other
gentleman, retiring on his main position, 'why Row?'

'Edmund,' said the lady from the doorway, 'I hope you have explained,
or are explaining, to the satisfaction of this gentleman and his family
that the civil landlord is not to blame?'

'Assure you, ma'am,' returned Edmund, 'perfectly paralysing myself with
trying it on.' He then looked steadfastly at Edward Dorrit, Esquire, for
some seconds, and suddenly added, in a burst of confidence, 'Old feller!
Is it all right?'

'I don't know, after all,' said the lady, gracefully advancing a step or
two towards Mr Dorrit, 'but that I had better say myself, at once,
that I assured this good man I took all the consequences on myself of
occupying one of a stranger's suite of rooms during his absence, for
just as much (or as little) time as I could dine in. I had no idea the
rightful owner would come back so soon, nor had I any idea that he
had come back, or I should have hastened to make restoration of my
ill-gotten chamber, and to have offered my explanation and apology. I
trust in saying this--'

For a moment the lady, with a glass at her eye, stood transfixed and
speechless before the two Miss Dorrits. At the same moment, Miss Fanny,
in the foreground of a grand pictorial composition, formed by the
family, the family equipages, and the family servants, held her sister
tight under one arm to detain her on the spot, and with the other arm
fanned herself with a distinguished air, and negligently surveyed the
lady from head to foot.

The lady, recovering herself quickly--for it was Mrs Merdle and she was
not easily dashed--went on to add that she trusted in saying this, she
apologised for her boldness, and restored this well-behaved landlord to
the favour that was so very valuable to him. Mr Dorrit, on the altar of
whose dignity all this was incense, made a gracious reply; and said
that his people should--ha--countermand his horses, and he
would--hum--overlook what he had at first supposed to be an affront,
but now regarded as an honour. Upon this the bosom bent to him; and its
owner, with a wonderful command of feature, addressed a winning smile of
adieu to the two sisters, as young ladies of fortune in whose favour she
was much prepossessed, and whom she had never had the gratification of
seeing before.

Not so, however, Mr Sparkler. This gentleman, becoming transfixed at
the same moment as his lady-mother, could not by any means unfix himself
again, but stood sti