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overdid　it。　Pressure　came　on；　and　you　were　done　for！　This　consideration
was　very　potent　in　many　quarters；　but　nowhere　more　so　than　among　the
young　clerks　and　partners　who　had　never　been　in　the　slightest　danger
of　overdoing　it。　These；　one　and　all；　declared；　quite　piously；　that　they
hoped　they　would　never　forget　the　warning　as　long　as　they　lived；　and
that　their　conduct　might　be　so　regulated　as　to　keep　off　Pressure；　and
preserve　them；　a　fort　to　their　friends；　for　many　years。

But；　at　about　the　time　of　High　'Change；　Pressure　began　to　wane；　and
appalling　whispers　to　circulate；　east；　west；　north；　and　south。　At　first
they　were　faint；　and　went　no　further　than　a　doubt　whether　Mr　Merdle's
wealth　would　be　found　to　be　as　vast　as　had　been　supposed；　whether　there
might　not　be　a　temporary　difficulty　in　'realising'　it；　whether　there
might　not　even　be　a　temporary　suspension　（say　a　month　or　so）；　on　the
part　of　the　wonderful　Bank。　As　the　whispers　became　louder；　which　they
did　from　that　time　every　minute；　they　became　more　threatening。　He　had
sprung　from　nothing；　by　no　natural　growth　or　process　that　any　one　could
account　for；　he　had　been；　after　all；　a　low；　ignorant　fellow；　he　had　been
a　down…looking　man；　and　no　one　had　ever　been　able　to　catch　his　eye；
he　had　been　taken　up　by　all　sorts　of　people　in　quite　an　unaccountable
manner；　he　had　never　had　any　money　of　his　own；　his　ventures　had　been
utterly　reckless；　and　his　expenditure　had　been　most　enormous。　In　steady
progression；　as　the　day　declined；　the　talk　rose　in　sound　and　purpose。
He　had　left　a　letter　at　the　Baths　addressed　to　his　physician；　and　his
physician　had　got　the　letter；　and　the　letter　would　be　produced　at　the
Inquest　on　the　morrow；　and　it　would　fall　like　a　thunderbolt　upon　the
multitude　he　had　deluded。　Numbers　of　men　in　every　profession　and　trade
would　be　blighted　by　his　insolvency；　old　people　who　had　been　in　easy
circumstances　all　their　lives　would　have　no　place　of　repentance　for
their　trust　in　him　but　the　workhouse；　legions　of　women　and　children
would　have　their　whole　future　desolated　by　the　hand　of　this　mighty
scoundrel。　Every　partaker　of　his　magnificent　feasts　would　be　seen　to
have　been　a　sharer　in　the　plunder　of　innumerable　homes；　every　servile
worshipper　of　riches　who　had　helped　to　set　him　on　his　pedestal；　would
have　done　better　to　worship　the　Devil　point…blank。　So；　the　talk；　lashed
louder　and　higher　by　confirmation　on　confirmation；　and　by　edition　after
edition　of　the　evening　papers；　swelled　into　such　a　roar　when　night　came；
as　might　have　brought　one　to　believe　that　a　solitary　watcher　on　the
gallery　above　the　Dome　of　St　Paul's　would　have　perceived　the　night　air
to　be　laden　with　a　heavy　muttering　of　the　name　of　Merdle；　coupled　with
every　form　of　execration。

For　by　that　time　it　was　known　that　the　late　Mr　Merdle's　plaint
had　been　simply　Forgery　and　Robbery。　He；　the　uncouth　object　of　such
wide…spread　adulation；　the　sitter　at　great　men's　feasts；　the　roc's　egg
of　great　ladies'　assemblies；　the　subduer　of　exclusiveness；　the　leveller
of　pride；　the　patron　of　patrons；　the　bargain…driver　with　a　Minister
for　Lordships　of　the　Circumlocution　Office；　the　recipient　of　more
acknowledgment　within　some　ten　or　fifteen　years；　at　most；　than　had　been
bestowed　in　England　upon　all　peaceful　public　benefactors；　and　upon
all　the　leaders　of　all　the　Arts　and　Sciences；　with　all　their　works　to
testify　for　them；　during　two　centuries　at　least……he；　the　shining　wonder；
the　new　constellation　to　be　followed　by　the　wise　men　bringing　gifts；
until　it　stopped　over　a　certain　carrion　at　the　bottom　of　a　bath　and
disappeared……was　simply　the　greatest　Forger　and　the　greatest　Thief　that
ever　cheated　the　gallows。




CHAPTER　26。　Reaping　the　Whirlwind


With　a　precursory　sound　of　hurried　breath　and　hurried　feet；　Mr　Pancks
rushed　into　Arthur　Clennam's　Counting…house。　The　Inquest　was　over；　the
letter　was　public；　the　Bank　was　broken；　the　other　model　structures　of
straw　had　taken　fire　and　were　turned　to　smoke。　The　admired　piratical
ship　had　blown　up；　in　the　midst　of　a　vast　fleet　of　ships　of　all　rates；
and　boats　of　all　sizes；　and　on　the　deep　was　nothing　but　ruin；　nothing
but　burning　hulls；　bursting　magazines；　great　guns　self…exploded　tearing
friends　and　neighbours　to　pieces；　drowning　men　clinging　to　unseaworthy
spars　and　going　down　every　minute；　spent　swimmers　floating　dead；　and
sharks。

The　usual　diligence　and　order　of　the　Counting…house　at　the　Works　were
overthrown。　Unopened　letters　and　unsorted　papers　lay　strewn　about　the
desk。　In　the　midst　of　these　tokens　of　prostrated　energy　and　dismissed
hope；　the　master　of　the　Counting…house　stood　idle　in　his　usual　place；
with　his　arms　crossed　on　the　desk；　and　his　head　bowed　down　upon　them。

Mr　Pancks　rushed　in　and　saw　him；　and　stood　still。　In　another　minute；　Mr
Pancks's　arms　were　on　the　desk；　and　Mr　Pancks's　head　was　bowed　down
upon　them；　and　for　some　time　they　remained　in　these　attitudes；　idle　and
silent；　with　the　width　of　the　little　room　between　them。　Mr　Pancks　was
the　first　to　lift　up　his　head　and　speak。

'I　persuaded　you　to　it；　Mr　Clennam。　I　know　it。　Say　what　you　will。

You　can't　say　more　to　me　than　I　say　to　myself。　You　can't　say　more　than　I
deserve。'

'O；　Pancks；　Pancks！'　returned　Clennam；　'don't　speak　of　deserving。　What
do　I　myself　deserve！'

'Better　luck；'　said　Pancks。

'I；'　pursued　Clennam；　without　attending　to　him；　'who　have　ruined　my
partner！　Pancks；　Pancks；　I　have　ruined　Doyce！　The　honest；　self…helpful；
indefatigable　old　man　who　has　worked　his　way　all　through　his　life；
the　man　who　has　contended　against　so　much　disappointment；　and　who　has
brought　out　of　it　such　a　good　and　hopeful　nature；　the　man　I　have　felt
so　much　for；　and　meant　to　be　so　true　and　useful　to；　I　have　ruined
him……brought　him　to　shame　and　disgrace……ruined　him；　ruined　him！'

The　agony　into　which　the　reflection　wrought　his　mind　was　so　distressing
to　see；　that　Mr　Pancks　took　hold　of　himself　by　the　hair　of　his　head；　and
tore　it　in　desperation　at　the　spectacle。

'Reproach　me！'　cried　Pancks。　'Reproach　me；　sir；　or　I'll　do　myself　an
injury。　Say；……You　fool；　you　villain。　Say；……Ass；　how　could　you　do　it；
Beast；　what　did　you　mean　by　it！　Catch　hold　of　me　somewhere。

Say　something　abusive　to　me！'　All　the　time；　Mr　Pancks　was　tearing　at　his
tough　hair　in　a　most　pitiless　and　cruel　manner。

'If　you　had　never　yielded　to　this　fatal　mania；　Pancks；'　said　Clennam；
more　in　miseration　than　retaliation；　'it　would　have　been　how　much
better　for　you；　and　how　much　better　for　me！'

'At　me　again；　sir！'　cried　Pancks；　grinding　his　teeth　in　remorse。　'At
me　again！'　'If　you　had　never　gone　into　those　accursed　calculations；
and　brought　out　your　results　with　such　abominable　clearness；'　groaned
Clennam；　'it　would　have　been　how　much　better　for　you；　Pancks；　and　how
much　better　for　me！'

'At　me　again；　sir！'　exclaimed　Pancks；　loosening　his　hold　of　his　hair；
'at　me　again；　and　again！'

Clennam；　however；　finding　him　already　beginning　to　be　pacified；　had　said
all　he　wanted　to　say；　and　more。　He　wrung　his　hand；　only　adding；　'Blind
leaders　of　the　blind；　Pancks！　Blind　leaders　of　the　blind！　But　Doyce；
Doyce；　Doyce；　my　injured　partner！'　That　brought　his　head　down　on　the
desk　once　more。

Their　former　attitudes　and　their　former　silence　were　once　more　first
encroached　upon　by　Pancks。

'Not　been　to　bed；　sir；　since　it　began　to　get　about。　Been　high　and　low；
on　the　chance　of　finding　some　hope　of　saving　any　cinders　from　the　fire。
All　in　vain。　All　gone。　All　vanished。'

'I　know　it；'　returned　Clennam；　'too　well。'

Mr　Pancks　filled　up　a　pause　with　a　groan　that　came　out　of　the　very
depths　of　his　soul。

'Only　yesterday；　Pancks；'　said　Arthur；　'only　yesterday；　Monday；　I　had
the　fixed　intention　of　selling；　realising；　and　making　an　end　of　it。'

'I　can't　say　as　much　for　myself；　sir；'　returned　Pancks。　'Though　it's
wonderful　how　many　people　I've　heard　of；　who　were　going　to　realise
yesterday；　of　all　days　in　the　three　hundred　and　sixty…five；　if　it　hadn't
been　too　late！'

His　steam…like　breathings；　usually　droll　in　their　effect；　were　more
tragic　than　so　many　groans：　while　from　head　to　foot；　he　was　in　that
begrimed；　besmeared；　neglected　state；　that　he　might　have