Chapter 35. What was behind Mr Pancks on Little Dorrit’s Hand

           ItwasatthistimethatMrPancks,indischargeofhiscompactwithClennam,revealedtohimthewholeofhisgipsystory,andtoldhimLittleDorrit’sfortune.Herfatherwasheir-at-lawtoagreatestatethathadlonglainunknownof,unclaimed,andaccumulating.Hisrightwasnowclear,nothinginterposedinhisway,theMarshalseagatesstoodopen,theMarshalseawallsweredown,afewflourishesofhispen,andhewasextremelyrich.

           Inhistrackingoutoftheclaimtoitscompleteestablishment,MrPanckshadshownasagacitythatnothingcouldbaffle,andapatienceandsecrecythatnothingcouldtire.‘Ilittlethought,sir,’saidPancks,‘whenyouandIcrossedSmithfieldthatnight,andItoldyouwhatsortofaCollectorIwas,thatthiswouldcomeofit.Ilittlethought,sir,whenItoldyouyouwerenotoftheClennamsofCornwall,thatIwasevergoingtotellyouwhowereoftheDorritsofDorsetshire.’Hethenwentontodetail.How,havingthatnamerecordedinhisnote-book,hewasfirstattractedbythenamealone.How,havingoftenfoundtwoexactlysimilarnames,evenbelongingtothesameplace,toinvolvenotraceableconsanguinity,nearordistant,hedidnotatfirstgivemuchheedtothis,exceptinthewayofspeculationastowhatasurprisingchangewouldbemadeintheconditionofalittleseamstress,ifshecouldbeshowntohaveanyinterestinsolargeaproperty.Howherathersupposedhimselftohavepursuedtheideaintoitsnextdegree,becausetherewassomethinguncommoninthequietlittleseamstress,whichpleasedhimandprovokedhiscuriosity.