'Well?' echoed Mrs Flintwinch again. 'How could I help myself? He said
to me, "Affery, you and me must be married, and I'll tell you why. She's
failing in health, and she'll want pretty constant attendance up in
her room, and we shall have to be much with her, and there'll be nobody
about now but ourselves when we're away from her, and altogether it will
be more convenient. She's of my opinion," he said, "so if you'll put
your bonnet on next Monday morning at eight, we'll get it over."' Mrs
Flintwinch tucked up the bed. 'Well?'
'Well?' repeated Mrs Flintwinch, 'I think so! I sits me down and says
it. Well!--Jeremiah then says to me, "As to banns, next Sunday being the
third time of asking (for I've put 'em up a fortnight), is my reason for
naming Monday. She'll speak to you about it herself, and now she'll find
you prepared, Affery." That same day she spoke to me, and she said, "So,
Affery, I understand that you and Jeremiah are going to be married. I
am glad of it, and so are you, with reason. It is a very good thing for
you, and very welcome under the circumstances to me. He is a sensible
man, and a trustworthy man, and a persevering man, and a pious man."
What could I say when it had come to that? Why, if it had been--a
smothering instead of a wedding,' Mrs Flintwinch cast about in her mind
with great pains for this form of expression, 'I couldn't have said a
word upon it, against them two clever ones.' 'In good faith, I believe so.'
'And so you may, Arthur.' 'Affery, what girl was that in my mother's room just now?' 'Girl?' said Mrs Flintwinch in a rather sharp key.
'It was a girl, surely, whom I saw near you--almost hidden in the dark
corner?' 'Oh! She? Little Dorrit? She's nothing; she's a whim of--hers.' It was a
peculiarity of Affery Flintwinch that she never spoke of Mrs Clennam
by name. 'But there's another sort of girls than that about. Have you
forgot your old sweetheart? Long and long ago, I'll be bound.' 'I suffered enough from my mother's separating us, to remember her. I recollect her very well.'
'Have you got another?' 'No.' 'Here's news for you, then. She's well to do now, and a widow. And if
you like to have her, why you can.' 'And how do you know that, Affery?'
'Them two clever ones have been speaking about it.--There's Jeremiah on
the stairs!' She was gone in a moment.