of being
tremendously smitten with a certain young lady.' Here Edward Dorrit,
Esquire, eyed Miss Fanny through his glass across the table. 'We
happened last night to compare notes about our travels, and I had the
information I have given you from Sparkler himself.' Here he ceased;
continuing to eye Miss Fanny through his glass, with a face much
twisted, and not ornamentally so, in part by the action of keeping his
glass in his eye, and in part by the great subtlety of his smile.
'Under these circumstances,' said Mr Dorrit, 'I believe I express the
sentiments of--ha--Mrs General, no less than my own, when I say
that there is no objection, but--ha hum--quite the contrary--to your
gratifying your desire, Amy. I trust I may--ha--hail--this desire,' said
Mr Dorrit, in an encouraging and forgiving manner, 'as an auspicious
omen. It is quite right to know these people. It is a very proper
thing. Mr Merdle's is a name of--ha--world-wide repute. Mr Merdle's
undertakings are immense. They bring him in such vast sums of money that
they are regarded as--hum--national benefits. Mr Merdle is the man of
this time. The name of Merdle is the name of the age. Pray do everything
on my behalf that is civil to Mr and Mrs Gowan, for we will--ha--we will
certainly notice them.'

This magnificent accordance of Mr Dorrit's recognition settled the
matter. It was not observed that Uncle had pushed away his plate, and
forgotten his breakfast; but he was not much observed at any time,
except by Little Dorrit. The servants were recalled, and the meal
proceeded to its conclusion. Mrs General rose and left the table.
Little Dorrit rose and left the table. When Edward and Fanny remained
whispering together across it, and when Mr Dorrit remained eating figs
and reading a French newspaper, Uncle suddenly fixed the attention of
all three by rising out of his chair, striking his hand upon the table,
and saying, 'Brother! I protest against it!'

If he had made a proclamation in an unknown tongue, and given up the
ghost immediately afterwards, he could not have astounded his audience
more. The paper fell from Mr Dorrit's hand, and he sat petrified, with a
fig half way to his mouth.

'Brother!' said the old man, conveying a surprising energy into his
trembling voice, 'I protest against it! I love you; you know I love you
dearly. In these many years I have never been untrue to you in a single
thought. Weak as I am, I would at any time have struck any man wh