'Now, don't let us bother about it, father, or have any row on the

subject. I have fully made up my mind that the individual present has

not treated me like a gentleman. And there's an end of it.' 'But there is not an end of it, sir,' returned the Father. 'But there

shall not be an end of it. You have made up your mind? You have made up

your mind?' 'Yes, I have. What's the good of keeping on like that?'

'Because,' returned the Father, in a great heat, 'you had no right to

make up your mind to what is monstrous, to what is--ha--immoral, to what

is--hum--parricidal. No, Mr Clennam, I beg, sir. Don't ask me to desist;

there is a--hum--a general principle involved here, which rises even

above considerations of--ha--hospitality. I object to the assertion made

by my son. I--ha--I personally repel it.'

'Why, what is it to you, father?' returned the son, over his shoulder.

'What is it to me, sir? I have a--hum--a spirit, sir, that will not

endure it. I,' he took out his pocket-handkerchief again and dabbed his

face. 'I am outraged and insulted by it. Let me suppose the case that I

myself may at a certain time--ha--or times, have made a--hum--an appeal,

and a properly-worded appeal, and a delicate appeal, and an urgent

appeal to some individual for a small temporary accommodation. Let me

suppose that that accommodation could have been easily extended, and was

not extended, and that that individual informed me that he begged to

be excused. Am I to be told by my own son, that I therefore received

treatment not due to a gentleman, and that I--ha--I submitted to it?'

His daughter Amy gently tried to calm him, but he would not on any

account be calmed. He said his spirit was up, and wouldn't endure this.

Was he to be told that, he wished to know again, by his own son on his

own hearth, to his own face? Was that humiliation to be put upon him by

his own blood? 'You are putting it on yourself, father, and getting into all this

injury of your own accord!' said the young gentleman morosely. 'What I

have made up my mind about has nothing to do with you. What I said had

nothing to do with you. Why need you go trying on other people's hats?'

'I reply it has everything to do with me,' returned the Father. 'I point

out to you, sir, with indignation, that--hum--the--ha--delicacy and

peculiarity of your father's position should strike you dumb, sir, if

nothing else should, in laying down such--ha--such unnatural principles.

Besides; if you are not filial, sir, if you discard that duty, you

are at least--hum--not a Christian? Are you--ha--an Atheist? And is it

Christian, let me ask you, to stigmatise and denounce an individual

for begging to be excused this time, when the same individual

may--ha--respond with the required accommodation next time? Is it the

part of a Christian not to--hum--not to try him again?' He had worked

himself into quite a religious glow and fervour.




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