’Withamillionthanks，’saidshe，’andmyaddressuponmycardincaseofanythingtobecommunicatedpersonally，Iwillnotsendmylovetothedearlittlethingforitmightnotbeacceptable，andindeedthereisnodearlittlethingleftinthetransformationsowhydoitbutbothmyselfandMrF。’sAunteverwishherwellandlaynoclaimtoanyfavouronoursideyoumaybesureofthatbutquitetheotherwayforwhatsheundertooktodoshedidandthatismorethanagreatmanyofusdo，nottosayanythingofherdoingitasWellasitcouldbedoneandImyselfamoneofthemforIhavesaideversinceIbegantorecovertheblowofMrF’sdeaththatIwouldlearntheOrganofwhichIamextremelyfondbutofwhichIamashamedtosayIdonotyetknowanote，goodevening!’
WhenMrDorrit，whoattendedhertotheroom-door，hadhadalittletimetocollecthissenses，hefoundthattheinterviewhadsummonedbackdiscardedreminiscenceswhichjarredwiththeMerdledinner-table。Hewroteandsentoffabriefnoteexcusinghimselfforthatday，andordereddinnerpresentlyinhisownroomsatthehotel。Hehadanotherreasonforthis。HistimeinLondonwasverynearlyout，andwasanticipatedbyengagements；hisplansweremadeforreturning；andhethoughtitbehovedhisimportancetopursuesomedirectinquiryintotheBlandoisdisappearance，andbeinaconditiontocarrybacktoMrHenryGowantheresultofhisownpersonalinvestigation。Hethereforeresolvedthathewouldtakeadvantageofthatevening’sfreedomtogodowntoClennamandCo。’s，easilytobefoundbythedirectionsetforthinthehandbill；andseetheplace，andaskaquestionortwotherehimself。
HavingdinedasplainlyastheestablishmentandtheCourierwouldlethim，andhavingtakenashortsleepbythefireforhisbetterrecoveryfromMrsFinching，hesetoutinahackney-cabrioletalone。ThedeepbellofStPaul’swasstrikingnineashepassedundertheshadowofTempleBar，headlessandforlorninthesedegeneratedays。
Asheapproachedhisdestinationthroughtheby-streetsandwater-
sideways，thatpartofLondonseemedtohimanuglierspotatsuchanhourthanhehadeversupposedittobe。Manylongyearshadpassedsincehehadseenit；hehadneverknownmuchofit；anditworeamysteriousanddismalaspectinhiseyes。Sopowerfullywashisimaginationimpressedbyit，thatwhenhisdriverstopped，afterhavingaskedthewaymorethanonce，andsaidtothebestofhisbeliefthiswasthegatewaytheywanted，MrDorritstoodhesitating，withthecoach-doorinhishand，halfafraidofthedarklookoftheplace。
Truly，itlookedasgloomythatnightasevenithadeverlooked。
Twoofthehandbillswerepostedontheentrancewall，oneoneitherside，andasthelampflickeredinthenightair，shadowspassedoverthem，notunliketheshadowsoffingersfollowingthelines。Awatchwasevidentlykeptupontheplace。AsMrDorritpaused，amanpassedinfromovertheway，andanothermanpassedoutfromsomedarkcornerwithin；andbothlookedathiminpassing，andbothremainedstandingabout。
Astherewasonlyonehouseintheenclosure，therewasnoroomforuncertainty，sohewentupthestepsofthathouseandknocked。
Therewasadimlightintwowindowsonthefirst-floor。Thedoorgavebackadreary，vacantsound，asthoughthehousewereempty；
butitwasnot，foralightwasvisible，andastepwasaudible，almostdirectly。Theybothcametothedoor，andachaingrated，andawomanwithherapronthrownoverherfaceandheadstoodintheaperture。
’Whoisit？’saidthewoman。
MrDorrit，muchamazedbythisappearance，repliedthathewasfromItaly，andthathewishedtoaskaquestionrelativetothemissingperson，whomheknew。
’Hi!’criedthewoman，raisingacrackedvoice。’Jeremiah!’
Uponthis，adryoldmanappeared，whomMrDorritthoughtheidentifiedbyhisgaiters，astherustyscrew。ThewomanwasUnderapprehensionsofthedryoldman，forshewhiskedherapronawayasheapproached，anddisclosedapaleaffrightedface。’Openthedoor，youfool，’saidtheoldman；’andletthegentlemanin。’
MrDorrit，notwithoutaglanceoverhisshouldertowardshisdriverandthecabriolet，walkedintothedimhall。’Now，sir，’
saidMrFlintwinch，’youcanaskanythinghereyouthinkproper；
therearenosecretshere，sir。’
Beforeareplycouldbemade，astrongsternvoice，thoughawoman’s，calledfromabove，’Whoisit？’
’Whoisit？’returnedJeremiah。’Moreinquiries。AgentlemanfromItaly。’
’Bringhimuphere!’
MrFlintwinchmuttered，asifhedeemedthatunnecessary；but，turningtoMrDorrit，said，’MrsClennam。Shewilldoasshelikes。I’llshowyoutheway。’HethenprecededMrDorrituptheblackenedstaircase；thatgentleman，notunnaturallylookingbehindhimontheroad，sawthewomanfollowing，withherapronthrownoverherheadagaininherformerghastlymanner。
MrsClennamhadherbooksopenonherlittletable。’Oh!’saidsheabruptly，assheeyedhervisitorwithasteadylook。’YouarefromItaly，sir，areyou。Well？’
MrDorritwasatalossforanymoredistinctrejoinderatthemomentthan’Ha——well？’
’Whereisthismissingman？Haveyoucometogiveusinformationwhereheis？Ihopeyouhave？’
’Sofarfromit，I——hum——havecometoseekinformation。’
’Unfortunatelyforus，thereisnonetobegothere。Flintwinch，showthegentlemanthehandbill。Givehimseveraltotakeaway。
Holdthelightforhimtoreadit。’
MrFlintwinchdidashewasdirected，andMrDorritreaditthrough，asifhehadnotpreviouslyseenit；gladenoughoftheopportunityofcollectinghispresenceofmind，whichtheairofthehouseandofthepeopleinithadalittledisturbed。Whilehiseyeswereonthepaper，hefeltthattheeyesofMrFlintwinchandofMrsClennamwereonhim。Hefound，whenhelookedup，thatthissensationwasnotafancifulone。
’Nowyouknowasmuch，’saidMrsClennam，’asweknow，sir。IsMrBlandoisafriendofyours？’
’No——a——hum——anacquaintance，’answeredMrDorrit。
’Youhavenocommissionfromhim，perhaps？’
’I？Ha。Certainlynot。’
Thesearchinglookturnedgraduallytothefloor，aftertakingMrFlintwinch’sfaceinitsway。MrDorrit，discomfitedbyfindingthathewasthequestionedinsteadofthequestioner，appliedhimselftothereversalofthatunexpectedorderofthings。
’Iam——ha——agentlemanofproperty，atpresentresidinginItalywithmyfamily，myservants，and——hum——myratherlargeestablishment。BeinginLondonforashorttimeonaffairsconnectedwith——ha——myestate，andhearingofthisstrangedisappearance，Iwishedtomakemyselfacquaintedwiththecircumstancesatfirst-hand，becausethereis——hahum——anEnglishgentlemaninItalywhomIshallnodoubtseeonmyreturn，whohasbeeninhabitsofcloseanddailyintimacywithMonsieurBlandois。
MrHenryGowan。Youmayknowthename。’
’Neverheardofit。’
MrsClennamsaidit，andMrFlintwinchechoedit。
’Wishingto——ha——makethenarrativecoherentandconsecutivetohim，’saidMrDorrit，’mayIask——say，threequestions？’
’Thirty，ifyouchoose。’
’HaveyouknownMonsieurBlandoislong？’
’Notatwelvemonth。MrFlintwinchhere，willrefertothebooksandtellyouwhen，andbywhomatParishewasintroducedtous。
Ifthat，’MrsClennamadded，’shouldbeanysatisfactiontoyou。
Itispoorsatisfactiontous。’
’Haveyouseenhimoften？’
’No。Twice。Oncebefore，and——’
’Thatonce，’suggestedMrFlintwinch。
’Andthatonce。’
’Pray，madam，’saidMrDorrit，withagrowingfancyuponhimasherecoveredhisimportance，thathewasinsomesuperiorwayintheCommissionofthePeace；’pray，madam，mayIinquire，forthegreatersatisfactionofthegentlemanwhomIhavethehonourto——
ha——retain，orprotectorletmesayto——hum——know——toknow——WasMonsieurBlandoishereonbusinessonthenightindicatedinthispresentsheet？’
’Onwhathecalledbusiness，’returnedMrsClennam。
’Is——ha——excuseme——isitsnaturetobecommunicated？’
’No。’
Itwasevidentlyimpracticabletopassthebarrierofthatreply。
’Thequestionhasbeenaskedbefore，’saidMrsClennam，’andtheanswerhasbeen，No。Wedon’tchoosetopublishourtransactions，howeverunimportant，toallthetown。Wesay，No。’
’Imean，hetookawaynomoneywithhim，forexample，’saidMrDorrit。
’Hetookawaynoneofours，sir，andgotnonehere。’
’Isuppose，’observedMrDorrit，glancingfromMrsClennamtoMrFlintwinch，andfromMrFlintwinchtoMrsClennam，’youhavenowayofaccountingtoyourselfforthismystery？’
’Whydoyousupposeso？’rejoinedMrsClennam。
Disconcertedbythecoldandhardinquiry，MrDorritwasunabletoassignanyreasonforhissupposingso。
’Iaccountforit，sir，’shepursuedafteranawkwardsilenceonMrDorrit’spart，’byhavingnodoubtthatheistravellingsomewhere，orhidingsomewhere。’
’Doyouknow——ha——whyheshouldhideanywhere？’
’No。’
ItwasexactlythesameNoasbefore，andputanotherbarrierup。
’YouaskedmeifIaccountedforthedisappearancetomyself，’MrsClennamsternlyremindedhim，’notifIaccountedforittoyou。
Idonotpretendtoaccountforittoyou，sir。Iunderstandittobenomoremybusinesstodothat，thanitisyourstorequirethat。’
MrDorritansweredwithanapologeticbendofhishead。Ashesteppedback，preparatorytosayinghehadnomoretoask，hecouldnotbutobservehowgloomilyandfixedlyshesatwithhereyesfastenedontheground，andacertainairuponherofresolutewaiting；also，howexactlytheself-sameexpressionwasreflectedinMrFlintwinch，standingatalittledistancefromherchair，withhiseyesalsoontheground，andhisrighthandsoftlyrubbinghischin。
Atthatmoment，MistressAfferyofcourse，thewomanwiththeaprondroppedthecandlesticksheheld，andcriedout，’There!O
goodLord!thereitisagain。Hark，Jeremiah!Now!’
Iftherewereanysoundatall，itwassoslightthatshemusthavefallenintoaconfirmedhabitoflisteningforsounds；butMrDorritbelievedhedidhearasomething，likethefallingofdryleaves。Thewoman’sterror，foraveryshortspace，seemedtotouchthethree；andtheyalllistened。