he were preparing them to do something: 'Whatever
has to be said among us had better be begun to be said without more loss
of time.--So, Affery, my woman, take yourself away!'

In a moment Affery had thrown the stocking down, started up, caught
hold of the windowsill with her right hand, lodged herself upon the
window-seat with her right knee, and was flourishing her left hand,
beating expected assailants off.

'No, I won't, Jeremiah--no, I won't--no, I won't! I won't go! I'll stay
here. I'll hear all I don't know, and say all I know. I will, at last,
if I die for it. I will, I will, I will, I will!'

Mr Flintwinch, stiffening with indignation and amazement, moistened the
fingers of one hand at his lips, softly described a circle with them in
the palm of the other hand, and continued with a menacing grin to
screw himself in the direction of his wife; gasping some remark as he
advanced, of which, in his choking anger, only the words, 'Such a dose!'
were audible.

'Not a bit nearer, Jeremiah!' cried Affery, never ceasing to beat the
air. 'Don't come a bit nearer to me, or I'll rouse the neighbourhood!
I'll throw myself out of window. I'll scream Fire and Murder! I'll wake
the dead! Stop where you are, or I'll make shrieks enough to wake the
dead!'

The determined voice of Mrs Clennam echoed 'Stop!' Jeremiah had stopped
already. 'It is closing in, Flintwinch. Let her alone. Affery, do you
turn against me after these many years?'

'I do, if it's turning against you to hear what I don't know, and say
what I know. I have broke out now, and I can't go back. I am determined
to do it. I will do it, I will, I will, I will! If that's turning
against you, yes, I turn against both of you two clever ones. I told
Arthur when he first come home to stand up against you. I told him it
was no reason, because I was afeard of my life of you, that he should
be. All manner of things have been a-going on since then, and I won't
be run up by Jeremiah, nor yet I won't be dazed and scared, nor made a
party to I don't know what, no more. I won't, I won't, I won't! I'll
up for Arthur when he has nothing left, and is ill, and in prison, and
can't up for himself. I will, I will, I will, I will!'

'How do you know, you heap of confusion,' asked Mrs Clennam sternly,
'that in doing what you are doing now, you are even serving Arthur?'

'I don't know nothing rightly about anything,' said Affery; 'and if
ever you said a true word in your life,