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It's almost time to hear Mr Pancks. Mr Pancks has come down into the Yard to-night on purpose that you should hear him. Pancks is only the Works; but here's the Winder! The audience would have gone over to Mr Pancks, as one man, woman, and child, but for the long, grey, silken locks, and the broad-brimmed hat. 'Here's the Stop, said Pancks, 'that sets the tune to be ground.
'Mr Casby knows, said she, 'that I am not subject to changes. The change that I await here is the great change. 'Indeed, ma'am? returned Mr Pancks, with a wandering eye towards the figure of the little seamstress on her knee picking threads and fraying of her work from the carpet. 'You look nicely, ma'am. 'I bear what I have to bear, she answered.
Mr Pancks, whom Affery had just shown in, was addressing an inquiry to Mrs Clennam on the subject of her health, coupled with the remark that, 'happening to find himself in that direction, he had looked in to inquire, on behalf of his proprietor, how she found herself. Mrs Clennam, with a deep contraction of her brows, was looking at him.
'That's the name that I want to know about. 'And what do you want to know? 'Whatever you can and will tell me. This comprehensive summary of his desires was not discharged without some heavy labouring on the part of Mr Pancks's machinery. 'This is a singular visit, Mr Pancks. It strikes me as rather extraordinary that you should come, with such an object, to me.
'We don't mean to, said Mr Pancks. Giving him a dark glance in acknowledgment of his answer, Rigaud knocked loudly. He had charged himself with drink, for the playing out of his game, and was impatient to begin. He had hardly finished one long resounding knock, when he turned to the knocker again and began another.
Mrs Clennam, her chin resting on her hand, followed him with attentive and darkly distrustful eyes; and Affery stood looking at her as if she were spell-bound. Slowly and thoughtfully, Mrs Clennam's eyes turned from the door by which Pancks had gone out, to Little Dorrit, rising from the carpet.
An't it gratifying, Mr Pancks, though; really? Mr Pancks, who had snorted at the old man in his friendliest manner, replied in the affirmative, and casually asked whether that lively Altro chap had come in yet? Mrs Plornish answered no, not yet, though he had gone to the West-End with some work, and had said he should be back by tea-time.
At length, by a great effort, he detached himself from the subject sufficiently to observe: 'But she's neither here nor there just at present. The other lady, she's Mr Casby's daughter; and if Mr Casby an't well off, none better, it an't through any fault of Pancks. For, as to Pancks, he does, he really does, he does indeed!
Mr Clennam got it him to do, and gives him odd jobs besides in at the Works next door makes 'em for him, in short, when he knows he wants 'em. 'And what does he do with himself, now, when he ain't hard at it? said Mr Pancks.
She could not help showing that she was much surprised, if it were only by his knowing so much about her. 'Ah! That's it! said Pancks, pointing at her. 'Miss Dorrit, not that, ever! More surprised than before, and a little more frightened, she looked to him for an explanation of his last words.
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