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your affectionate invaluable friend？ Where's your devoted guardian？
Where's your more than mother？ How dare you set up superiorities against
all these characters bined in your sister？
For shame； you false girl； for shame！' 'I love Amy；' cried Miss Fanny；
sobbing and weeping； 'as well as I love my life……better than I love my
life。 I don't deserve to be so treated。 I am as grateful to Amy； and as
fond of Amy； as it's possible for any human being to be。 I wish I was
dead。 I never was so wickedly wronged。 And only because I am anxious for
the family credit。'
'To the winds with the family credit！' cried the old man； with great
scorn and indignation。 'Brother； I protest against pride。 I protest
against ingratitude。 I protest against any one of us here who have known
what we have known； and have seen what we have seen； setting up any
pretension that puts Amy at a moment's disadvantage； or to the cost of
a moment's pain。 We may know that it's a base pretension by its having
that effect。 It ought to bring a judgment on us。 Brother； I protest
against it in the sight of God！'
As his hand went up above his head and came down on the table； it might
have been a blacksmith's。 After a few moments' silence； it had relaxed
into its usual weak condition。 He went round to his brother with his
ordinary shuffling step； put the hand on his shoulder； and said； in a
softened voice； 'William； my dear； I felt obliged to say it； forgive me；
for I felt obliged to say it！' and then went； in his bowed way； out of
the palace hall； just as he might have gone out of the Marshalsea room。
All this time Fanny had been sobbing and crying； and still continued to
do so。 Edward； beyond opening his mouth in amazement； had not opened his
lips； and had done nothing but stare。 Mr Dorrit also had been utterly
disfited； and quite unable to assert himself in any way。 Fanny was
now the first to speak。
'I never； never； never was so used！' she sobbed。 'There never was
anything so harsh and unjustifiable； so disgracefully violent and cruel！
Dear； kind； quiet little Amy； too； what would she feel if she could know
that she had been innocently the means of exposing me to such treatment！
But I'll never tell her！ No； good darling； I'll never tell her！'
This helped Mr Dorrit to break his silence。
'My dear；' said he； 'I……ha……approve of your resolution。 It will be……ha
hum……much better not to speak of this to Amy。 It might……hum……it
might distress her。 Ha。 No doubt it would distress her greatly。 It
is considerate and right to avoid doing so。 We will……ha……keep this to
ourselves。'
'But the cruelty of Uncle！' cried Miss Fanny。 'O； I never can forgive
the wanton cruelty of Uncle！'
'My dear；' said Mr Dorrit； recovering his tone； though he remained
unusually pale； 'I must request you not to say so。 You must remember
that your uncle is……ha……not what he formerly was。 You must remember
that your uncle's state requires……hum……great forbearance from us； great
forbearance。'
'I am sure；' cried Fanny； piteously； 'it is only charitable to suppose
that there Must be something wrong in him somewhere； or he never could
have so attacked Me； of all the people in the world。'
'Fanny；' returned Mr Dorrit in a deeply fraternal tone； 'you know； with
his innumerable good points； what a……hum……wreck your uncle is； and； I
entreat you by the fondness that I have for him； and by the fidelity
that you know I have always shown him； to……ha……to draw your own
conclusions； and to spare my brotherly feelings。'
This ended the scene； Edward Dorrit； Esquire； saying nothing throughout；
but looking； to the last； perplexed and doubtful。 Miss Fanny awakened
much affectionate uneasiness in her sister's mind that day by passing
the greater part of it in violent fits of embracing her； and in
alternately giving her brooches； and wishing herself dead。
CHAPTER 6。 Something Right Somewhere
To be in the halting state of Mr Henry Gowan； to have left one of two
powers in disgust； to want the necessary qualifications for finding
promotion with another； and to be loitering moodily about on neutral
ground； cursing both； is to be in a situation unwholesome for the mind；
which time is not likely to improve。 The worst class of sum worked in
the every…day world is cyphered by the diseased arithmeticians who are
always in the rule of Subtraction as to the merits and successes of
others； and never in Addition as to their own。
The habit； too； of seeking some sort of repense in the discontented
boast of being disappointed； is a habit fraught with degeneracy。 A
certain idle carelessness and recklessness of consistency soon es of
it。 To bring deserving things down by setting undeserving things up is
one of its perverted delights； and there is no playing fast and loose
with the truth； in any game； without growing the worse for it。
In his expressed opinions of all performances in the Art of painting
that were pletely destitute of merit； Gowan was the most liberal
fellow on earth。 He would declare such a man to have more power in his
little finger （provided he had none）； than such another had （provided he
had much） in his whole mind and body。 If the objection were taken that
the thing mended was trash； he would reply； on behalf of his art； 'My
good fellow； what do we all turn out but trash？ I turn out nothing else；
and I make you a present of the confession。'
To make a vaunt of being poor was another of the incidents of his
spleic state； though this may have had the design in it of showing
that he ought to be rich； just as he would publicly laud and decry the
Barnacles； lest it should be forgotten that he belonged to the family。
Howbeit； these two subjects were very often on his lips； and he managed
them so well that he might have praised himself by the month together；
and not have made himself out half so important a man as he did by his
light disparagement of his claims on anybody's consideration。
Out of this same airy talk of his； it always soon came to be understood；
wherever he and his wife went； that he had married against the wishes
of his exalted relations； and had had much ado to prevail on them to
countenance her。 He never made the representation； on the contrary
seemed to laugh the idea to scorn； but it did happen that； with all his
pains to depreciate himself； he was always in the superior position。
From the days of their honeymoon； Minnie Gowan felt sensible of being
usually regarded as the wife of a man who had made a descent in marrying
her； but whose chivalrous love for her had cancelled that inequality。
To Venice they had been acpanied by Monsieur Blandois of Paris； and
at Venice Monsieur Blandois of Paris was very much in the society of
Gowan。 When they had first met this gallant gentleman at Geneva；
Gowan had been undecided whether to kick him or encourage him； and had
remained for about four…and…twenty hours； so troubled to settle
the point to his satisfaction； that he had thought of tossing up a
five…franc piece on the terms； 'Tails； kick； heads； encourage；' and
abiding by the voice of the oracle。 It chanced； however； that his wife
expressed a dislike to the engaging Blandois； and that the balance
of feeling in the hotel was against him。 Upon it； Gowan resolved to
encourage him。
Why this perversity； if it were not in a generous fit？……which it was
not。 Why should Gowan； very much the superior of Blandois of Paris； and
very well able to pull that prepossessing gentleman to pieces and find
out the stuff he was made of； take up with such a man？ In the first
place； he opposed the first separate wish he observed in his wife；
because her father had paid his debts and it was desirable to take an
early opportunity of asserting his independence。 In the second place；
he opposed the prevalent feeling； because with many capacities of
being otherwise； he was an ill…conditioned man。 He found a pleasure in
declaring that a courtier with the refined manners of Blandois ought
to rise to the greatest distinction in any polished country。 He found a
pleasure in setting up Blandois as the type of elegance； and making
him a satire upon others selves on personal graces。
He seriously protested that the bow of Blandois was perfect； that the
address of Blandois was irresistible； and that the picturesque ease
of Blandois would be cheaply purchased （if it were not a gift； and
unpurchasable） for a hundred thousand francs。 That exaggeration in the
manner of the man which has been noticed as appertaining to him and to
every such man； whatever his original breeding； as certainly as the sun
belongs to this system； was acceptable to Gowan as a caricature； which
he found it a humorous resource to have at hand for the ridiculing of
numbers of people who necessarily did more or less of what Blandois
overdid。 Thus he had taken up with him； and thus； negligently
strengthening these inclinations with habit； and idly deriving some
amusement from his talk； he had glided into a way of having him for
a panion。 This； though he supposed him to live by his wits at
play…tables and the like； though he suspected him to be a coward； while
he himself was daring and courageous； though he thoroughly knew him to
be disliked by Minnie； and though he cared so little for him； after all；
that if he had given her any tangible personal cause to regard him with
aversion； he would have had no punction whatever in flinging him out
of the highest window in Venice into the deepest water of the city。
Little Dorrit would have been glad to make her visit to Mrs Gowan；
alone； but as Fanny； who had not yet recovered from her Uncle's protest；
though it was four…and…twenty hours of age； pressingly offered her
pany； the two sisters stepped together into one of the gondolas under
Mr Dorrit's window； and； with the courier in attendance； were taken in
high state to Mrs Gowan's lodging。 In truth； their state was rather too
high for the lodging； which was； as Fanny plained； 'fearfully out of
the way；' and which took them through a plexity of narrow streets of
water； which the same lady disparaged as 'mere ditches。'
The house； on a little desert island； looked as if it had broken
away from somewhere else； and had floated by chance into its present
anchorage in pany with a vine almost as much in want of training as
the poor wretches who were lying under its leaves。 The features of the
surrounding picture were； a church with hoarding and scaffolding about
it； which had been under suppositious repair so long that the means of
repair looked a hundred years old； and had themselves fallen into decay；
a quantity of washed linen； spread to dry in the sun； a number of houses
at odds with one another and grotesquely out of the perpendicular； like
rotten pre…Adamite cheeses cut into fantastic shapes and full of mites；
and a feverish bewilderment of windows； with their lattice…blinds all
hanging askew； and something draggled and dirty dangling out of most of
them。
On the first…floor of the house was a Bank……a surprising experience for
any gentleman of mercial pursuits bringing laws for all mankind from
a British city……where two spare clerks； like dried dragoons； in green
velvet caps adorned with golden tassels； stood； bearded； behind a small
counter in a small room； containing no other visible objects than an
empty iron…safe with the door open； a jug of water； and a papering of
garland of roses； but erely dipping
their hands out of sight； could produce exhaustless mounds of five…franc
pieces。 Below the Bank was a suite of three or four rooms with barred
windows； which had the appearance of a jail for criminal rats。 Above the
Bank was Mrs Gowan's residence。
Notwithstanding that its walls were blotched； as if missionary maps were
bursting out of them to impart geographical knowledge； notwithstanding
that its weird furniture was forlornly faded and musty； and that the
prevailing Veian odour of bilge water and an ebb tide on a weedy
shore was very strong； the place was better within； than it promised。
The door was opened by a smiling man like a reformed assassin……a
temporary servant……who ushered them into the room where Mrs Gowan sat；
with the announcement that two beautiful English ladies were e to see
the mistress。