This caused her to turn back again in the act of going out, and to present herself and her charge before him.
‘I thought so!’ said he. ‘I know you.’
‘We have often seen each other,’ said Little Dorrit, recognising the sexton, or the beadle, or the verger, or whatever he was, ‘when I have been at church here.’
‘More than that, we’ve got your birth in our Register, you know; you’re one of our curiosities.’
‘Indeed!’ said Little Dorrit.
‘To be sure. As the child of the—by-the-bye, how did you get out so early?’
‘We were shut out last night, and are waiting to get in.’
‘You don’t mean it? And there’s another hour good yet! Come into the vestry. You’ll find a fire in the vestry, on account of the painters. I’m waiting for the painters, or I shouldn’t be here, you may depend upon it. One of our curiosities mustn’t be cold when we have it in our power to warm her up comfortable. Come along.’
He was a very good old fellow, in his familiar way; and having stirred the vestry fire, he looked round the shelves of registers for a particular volume. ‘Here you are, you see,’ he said, taking it down and turning the leaves. ‘Here you’ll find yourself, as large as life. Amy, daughter of William and Fanny Dorrit. Born, Marshalsea Prison, Parish of St George. And we tell people that you have lived there, without so much as a day’s or a night’s absence, ever since. Is it true?’
‘Quite true, till last night.’