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lady of strong force of character； like myself……a resolved lady； a stern
lady； a lady who has a will that can break the weak to powder： a lady
without pity； without love； implacable； revengeful； cold as the stone；
but raging as the fire。〃
Ah！ what fortitude！ Ah； what superiority of intellectual strength！
Truly； a proud and noble character that I describe in the supposed words
of Monsieur； the uncle。 Ha； ha； ha！ Death of my soul； I love the sweet
lady！'
Mrs Clennam's face had changed。 There was a remarkable darkness of
colour on it； and the brow was more contracted。 'Madame； madame；' said
Rigaud； tapping her on the arm； as if his cruel hand were sounding a
musical instrument； 'I perceive I interest you。 I perceive I awaken your
sympathy。 Let us go on。'
The drooping nose and the ascending moustache had； however； to be hidden
for a moment with the white hand； before he could go on； he enjoyed the
effect he made so much。
'The nephew； being； as the lucid Madame Flintwinch has remarked； a poor
devil who has had everything but his orphan life frightened and famished
out of him……the nephew abases his head； and makes response： 〃My uncle；
it is to you to mand。 Do as you will！〃 Monsieur； the uncle； does as
he will。 It is what he always does。 The auspicious nuptials take place；
the newly married e home to this charming mansion； the lady is
received； let us suppose； by Flintwinch。 Hey； old intriguer？'
Jeremiah； with his eyes upon his mistress； made no reply。 Rigaud looked
from one to the other； struck his ugly nose； and made a clucking with
his tongue。
'Soon the lady makes a singular and exciting discovery。 Thereupon；
full of anger； full of jealousy； full of vengeance； she forms……see you；
madame！……a scheme of retribution； the weight of which she ingeniously
forces her crushed husband to bear himself； as well as execute upon her
enemy。 What superior intelligence！'
'Keep off； Jeremiah！' cried the palpitating Affery； taking her apron
from her mouth again。 'But it was one of my dreams； that you told her；
when you quarrelled with her one winter evening at dusk……there she sits
and you looking at her……that she oughtn't to have let Arthur when he
e home； suspect his father only； that she had always had the strength
and the power； and that she ought to have stood up more to Arthur； for
his father。 It was in the same dream where you said to her that she was
not……not something； but I don't know what； for she burst out tremendous
and stopped you。 You know the dream as well as I do。 When you e
down…stairs into the kitchen with the candle in your hand； and hitched
my apron off my head。 When you told me I had been dreaming。 When you
wouldn't believe the noises。' After this explosion Affery put her apron
into her mouth again； always keeping her hand on the window…sill and her
knee on the window…seat； ready to cry out or jump out if her lord and
master approached。
Rigaud had not lost a word of this。
'Haha！' he cried； lifting his eyebrows； folding his arms； and leaning
back in his chair。 'Assuredly； Madame Flintwinch is an oracle！ How shall
we interpret the oracle； you and I and the old intriguer？ He said that
you were not……？ And you burst out and stopped him！ What was it you were
not？ What is it you are not？ Say then； madame！'
Under this ferocious banter； she sat breathing harder； and her mouth was
disturbed。 Her lips quivered and opened； in spite of her utmost efforts
to keep them still。
'e then； madame！ Speak； then！ Our old intriguer said that you were
not……and you stopped him。 He was going to say that you were not……what？
I know already； but I want a little confidence from you。 How； then？ You
are not what？'
She tried again to repress herself； but broke out vehemently； 'Not
Arthur's mother！'
'Good；' said Rigaud。 'You are amenable。'
With the set expression of her face all torn away by the explosion
of her passion； and with a bursting； from every rent feature； of the
smouldering fire so long pent up； she cried out： 'I will tell it myself！
I will not hear it from your lips； and with the taint of your wickedness
upon it。 Since it must be seen； I will have it seen by the light I stood
in。 Not another word。 Hear me！'
'Unless you are a more obstinate and more persisting woman than even
I know you to be；' Mr Flintwinch interposed； 'you had better leave Mr
Rigaud； Mr Blandois； Mr Beelzebub； to tell it in his own way。 What does
it signify when he knows all about it？'
'He does not know all about it。'
'He knows all he cares about it；' Mr Flintwinch testily urged。 'He does
not know me。'
'What do you suppose he cares for you； you conceited woman？' said Mr
Flintwinch。
'I tell you； Flintwinch； I will speak。 I tell you when it has e
to this； I will tell it with my own lips； and will express myself
throughout it。 What！ Have I suffered nothing in this room； no
deprivation； no imprisonment； that I should condescend at last to
contemplate myself in such a glass as that。 Can you see him？ Can you
hear him？ If your wife were a hundred times the ingrate that she is； and
if I were a thousand times more hopeless than I am of inducing her to be
silent if this man is silenced； I would tell it myself； before I would
bear the torment of the hearing it from him。'
Rigaud pushed his chair a little back； pushed his legs out straight
before him； and sat with his arms folded over against her。
'You do not know what it is；' she went on addressing him； 'to be brought
up strictly and straitly。 I was so brought up。 Mine was no light youth
of sinful gaiety and pleasure。 Mine were days of wholesome repression；
punishment； and fear。 The corruption of our hearts； the evil of our
ways； the curse that is upon us； the terrors that surround us……these
were the themes of my childhood。 They formed my character； and filled me
with an abhorrence of evil…doers。 When old Mr Gilbert Clennam proposed
his orphan nephew to my father for my husband； my father impressed upon
me that his bringing…up had been； like mine； one of severe restraint。
He told me； that besides the discipline his spirit had undergone； he
had lived in a starved house； where rioting and gaiety were unknown； and
where every day was a day of toil and trial like the last。 He told me
that he had been a man in years long before his uncle had acknowledged
him as one； and that from his school…days to that hour； his uncle's roof
has been a sanctuary to him from the contagion of the irreligious
and dissolute。 When； within a twelvemonth of our marriage； I found
my husband； at that time when my father spoke of him； to have sinned
against the Lord and outraged me by holding a guilty creature in my
place； was I to doubt that it had been appointed to me to make the
discovery； and that it was appointed to me to lay the hand of punishment
upon that creature of perdition？ Was I to dismiss in a moment……not my
own wrongs……what was I！ but all the rejection of sin； and all the war
against it； in which I had been bred？' She laid her wrathful hand upon
the watch on the table。
'No！ 〃Do not forget。〃 The initials of those words are within here now；
and were within here then。 I was appointed to find the old letter that
referred to them； and that told me what they meant； and whose work they
were； and why they were worked； lying with this watch in his secret
drawer。 But for that appointment there would have been no discovery。
〃Do not forget。〃 It spoke to me like a voice from an angry cloud。 Do
not forget the deadly sin； do not forget the appointed discovery； do not
forget the appointed suffering。 I did not forget。 Was it my own wrong I
remembered？ Mine！ I was but a servant and a minister。 What power could I
have over them； but that they were bound in the bonds of their sin； and
delivered to me！'
More than forty years had passed over the grey head of this determined
woman； since the time she recalled。 More than forty years of strife
and struggle with the whisper that； by whatever name she called her
vindictive pride and rage； nothing through all eternity could change
their nature。 Yet； gone those more than forty years； and e this
Nemesis now looking her in the face； she still abided by her old
impiety……still reversed the order of Creation； and breathed her own
breath into a clay image of her Creator。 Verily； verily； travellers have
seen many monstrous idols in many countries； but no human eyes have ever
seen more daring； gross； and shocking images of the Divine nature than
we creatures of the dust make in our own likenesses； of our own bad
passions。
'When I forced him to give her up to me； by her name and place of
abode；' she went on in her torrent of indignation and defence； 'when I
accused her； and she fell hiding her face at my feet； was it my injury
that I asserted； were they my reproaches that I poured upon her？ Those
who were appointed of old to go to wicked kings and accuse them……were
they not ministers and servants？ And had not I； unworthy and far…removed
from them； sin to denounce？ When she pleaded to me her youth； and his
wretched and hard life （that was her phrase for the virtuous training he
had belied）； and the desecrated ceremony of marriage there had
secretly been between them； and the terrors of want and shame that had
overwhelmed them both when I was first appointed to be the instrument of
their punishment； and the love （for she said the word to me； down at my
feet） in which she had abandoned him and left him to me； was it my enemy
that became my footstool； were they the words of my wrath that made her
shrink and quiver！ Not unto me the strength be ascribed； not unto me the
wringing of the expiation！'
Many years had e and gone since she had had the free use even of
her fingers； but it was noticeable that she had already more than once
struck her clenched hand vigorously upon the table； and that when she
said these words she raised her whole arm in the air； as though it had
been a mon action with her。
'And what was the repentance that was extorted from the hardness of her
heart and the blackness of her depravity？ I； vindictive and implacable？
It may be so； to such as you who know no righteousness； and no
appointment except Satan's。 Laugh； but I will be known as I know
myself； and as Flintwinch knows me； though it is only to you and this
half…witted woman。'
'Add； to yourself； madame；' said Rigaud。 'I have my little suspicions
that madame is rather solicitous to be justified to herself。'
'It is false。 It is not so。 I have no need to be；' she said； with great
energy and anger。
'Truly？' retorted Rigaud。 'Hah！'
'I ask； what was the penitence； in works； that was demanded of her？
〃You have a child； I have none。 You love that child。 Give him to me。 He
shall believe himself to be my son； and he shall be believed by every
one to be my son。 To save you from exposure； his father shall swear
never to see or municate from
being stripped by his uncle； and to save your child from being a beggar；
you shall swear never to see or municate with either of them more。
That done； and your present means； derived from my husband； renounced；
I charge myself with your support。 You may； with your place of retreat
unknown； then leave； if you please； uncontradicted by me； the lie that
when you passed out of all knowledge but mine； you merited a good name。〃
That was all。 She had to sacrifice her sinful and shameful affections；
no more。 She was then free to bear her load of guilt in secret； and to
break her heart in secret； and through such present misery （light enough
for her； I think！） to purchase her redemption from endless misery； if
she could。 If； in this； I punished her here； did I not open to her a way
hereafter？ If she knew herself to be surrounded by insatiable vengeance
and unquenchable fires； were they mine？ If I threatened her； then and
afterwards； with the terrors that enpassed her； did I hold them in my
right hand？'
She turned the watch upon the table； and opened it； and； with an
unsoftening face； looked at the worked letters within。
'They did not forget。 It is appointed against such offences that the
offenders shall not be able to forget。 If the presence of Arthur was a
daily reproach to his father； and if the absence of Arthur was a daily
agony