In part relieved by the intensity of this threat, and in part (monstrous

as the fact is) by a general impression that it was in some sort a

religious proceeding, she handed back the book to the old man, and was

silent. 'Now,' said Jeremiah; 'premising that I'm not going to stand between you

two, will you let me ask (as I have been called in, and made a third)

what is all this about?' 'Take your version of it,' returned Arthur, finding it left to him to

speak, 'from my mother. Let it rest there. What I have said, was said to

my mother only.' 'Oh!' returned the old man. 'From your mother? Take

it from your mother? Well! But your mother mentioned that you had been

suspecting your father. That's not dutiful, Mr Arthur. Who will you be

suspecting next?'

'Enough,' said Mrs Clennam, turning her face so that it was addressed

for the moment to the old man only. 'Let no more be said about this.'

'Yes, but stop a bit, stop a bit,' the old man persisted. 'Let us see

how we stand. Have you told Mr Arthur that he mustn't lay offences at

his father's door? That he has no right to do it? That he has no ground

to go upon?' 'I tell him so now.' 'Ah! Exactly,' said the old man.

'You tell him so now. You hadn't told him so before, and you tell him so now.

Ay stood between you and his father so long, that it seems as if death had

made no difference, and I was still standing between you. So I will, and

so in fairness I require to have that plainly put forward. Arthur, you

please to hear that you have no right to mistrust your father, and have

no ground to go upon.'

He put his hands to the back of the wheeled chair, and muttering to

himself, slowly wheeled his mistress back to her cabinet. 'Now,' he

resumed, standing behind her: 'in case I should go away leaving things

half done, and so should be wanted again when you come to the other half

and get into one of your flights, has Arthur told you what he means to

do about the business?'

'He has relinquished it.' 'In favour of nobody, I suppose?'

Mrs Clennam glanced at her son, leaning against one of the windows. He observed the look and said,

'To my mother, of course. She does what she pleases.'

'And if any pleasure,' she said after a short pause, 'could arise for me

out of the disappointment of my expectations that my son, in the prime

of his life, would infuse new youth and strength into it, and make it

of great profit and power, it would be in advancing an old and faithful

servant. Jeremiah, the captain deserts the ship, but you and I will sink

or float with it.'




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