brought home by Mr Pancks on
Saturday night, to gladden the visitor's heart. The store of creature
comforts was not the chief part of the visitor's reception. Its special
feature was a foregone family confidence and sympathy. When Young John
appeared at half-past one without the ivory hand and waistcoat of golden
sprigs, the sun shorn of his beams by disastrous clouds, Mr Pancks
presented him to the yellow-haired Ruggs as the young man he had so
often mentioned who loved Miss Dorrit. 'I am glad,' said Mr Rugg,
challenging him specially in that character, 'to have the distinguished
gratification of making your acquaintance, sir. Your feelings do you
honour. You are young; may you never outlive your feelings! If I was
to outlive my own feelings, sir,' said Mr Rugg, who was a man of many
words, and was considered to possess a remarkably good address; 'if I
was to outlive my own feelings, I'd leave fifty pound in my will to the
man who would put me out of existence.'

Miss Rugg heaved a sigh.

'My daughter, sir,' said Mr Rugg. 'Anastatia, you are no stranger to the
state of this young man's affections. My daughter has had her trials,
sir'--Mr Rugg might have used the word more pointedly in the singular
number--'and she can feel for you.'

Young John, almost overwhelmed by the touching nature of this greeting,
professed himself to that effect.

'What I envy you, sir, is,' said Mr Rugg, 'allow me to take your hat--we
are rather short of pegs--I'll put it in the corner, nobody will tread
on it there--What I envy you, sir, is the luxury of your own feelings. I
belong to a profession in which that luxury is sometimes denied us.'

Young John replied, with acknowledgments, that he only hoped he did what
was right, and what showed how entirely he was devoted to Miss Dorrit.
He wished to be unselfish; and he hoped he was. He wished to do anything
as laid in his power to serve Miss Dorrit, altogether putting himself
out of sight; and he hoped he did. It was but little that he could do,
but he hoped he did it.

'Sir,' said Mr Rugg, taking him by the hand, 'you are a young man that
it does one good to come across. You are a young man that I should
like to put in the witness-box, to humanise the minds of the legal
profession. I hope you have brought your appetite with you, and intend
to play a good knife and fork?'

'Thank you, sir,' returned Young John, 'I don't eat much at present.'

Mr Rugg drew him a little apart. 'My daugh