se,' Little Dorrit began, sitting before
the pale fire, and raising her eyes again to the face which in its
harmonious look of interest, and pity, and protection, she felt to be a
mystery far above her in degree, and almost removed beyond her guessing
at; 'may I tell you something, sir?'

'Yes, my child.' A slight shade of distress fell upon her, at his so
often calling her a child. She was surprised that he should see it, or
think of such a slight thing; but he said directly: 'I wanted a tender
word, and could think of no other. As you just now gave yourself the
name they give you at my mother's, and as that is the name by which I
always think of you, let me call you Little Dorrit.'

'Thank you, sir, I should like it better than any name.'

'Little Dorrit.'

'Little mother,' Maggy (who had been falling asleep) put in, as a
correction.

'It's all the same, Maggy,' returned Little Dorrit, 'all the same.'

'Is it all the same, mother?'

'Just the same.'

Maggy laughed, and immediately snored. In Little Dorrit's eyes and ears,
the uncouth figure and the uncouth sound were as pleasant as could be.
There was a glow of pride in her big child, overspreading her face, when
it again met the eyes of the grave brown gentleman. She wondered what he
was thinking of, as he looked at Maggy and her. She thought what a
good father he would be. How, with some such look, he would counsel and
cherish his daughter.

'What I was going to tell you, sir,' said Little Dorrit, 'is, that MY
brother is at large.'

Arthur was rejoiced to hear it, and hoped he would do well.

'And what I was going to tell you, sir,' said Little Dorrit, trembling
in all her little figure and in her voice, 'is, that I am not to know
whose generosity released him--am never to ask, and am never to be told,
and am never to thank that gentleman with all MY grateful heart!'

He would probably need no thanks, Clennam said. Very likely he would be
thankful himself (and with reason), that he had had the means and chance
of doing a little service to her, who well deserved a great one.

'And what I was going to say, sir, is,' said Little Dorrit, trembling
more and more, 'that if I knew him, and I might, I would tell him that
he can never, never know how I feel his goodness, and how my good father
would feel it. And what I was going to say, sir, is, that if I knew him,
and I might--but I don't know him and I must not--I know that!--I would
tell him that I shall n