being made for him which she had already so strongly prescribed。
'Such an inconvenient staircase and so many corner…stairs Arthur；'
whispered Flora； 'would you object to putting your arm round me under my
pelerine？'
With a sense of going down…stairs in a highly…ridiculous manner； Clennam
descended in the required attitude； and only released his fair burden at
the dining…room door； indeed； even there she was rather difficult to
be got rid of； remaining in his embrace to murmur； 'Arthur； for mercy's
sake； don't breathe it to papa！'
She acpanied Arthur into the room； where the Patriarch sat alone；
with his list shoes on the fender； twirling his thumbs as if he had
never left off。 The youthful Patriarch； aged ten； looked out of his
picture…frame above him with no calmer air than he。 Both smooth heads
were alike beaming； blundering； and bumpy。
'Mr Clennam； I am glad to see you。 I hope you are well； sir； I hope you
are well。 Please to sit down； please to sit down。'
'I had hoped； sir；' said Clennam； doing so； and looking round with a
face of blank disappointment； 'not to find you alone。'
'Ah； indeed？' said the Patriarch； sweetly。 'Ah； indeed？'
'I told you so you know papa；' cried Flora。
'Ah； to be sure！' returned the Patriarch。 'Yes； just so。 Ah； to be
sure！'
'Pray； sir；'demanded Clennam； anxiously； 'is Miss Wade gone？'
'Miss……？ Oh； you call her Wade；' returned Mr Casby。 'Highly proper。'
Arthur quickly returned； 'What do you call her？'
'Wade；' said Mr Casby。 'Oh； always Wade。'
After looking at the philanthropic visage and the long silky white hair
for a few seconds； during which Mr Casby twirled his thumbs； and smiled
at the fire as if he were benevolently wishing it to burn him that he
might forgive it； Arthur began：
'I beg your pardon； Mr Casby……'
'Not so； not so；' said the Patriarch； 'not so。'
'……But； Miss Wade had an attendant with her……a young woman brought up
by friends of mine； over whom her influence is not considered very
salutary； and to whom I should be glad to have the opportunity of giving
the assurance that she has not yet forfeited the interest of those
protectors。'
'Really； really？' returned the Patriarch。
'Will you therefore be so good as to give me the address of Miss Wade？'
'Dear； dear； dear！' said the Patriarch； 'how very unfortunate！ If you
had only sent in to me when they were here！ I observed the young woman；
Mr Clennam。 A fine full…coloured young woman； Mr Clennam； with very dark
hair and very dark eyes。 If I mistake not； if I mistake not？'
Arthur assented； and said once more with new expression； 'If you would
be so good as to give me the address。'
'Dear； dear； dear！' exclaimed the Patriarch in sweet regret。 'Tut； tut；
tut！ what a pity； what a pity！ I have no address； sir。 Miss Wade mostly
lives abroad； Mr Clennam。 She has done so for some years； and she is （if
I may say so of a fellow…creature and a lady） fitful and uncertain to a
fault； Mr Clennam。 I may not see her again for a long； long time。 I may
never see her again。 What a pity； what a pity！'
Clennam saw now； that he had as much hope of getting assistance out of
the Portrait as out of the Patriarch； but he said nevertheless：
'Mr Casby； could you； for the satisfaction of the friends I have
mentioned； and under any obligation of secrecy that you may consider it
your duty to impose； give me any information at all touching Miss Wade？
I have seen her abroad； and I have seen her at home； but I know nothing
of her。 Could you give me any account of her whatever？'
'None；' returned the Patriarch； shaking his big head with his utmost
benevolence。 'None at all。 Dear； dear； dear！ What a real pity that
she stayed so short a time； and you delayed！ As confidential agency
business； agency business； I have occasionally paid this lady money； but
what satisfaction is it to you； sir； to know that？'
'Truly； none at all；' said Clennam。
'Truly；' assented the Patriarch； with a shining face as he
philanthropically smiled at the fire； 'none at all； sir。 You hit the
wise answer； Mr Clennam。 Truly； none at all； sir。' His turning of
his smooth thumbs over one another as he sat there； was so typical to
Clennam of the way in which he would make the subject revolve if it were
pursued； never showing any new part of it nor allowing it to make the
smallest advance； that it did much to help to convince him of his labour
having been in vain。 He might have taken any time to think about it； for
Mr Casby； well accustomed to get on anywhere by leaving everything to
his bumps and his white hair； knew his strength to lie in silence。 So
there Casby sat； twirling and twirling； and making his polished head and
forehead look largely benevolent in every knob。
With this spectacle before him； Arthur had risen to go； when from the
inner Dock where the good ship Pancks was hove down when out in no
cruising ground； the noise was heard of that steamer labouring towards
him。 It struck Arthur that the noise began demonstratively far off； as
though Mr Pancks sought to impress on any one who might happen to think
about it； that he was working on from out of hearing。 Mr Pancks and
he shook hands； and the former brought his employer a letter or two to
sign。 Mr Pancks in shaking hands merely scratched his eyebrow with his
left forefinger and snorted once； but Clennam； who understood him better
now than of old； prehended that he had almost done for the evening
and wished to say a word to him outside。 Therefore； when he had taken
his leave of Mr Casby； and （which was a more difficult process） of
Flora； he sauntered in the neighbourhood on Mr Pancks's line of road。
He had waited but a short time when Mr Pancks appeared。 Mr Pancks
shaking hands again with another expressive snort； and taking off his
hat to put his hair up； Arthur thought he received his cue to speak to
him as one who knew pretty well what had just now passed。 Therefore he
said； without any preface：
'I suppose they were really gone； Pancks？'
'Yes；' replied Pancks。 'They were really gone。'
'Does he know where to find that lady？'
'Can't say。 I should think so。'
Mr Pancks did not？ No； Mr Pancks did not。 Did Mr Pancks know anything
about her？ 'I expect；' rejoined that worthy； 'I know as much about
her as she knows about herself。 She is somebody's child……anybody's；
nobody's。
Put her in a room in London here with any six people old enough to be
her parents； and her parents may be there for anything she knows。 They
may be in any house she sees； they may be in any churchyard she passes；
she may run against 'em in any street； she may make chance acquaintance
of 'em at any time； and never know it。
She knows nothing about 'em。 She knows nothing about any relative
whatever。 Never did。 Never will。' 'Mr Casby could enlighten her；
perhaps？'
'May be；' said Pancks。 'I expect so； but don't know。 He has long had
money （not overmuch as I make out） in trust to dole out to her when
she can't do without it。 Sometimes she's proud and won't touch it for
a length of time； sometimes she's so poor that she must have it。 She
writhes under her life。 A woman more angry； passionate； reckless；
and revengefu