’Stopamoment，Amy，andletthemgetawaybeforeus，’whisperedFanny。Theyweresoonleftalone；nothingmoreimportanthappening，inthemeantime，thantheboylookingroundhisoldbeam，andsaying，’Everybodyatelevento-morrow，ladies!’andthegentlemanwiththeblackhairlookingroundhisoldbeam，andsaying，’Everybodyatelevento-morrow，darlings!’eachinhisownaccustomedmanner。
Whentheywerealone，somethingwasrolleduporbyothermeansgotoutoftheway，andtherewasagreatemptywellbeforethem，lookingdownintothedepthsofwhichFannysaid，’Now，uncle!’
LittleDorrit，ashereyesbecameusedtothedarkness，faintlymadehimoutatthebottomofthewell，inanobscurecornerbyhimself，withhisinstrumentinitsraggedcaseunderhisarm。
Theoldmanlookedasiftheremotehighgallerywindows，withtheirlittlestripofsky，mighthavebeenthepointofhisbetterfortunes，fromwhichhehaddescended，untilhehadgraduallysunkdownbelowtheretothebottom。Hehadbeeninthatplacesixnightsaweekformanyyears，buthadneverbeenobservedtoraisehiseyesabovehismusic-book，andwasconfidentlybelievedtohaveneverseenaplay。Therewerelegendsintheplacethathedidnotsomuchasknowthepopularheroesandheroinesbysight，andthatthelowcomedianhad’mugged’athiminhisrichestmannerfiftynightsforawager，andhehadshownnotraceofconsciousness。
Thecarpentershadajoketotheeffectthathewasdeadwithoutbeingawareofit；andthefrequentersofthepitsupposedhimtopasshiswholelife，nightandday，andSundayandall，intheorchestra。Theyhadtriedhimafewtimeswithpinchesofsnuffofferedovertherails，andhehadalwaysrespondedtothisattentionwithamomentarywakingupofmannerthathadthepalephantomofagentlemaninit：beyondthishenever，onanyoccasion，hadanyotherpartinwhatwasgoingonthanthepartwrittenoutfortheclarionet；inprivatelife，wheretherewasnopartfortheclarionet，hehadnopartatall。Somesaidhewaspoor，somesaidhewasawealthymiser；buthesaidnothing，neverlifteduphisbowedhead，nevervariedhisshufflinggaitbygettinghisspringlessfootfromtheground。Thoughexpectingnowtobesummonedbyhisniece，hedidnothearheruntilshehadspokentohimthreeorfourtimes；norwasheatallsurprisedbythepresenceoftwoniecesinsteadofone，butmerelysaidinhistremulousvoice，’Iamcoming，Iamcoming!’andcreptforthbysomeundergroundwaywhichemittedacellaroussmell。