ts--if she has any.'

'Fanny,' returned Mr Dorrit, with a grave and weighty slowness upon him,
contrasting strongly with his daughter's levity: 'I beg the favour of
your explaining--ha--what it is you mean.' 'I mean, papa,' said Fanny,
'that if Mrs General should happen to have any matrimonial projects of
her own, I dare say they are quite enough to occupy her spare time. And
that if she has not, so much the better; but still I don't wish to have
the honour of making announcements to her.'

'Permit me to ask you, Fanny,' said Mr Dorrit, 'why not?'

'Because she can find my engagement out for herself, papa,' retorted
Fanny. 'She is watchful enough, I dare say. I think I have seen her
so. Let her find it out for herself. If she should not find it out for
herself, she will know it when I am married. And I hope you will not
consider me wanting in affection for you, papa, if I say it strikes me
that will be quite enough for Mrs General.'

'Fanny,' returned Mr Dorrit, 'I am amazed, I am displeased by
this--hum--this capricious and unintelligible display of animosity
towards--ha--Mrs General.'

'Do not, if you please, papa,' urged Fanny, 'call it animosity, because
I assure you I do not consider Mrs General worth my animosity.'

At this, Mr Dorrit rose from his chair with a fixed look of severe
reproof, and remained standing in his dignity before his daughter. His
daughter, turning the bracelet on her arm, and now looking at him, and
now looking from him, said, 'Very well, papa. I am truly sorry if you
don't like it; but I can't help it. I am not a child, and I am not Amy,
and I must speak.'

'Fanny,' gasped Mr Dorrit, after a majestic silence, 'if I request
you to remain here, while I formally announce to Mrs General, as
an exemplary lady, who is--hum--a trusted member of this family,
the--ha--the change that is contemplated among us; if I--ha--not only
request it, but--hum--insist upon it--'

'Oh, papa,' Fanny broke in with pointed significance, 'if you make so
much of it as that, I have in duty nothing to do but comply. I hope I
may have my thoughts upon the subject, however, for I really cannot help
it under the circumstances.'So, Fanny sat down with a meekness which,
in the junction of extremes, became defiance; and her father, either not
deigning to answer, or not knowing what to answer, summoned Mr Tinkler
into his presence.

'Mrs General.'

Mr Tinkler, unused to receive such short orders in connection with