefound。’
　　’Well，tobesure!’saidMaggy。’Goon，please。’
　　’ThePrincesswasverymuchastonishedtohearthis，asyoumaysuppose，Maggy。’’Andwellshemightbe，’saidMaggy。
　　’Sosheresolvedtowatchthetinywoman，andseewhatcameofit。
　　Everydayshedroveinherbeautifulcarriagebythecottage-door，andthereshesawthetinywomanalwaysalonebyherselfspinningatherwheel，andshelookedatthetinywoman，andthetinywomanlookedather。Atlastonedaythewheelwasstill，andthetinywomanwasnottobeseen。WhenthePrincessmadeinquirieswhythewheelhadstopped，andwherethetinywomanwas，shewasinformedthatthewheelhadstoppedbecausetherewasnobodytoturnit，thetinywomanbeingdead。’
　　’TheyoughttohavetookhertotheHospital，’saidMaggy，andthenshe’dhavegotoverit。’
　　’ThePrincess，aftercryingaverylittleforthelossofthetinywoman，driedhereyesandgotoutofhercarriageattheplacewhereshehadstoppeditbefore，andwenttothecottageandpeepedinatthedoor。Therewasnobodytolookathernow，andnobodyforhertolookat，soshewentinatoncetosearchforthetreasuredshadow。Buttherewasnosignofittobefoundanywhere；andthensheknewthatthetinywomanhadtoldherthetruth，andthatitwouldnevergiveanybodyanytrouble，andthatithadsunkquietlyintoherowngrave，andthatsheanditwereatresttogether。
　　’That’sall，Maggy。’
　　ThesunsetflushwassobrightonLittleDorrit’sfacewhenshecamethustotheendofherstory，thatsheinterposedherhandtoshadeit。
　　’Hadshegottobeold？’Maggyasked。
　　’Thetinywoman？’
　　’Ah!’
　　’Idon’tknow，’saidLittleDorrit。’Butitwouldhavebeenjustthesameifshehadbeeneversoold。’
　　’Woulditraly!’saidMaggy。’Well，Isupposeitwouldthough。’
　　Andsatstaringandruminating。
　　Shesatsolongwithhereyeswideopen，thatatlengthLittleDorrit，toenticeherfromherbox，roseandlookedoutofwindow。
　　Assheglanceddownintotheyard，shesawPanckscomeinandleerupwiththecornerofhiseyeashewentby。
　　’Who’she，LittleMother？’saidMaggy。Shehadjoinedheratthewindowandwasleaningonhershoulder。’Iseehimcomeinandoutoften。’
　　’Ihaveheardhimcalledafortune-teller，’saidLittleDorrit。
　　’ButIdoubtifhecouldtellmanypeopleeventheirpastorpresentfortunes。’
　　’Couldn’thavetoldthePrincesshers？’saidMaggy。
　　LittleDorrit，lookingmusinglydownintothedarkvalleyoftheprison，shookherhead。
　　’Northetinywomanhers？’saidMaggy。
　　’No，’saidLittleDorrit，withthesunsetverybrightuponher。
　　’Butletuscomeawayfromthewindow。’
　　ConspiratorsandOthersTheprivateresidenceofMrPanckswasinPentonville，wherehelodgedonthesecond-floorofaprofessionalgentlemaninanextremelysmallway，whohadaninner-doorwithinthestreetdoor，poisedonaspringandstartingopenwithaclicklikeatrap；andwhowroteupinthefan-light，RUGG，GENERALAGENT，ACCOUNTANT，DEBTSRECOVERED。
　　Thisscroll，majesticinitsseveresimplicity，illuminatedalittleslipoffrontgardenabuttingonthethirstyhigh-road，whereafewofthedustiestofleaveshungtheirdismalheadsandledalifeofchoking。Aprofessorofwritingoccupiedthefirst-
　　floor，andenlivenedthegardenrailingswithglass-casescontainingchoiceexamplesofwhathispupilshadbeenbeforesixlessonsandwhilethewholeofhisyoungfamilyshookthetable，andwhattheyhadbecomeaftersixlessonswhentheyoungfamilywasunderrestraint。ThetenancyofMrPanckswaslimitedtooneairybedroom；hecovenantingandagreeingwithMrRugghislandlord，thatinconsiderationofacertainscaleofpaymentsaccuratelydefined，andoncertainverbalnoticedulygiven，heshouldbeatlibertytoelecttosharetheSundaybreakfast，dinner，tea，orsupper，oreachoranyorallofthoserepastsormealsofMrandMissRugghisdaughterintheback-parlour。
　　MissRuggwasaladyofalittlepropertywhichshehadacquired，togetherwithmuchdistinctionintheneighbourhood，byhavingherheartseverelylaceratedandherfeelingsmangledbyamiddle-agedbakerresidentinthevicinity，againstwhomshehad，bytheagencyofMrRugg，founditnecessarytoproceedatlawtorecoverdamagesforabreachofpromiseofmarriage。Thebakerhavingbeen，bythecounselforMissRugg，witheringlydenouncedonthatoccasionuptothefullamountoftwentyguineas，attherateofabouteighteen-
　　penceanepithet，andhavingbeencastincorrespondingdamages，stillsufferedoccasionalpersecutionfromtheyouthofPentonville。ButMissRugg，environedbythemajestyofthelaw，andhavingherdamagesinvestedinthepublicsecurities，wasregardedwithconsideration。