'There, there, Amy!' said the Father, when Young John had closed the
door, 'let us say no more about it.' The last few minutes had improved
his spirits remarkably, and he was quite lightsome. 'Where is my old
pensioner all this while? We must not leave him by himself any longer,
or he will begin to suppose he is not welcome, and that would pain me.
Will you fetch him, my child, or shall I?'
'If you wouldn't mind, father,' said Little Dorrit, trying to bring her
sobbing to a close.
'Certainly I will go, my dear. I forgot; your eyes are rather red.
There! Cheer up, Amy. Don't be uneasy about me. I am quite myself again,
my love, quite myself. Go to your room, Amy, and make yourself look
comfortable and pleasant to receive Mr Clennam.'
'I would rather stay in my own room, Father,' returned Little Dorrit,
finding it more difficult than before to regain her composure. 'I would
far rather not see Mr Clennam.' 'Oh, fie, fie, my dear, that's folly.
Mr Clennam is a very gentlemanly
man--very gentlemanly. A little reserved at times; but I will say
extremely gentlemanly. I couldn't think of your not being here to
receive Mr Clennam, my dear, especially this afternoon. So go and
freshen yourself up, Amy; go and freshen yourself up, like a good girl.'
Thus directed, Little Dorrit dutifully rose and obeyed: only pausing
for a moment as she went out of the room, to give her sister a kiss of
reconciliation. Upon which, that young lady, feeling much harassed
in her mind, and having for the time worn out the wish with which she
generally relieved it, conceived and executed the brilliant idea of
wishing Old Nandy dead, rather than that he should come bothering there
like a disgusting, tiresome, wicked wretch, and making mischief between
two sisters. T
he Father of the Marshalsea, even humming a tune, and wearing his black
velvet cap a little on one side, so much improved were his spirits, went
down into the yard, and found his old pensioner standing there hat in
hand just within the gate, as he had stood all this time. 'Come, Nandy!'
said he, with great suavity. 'Come up-stairs, Nandy; you know the way;
why don't you come up-stairs?' He went the length, on this occasion,
of giving him his hand and saying, 'How are you, Nandy? Are you pretty
well?'
To which that vocalist returned, 'I thank you, honoured sir, I am
all the better for seeing your honour.' As they went along the yard, the
Father of the Marshalsea presented him to a Collegian of recent date.
'An old acquaintance of mine, sir, an old pensioner.' And then said, 'Be
covered, my good Nandy; put your hat on,' with great consideration.