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'So much the worse,' retorted Fanny, deter in

extenuation, 'for then you have no excuse If they had known about us,

you ht have felt yourself called upon to conciliate them That would

have been a weak and ridiculous mistake, but I can respect a mistake,

whereas I can't respect a wilful and deliberate abasing of those who

should be nearest and dearest to us No I can't respect that I can do

nothing but denounce that'

'I never offend you wilfully, Fanny,' said Little Dorrit, 'though you

are so hard with me' 'Then you should be more careful, As by accident, you should be more careful If I happened to

have been born in a peculiar place, and under peculiar circue of propriety, I fancy I should think norantly, to compromise

any near and dear relations?" That is what I fancy I should do, if it

was my case' Mr Dorrit now interposed, at once to stop these painful subjects by his

authority, and to point their hter, 'I beg you to--ha--to say