Крихітка Дорріт

Chapter 12. In which a Great Patriotic Conference is holden

           HetookitillthatMrDorrithadtroubledtheDepartmentbywantingtopaythemoney,andconsidereditagrosslyinformalthingtodoaftersomanyyears.ButMrTiteBarnaclewasabuttoned-upman,andconsequentlyaweightyone.Allbuttoned-upmenareweighty.Allbuttoned-upmenarebelievedin.Whetherornothereservedandnever-exercisedpowerofunbuttoning,fascinatesmankind;whetherornowisdomissupposedtocondenseandaugmentwhenbuttonedup,andtoevaporatewhenunbuttoned;itiscertainthatthemantowhomimportanceisaccordedisthebuttoned-upman.MrTiteBarnacleneverwouldhavepassedforhalfhiscurrentvalue,unlesshiscoathadbeenalwaysbuttoned-uptohiswhitecravat.

           ‘MayIask,’saidLordDecimus,‘ifMrDarrit—orDorrit—hasanyfamily?’

           Nobodyelsereplying,thehostsaid,‘Hehastwodaughters,mylord.’

           ‘Oh!youareacquaintedwithhim?’askedLordDecimus.

           ‘MrsMerdleis.MrSparkleris,too.Infact,’saidMrMerdle,‘IratherbelievethatoneoftheyoungladieshasmadeanimpressiononEdmundSparkler.Heissusceptible,and—I—think—theconquest—’HereMrMerdlestopped,andlookedatthetable-cloth,asheusuallydidwhenhefoundhimselfobservedorlistenedto.

           BarwasuncommonlypleasedtofindthattheMerdlefamily,andthisfamily,hadalreadybeenbroughtintocontact.Hesubmitted,inalowvoiceacrossthetabletoBishop,thatitwasakindofanalogicalillustrationofthosephysicallaws,invirtueofwhichLikefliestoLike.

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