Court
jurisdiction--and I have reason to believe that a caption may be made
upon that. I wouldn't be taken upon that.'

'Why not?' asked Clennam.

'I'd be taken on a full-grown one, sir,' said Mr Rugg. 'It's as well to
keep up appearances. As your professional adviser, I should prefer your
being taken on a writ from one of the Superior Courts, if you have no
objection to do me that favour. It looks better.'

'Mr Rugg,' said Arthur, in his dejection, 'my only wish is, that it
should be over. I will go on, and take my chance.'

'Another word of reason, sir!' cried Mr Rugg. 'Now, this is reason.
The other may be taste; but this is reason. If you should be taken on a
little one, sir, you would go to the Marshalsea. Now, you know what the
Marshalsea is. Very close. Excessively confined. Whereas in the King's
Bench--' Mr Rugg waved his right hand freely, as expressing abundance of
space. 'I would rather,' said Clennam, 'be taken to the Marshalsea than
to any other prison.'

'Do you say so indeed, sir?' returned Mr Rugg. 'Then this is taste, too,
and we may be walking.'

He was a little offended at first, but he soon overlooked it. They
walked through the Yard to the other end. The Bleeding Hearts were more
interested in Arthur since his reverses than formerly; now regarding him
as one who was true to the place and had taken up his freedom. Many of
them came out to look after him, and to observe to one another, with
great unctuousness, that he was 'pulled down by it.' Mrs Plornish
and her father stood at the top of the steps at their own end, much
depressed and shaking their heads.

There was nobody visibly in waiting when Arthur and Mr Rugg arrived
at the Counting-house. But an elderly member of the Jewish persuasion,
preserved in rum, followed them close, and looked in at the glass before
Mr Rugg had opened one of the day's letters.

'Oh!' said Mr Rugg, looking up. 'How do you do? Step in--Mr Clennam, I
think this is the gentleman I was mentioning.'

This gentleman explained the object of his visit to be 'a tyfling madder
ob bithznithz,' and executed his legal function.

'Shall I accompany you, Mr Clennam?' asked Mr Rugg politely, rubbing his
hands.

'I would rather go alone, thank you. Be so good as send me my clothes.'
Mr Rugg in a light airy way replied in the affirmative, and shook hands
with him. He and his attendant then went down-stairs, got into the first
conveyance they found, and drove to the old gate