Merdle,  having  completely  used  up  her  place  in  the  country,  and  also
her  house  at  Brighton,  and  being,  of  course,  unable,  don't  you  see,  to
remain  in  London  when  there  wasn't  a  soul  there,  and  not  feeling
herself  this  year  quite  up  to  visiting  about  at  people's  places,  had
resolved  to  have  a  touch  at  Pome,  where  a  woman  like  herself,  with
a  proverbially  fine  appearance  and  with  no  nonsense  about  her,
couldn't  fail  to  be  a  great  acquisition.  As  to  Mr.  Merdle,  he  was  so
much  wanted  by  the  men  in  the  City  and  the  rest  of  those  places,
and  was  such  a  doosed  extraordinary  phenomenon  in  Buying  and
Banking  and  that,  that  Mr.  Sparkler  doubted  if  the  monetary
system  of  the  country  would  be  able  to  spare  him :  though  that  hi3
work  was  occasionally  one  too  many  for  him,  and  that  he  would  be  all
the  better  for  a  temporary  shy  at  an  entirely  new  scene  and  climate,
Mr.  Sparkler  did  not  conceal.  As  to  himself,  Mr.  Sparkler  conveyed
to  the  Dorrit  family  that  he  was  going,  on  rather  particular  business,
wherever  they  were  going.
This  immense  conversational  achievement  required  time,  but  was
effected.  Being  effected,  Mr.  Dorrit  expressed  his  hope  that  Mr.
Sparkler  would  shortly  dine  with  them.  Mr.  Sparkler  received  the
idea  so  kindly,  that  Mr.  Dorrit  asked  what  he  was  going  to  do  that
day,  for  instance  ?  As  he  was  going  to  do  nothing  that  day  (his  usual
occupation,  and  one  for  which  he  was  particularly  qualified),  he  was
secured  without  postponement ;  being  further  bound  over  to  accompany
the  ladies  to  the  Opera  in  the  evening.
