r,' said Mrs Chivery. 'Miss Dorrit is the
matter with Our John, sir; he's a breaking his heart for her, and I
would wish to take the liberty to ask how it's to be made good to his
parents when bust?'

Mrs Chivery, who was a comfortable-looking woman much respected about
Horsemonger Lane for her feelings and her conversation, uttered this
speech with fell composure, and immediately afterwards began again to
shake her head and dry her eyes.

'Sir,' said she in continuation, 'you are acquainted with the family,
and have interested yourself with the family, and are influential with
the family. If you can promote views calculated to make two young people
happy, let me, for Our john's sake, and for both their sakes, implore
you so to do!'

'I have been so habituated,' returned Arthur, at a loss, 'during
the short time I have known her, to consider Little--I have been so
habituated to consider Miss Dorrit in a light altogether removed from
that in which you present her to me, that you quite take me by surprise.
Does she know your son?'

'Brought up together, sir,' said Mrs Chivery. 'Played together.'

'Does she know your son as her admirer?'

'Oh! bless you, sir,' said Mrs Chivery, with a sort of triumphant
shiver, 'she never could have seen him on a Sunday without knowing he
was that. His cane alone would have told it long ago, if nothing else
had. Young men like John don't take to ivory hands a pinting, for
nothing. How did I first know it myself? Similarly.'

'Perhaps Miss Dorrit may not be so ready as you, you see.'

'Then she knows it, sir,' said Mrs Chivery, 'by word of mouth.'

'Are you sure?'

'Sir,' said Mrs Chivery, 'sure and certain as in this house I am. I see
my son go out with my own eyes when in this house I was, and I see my
son come in with my own eyes when in this house I was, and I know he
done it!' Mrs Chivery derived a surprising force of emphasis from the
foregoing circumstantiality and repetition.

'May I ask you how he came to fall into the desponding state which
causes you so much uneasiness?'

'That,' said Mrs Chivery, 'took place on that same day when to this
house I see that John with these eyes return. Never been himself in this
house since. Never was like what he has been since, not from the hour
when to this house seven year ago me and his father, as tenants by the
quarter, came!' An effect in the nature of an affidavit was gained from
this speech by Mrs Chivery's peculiar power of