ended by 'him,' Arthur Clennam.

This, however, is mere speculation; who the person was, who, for the
satisfaction of Mr F.'s Aunt's mind, ought to have been brought forward
and never was brought forward, will never be positively known.

The autumn days went on, and Little Dorrit never came to the Marshalsea
now and went away without seeing him. No, no, no.

One morning, as Arthur listened for the light feet that every morning
ascended winged to his heart, bringing the heavenly brightness of a new
love into the room where the old love had wrought so hard and been so
true; one morning, as he listened, he heard her coming, not alone.

'Dear Arthur,' said her delighted voice outside the door, 'I have some
one here. May I bring some one in?'

He had thought from the tread there were two with her. He answered
'Yes,' and she came in with Mr Meagles. Sun-browned and jolly Mr
Meagles looked, and he opened his arms and folded Arthur in them, like a
sun-browned and jolly father.

'Now I am all right,' said Mr Meagles, after a minute or so. 'Now it's
over. Arthur, my dear fellow, confess at once that you expected me
before.' 'I did,' said Arthur; 'but Amy told me--' 'Little Dorrit. Never
any other name.' (It was she who whispered it.)

'--But my Little Dorrit told me that, without asking for any further
explanation, I was not to expect you until I saw you.'

'And now you see me, my boy,' said Mr Meagles, shaking him by the hand
stoutly; 'and now you shall have any explanation and every explanation.
The fact is, I was here--came straight to you from the Allongers
and Marshongers, or I should be ashamed to look you in the face this
day,--but you were not in company trim at the moment, and I had to start
off again to catch Doyce.'

'Poor Doyce!' sighed Arthur.

'Don't call him names that he don't deserve,' said Mr Meagles.

'He's not poor; he's doing well enough. Doyce is a wonderful fellow over
there. I assure you he is making out his case like a house a-fire. He
has fallen on his legs, has Dan. Where they don't want things done and
find a man to do 'em, that man's off his legs; but where they do want
things done and find a man to do 'em, that man's on his legs. You won't
have occasion to trouble the Circumlocution Office any more. Let me tell
you, Dan has done without 'em!'

'What a load you take from my mind!' cried Arthur. 'What happiness you
give me!'

'Happiness?' retorted Mr Meagles. 'Don't talk about happines