ledge. It very seldom happens that anybody--of any pretensions-any
pretensions--comes here without being presented to me.'

'As many as forty or fifty in a day have been introduced to my brother,'
said Frederick, faintly lighting up with a ray of pride.

'Yes!' the Father of the Marshalsea assented. 'We have even exceeded
that number. On a fine Sunday in term time, it is quite a Levee--quite
a Levee. Amy, my dear, I have been trying half the day to remember the
name of the gentleman from Camberwell who was introduced to me last
Christmas week by that agreeable coal-merchant who was remanded for six
months.'

'I don't remember his name, father.'

'Frederick, do you remember his name?' Frederick doubted if he had ever
heard it. No one could doubt that Frederick was the last person upon
earth to put such a question to, with any hope of information.

'I mean,' said his brother, 'the gentleman who did that handsome action
with so much delicacy. Ha! Tush! The name has quite escaped me. Mr
Clennam, as I have happened to mention handsome and delicate action, you
may like, perhaps, to know what it was.'

'Very much,' said Arthur, withdrawing his eyes from the delicate head
beginning to droop and the pale face with a new solicitude stealing over
it.

'It is so generous, and shows so much fine feeling, that it is almost a
duty to mention it. I said at the time that I always would mention it
on every suitable occasion, without regard to personal sensitiveness.
A--well--a--it's of no use to disguise the fact--you must know, Mr
Clennam, that it does sometimes occur that people who come here desire
to offer some little--Testimonial--to the Father of the place.'

To see her hand upon his arm in mute entreaty half-repressed, and her
timid little shrinking figure turning away, was to see a sad, sad sight.

'Sometimes,' he went on in a low, soft voice, agitated, and clearing
his throat every now and then; 'sometimes--hem--it takes one shape and
sometimes another; but it is generally--ha--Money. And it is, I cannot
but confess it, it is too often--hem--acceptable. This gentleman that I
refer to, was presented to me, Mr Clennam, in a manner highly gratifying
to my feelings, and conversed not only with great politeness, but with
great--ahem--information.' All this time, though he had finished his
supper, he was nervously going about his plate with his knife and
fork, as if some of it were still before him. 'It appeared from his
con