Withaquietandtenderhandsheputasideastrayingfoldofthesleeper’shair，andthentouchedthehandthatlayoutsidethecovering。
’Iliketolookather，’shebreathedtoherself。’Iliketoseewhathasaffectedhimsomuch。’
Shehadnotwithdrawnherhand，whenthesleeperopenedhereyesandstarted。
’Praydon’tbealarmed。Iamonlyoneofthetravellersfromdown-
stairs。Icametoaskifyouwerebetter，andifIcoulddoanythingforyou。’
’Ithinkyouhavealreadybeensokindastosendyourservantstomyassistance？’
’No，notI；thatwasmysister。Areyoubetter？’
’Muchbetter。Itisonlyaslightbruise，andhasbeenwelllookedto，andisalmosteasynow。Itmademegiddyandfaintinamoment。Ithadhurtmebefore；butatlastitoverpoweredmeallatonce。’
’MayIstaywithyouuntilsomeonecomes？Wouldyoulikeit？’
’Ishouldlikeit，foritislonelyhere；butIamafraidyouwillfeelthecoldtoomuch。’
’Idon’tmindcold。Iamnotdelicate，ifIlookso。’Shequicklymovedoneofthetworoughchairstothebedside，andsatdown。
Theotherasquicklymovedapartofsometravellingwrapperfromherself，anddrewitoverher，sothatherarm，inkeepingitabouther，restedonhershoulder。
’Youhavesomuchtheairofakindnurse，’saidthelady，smilingonher，’thatyouseemasifyouhadcometomefromhome。’
’Iamverygladofit。’
’IwasdreamingofhomewhenIwokejustnow。Ofmyoldhome，I
mean，beforeIwasmarried。’
’Andbeforeyouweresofarawayfromit。’
’Ihavebeenmuchfartherawayfromitthanthis；butthenItookthebestpartofitwithme，andmissednothing。IfeltsolitaryasIdroppedasleephere，and，missingitalittle，wanderedbacktoit。’Therewasasorrowfullyaffectionateandregretfulsoundinhervoice，whichmadehervisitorrefrainfromlookingatherforthemoment。
’Itisacuriouschancewhichatlastbringsustogether，underthiscoveringinwhichyouhavewrappedme，’saidthevisitorafterapause；’fordoyouknow，IthinkIhavebeenlookingforyousometime。’
’Lookingforme？’
’IbelieveIhavealittlenotehere，whichIwastogivetoyouwheneverIfoundyou。Thisisit。UnlessIgreatlymistake，itisaddressedtoyou？Isitnot？’
Theladytookit，andsaidyes，andreadit。Hervisitorwatchedherasshedidso。Itwasveryshort。Sheflushedalittleassheputherlipstohervisitor’scheek，andpressedherhand。
’Thedearyoungfriendtowhomhepresentsme，maybeacomforttomeatsometime，hesays。SheistrulyacomforttomethefirsttimeIseeher。’
’Perhapsyoudon’t，’saidthevisitor，hesitating——’perhapsyoudon’tknowmystory？Perhapshenevertoldyoumystory？’
’No。’
’Ohno，whyshouldhe!Ihavescarcelytherighttotellitmyselfatpresent，becauseIhavebeenentreatednottodoso。Thereisnotmuchinit，butitmightaccounttoyouformyaskingyounottosayanythingabouttheletterhere。Yousawmyfamilywithme，perhaps？Someofthem——Ionlysaythistoyou——arealittleproud，alittleprejudiced。’
’Youshalltakeitbackagain，’saidtheother；’andthenmyhusbandissurenottoseeit。Hemightseeitandspeakofit，otherwise，bysomeaccident。Willyouputitinyourbosomagain，tobecertain？’
Shedidsowithgreatcare。Hersmall，slighthandwasstillupontheletter，whentheyheardsomeoneinthegalleryoutside。
’Ipromised，’saidthevisitor，rising，’thatIwouldwritetohimafterseeingyouIcouldhardlyfailtoseeyousoonerorlater，andtellhimifyouwerewellandhappy。Ihadbettersayyouwerewellandhappy。’
’Yes，yes，yes!SayIwasverywellandveryhappy。AndthatI
thankedhimaffectionately，andwouldneverforgethim。’
’Ishallseeyouinthemorning。Afterthatwearesuretomeetagainbeforeverylong。Goodnight!’
’Goodnight。Thankyou，thankyou。Goodnight，mydear!’
Bothofthemwerehurriedandflutteredastheyexchangedthisparting，andasthevisitorcameoutofthedoor。Shehadexpectedtomeetthelady’shusbandapproachingit；butthepersoninthegallerywasnothe：itwasthetravellerwhohadwipedthewine-
dropsfromhismoustachewiththepieceofbread。Whenheheardthestepbehindhim，heturnedround——forhewaswalkingawayinthedark。
Hispoliteness，whichwasextreme，wouldnotallowoftheyounglady’slightingherselfdown-stairs，orgoingdownalone。Hetookherlamp，helditsoastothrowthebestlightonthestonesteps，andfollowedherallthewaytothesupper-room。Shewentdown，noteasilyhidinghowmuchshewasinclinedtoshrinkandtremble；
fortheappearanceofthistravellerwasparticularlydisagreeabletoher。Shehadsatinherquietcornerbeforesupperimaginingwhathewouldhavebeeninthescenesandplaceswithinherexperience，untilheinspiredherwithanaversionthatmadehimlittlelessthanterrific。
Hefollowedherdownwithhissmilingpoliteness，followedherin，andresumedhisseatinthebestplaceinthehearth。Therewiththewood-fire，whichwasbeginningtoburnlow，risingandfallinguponhiminthedarkroom，hesatwithhislegsthrustouttowarm，drinkingthehotwinedowntothelees，withamonstrousshadowimitatinghimonthewallandceiling。
Thetiredcompanyhadbrokenup，andalltherestweregonetobedexcepttheyounglady’sfather，whodozedinhischairbythefire。
Thetravellerhadbeenatthepainsofgoingalongwayup-stairstohissleeping-roomtofetchhispocket-flaskofbrandy。Hetoldthemso，ashepoureditscontentsintowhatwasleftofthewine，anddrankwithanewrelish。
’MayIask，sir，ifyouareonyourwaytoItaly？’
Thegrey-hairedgentlemanhadrousedhimself，andwaspreparingtowithdraw。Heansweredintheaffirmative。
’Ialso!’saidthetraveller。’Ishallhopetohavethehonourofofferingmycomplimentsinfairerscenes，andundersoftercircumstances，thanonthisdismalmountain。’
Thegentlemanbowed，distantlyenough，andsaidhewasobligedtohim。
’Wepoorgentlemen，sir，’saidthetraveller，pullinghismoustachedrywithhishand，forhehaddippeditinthewineandbrandy；’wepoorgentlemendonottravellikeprinces，butthecourtesiesandgracesoflifeareprecioustous。Toyourhealth，sir!’
’Sir，Ithankyou。’
’Tothehealthofyourdistinguishedfamily——ofthefairladies，yourdaughters!’
’Sir，Ithankyouagain，Iwishyougoodnight。Mydear，areour——
ha——ourpeopleinattendance？’
’Theyarecloseby，father。’
’Permitme!’saidthetraveller，risingandholdingthedooropen，asthegentlemancrossedtheroomtowardsitwithhisarmdrawnthroughhisdaughter’s。’Goodrepose!Tothepleasureofseeingyouoncemore!Toto-morrow!’
Ashekissedhishand，withhisbestmannerandhisdaintiestsmile，theyoungladydrewalittlenearertoherfather，andpassedhimwithadreadoftouchinghim。
’Humph!’saidtheinsinuatingtraveller，whosemannershrunk，andwhosevoicedroppedwhenhewasleftalone。’Iftheyallgotobed，whyImustgo。Theyareinadevilofahurry。Onewouldthinkthenightwouldbelongenough，inthisfreezingsilenceandsolitude，ifonewenttobedtwohourshence。’
Throwingbackhisheadinemptyinghisglass，hecasthiseyesuponthetravellers’book，whichlayonthepiano，open，withpensandinkbesideit，asifthenight’snameshadbeenregisteredwhenhewasabsent。Takingitinhishand，hereadtheseentries。
WilliamDorrit，EsquireFrederickDorrit，EsquireEdwardDorrit，EsquireMissDorritMissAmyDorritMrsGeneralandSuite。
FromFrancetoItaly。
MrandMrsHenryGowan。
FromFrancetoItaly。
Towhichheadded，inasmallcomplicatedhand，endingwithalongleanflourish，notunlikealassothrownatalltherestofthenames：
Blandois。Paris。
FromFrancetoItaly。
Andthen，withhisnosecomingdownoverhismoustacheandhismoustachegoingupandunderhisnose，repairedtohisallottedcell。
MrsGeneralItisindispensabletopresenttheaccomplishedladywhowasofsufficientimportanceinthesuiteoftheDorritFamilytohavealinetoherselfintheTravellers’Book。
MrsGeneralwasthedaughterofaclericaldignitaryinacathedraltown，whereshehadledthefashionuntilshewasasnearforty-
fiveasasingleladycanbe。Astiffcommissariatofficerofsixty，famousasamartinet，hadthenbecomeenamouredofthegravitywithwhichshedrovetheproprietiesfour-in-handthroughthecathedraltownsociety，andhadsolicitedtobetakenbesideherontheboxofthecoolcoachofceremonytowhichthatteamwasharnessed。Hisproposalofmarriagebeingacceptedbythelady，thecommissarytookhisseatbehindtheproprietieswithgreatdecorum，andMrsGeneraldroveuntilthecommissarydied。Inthecourseoftheirunitedjourney，theyranoverseveralpeoplewhocameinthewayoftheproprieties；butalwaysinahighstyleandwithcomposure。
Thecommissaryhavingbeenburiedwithallthedecorationssuitabletotheservicethewholeteamofproprietieswereharnessedtohishearse，andtheyallhadfeathersandblackvelvethousingswithhiscoatofarmsinthecorner，MrsGeneralbegantoinquirewhatquantityofdustandasheswasdepositedatthebankers’。ItthentranspiredthatthecommissaryhadsofarstolenamarchonMrsGeneralastohaveboughthimselfanannuitysomeyearsbeforehismarriage，andtohavereservedthatcircumstanceinmentioning，attheperiodofhisproposal，thathisincomewasderivedfromtheinterestofhismoney。MrsGeneralconsequentlyfoundhermeanssomuchdiminished，that，butfortheperfectregulationofhermind，shemighthavefeltdisposedtoquestiontheaccuracyofthatportionofthelateservicewhichhaddeclaredthatthecommissarycouldtakenothingawaywithhim。