He took out his note-book, opened it, shut it, dropped it into his hat, which was beside him on the desk, and looked in at it as it lay at the bottom of the hat: all with a great appearance of consideration.
‘Mr Clennam,’ he then began, ‘I am in want of information, sir.’
‘Connected with this firm?’ asked Clennam.
‘No,’ said Pancks.
‘With what then, Mr Pancks? That is to say, assuming that you want it of me.’
‘Yes, sir; yes, I want it of you,’ said Pancks, ‘if I can persuade you to furnish it. A, B, C, D. DA, DE, DI, DO. Dictionary order. Dorrit. That’s the name, sir?’
Mr Pancks blew off his peculiar noise again, and fell to at his right-hand nails. Arthur looked searchingly at him; he returned the look.
‘I don’t understand you, Mr Pancks.’
‘That’s the name that I want to know about.’
‘And what do you want to know?’