m the son, Mrs
Clennam's eyes had had some individual recognition in them, which seemed
reserved for her. As there are degrees of hardness in the hardest metal,
and shades of colour in black itself, so, even in the asperity of Mrs
Clennam's demeanour towards all the rest of humanity and towards Little
Dorrit, there was a fine gradation.

Little Dorrit let herself out to do needlework. At so much a day--or at
so little--from eight to eight, Little Dorrit was to be hired. Punctual
to the moment, Little Dorrit appeared; punctual to the moment, Little
Dorrit vanished. What became of Little Dorrit between the two eights was
a mystery.

Another of the moral phenomena of Little Dorrit. Besides her
consideration money, her daily contract included meals. She had an
extraordinary repugnance to dining in company; would never do so, if
it were possible to escape. Would always plead that she had this bit of
work to begin first, or that bit of work to finish first; and would, of
a certainty, scheme and plan--not very cunningly, it would seem, for she
deceived no one--to dine alone. Successful in this, happy in carrying
off her plate anywhere, to make a table of her lap, or a box, or the
ground, or even as was supposed, to stand on tip-toe, dining moderately
at a mantel-shelf; the great anxiety of Little Dorrit's day was set at
rest.

It was not easy to make out Little Dorrit's face; she was so retiring,
plied her needle in such removed corners, and started away so scared if
encountered on the stairs. But it seemed to be a pale transparent face,
quick in expression, though not beautiful in feature, its soft hazel
eyes excepted. A delicately bent head, a tiny form, a quick little pair
of busy hands, and a shabby dress--it must needs have been very shabby
to look at all so, being so neat--were Little Dorrit as she sat at work.

For these particulars or generalities concerning Little Dorrit, Mr
Arthur was indebted in the course of the day to his own eyes and to Mrs
Affery's tongue. If Mrs Affery had had any will or way of her own, it
would probably have been unfavourable to Little Dorrit. But as 'them two
clever ones'--Mrs Affery's perpetual reference, in whom her personality
was swallowed up--were agreed to accept Little Dorrit as a matter of
course, she had nothing for it but to follow suit. Similarly, if the
two clever ones had agreed to murder Little Dorrit by candlelight, Mrs
Affery, being required to hold the candle, would no d