Early in the morning, Little Dorrit, leaving Maggy in high domestic
trust, set off for the Patriarchal tent. She went by the Iron Bridge,
though it cost her a penny, and walked more slowly in that part of her
journey than in any other. At five minutes before eight her hand was on
the Patriarchal knocker, which was quite as high as she could reach.
She gave Mrs Finching's card to the young woman who opened the door, and
the young woman told her that 'Miss Flora'--Flora having, on her return
to the parental roof, reinvested herself with the title under which she
had lived there--was not yet out of her bedroom, but she was to please
to walk up into Miss Flora's sitting-room. She walked up into
Miss Flora's sitting-room, as in duty bound, and there found a
breakfast-table comfortably laid for two, with a supplementary tray
upon it laid for one.
The young woman, disappearing for a few moments,
returned to say that she was to please to take a chair by the fire,
and to take off her bonnet and make herself at home. But Little Dorrit,
being bashful, and not used to make herself at home on such occasions,
felt at a loss how to do it; so she was still sitting near the door with
her bonnet on, when Flora came in in a hurry half an hour afterwards.
Flora was so sorry to have kept her waiting, and good gracious why did
she sit out there in the cold when she had expected to find her by the
fire reading the paper, and hadn't that heedless girl given her the
message then, and had she really been in her bonnet all this time, and
pray for goodness sake let Flora take it off! Flora taking it off in the
best-natured manner in the world, was so struck with the face disclosed,
that she said, 'Why, what a good little thing you are, my dear!' and
pressed her face between her hands like the gentlest of women.
It was the word and the action of a moment. Little Dorrit had hardly
time to think how kind it was, when Flora dashed at the breakfast-table
full of business, and plunged over head and ears into loquacity.
'Really so sorry that I should happen to be late on this morning of all
mornings because my intention and my wish was to be ready to meet you
when you came in and to say that any one that interested Arthur Clennam
half so much must interest me and that I gave you the heartiest welcome
and was so glad, instead of which they never called me and there I
still am snoring I dare say if the truth was known and if you don't like
either cold fowl or hot boiled ham which many people don't I dare say
besides Jews and theirs are scruples of conscience which we must all
respect though I must say I wish they had them equally strong when they
sell us false articles for real that certainly ain't worth the money I
shall be quite vexed,' said Flora.