Butas’themtwocleverones’——MrsAffery’sperpetualreference，inwhomherpersonalitywasswallowedup——wereagreedtoacceptLittleDorritasamatterofcourse，shehadnothingforitbuttofollowsuit。Similarly，ifthetwocleveroneshadagreedtomurderLittleDorritbycandlelight，MrsAffery，beingrequiredtoholdthecandle，wouldnodoubthavedoneit。
Intheintervalsofroastingthepartridgefortheinvalidchamber，andpreparingabaking-dishofbeefandpuddingforthedining-
room，MrsAfferymadethecommunicationsabovesetforth；
invariablyputtingherheadinatthedooragainaftershehadtakenitout，toenforceresistancetothetwocleverones。ItappearedtohavebecomeaperfectpassionwithMrsFlintwinch，thattheonlysonshouldbepittedagainstthem。
Inthecourseoftheday，too，Arthurlookedthroughthewholehouse。Dullanddarkhefoundit。Thegauntrooms，desertedforyearsuponyears，seemedtohavesettleddownintoagloomylethargyfromwhichnothingcouldrousethemagain。Thefurniture，atoncespareandlumbering，hidintheroomsratherthanfurnishedthem，andtherewasnocolourinallthehouse；suchcolourashadeverbeenthere，hadlongagostartedawayonlostsunbeams——gotitselfabsorbed，perhaps，intoflowers，butterflies，plumageofbirds，preciousstones，whatnot。Therewasnotonestraightfloorfromthefoundationtotheroof；theceilingsweresofantasticallycloudedbysmokeanddust，thatoldwomenmighthavetoldfortunesinthembetterthaningroutsoftea；thedead-coldhearthsshowednotracesofhavingeverbeenwarmedbutinheapsofsootthathadtumbleddownthechimneys，andeddiedaboutinlittleduskywhirlwindswhenthedoorswereopened。Inwhathadoncebeenadrawing-room，therewereapairofmeagremirrors，withdismalprocessionsofblackfigurescarryingblackgarlands，walkingroundtheframes；buteventhesewereshortofheadsandlegs，andoneundertaker-likeCupidhadswungroundonitsownaxisandgotupsidedown，andanotherhadfallenoffaltogether。TheroomArthurClennam’sdeceasedfatherhadoccupiedforbusinesspurposes，whenhefirstrememberedhim，wassounalteredthathemighthavebeenimaginedstilltokeepitinvisibly，ashisvisiblerelictkeptherroomup-stairs；JeremiahFlintwinchstillgoingbetweenthemnegotiating。Hispicture，darkandgloomy，earnestlyspeechlessonthewall，withtheeyesintentlylookingathissonastheyhadlookedwhenlifedepartedfromthem，seemedtourgehimawfullytothetaskhehadattempted；butastoanyyieldingonthepartofhismother，hehadnownohope，andastoanyothermeansofsettinghisdistrustatrest，hehadabandonedhopealongtime。