Sometimes，onholidaystowardsevening，hewillbeseentowalkwithaslightlyincreasedinfirmity，andhisoldeyeswillglimmerwithamoistandmarshylight。Thenthelittleoldmanisdrunk。
　　Averysmallmeasurewilloversethim；hemaybebowledoffhisunsteadylegswithahalf-pintpot。Somepityingacquaintance——
　　chanceacquaintanceveryoften——haswarmeduphisweaknesswithatreatofbeer，andtheconsequencewillbethelapseofalongertimethanusualbeforeheshallpassagain。ForthelittleoldmanisgoinghometotheWorkhouse；andonhisgoodbehaviourtheydonotlethimoutoftenthoughmethinkstheymight，consideringthefewyearshehasbeforehimtogooutin，underthesun；andonhisbadbehaviourtheyshuthimupcloserthaneverinagroveoftwoscoreandnineteenmoreoldmen，everyoneofwhomsmellsofalltheothers。
　　MrsPlornish’sfather，——apoorlittlereedypipingoldgentleman，likeaworn-outbird；whohadbeeninwhathecalledthemusic-
　　bindingbusiness，andmetwithgreatmisfortunes，andwhohadseldombeenabletomakehisway，ortoseeitortopayit，ortodoanythingatallwithitbutfinditnothoroughfare，——hadretiredofhisownaccordtotheWorkhousewhichwasappointedbylawtobetheGoodSamaritanofhisdistrictwithoutthetwopence，whichwasbadpoliticaleconomy，onthesettlementofthatexecutionwhichhadcarriedMrPlornishtotheMarshalseaCollege。
　　Previoustohisson-in-law’sdifficultiescomingtothathead，OldNandyhewasalwayssocalledinhislegalRetreat，buthewasOldMrNandyamongtheBleedingHeartshadsatinacornerofthePlornishfireside，andtakenhisbiteandsupoutofthePlornishcupboard。HestillhopedtoresumethatdomesticpositionwhenFortuneshouldsmileuponhisson-in-law；inthemeantime，whileshepreservedanimmovablecountenance，hewas，andresolvedtoremain，oneoftheselittleoldmeninagroveoflittleoldmenwithacommunityofflavour。
　　Butnopovertyinhim，andnocoatonhimthatneverwasthemode，andnoOldMen’sWardforhisdwelling-place，couldquenchhisdaughter’sadmiration。MrsPlornishwasasproudofherfather’stalentsasshecouldpossiblyhavebeeniftheyhadmadehimLordChancellor。ShehadasfirmabeliefinthesweetnessandproprietyofhismannersasshecouldpossiblyhavehadifhehadbeenLordChamberlain。Thepoorlittleoldmanknewsomepaleandvapidlittlesongs，longoutofdate，aboutChloe，andPhyllis，andStrephonbeingwoundedbythesonofVenus；andforMrsPlornishtherewasnosuchmusicattheOperaasthesmallinternalflutteringsandchirpingswhereinhewoulddischargehimselfoftheseditties，likeaweak，little，brokenbarrel-organ，groundbyababy。Onhis’daysout，’thoseflecksoflightinhisflatvistaofpollardoldmen，’itwasatonceMrsPlornish’sdelightandsorrow，whenhewasstrongwithmeat，andhadtakenhisfullhalfpenny-worthofporter，tosay，’Singusasong，Father。’ThenhewouldgivethemChloe，andifhewereinprettygoodspirits，Phyllisalso——Strephonhehadhardlybeenuptosincehewentintoretirement——andthenwouldMrsPlornishdeclareshedidbelievethereneverwassuchasingerasFather，andwipehereyes。
　　IfhehadcomefromCourtontheseoccasions，nay，ifhehadbeenthenobleRefrigeratorcomehometriumphantlyfromaforeigncourttobepresentedandpromotedonhislasttremendousfailure，MrsPlornishcouldnothavehandedhimwithgreaterelevationaboutBleedingHeartYard。’Here’sFather，’shewouldsay，presentinghimtoaneighbour。’Fatherwillsoonbehomewithusforgood，now。Ain’tFatherlookingwell？Father’sasweetersingerthanever；you’dneverhaveforgottenit，ifyou’daheardhimjustnow。’
　　AstoMrPlornish，hehadmarriedthesearticlesofbeliefinmarryingMrNandy’sdaughter，andonlywonderedhowitwasthatsogiftedanoldgentlemanhadnotmadeafortune。Thisheattributed，aftermuchreflection，tohismusicalgeniusnothavingbeenscientificallydevelopedinhisyouth。’Forwhy，’arguedMrPlornish，’whygoa-bindingmusicwhenyou’vegotitinyourself？
　　That’swhereitis，Iconsider。’
　　OldNandyhadapatron：onepatron。Hehadapatronwhoinacertainsumptuousway——anapologeticway，asifheconstantlytookanadmiringaudiencetowitnessthathereallycouldnothelpbeingmorefreewiththisoldfellowthantheymighthaveexpected，onaccountofhissimplicityandpoverty——wasmightilygoodtohim。
　　OldNandyhadbeenseveraltimestotheMarshalseaCollege，communicatingwithhisson-in-lawduringhisshortdurancethere；
　　andhadhappilyacquiredtohimself，andhadbydegreesandincourseoftimemuchimproved，thepatronageoftheFatherofthatnationalinstitution。
　　MrDorritwasinthehabitofreceivingthisoldmanasiftheoldmanheldofhiminvassalageundersomefeudaltenure。Hemadelittletreatsandteasforhim，asifhecameinwithhishomagefromsomeoutlyingdistrictwherethetenantrywereinaprimitivestate。
　　Itseemedasifthereweremomentswhenhecouldbynomeanshaveswornbutthattheoldmanwasanancientretainerofhis，whohadbeenmeritoriouslyfaithful。Whenhementionedhim，hespokeofhimcasuallyashisoldpensioner。Hehadawonderfulsatisfactioninseeinghim，andincommentingonhisdecayedconditionafterhewasgone。Itappearedtohimamazingthathecouldholduphisheadatall，poorcreature。’IntheWorkhouse，sir，theUnion；noprivacy，novisitors，nostation，norespect，nospeciality。Mostdeplorable!’
　　ItwasOldNandy’sbirthday，andtheylethimout。Hesaidnothingaboutitsbeinghisbirthday，ortheymighthavekepthimin；forsucholdmenshouldnotbeborn。HepassedalongthestreetsasusualtoBleedingHeartYard，andhadhisdinnerwithhisdaughterandson-in-law，andgavethemPhyllis。Hehadhardlyconcluded，whenLittleDorritlookedintoseehowtheyallwere。
　　’MissDorrit，’saidMrsPlornish，’here’sFather!Ain’thelookingnice？Andsuchvoicehe’sin!’
　　LittleDorritgavehimherhand，andsmilinglysaidshehadnotseenhimthislongtime。
　　’No，they’reratherhardonpoorFather，’saidMrsPlornishwithalengtheningface，’anddon’tlethimhavehalfasmuchchangeandfreshairaswouldbenefithim。Buthe’llsoonbehomeforgood，now。Won’tyou，Father？’
　　’Yes，mydear，Ihopeso。Ingoodtime，pleaseGod。’
　　HereMrPlornishdeliveredhimselfofanorationwhichheinvariablymade，wordforwordthesame，onallsuchopportunities。
　　Itwascouchedinthefollowingterms：
　　’JohnEdwardNandy。Sir。Whilethere’saounceofwittlesordrinkofanysortinthispresentroof，you’refullywelcometoyourshareonit。Whilethere’sahandfuloffireoramouthfulofbedinthispresentroof，you’refullywelcometoyourshareonit。
　　Ifsobeasthereshouldbenothinginthispresentroof，youshouldbeaswelcometoyourshareonitasifitwassomething，muchorlittle。AndthisiswhatImeanandsoIdon’tdeceiveyou，andconsequentlywhichistostandoutistoentreatofyou，andthereforewhynotdoit？’
　　Tothislucidaddress，whichMrPlornishalwaysdeliveredasifhehadcomposeditasnodoubthehadwithenormouslabour，MrsPlornish’sfatherpipinglyreplied：
　　’Ithankyoukindly，Thomas，andIknowyourintentionswell，whichisthesameIthankyoukindlyfor。Butno，Thomas。Untilsuchtimesasit’snottotakeitoutofyourchildren’smouths，whichtakeitis，andcallitbywhatnameyouwillitdoremainandequallydeprive，thoughmaytheycome，andtoosoontheycannotcome，noThomas，no!’
　　MrsPlornish，whohadbeenturningherfacealittleawaywithacornerofheraproninherhand，broughtherselfbacktotheconversationagainbytellingMissDorritthatFatherwasgoingoverthewatertopayhisrespects，unlesssheknewofanyreasonwhyitmightnotbeagreeable。
　　Heranswerwas，’Iamgoingstraighthome，andifhewillcomewithmeIshallbesogladtotakecareofhim——soglad，’saidLittleDorrit，alwaysthoughtfulofthefeelingsoftheweak，’ofhiscompany。’
　　’There，Father!’criedMrsPlornish。’Ain’tyouagayyoungmantobegoingforawalkalongwithMissDorrit!Letmetieyourneck-
　　handkerchiefintoaregulargoodbow，foryou’rearegularbeauyourself，Father，ifevertherewasone。’
　　Withthisfilialjokehisdaughtersmartenedhimup，andgavehimalovinghug，andstoodatthedoorwithherweakchildinherarms，andherstrongchildtumblingdownthesteps，lookingafterherlittleoldfatherashetoddledawaywithhisarmunderLittleDorrit’s。
　　Theywalkedataslowpace，andLittleDorrittookhimbytheIronBridgeandsathimdownthereforarest，andtheylookedoveratthewaterandtalkedabouttheshipping，andtheoldmanmentionedwhathewoulddoifhehadashipfullofgoldcominghometohimhisplanwastotakeanoblelodgingforthePlornishesandhimselfataTeaGardens，andlivetherealltherestoftheirlives，attendedonbythewaiter，anditwasaspecialbirthdayoftheoldman。Theywerewithinfiveminutesoftheirdestination，when，atthecornerofherownstreet，theycameuponFannyinhernewbonnetboundforthesameport。
　　’Why，goodgraciousme，Amy!’criedthatyoungladystarting。’Younevermeanit!’
　　’Meanwhat，Fannydear？’
　　’Well!Icouldhavebelievedagreatdealofyou，’returnedtheyoungladywithburningindignation，’butIdon’tthinkevenI
　　couldhavebelievedthis，ofevenyou!’
　　’Fanny!’criedLittleDorrit，woundedandastonished。
　　’Oh!Don’tFannyme，youmeanlittlething，don’t!Theideaofcomingalongtheopenstreets，inthebroadlightofday，withaPauper!’firingoffthelastwordasifitwereaballfromanair-gun。
　　’OFanny!’
　　’ItellyounottoFannyme，forI’llnotsubmittoit!Ineverknewsuchathing。Thewayinwhichyouareresolvedanddeterminedtodisgraceusonalloccasions，isreallyinfamous。
　　Youbadlittlething!’
　　’Doesitdisgraceanybody，’saidLittleDorrit，verygently，’totakecareofthispooroldman？’
　　’Yes，miss，’returnedhersister，’andyououghttoknowitdoes。
　　Andyoudoknowitdoes，andyoudoitbecauseyouknowitdoes。
　　Theprincipalpleasureofyourlifeistoremindyourfamilyoftheirmisfortunes。Andthenextgreatpleasureofyourexistenceistokeeplowcompany。But，however，ifyouhavenosenseofdecency，Ihave。You’llpleasetoallowmetogoontheothersideoftheway，unmolested。’