he compliment with HIS
compliments, and there was an end of it. Issuing forth from the gate
on these easy terms, he became a billiard-marker; and now occasionally
looked in at the little skittle-ground in a green Newmarket coat
(second-hand), with a shining collar and bright buttons (new), and drank
the beer of the Collegians.

One solid stationary point in the looseness of this gentleman's
character was, that he respected and admired his sister Amy. The feeling
had never induced him to spare her a moment's uneasiness, or to put
himself to any restraint or inconvenience on her account; but with that
Marshalsea taint upon his love, he loved her. The same rank Marshalsea
flavour was to be recognised in his distinctly perceiving that she
sacrificed her life to her father, and in his having no idea that she
had done anything for himself.

When this spirited young man and his sister had begun systematically
to produce the family skeleton for the overawing of the College, this
narrative cannot precisely state. Probably at about the period when
they began to dine on the College charity. It is certain that the more
reduced and necessitous they were, the more pompously the skeleton
emerged from its tomb; and that when there was anything particularly
shabby in the wind, the skeleton always came out with the ghastliest
flourish.

Little Dorrit was late on the Monday morning, for her father slept
late, and afterwards there was his breakfast to prepare and his room to
arrange. She had no engagement to go out to work, however, and therefore
stayed with him until, with Maggy's help, she had put everything right
about him, and had seen him off upon his morning walk (of twenty yards
or so) to the coffee-house to read the paper.

She then got on her bonnet and went out, having been anxious to get out
much sooner. There was, as usual, a cessation of the small-talk in
the Lodge as she passed through it; and a Collegian who had come in
on Saturday night, received the intimation from the elbow of a more
seasoned Collegian, 'Look out. Here she is!' She wanted to see her
sister, but when she got round to Mr Cripples's, she found that both her
sister and her uncle had gone to the theatre where they were engaged.
Having taken thought of this probability by the way, and having settled
that in such case she would follow them, she set off afresh for the
theatre, which was on that side of the river, and not very far away.

Little Dorrit was al