im, or how many years of his life he had been
about it, but he brought it to perfection a dozen years ago. Wasn't it a
dozen?' said Mr Meagles, addressing Doyce. 'He is the most exasperating
man in the world; he never complains!'

'Yes. Rather better than twelve years ago.'

'Rather better?' said Mr Meagles, 'you mean rather worse. Well, Mr
Clennam, he addresses himself to the Government. The moment he addresses
himself to the Government, he becomes a public offender! Sir,' said Mr
Meagles, in danger of making himself excessively hot again, 'he ceases
to be an innocent citizen, and becomes a culprit.

He is treated from that instant as a man who has done some infernal
action. He is a man to be shirked, put off, brow-beaten, sneered at,
handed over by this highly-connected young or old gentleman, to that
highly-connected young or old gentleman, and dodged back again; he is a
man with no rights in his own time, or his own property; a mere outlaw,
whom it is justifiable to get rid of anyhow; a man to be worn out by all
possible means.'

It was not so difficult to believe, after the morning's experience, as
Mr Meagles supposed.

'Don't stand there, Doyce, turning your spectacle-case over and over,'
cried Mr Meagles, 'but tell Mr Clennam what you confessed to me.'

'I undoubtedly was made to feel,' said the inventor, 'as if I had
committed an offence. In dancing attendance at the various offices, I
was always treated, more or less, as if it was a very bad offence. I
have frequently found it necessary to reflect, for my own self-support,
that I really had not done anything to bring myself into the Newgate
Calendar, but only wanted to effect a great saving and a great
improvement.'

'There!' said Mr Meagles. 'Judge whether I exaggerate. Now you'll be
able to believe me when I tell you the rest of the case.'

With this prelude, Mr Meagles went through the narrative; the
established narrative, which has become tiresome; the matter-of-course
narrative which we all know by heart. How, after interminable attendance
and correspondence, after infinite impertinences, ignorances, and
insults, my lords made a Minute, number three thousand four hundred
and seventy-two, allowing the culprit to make certain trials of his
invention at his own expense.

How the trials were made in the presence of a board of six, of whom two
ancient members were too blind to see it, two other ancient members were
too deaf to hear it, one other anci