d yourself, sir?' said Mr Flintwinch, as soon as he could
disengage himself, which he struggled to do with very little ceremony.
'Thank you, no; I don't want any more.' This was in reference to another
menace of attention from his recovered friend.

'Well, Arthur. You remember what I said to you about sleeping dogs and
missing ones. It's come true, you see.'

He was as imperturbable as ever, to all appearance, and nodded his head
in a moralising way as he looked round the room.

'And this is the Marshalsea prison for debt!' said Mr Flintwinch. 'Hah!
you have brought your pigs to a very indifferent market, Arthur.'

If Arthur had patience, Rigaud had not. He took his little Flintwinch,
with fierce playfulness, by the two lapels of his coat, and cried:

'To the Devil with the Market, to the Devil with the Pigs, and to the
Devil with the Pig-Driver! Now! Give me the answer to my letter.'

'If you can make it convenient to let go a moment, sir,' returned Mr
Flintwinch, 'I'll first hand Mr Arthur a little note that I have for
him.'

He did so. It was in his mother's maimed writing, on a slip of paper,
and contained only these words:

'I hope it is enough that you have ruined yourself. Rest contented
without more ruin. Jeremiah Flintwinch is my messenger and
representative. Your affectionate M. C.'

Clennam read this twice, in silence, and then tore it to pieces. Rigaud
in the meanwhile stepped into a chair, and sat himself on the back with
his feet upon the seat.

'Now, Beau Flintwinch,' he said, when he had closely watched the note to
its destruction, 'the answer to my letter?'

'Mrs Clennam did not write, Mr Blandois, her hands being cramped,
and she thinking it as well to send it verbally by me.' Mr Flintwinch
screwed this out of himself, unwillingly and rustily. 'She sends
her compliments, and says she doesn't on the whole wish to term
you unreasonable, and that she agrees. But without prejudicing the
appointment that stands for this day week.'

Monsieur Rigaud, after indulging in a fit of laughter, descended from
his throne, saying, 'Good! I go to seek an hotel!' But, there his eyes
encountered Cavalletto, who was still at his post.

'Come, Pig,' he added, 'I have had you for a follower against my will;
now, I'll have you against yours. I tell you, my little reptiles, I
am born to be served. I demand the service of this contrabandist as my
domestic until this day week.'

In answer to Cavalletto's look o