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heart。
'Mother； shall I do nothing to assist you？'
'Nothing。'
'Will you entrust me with no confidence； no charge； no explanation？
Will you take no counsel with me？ Will you not let me e near you？'
'How can you ask me？ You separated yourself from my affairs。 It was not
my act； it was yours。 How can you consistently ask me such a question？
You know that you left me to Flintwinch； and that he occupies your
place。'
Glancing at Jeremiah； Clennam saw in his very gaiters that his attention
was closely directed to them； though he stood leaning against the wall
scraping his jaw； and pretended to listen to Flora as she held forth in
a most distracting manner on a chaos of subjects； in which mackerel； and
Mr F。's Aunt in a swing； had bee entangled with cockchafers and the
wine trade。
'A prisoner； in a French gaol； on an accusation of murder；' repeated
Mrs Clennam； steadily going over what her son had said。 'That is all you
know of him from the fellow…prisoner？'
'In substance； all。'
'And was the fellow…prisoner his acplice and a murderer； too？ But； of
course； he gives a better account of himself than of his friend； it is
needless to ask。 This will supply the rest of them here with something
new to talk about。 Casby； Arthur tells me……'
'Stay； mother！ Stay； stay！' He interrupted her hastily； for it had not
entered his imagination that she would openly proclaim what he had told
her。
'What now？' she said with displeasure。 'What more？'
'I beg you to excuse me； Mr Casby……and you； too； Mrs Finching……for one
other moment with my mother……'
He had laid his hand upon her chair； or she would otherwise have wheeled
it round with the touch of her foot upon the ground。 They were still
face to face。 She looked at him； as he ran over the possibilities of
some result he had not intended； and could not foresee； being influenced
by Cavalletto's disclosure being a matter of notoriety； and hurriedly
arrived at the conclusion that it had best not be talked about； though
perhaps he was guided by no more distinct reason than that he had taken
it for granted that his mother would reserve it to herself and her
partner。
'What now？' she said again； impatiently。 'What is it？'
'I did not mean； mother； that you should repeat what I have
municated。 I think you had better not repeat it。'
'Do you make that a condition with me？'
'Well！ Yes。'
'Observe； then！ It is you who make this a secret；' said she； holding
up her hand； 'and not I。 It is you； Arthur； who bring here doubts and
suspicions and entreaties for explanations； and it is you； Arthur； who
bring secrets here。 What is it to me； do you think； where the man has
been； or what he has been？ What can it be to me？ The whole world may
know it； if they care to know it； it is nothing to me。 Now； let me go。'
He yielded to her imperious but elated look； and turned her chair back
to the place from which he had wheeled it。 In doing so he saw elation
in the face of Mr Flintwinch； which most assuredly was not inspired by
Flora。 This turning of his intelligence and of his whole attempt and
design against himself； did even more than his mother's fixedness and
firmness to convince him that his efforts with her were idle。 Nothing
remained but the appeal to his old friend Affery。
But even to get the very doubtful and preliminary stage of making the
appeal； seemed one of the least promising of human undertakings。 She
was so pletely under the thrall of the two clever ones； was so
systematically kept in sight by one or other of them； and was so afraid
to go about the house besides； that every opportunity of speaking to her
alone appeared to be forestalled。 Over and above that； Mistress Affery；
by some means （it was not very difficult to guess； through the sharp
arguments of her liege lord）； had acquired such a lively conviction
of the hazard of saying anything under any circumstances； that she had
remained all this time in a corner guarding herself from approach with
that symbolical instrument of hers； so that； when a word or two had
been addressed to her by Flora； or even by the bottle…green patriarch
himself； she had warded off conversation with the toasting…fork like a
dumb woman。
After several abortive attempts to get Affery to look at him while
she cleared the table and washed the tea…service； Arthur thought of an
expedient which Flora might originate。 To whom he therefore whispered；
'Could you say you would like to go through the house？'
Now； poor Flora； being always in fluctuating expectation of the time
when Clennam would renew his boyhood and be madly in love with her
again； received the whisper with the utmost delight； not only as
rendered precious by its mysterious character； but as preparing the
way for a tender interview in which he would declare the state of his
affections。 She immediately began to work out the hint。
'Ah dear me the poor old room；' said Flora； glancing round； 'looks just
as ever Mrs Clennam I am touched to see except for being smokier which
was to be expected with time and which we must all expect and reconcile
ourselves to being whether we like it or not as I am sure I have had to
do myself if not exactly smokier dreadfully stouter which is the same or
worse； to think of the days when papa used to bring me here the least of
girls a perfect mass of chilblains to be stuck upon a chair with my feet
on the rails and stare at Arthur……pray excuse me……Mr Clennam……the
least of boys in the frightfullest of frills and jackets ere yet Mr
F。 appeared a misty shadow on the horizon paying attentions like the
well…known spectre of some place in Germany beginning with a B is a
moral lesson inculcating that all the paths in life are similar to the
paths down in the North of England where they get the coals and make the
iron and things gravelled with ashes！'
Having paid the tribute of a sigh to the instability of human existence；
Flora hurried on with her purpose。
'Not that at any time；' she proceeded； 'its worst enemy could have said
it was a cheerful house for that it was never made to be but always
highly impressive； fond memory recalls an occasion in youth ere yet the
judgme