
anywhere to be the cause of pain? If I went to see our young friends in their
present ill-regulated state of mind, I should give them pain. The associations
with me would be disagreeable. They might say, this is the man who had pounds,
and who can't pay pounds, which I can't, of course; nothing could be more out of
the question! Then, kindness requires that I shouldn't go near them - and I
won't.«
    He finished by genially kissing my hand, and thanking me. Nothing but Miss
Summerson's fine tact, he said, would have found this out for him.
    I was much disconcerted; but I reflected that if the main point were gained,
it mattered little how strangely he perverted everything leading to it. I had
determined to mention something else, however, and I thought I was not to be put
off in that.
    »Mr. Skimpole,« said I, »I must take the liberty of saying, before I
conclude my visit, that I was much surprised to learn, on the best authority,
some little time ago, that you knew with whom that poor boy left Bleak House,
and that you accepted a present on that occasion. I have not mentioned it to my
guardian, for I fear it would hurt him unnecessarily; but I may say to you that
I was much surprised.«
    »No? Really surprised, my dear Miss Summerson?« he returned, inquiringly,
raising his pleasant eyebrows.
    »Greatly surprised.«
    He thought about it for a little while, with a highly agreeable and
whimsical expression of face; then quite gave it up, and said, in his most
engaging manner:
    »You know what a child I am. Why surprised?«
    I was reluctant to enter minutely into that question; but as he begged I
would, for he was really curious to know, I gave him to understand, in the
gentlest words I could use, that his conduct seemed to involve a disregard of
several moral obligations. He was much amused and interested when he heard this,
and said, »No, really?« with ingenuous simplicity.
    »You know I don't intend to be responsible. I never could do it.
Responsibility is a thing that has always been above me - or below me,« said Mr.
Skimpole, »I don't even know which; but, as I understand the way in which my
dear Miss Summerson (always remarkable for her practical good sense and
clearness) puts this
