d Mr Meagles, 'and I'll
answer that. Never.'

'But we all three have known, I expect,' said the inventor, 'a pretty
many cases of its fixed determination to be miles upon miles, and years
upon years, behind the rest of us; and of its being found out persisting
in the use of things long superseded, even after the better things were
well known and generally taken up?'

They all agreed upon that.

'Well then,' said Doyce, with a sigh, 'as I know what such a metal will
do at such a temperature, and such a body under such a pressure, so I
may know (if I will only consider), how these great lords and gentlemen
will certainly deal with such a matter as mine.

I have no right to be surprised, with a head upon my shoulders, and
memory in it, that I fall into the ranks with all who came before me. I
ought to have let it alone. I have had warning enough, I am sure.'

With that he put up his spectacle-case, and said to Arthur, 'If I don't
complain, Mr Clennam, I can feel gratitude; and I assure you that I
feel it towards our mutual friend. Many's the day, and many's the way in
which he has backed me.'

'Stuff and nonsense,' said Mr Meagles.

Arthur could not but glance at Daniel Doyce in the ensuing silence.

Though it was evidently in the grain of his character, and of his
respect for his own case, that he should abstain from idle murmuring,
it was evident that he had grown the older, the sterner, and the poorer,
for his long endeavour. He could not but think what a blessed thing
it would have been for this man, if he had taken a lesson from the
gentlemen who were so kind as to take a nation's affairs in charge, and
had learnt How not to do it.

Mr Meagles was hot and despondent for about five minutes, and then began
to cool and clear up.

'Come, come!' said he. 'We shall not make this the better by being grim.
Where do you think of going, Dan?'

'I shall go back to the factory,' said Dan. 'Why then, we'll all go
back to the factory, or walk in that direction,' returned Mr Meagles
cheerfully. 'Mr Clennam won't be deterred by its being in Bleeding Heart
Yard.'

'Bleeding Heart Yard?' said Clennam. 'I want to go there.'

'So much the better,' cried Mr Meagles. 'Come along!'

As they went along, certainly one of the party, and probably more than
one, thought that Bleeding Heart Yard was no inappropriate destination
for a man who had been in official correspondence with my lords and the
Barnacles--and perhaps had a