ange how these runs on an infatuation prevail,' said Arthur.

'An't it?' returned Pancks. After smoking for a minute or so, more drily
than comported with his recent oiling, he added: 'Because you see these
people don't understand the subject.'

'Not a bit,' assented Clennam.

'Not a bit,' cried Pancks. 'Know nothing of figures. Know nothing of
money questions. Never made a calculation. Never worked it, sir!'

'If they had--' Clennam was going on to say; when Mr Pancks, without
change of countenance, produced a sound so far surpassing all his usual
efforts, nasal or bronchial, that he stopped.

'If they had?' repeated Pancks in an inquiring tone.

'I thought you--spoke,' said Arthur, hesitating what name to give the
interruption.

'Not at all,' said Pancks. 'Not yet. I may in a minute. If they had?'

'If they had,' observed Clennam, who was a little at a loss how to take
his friend, 'why, I suppose they would have known better.'

'How so, Mr Clennam?' Pancks asked quickly, and with an odd effect of
having been from the commencement of the conversation loaded with the
heavy charge he now fired off. 'They're right, you know. They don't mean
to be, but they're right.'

'Right in sharing Cavalletto's inclination to speculate with Mr Merdle?'

'Per-fectly, sir,' said Pancks. 'I've gone into it. I've made the
calculations. I've worked it. They're safe and genuine.' Relieved by
having got to this, Mr Pancks took as long a pull as his lungs would
permit at his Eastern pipe, and looked sagaciously and steadily at
Clennam while inhaling and exhaling too.

In those moments, Mr Pancks began to give out the dangerous infection
with which he was laden. It is the manner of communicating these
diseases; it is the subtle way in which they go about.

'Do you mean, my good Pancks,' asked Clennam emphatically, 'that you
would put that thousand pounds of yours, let us say, for instance, out
at this kind of interest?'

'Certainly,' said Pancks. 'Already done it, sir.'

Mr Pancks took another long inhalation, another long exhalation, another
long sagacious look at Clennam.

'I tell you, Mr Clennam, I've gone into it,' said Pancks. 'He's a man of
immense resources--enormous capital--government influence. They're the
best schemes afloat. They're safe. They're certain.'

'Well!' returned Clennam, looking first at him gravely and then at the
fire gravely. 'You surprise me!'

'Bah!' Pancks retorted. 'Don't say that, sir. It'