TheDreamsofMrsFlintwinchthickenTheshadywaiting-roomsoftheCircumlocutionOffice，wherehepassedagooddealoftimeincompanywithvarioustroublesomeConvictswhowereundersentencetobebrokenaliveonthatwheel，hadaffordedArthurClennamampleleisure，inthreeorfoursuccessivedays，toexhaustthesubjectofhislateglimpseofMissWadeandTattycoram。Hehadbeenabletomakenomoreofitandnolessofit，andinthisunsatisfactoryconditionhewasfaintoleaveit。
Duringthisspacehehadnotbeentohismother’sdismaloldhouse。
Oneofhiscustomaryeveningsforrepairingthithernowcominground，helefthisdwellingandhispartneratnearlynineo’clock，andslowlywalkedinthedirectionofthatgrimhomeofhisyouth。
Italwaysaffectedhisimaginationaswrathful，mysterious，andsad；andhisimaginationwassufficientlyimpressibletoseethewholeneighbourhoodundersometingeofitsdarkshadow。Ashewentalong，uponadrearynight，thedimstreetsbywhichhewent，seemedalldepositoriesofoppressivesecrets。Thedesertedcounting-houses，withtheirsecretsofbooksandpaperslockedupinchestsandsafes；thebanking-houses，withtheirsecretsofstrongroomsandwells，thekeysofwhichwereinaveryfewsecretpocketsandaveryfewsecretbreasts；thesecretsofallthedispersedgrindersinthevastmill，amongwhomthereweredoubtlessplunderers，forgers，andtrust-betrayersofmanysorts，whomthelightofanydaythatdawnedmightreveal；hecouldhavefanciedthatthesethings，inhiding，impartedaheavinesstotheair。Theshadowthickeningandthickeningasheapproacheditssource，hethoughtofthesecretsofthelonelychurch-vaults，wherethepeoplewhohadhoardedandsecretedinironcofferswereintheirturnsimilarlyhoarded，notyetatrestfromdoingharm；
andthenofthesecretsoftheriver，asitrolleditsturbidtidebetweentwofrowningwildernessesofsecrets，extending，thickanddense，formanymiles，andwardingoffthefreeairandthefreecountrysweptbywindsandwingsofbirds。