Little Dorrit, Book One: Poverty - Penn State University
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Little Dorrit, Book One: Poverty - Penn State University

Little Dorrit, Book One: Poverty - Penn State University Little Dorrit, Book One: Poverty - Penn State University

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Charles Dickens‘Do you consider,’ she returned, without answering his question,‘that a house serves no purpose, Arthur, in sheltering your never before set my own will against yours. I cannot say that Iyou that I have lived the half of a long term of life, and haveinfirm and afflicted—justly infirm and righteously afflicted— have been able to conform myself, in heart and spirit, to yourmother?’rules; I cannot say that I believe my forty years have been‘I was speaking only of business purposes.’profitable or pleasant to myself, or any one; but I have habituallysubmitted, and I only ask you to remember it.’‘With what object?’‘I am coming to it.’Woe to the suppliant, if such a one there were or ever had‘I foresee,’ she returned, fixing her eyes upon him, ‘what it is. been, who had any concession to look for in the inexorableBut the Lord forbid that I should repine under any visitation. In face at the cabinet. Woe to the defaulter whose appeal lay tomy sinfulness I merit bitter disappointment, and I accept it.’ the tribunal where those severe eyes presided. Great need‘Mother, I grieve to hear you speak like this, though I have had the rigid woman of her mystical religion, veiled in gloomhad my apprehensions that you would—’and darkness, with lightnings of cursing, vengeance, and destruction,flashing through the sable clouds. Forgive us our debts‘You knew I would. You knew ME,’ she interrupted.Her son paused for a moment. He had struck fire out of her, as we forgive our debtors, was a prayer too poor in spirit forand was surprised.her. Smite Thou my debtors, Lord, wither them, crush them;‘Well!’ she said, relapsing into stone. ‘Go on. Let me hear.’ do Thou as I would do, and Thou shalt have my worship: this‘You have anticipated, mother, that I decide for my part, to was the impious tower of stone she built up to scale Heaven.abandon the business. I have done with it. I will not take upon ‘Have you finished, Arthur, or have you anything more tomyself to advise you; you will continue it, I see. If I had any say to me?influence with you, I would simply use it to soften your judgmentof me in causing you this disappointment: to represent to full ofI think there can be nothing else. You have been short, butmatter!’50

Little Dorrit – Book One‘Mother, I have yet something more to say. It has been upon He lowered his voice, and said, with manifest reluctance,my mind, night and day, this long time. It is far more difficult to and against his will:say than what I have said. That concerned myself; this concernsus all.’to suspect—’‘I want to ask you, mother, whether it ever occurred to you‘Us all! Who are us all?’At the word Suspect, she turned her eyes momentarily upon‘Yourself, myself, my dead father.’her son, with a dark frown. She then suffered them to seek theShe took her hands from the desk; folded them in her lap; fire, as before; but with the frown fixed above them, as if theand sat looking towards the fire, with the impenetrability of an sculptor of old Egypt had indented it in the hard granite face,old Egyptian sculpture.to frown for ages.‘You knew my father infinitely better than I ever knew him; ‘—that he had any secret remembrance which caused himand his reserve with me yielded to you. You were much the trouble of mind—remorse? Whether you ever observed anythingin his conduct suggesting that; or ever spoke to him uponstronger, mother, and directed him. As a child, I knew it aswell as I know it now. I knew that your ascendancy over him it, or ever heard him hint at such a thing?’was the cause of his going to China to take care of the businessthere, while you took care of it here (though I do not even mean to infer that your father was a prey to,’ she returned,‘I do not understand what kind of secret remembrance younow know whether these were really terms of separation that after a silence. ‘You speak so mysteriously.’you agreed upon); and that it was your will that I should remainwith you until I was twenty, and then go to him as I did. nearer to her while he whispered it, and laid his hand ner-‘Is it possible, mother,’ her son leaned forward to be theYou will not be offended by my recalling this, after twenty vously upon her desk, ‘is it possible, mother, that he had unhappilywronged any one, and made no reparation?’years?’‘I am waiting to hear why you recall it.’Looking at him wrathfully, she bent herself back in her chair51

Charles Dickens‘Do you consider,’ she returned, without answering his question,‘that a house serves no purpose, Arthur, in sheltering your never before set my own will against yours. I cannot say that Iyou that I have lived the half of a long term of life, and haveinfirm and afflicted—justly infirm and righteously afflicted— have been able to conform myself, in heart and spirit, to yourmother?’rules; I cannot say that I believe my forty years have been‘I was speaking only of business purposes.’profitable or pleasant to myself, or any one; but I have habituallysubmitted, and I only ask you to remember it.’‘With what object?’‘I am coming to it.’Woe to the suppliant, if such a one there were or ever had‘I foresee,’ she returned, fixing her eyes upon him, ‘what it is. been, who had any concession to look for in the inexorableBut the Lord forbid that I should repine under any visitation. In face at the cabinet. Woe to the defaulter whose appeal lay tomy sinfulness I merit bitter disappointment, and I accept it.’ the tribunal where those severe eyes presided. Great need‘Mother, I grieve to hear you speak like this, though I have had the rigid woman of her mystical religion, veiled in gloomhad my apprehensions that you would—’and darkness, with lightnings of cursing, vengeance, and destruction,flashing through the sable clouds. Forgive us our debts‘You knew I would. You knew ME,’ she interrupted.Her son paused for a moment. He had struck fire out of her, as we forgive our debtors, was a prayer too poor in spirit forand was surprised.her. Smite Thou my debtors, Lord, wither them, crush them;‘Well!’ she said, relapsing into stone. ‘Go on. Let me hear.’ do Thou as I would do, and Thou shalt have my worship: this‘You have anticipated, mother, that I decide for my part, to was the impious tower of stone she built up to scale Heaven.abandon the business. I have done with it. I will not take upon ‘Have you finished, Arthur, or have you anything more tomyself to advise you; you will continue it, I see. If I had any say to me?influence with you, I would simply use it to soften your judgmentof me in causing you this disappointment: to represent to full ofI think there can be nothing else. You have been short, butmatter!’50

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