! Don't say so!« returned Ferdinand. »It's all right. We must have
humbug, we all like humbug, we couldn't get on without humbug. A little humbug,
and a groove, and everything goes on admirably, if you leave it alone.«
    With this hopeful confession of his faith as the head of the rising
Barnacles who were born of woman, to be followed under a variety of watchwords
which they utterly repudiated and disbelieved, Ferdinand rose. Nothing could be
more agreeable than his frank and courteous bearing, or adapted with a more
gentlemanly instinct to the circumstances of his visit.
    »Is it fair to ask,« he said, as Clennam gave him his hand with a real
feeling of thankfulness for his candour and good-humour, »whether it is true
that our late lamented Merdle is the cause of this passing inconvenience?«
    »I am one of the many he has ruined. Yes.«
    »He must have been an exceedingly clever fellow,« said Ferdinand Barnacle.
    Arthur, not being in the mood to extol the memory of the deceased, was
silent.
    »A consummate rascal of course,« said Ferdinand, »but remarkably clever! One
cannot help admiring the fellow. Must have been such a master of humbug. Knew
people so well - got over them so completely - did so much with them!«
    In his easy way, he was really moved to genuine admiration.
    »I hope,« said Arthur, »that he and his dupes may be a warning to people not
to have so much done with them again.«
    »My dear Mr. Clennam,« returned Ferdinand, laughing, »have you really such a
verdant hope? The next man who has as large a capacity and as genuine a taste
for swindling, will succeed as well. Pardon me, but I think you really have no
idea how the human bees will swarm to the beating of any old tin kettle; in that
fact lies the complete manual of governing them. When they can be got to believe
that the kettle is made of the precious metals, in that fact lies the whole
power of men like our late lamented. No doubt there are here and there,« said
Ferdinand politely, »exceptional cases, where people have been taken in for what
appeared to them to be much better reasons; and I need not go far to find such a
case; but they don't invalidate the rule. Good day! I hope that when I have the
pleasure of seeing you next, this passing cloud will
