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face； the nearer he draws to； and the oftener he looks at； the face
of his daughter。 In short； I see him with a about the pretty and
affectionate creature whom he will never make happy。' 'We don't know；'
said Clennam； almost in the tone of a man in pain； 'that he will not
make her happy。'
'We don't know；' returned his partner； 'that the earth will last another
hundred years； but we think it highly probable。'
'Well； well！' said Clennam； 'we must be hopeful； and we must at least
try to be； if not generous （which； in this case； we have no opportunity
of being）； just。 We will not disparage this gentleman； because he is
successful in his addresses to the beautiful object of his ambition； and
we will not question her natural right to bestow her love on one whom
she finds worthy of it。'
'Maybe； my friend；' said Doyce。 'Maybe also； that she is too young and
petted； too confiding and inexperienced； to discriminate well。'
'That；' said Clennam； 'would be far beyond our power of correction。'
Daniel Doyce shook his head gravely； and rejoined； 'I fear so。'
'Therefore； in a word；' said Clennam； 'we should make up our minds that
it is not worthy of us to say any ill of Mr Gowan。 It would be a poor
thing to gratify a prejudice against him。 And I resolve； for my part；
not to depreciate him。'
'I am not quite so sure of myself； and therefore I reserve my privilege
of objecting to him；' returned the other。 'But； if I am not sure of
myself； I am sure of you； Clennam； and I know what an upright man you
are； and how much to be respected。 Good night； MY friend and partner！'
He shook his hand in saying this； as if there had been something serious
at the bottom of their conversation； and they separated。
By this time they had visited the family on several occasions； and had
always observed that even a passing allusion to Mr Henry Gowan when
he was not among them； brought back the cloud which had obscured Mr
Meagles's sunshine on the morning of the chance encounter at the Ferry。
If Clennam had ever admitted the forbidden passion into his breast；
this period might have been a period of real trial； under the actual
circumstances； doubtless it was nothing……nothing。
Equally； if his heart had given entertainment to that prohibited guest；
his silent fighting of his way through the mental condition of this
period might have been a little meritorious。 In the constant effort not
to be betrayed into a new phase of the besetting sin of his experience；
the pursuit of selfish objects by low and small means； and to hold
instead to some high principle of honour and generosity； there might
have been a little merit。 In the resolution not even to avoid Mr
Meagles's house； lest； in the selfish sparing of himself； he should
bring any slight distress upon the daughter through making her the cause
of an estrangement which he believed the father would regret； there
might have been a little merit。 In the modest truthfulness of always
keeping in vier Gowan's years and the greater
attractions of his person and manner； there might have been a little
merit。 In doing all this and much more； in a perfectly unaffected way
and with a manful and posed constancy； while the pain within him
（peculiar as his life and history） was very sharp； there might have been
some quiet strength of character。 But； after the resolution he had made；
of course he could have no such merits as these； and such a state of
mind was nobody's……nobody's。
Mr Gowan made it no concern of his whether it was nobody's or
somebody's。 He preserved his perfect serenity of manner on all
occasions； as if the possibility of Clennam's presuming to have debated
the great question were too distant and ridiculous to be imagined。 He
had always an affability to bestow on Clennam and an ease to treat
him with； which might of itself （in the supposititious case of his
not having taken that sagacious course） have been a very unfortable
element in his state of mind。
'I quite regret you were not with us yesterday；' said Mr Henry Gowan；
calling on Clennam the next morning。 'We had an agreeable day up the
river there。'
So he had heard； Arthur said。
'From your partner？' returned Henry Gowan。 'What a dear old fellow he
is！'
'I have a great regard for him。'
'By Jove； he is the finest creature！' said Gowan。 'So fresh； so green；
trusts in such wonderful things！'
Here was one of the many little rough points that had a tendency to
grate on Clennam's hearing。 He put it aside by merely repeating that he
had a high regard for Mr Doyce。
'He is charming！ To see him mooning along to that time of life；
laying down nothing by the way and picking up nothing by the way； is
delightful。 It warms a man。 So unspoilt； so simple； such a good soul！
Upon my life Mr Clennam； one feels desperately worldly and wicked in
parison with such an innocent creature。 I speak for myself； let me
add； without including you。 You are genuine also。'
'Thank you for the pliment；' said Clennam； ill at ease； 'you are too；
I hope？'
'So so；' rejoined the other。 'To be candid with you； tolerably。 I am
not a great impostor。 Buy one of my pictures； and I assure you；
in confidence； it will not be worth the money。 Buy one of another
man's……any great professor who beats me hollow……and the chances are that
the more you give him； the more he'll impose upon you。 They all do it。'
'All painters？'
'Painters； writers； patriots； all the rest who have stands in the
market。 Give almost any man I know ten pounds； and he will impose upon
you to a corresponding extent； a thousand pounds……to a corresponding
extent； ten thousand pounds……to a corresponding extent。 So great the
success； so great the imposition。 But what a capital world it is！' cried
Gowan with warm enthusiasm。 'What a jolly； excellent； lovable world it
is！'
'I had rather thought；' said Clennam； 'that the principle you mention
was chiefly acted on by……'
'By the Barnacles？' interrupted Gowan； laughing。
'By the political gentlemen who condescend to keep the Circumlocution
Office。'
'Ah！ Don't be hard upon the Barnacles；' said Gowan； laughing afresh；
'they are darling fellows！ Even poor little Clarence； the born idiot of
the family； is the most agreeable and most endearing blockhead！ And by
Jupiter； with a kind of cleverness in him too that would astonish you！'
'It would。 Very much；' said Clennam； drily。
'And after all；' cried Gowan； with that characteristic balancing of his
which reduced everything in the wide world to the same light weight；
'though I can't deny that the Circumlocution Office may ultimately
shipwreck everybody and everything； still； that will probably not be in
our time……and it's a school for gentlemen。'
'It's a very dangerous； unsatisfactory； and expensive school to the
people who pay to keep the pupils there； I am afraid；' said Clennam；
shaking his head。
'Ah！ You are a terrible fellow；' returned Gowan； airily。 'I can
understand how you have frightened that little donkey； Clarence； the
most estimable of moon…calves （I really love him） nearly out of his
wits。 But enough of him； and of all the rest of them。 I want to present
you to my mother； Mr Clennam。 Pray do me the favour to give me the
opportunity。'
In nobody's state of mind； there was nothing Clennam would have desired
less； or would have been more at a loss how to avoid。
'My mother lives in a most primitive manner down in that dreary
red…brick dungeon at Hampton Court；' said Gowan。 'If you would make
your own appointment； suggest your own day for permitting me to take
you there to dinner； you would be bored and she would be charmed。 Really
that's the state of the case。'
What could Clennam say after this？ His retiring character included a
great deal that was simple in the best sense； because unpractised and
unused； and in his simplicity and modesty； he could only say that he was
happy to place himself at Mr Gowan's disposal。 Accordingly he said it；
and the day was fixed。 And a dreaded day it was on his part； and a very
unwele day when it came and they went down to Hampton Court together。
The venerable inhabitants of that venerable pile seemed； in those times；
to be encamped there like a sort of civilised gipsies。 There was a
temporary air about their establishments； as if they were going away the
moment they could get anything better； there was also a dissatisfied air
about themselves； as if they took it very ill that they had not already
got something much better。 Genteel blinds and makeshifts were more or
less observable as soon as their doors were opened； screens not half
high enough； which made dining…rooms out of arched passages； and warded
off obscure corners where footboys slept at nights with their heads
among the knives and forks； curtains which called upon you to believe
that they didn't hide anything； panes of glass which requested you
not to see them； many objects of various forms； feigning to have no
connection with their guilty secret； a bed； disguised traps in walls；
which were clearly coal…cellars； affectations of no thoroughfares； which
were evidently doors to little kitchens。 Mental reservations and artful
mysteries grew out of these things。 Callers looking steadily into the
eyes of their receivers； pretended not to smell cooking three feet off；
people； confronting closets accidentally left open； pretended not to see
bottles； visitors with their heads against a partition of thin canvas；
and a page and a young female at high words on the other side； made
believe to be sitting in a primeval silence。 There was no end to the
small social acmodation…bills of this nature which the gipsies of
gentility were constantly drawing upon； and accepting for； one another。
Some of these Bohemians were of an irritable temperament； as constantly
soured and vexed by two mental trials： the first； the consciousness
that they had never got enough out of the public； the second； the
consciousness that the public were admitted into the building。 Under the
latter great wrong； a few suffered dreadfully……particularly on Sundays；
when they had for some time expected the earth to open and swallow
the public up； but which desirable event had not yet occurred； in
consequence of some reprehensible laxity in the arrangements of the
Universe。
Mrs Gowan's door was attended by a family servant of several years'
standing； who had his own crow to pluck with the public concerning a
situation in the Post…Office which he had been for some time expecting；
and to which he was not yet appointed。 He perfectly knew that the public
could never have got him in； but he grimly gratified himself with the
idea that the public kept him out。 Under the influence of this injury
（and perhaps of some little straitness and irregularity in the matter
of wages）； he had grown neglectful of his person and morose in mind；
and now beholding in Clennam one of the degraded body of his oppressors；
received him with ignominy。 Mrs Gowan； however； received him with
condescension。 He found her a courtly old lady； formerly a Beauty； and
still sufficiently well…favoured to have dispensed with the powder on
her nose and a certain impossible bloom under each eye。 She was a little
lofty with him； so was another old lady； dark…browed and high…nosed；
and who must have had something real about her or she could not have
existed； but it was certainly not her hair or her teeth or her figure
or her plexion； so was a grey old gentleman of dignified and sullen
appearance； both of whom had e to dinner。 But； as they had all
been in the British Embassy way in sundry parts of the earth； and as
a British Embassy cannot better establish a character with the
Circumlocution Office than by treating its patriots with illimitable
contempt （else it would bee like the Embassies of other countries）；
Clennam felt that on the whole they let him off lightly。
The dignified old gentleman turned out to be Lord Lancaster
Stiltstalking； who had been maintained by the Circumlocution Office for
many years as a representative of the Britannic Majesty abroad。
This noble Refrigerator had iced several European courts in his time；
and had done it with such plete success that the very name of
Englishman yet struck cold to the stomachs of