 reason on the face
of things, why he should be; but I hope when I mention my motives to your
Ladyship, you will not find fault with me,« says Mr. Guppy.
    »Do so.«
    »Thank your Ladyship. I ought first to explain to your Ladyship,« Mr. Guppy
sits on the edge of a chair, and puts his hat on the carpet at his feet, »that
Miss Summerson, whose image, as I formerly mentioned to your Ladyship, was at
one period of my life imprinted on my art until erased by circumstances over
which I had no control, communicated to me, after I had the pleasure of waiting
on your Ladyship last, that she particularly wished me to take no steps whatever
in any manner at all relating to her. And Miss Summerson's wishes being to me a
law (except as connected with circumstances over which I have no control), I
consequently never expected to have the distinguished honour of waiting on your
Ladyship again.«
    And yet he is here now, Lady Dedlock moodily reminds him.
    »And yet I am here now,« Mr. Guppy admits. »My object being to communicate
to your Ladyship, under the seal of confidence, why I am here.«
    He cannot do so, she tells him, too plainly or too briefly.
    »Nor can I,« Mr. Guppy returns with a sense of injury upon him, »too
particularly request your Ladyship to take particular notice that it's no
personal affair of mine that brings me here. I have no interested views of my
own to serve in coming here. If it was not for my promise to Miss Summerson, and
my keeping of it sacred, - I, in point of fact, shouldn't have darkened these
doors again, but should have seen 'em further first.«
    Mr. Guppy considers this a favourable moment for sticking up his hair with
both hands.
    »Your Ladyship will remember when I mention it, that the last time I was
here, I run against a party very eminent in our profession, and whose loss we
all deplore. That party certainly did from that time apply himself to cutting in
against me in a way that I will call sharp practice, and did make it, at every
turn and point, extremely difficult for me to be sure that I hadn't
inadvertently led up to something contrary to Miss Summerson's wishes.
Self-praise is no recommendation; but I may say for myself that I am not so bad
a man of business neither.«
    Lady
