hich
he had referred to his intention of taking a partner, supposing at the
time that you were as firmly and finally settled as St Paul's Cathedral.
"Whereas," says he, "Mr Clennam might now believe, if I entertained his
proposition, that I had a sinister and designing motive in what was open
free speech. Which I can't bear," says he, "which I really am too proud
to bear."'

'I should as soon suspect--'

'Of course you would,' interrupted Mr Meagles, 'and so I told him. But
it took a morning to scale that wall; and I doubt if any other man
than myself (he likes me of old) could have got his leg over it. Well,
Clennam. This business-like obstacle surmounted, he then stipulated that
before resuming with you I should look over the books and form my own
opinion. I looked over the books, and formed my own opinion. "Is it, on
the whole, for, or against?" says he. "For," says I. "Then," says he,
"you may now, my good friend, give Mr Clennam the means of forming
his opinion. To enable him to do which, without bias and with perfect
freedom, I shall go out of town for a week." And he's gone,' said Mr
Meagles; that's the rich conclusion of the thing.'

'Leaving me,' said Clennam, 'with a high sense, I must say, of his
candour and his--'

'Oddity,' Mr Meagles struck in. 'I should think so!'

It was not exactly the word on Clennam's lips, but he forbore to
interrupt his good-humoured friend.

'And now,' added Mr Meagles, 'you can begin to look into matters as soon
as you think proper. I have undertaken to explain where you may want
explanation, but to be strictly impartial, and to do nothing more.'

They began their perquisitions in Bleeding Heart Yard that same
forenoon. Little peculiarities were easily to be detected by experienced
eyes in Mr Doyce's way of managing his affairs, but they almost always
involved some ingenious simplification of a difficulty, and some plain
road to the desired end. That his papers were in arrear, and that he
stood in need of assistance to develop the capacity of his business, was
clear enough; but all the results of his undertakings during many years
were distinctly set forth, and were ascertainable with ease. Nothing had
been done for the purposes of the pending investigation; everything was
in its genuine working dress, and in a certain honest rugged order. The
calculations and entries, in his own hand, of which there were many,
were bluntly written, and with no very neat precision; but wer