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adapted¡¡to¡¡existing¡¡circumstances¡¡I¡¡must¡¡beg¡¡to¡¡be¡¡excused¡¡for¡¡taking
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old¡¡times¡¡for¡¡ever¡¡faded¡¡never¡¡more¡¡to¡¡bloom¡¡as¡¡to¡¡call¡¡with¡¡Mr¡¡F¡£'s
Aunt¡¡to¡¡congratulate¡¡and¡¡offer¡¡best¡¡wishes£»¡¡A¡¡great¡¡deal¡¡superior¡¡to
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'I¡¡am¡¡very¡¡happy¡¡to¡¡see¡¡you£»'¡¡said¡¡Clennam£»¡¡'and¡¡I¡¡thank¡¡you£»¡¡Flora£»
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'Oh¡¡not¡¡that¡¡disagreeable¡¡name£»¡¡say¡¡Flora£¡'
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'There's¡¡mile¡stones¡¡on¡¡the¡¡Dover¡¡road£¡'
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missile£»¡¡that¡¡Clennam¡¡was¡¡quite¡¡at¡¡a¡¡loss¡¡how¡¡to¡¡defend¡¡himself£»¡¡the
rather¡¡as¡¡he¡¡had¡¡been¡¡already¡¡perplexed¡¡in¡¡his¡¡mind¡¡by¡¡the¡¡honour¡¡of¡¡a
visit¡¡from¡¡this¡¡venerable¡¡lady£»¡¡when¡¡it¡¡was¡¡plain¡¡she¡¡held¡¡him¡¡in¡¡the
utmost¡¡abhorrence¡£¡¡He¡¡could¡¡not¡¡but¡¡look¡¡at¡¡her¡¡with¡¡disconcertment£»¡¡as
she¡¡sat¡¡breathing¡¡bitterness¡¡and¡¡scorn£»¡¡and¡¡staring¡¡leagues¡¡away¡£¡¡Flora£»
however£»¡¡received¡¡the¡¡remark¡¡as¡¡if¡¡it¡¡had¡¡been¡¡of¡¡a¡¡most¡¡apposite¡¡and
agreeable¡¡nature£»¡¡approvingly¡¡observing¡¡aloud¡¡that¡¡Mr¡¡F¡£'s¡¡Aunt¡¡had¡¡a
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burning¡¡indignation£»¡¡that¡¡illustrious¡¡woman¡¡then¡¡added£»¡¡'Let¡¡him¡¡meet
it¡¡if¡¡he¡¡can£¡'¡¡And£»¡¡with¡¡a¡¡rigid¡¡movement¡¡of¡¡her¡¡stony¡¡reticule¡¡£¨an
appendage¡¡of¡¡great¡¡size¡¡and¡¡of¡¡a¡¡fossil¡¡appearance£©£»¡¡indicated¡¡that
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intruded¡¡on¡¡business¡¡hours¡¡Mr¡¡F¡£¡¡having¡¡been¡¡in¡¡business¡¡and¡¡though¡¡the
wine¡¡trade¡¡still¡¡business¡¡is¡¡equally¡¡business¡¡call¡¡it¡¡what¡¡you¡¡will¡¡and
business¡¡habits¡¡are¡¡just¡¡the¡¡same¡¡as¡¡witness¡¡Mr¡¡F¡£¡¡himself¡¡who¡¡had¡¡his
slippers¡¡always¡¡on¡¡the¡¡mat¡¡at¡¡ten¡¡minutes¡¡before¡¡six¡¡in¡¡the¡¡afternoon
and¡¡his¡¡boots¡¡inside¡¡the¡¡fender¡¡at¡¡ten¡¡minutes¡¡before¡¡eight¡¡in¡¡the
morning¡¡to¡¡the¡¡moment¡¡in¡¡all¡¡weathers¡¡light¡¡or¡¡dark¡¡would¡¡not¡¡therefore
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will¡¡be¡¡kindly¡¡taken¡¡Arthur£»¡¡Mr¡¡Clennam¡¡far¡¡more¡¡proper£»¡¡even¡¡Doyce¡¡and
Clennam¡¡probably¡¡more¡¡business¡like¡£'
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always¡¡wele¡£'
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it¡¡is¡¡that¡¡oft¡¡in¡¡the¡¡stilly¡¡night¡¡ere¡¡slumber's¡¡chain¡¡has¡¡bound¡¡people£»
fond¡¡memory¡¡brings¡¡the¡¡light¡¡of¡¡other¡¡days¡¡around¡¡people¡¡very¡¡polite
but¡¡more¡¡polite¡¡than¡¡true¡¡I¡¡am¡¡afraid£»¡¡for¡¡to¡¡go¡¡into¡¡the¡¡machinery
business¡¡without¡¡so¡¡much¡¡as¡¡sending¡¡a¡¡line¡¡or¡¡a¡¡card¡¡to¡¡papa¡¡I¡¡don't
say¡¡me¡¡though¡¡there¡¡was¡¡a¡¡time¡¡but¡¡that¡¡is¡¡past¡¡and¡¡stern¡¡reality¡¡has
now¡¡my¡¡gracious¡¡never¡¡mind¡¡does¡¡not¡¡look¡¡like¡¡it¡¡you¡¡must¡¡confess¡£'
Even¡¡Flora's¡¡mas¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡have¡¡fled¡¡on¡¡this¡¡occasion£»¡¡she¡¡was¡¡so
much¡¡more¡¡disjointed¡¡and¡¡voluble¡¡than¡¡in¡¡the¡¡preceding¡¡interview¡£
'Though¡¡indeed£»'¡¡she¡¡hurried¡¡on£»¡¡'nothing¡¡else¡¡is¡¡to¡¡be¡¡expected¡¡and¡¡why
should¡¡it¡¡be¡¡expected¡¡and¡¡if¡¡it's¡¡not¡¡to¡¡be¡¡expected¡¡why¡¡should¡¡it¡¡be£»
and¡¡I¡¡am¡¡far¡¡from¡¡blaming¡¡you¡¡or¡¡any¡¡one£»¡¡When¡¡your¡¡mama¡¡and¡¡my¡¡papa
worried¡¡us¡¡to¡¡death¡¡and¡¡severed¡¡the¡¡golden¡¡bowl¡¡I¡¡mean¡¡bond¡¡but¡¡I¡¡dare
say¡¡you¡¡know¡¡what¡¡I¡¡mean¡¡and¡¡if¡¡you¡¡don't¡¡you¡¡don't¡¡lose¡¡much¡¡and¡¡care
just¡¡as¡¡little¡¡I¡¡will¡¡venture¡¡to¡¡add¡¡when¡¡they¡¡severed¡¡the¡¡golden¡¡bond
that¡¡bound¡¡us¡¡and¡¡threw¡¡us¡¡into¡¡fits¡¡of¡¡crying¡¡on¡¡the¡¡sofa¡¡nearly¡¡choked
at¡¡least¡¡myself¡¡everything¡¡was¡¡changed¡¡and¡¡in¡¡giving¡¡my¡¡hand¡¡to¡¡Mr¡¡F¡£¡¡I
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