The pleasantest part of the occasion by far, to Clennam, was the
painfullest. When Mr and Mrs Meagles at last hung about Pet in the room
with the two pictures (where the company were not), before going with
her to the threshold which she could never recross to be the old Pet and
the old delight, nothing could be more natural and simple than the three
were. Gowan himself was touched, and answered Mr Meagles's 'O Gowan,
take care of her, take care of her!' with an earnest 'Don't be so
broken-hearted, sir. By Heaven I will!'
And so, with the last sobs and last loving words, and a last look to
Clennam of confidence in his promise, Pet fell back in the carriage,
and her husband waved his hand, and they were away for Dover; though not
until the faithful Mrs Tickit, in her silk gown and jet black curls, had
rushed out from some hiding-place, and thrown both her shoes after
the carriage: an apparition which occasioned great surprise to the
distinguished company at the windows.
The said company being now relieved from further attendance, and the
chief Barnacles being rather hurried (for they had it in hand just
then to send a mail or two which was in danger of going straight to its
destination, beating about the seas like the Flying Dutchman, and to
arrange with complexity for the stoppage of a good deal of important
business otherwise in peril of being done), went their several ways;
with all affability conveying to Mr and Mrs Meagles that general
assurance that what they had been doing there, they had been doing at a
sacrifice for Mr and Mrs Meagles's good, which they always conveyed to
Mr John Bull in their official condescension to that most unfortunate
creature.
A miserable blank remained in the house and in the hearts of the father
and mother and Clennam. Mr Meagles called only one remembrance to his
aid, that really did him good. 'It's very gratifying, Arthur,' he said, 'after all, to look back upon.' 'The past?' said Clennam. 'Yes--but I mean the company.' It had made him much more low and unhappy at the time, but now it really
did him good. 'It's very gratifying,' he said, often repeating the
remark in the course of the evening. 'Such high company!'