s distance. All Venice would scarcely
be that, I imagine, if he's dying for a glimpse of me.'

'And is he?' asked Little Dorrit in perfect simplicity.

'Well, my love, that really is an awkward question for me to answer,'
said her sister. 'I believe he is. You had better ask Edward. He tells
Edward he is, I believe. I understand he makes a perfect spectacle of
himself at the Casino, and that sort of places, by going on about me.
But you had better ask Edward if you want to know.'

'I wonder he doesn't call,' said Little Dorrit after thinking a moment.

'My dear Amy, your wonder will soon cease, if I am rightly informed.
I should not be at all surprised if he called to-day. The creature has
only been waiting to get his courage up, I suspect.'

'Will you see him?'

'Indeed, my darling,' said Fanny, 'that's just as it may happen. Here he
is again. Look at him. O, you simpleton!'

Mr Sparkler had, undeniably, a weak appearance; with his eye in the
window like a knot in the glass, and no reason on earth for stopping his
bark suddenly, except the real reason.

'When you asked me if I will see him, my dear,' said Fanny, almost as
well composed in the graceful indifference of her attitude as Mrs Merdle
herself, 'what do you mean?' 'I mean,' said Little Dorrit--'I think I
rather mean what do you mean, dear Fanny?'

Fanny laughed again, in a manner at once condescending, arch, and
affable; and said, putting her arm round her sister in a playfully
affectionate way:

'Now tell me, my little pet. When we saw that woman at Martigny, how
did you think she carried it off? Did you see what she decided on in a
moment?'

'No, Fanny.'

'Then I'll tell you, Amy. She settled with herself, now I'll never
refer to that meeting under such different circumstances, and I'll never
pretend to have any idea that these are the same girls. That's her way
out of a difficulty. What did I tell you when we came away from Harley
Street that time? She is as insolent and false as any woman in the
world. But in the first capacity, my love, she may find people who can
match her.'

A significant turn of the Spanish fan towards Fanny's bosom, indicated
with great expression where one of these people was to be found.

'Not only that,' pursued Fanny, 'but she gives the same charge to
Young Sparkler; and doesn't let him come after me until she has got it
thoroughly into his most ridiculous of all ridiculous noddles (for one
really can't call it a