have been easily extended, and was
not extended, and that that individual informed me that he begged to
be excused. Am I to be told by my own son, that I therefore received
treatment not due to a gentleman, and that I--ha--I submitted to it?'

His daughter Amy gently tried to calm him, but he would not on any
account be calmed. He said his spirit was up, and wouldn't endure this.

Was he to be told that, he wished to know again, by his own son on his
own hearth, to his own face? Was that humiliation to be put upon him by
his own blood?

'You are putting it on yourself, father, and getting into all this
injury of your own accord!' said the young gentleman morosely. 'What I
have made up my mind about has nothing to do with you. What I said had
nothing to do with you. Why need you go trying on other people's hats?'

'I reply it has everything to do with me,' returned the Father. 'I point
out to you, sir, with indignation, that--hum--the--ha--delicacy and
peculiarity of your father's position should strike you dumb, sir, if
nothing else should, in laying down such--ha--such unnatural principles.
Besides; if you are not filial, sir, if you discard that duty, you
are at least--hum--not a Christian? Are you--ha--an Atheist? And is it
Christian, let me ask you, to stigmatise and denounce an individual
for begging to be excused this time, when the same individual
may--ha--respond with the required accommodation next time? Is it the
part of a Christian not to--hum--not to try him again?' He had worked
himself into quite a religious glow and fervour.

'I see precious well,' said Mr Tip, rising, 'that I shall get no
sensible or fair argument here to-night, and so the best thing I can do
is to cut. Good night, Amy. Don't be vexed. I am very sorry it happens
here, and you here, upon my soul I am; but I can't altogether part with
my spirit, even for your sake, old girl.'

With those words he put on his hat and went out, accompanied by Miss
Fanny; who did not consider it spirited on her part to take leave of
Clennam with any less opposing demonstration than a stare, importing
that she had always known him for one of the large body of conspirators.

When they were gone, the Father of the Marshalsea was at first inclined
to sink into despondency again, and would have done so, but that a
gentleman opportunely came up within a minute or two to attend him to
the Snuggery. It was the gentleman Clennam had seen on the night of his
own