jects in my present visit to London. First,
the--ha--the distinguished happiness and--ha--privilege which I now
enjoy and appreciate; secondly, the arrangement--hum--the laying out,
that is to say, in the best way, of--ha, hum--my money.'

'Well, sir,' said Mr Merdle, after turning his tongue again, 'if I can
be of any use to you in that respect, you may command me.'

Mr Dorrit's speech had had more hesitation in it than usual, as he
approached the ticklish topic, for he was not perfectly clear how so
exalted a potentate might take it. He had doubts whether reference to
any individual capital, or fortune, might not seem a wretchedly retail
affair to so wholesale a dealer. Greatly relieved by Mr Merdle's
affable offer of assistance, he caught at it directly, and heaped
acknowledgments upon him.

'I scarcely--ha--dared,' said Mr Dorrit, 'I assure you, to hope for
so--hum--vast an advantage as your direct advice and assistance. Though
of course I should, under any circumstances, like the--ha, hum--rest of
the civilised world, have followed in Mr Merdle's train.'

'You know we may almost say we are related, sir,' said Mr Merdle,
curiously interested in the pattern of the carpet, 'and, therefore, you
may consider me at your service.'

'Ha. Very handsome, indeed!' cried Mr Dorrit. 'Ha. Most handsome!'

'It would not,' said Mr Merdle, 'be at the present moment easy for
what I may call a mere outsider to come into any of the good things--of
course I speak of my own good things--'

'Of course, of course!' cried Mr Dorrit, in a tone implying that there
were no other good things.

'--Unless at a high price. At what we are accustomed to term a very long
figure.'

Mr Dorrit laughed in the buoyancy of his spirit. Ha, ha, ha! Long
figure. Good. Ha. Very expressive to be sure!

'However,' said Mr Merdle, 'I do generally retain in my own hands the
power of exercising some preference--people in general would be pleased
to call it favour--as a sort of compliment for my care and trouble.'
'And public spirit and genius,' Mr Dorrit suggested.

Mr Merdle, with a dry, swallowing action, seemed to dispose of those
qualities like a bolus; then added, 'As a sort of return for it. I will
see, if you please, how I can exert this limited power (for people are
jealous, and it is limited), to your advantage.' 'You are very good,'
replied Mr Dorrit. 'You are very good.'

'Of course,' said Mr Merdle, 'there must be the strictest integrity