her arms, cried, 'O Mr Rokesmith, before
you go, if you could but make me poor again! O! Make me poor again,
Somebody, I beg and pray, or my heart will break if this goes on! Pa,
dear, make me poor again and take me home! I was bad enough there, but
I have been so much worse here. Don't give me money, Mr Boffin, I won't
have money. Keep it away from me, and only let me speak to good little
Pa, and lay my head upon his shoulder, and tell him all my griefs.
Nobody else can understand me, nobody else can comfort me, nobody else
knows how unworthy I am, and yet can love me like a little child. I am
better with Pa than any one--more innocent, more sorry, more glad!' So,
crying out in a wild way that she could not bear this, Bella drooped her
head on Mrs Boffin's ready breast.

John Rokesmith from his place in the room, and Mr Boffin from his,
looked on at her in silence until she was silent herself. Then Mr Boffin
observed in a soothing and comfortable tone, 'There, my dear, there; you
are righted now, and it's ALL right. I don't wonder, I'm sure, at your
being a little flurried by having a scene with this fellow, but it's all
over, my dear, and you're righted, and it's--and it's ALL right!' Which
Mr Boffin repeated with a highly satisfied air of completeness and
finality.

'I hate you!' cried Bella, turning suddenly upon him, with a stamp of
her little foot--'at least, I can't hate you, but I don't like you!'

'HUL--LO!' exclaimed Mr Boffin in an amazed under-tone.

'You're a scolding, unjust, abusive, aggravating, bad old creature!'
cried Bella. 'I am angry with my ungrateful self for calling you names;
but you are, you are; you know you are!'

Mr Boffin stared here, and stared there, as misdoubting that he must be
in some sort of fit.

'I have heard you with shame,' said Bella. 'With shame for myself, and
with shame for you. You ought to be above the base tale-bearing of a
time-serving woman; but you are above nothing now.'

Mr Boffin, seeming to become convinced that this was a fit, rolled his
eyes and loosened his neckcloth.

'When I came here, I respected you and honoured you, and I soon loved
you,' cried Bella. 'And now I can't bear the sight of you. At least, I
don't know that I ought to go so far as that--only you're a--you're a
Monster!' Having shot this bolt out with a great expenditure of force,
Bella hysterically laughed and cried together.

'The best wish I can wish you is,' said Bella, returning to