Editing Little Dorrit (section)

===The financial collapse===
[[File:Little Dorrit avatar 1856.jpg|thumb|left|Engraving of "Little Dorrit", 1856]]
The financial house of Merdle, Edmund Sparkler's stepfather, ends with Merdle's suicide. The collapse of his bank and investment businesses takes with it the savings of the Dorrits, the firm of Doyce and Clennam, Arthur Clennam, Pancks and thousands of others. Pancks feels guilt for persuading Clennam to invest with Merdle, who everyone considered the financial "man of the hour." Ashamed and unable to pay the business debts, Clennam is imprisoned in the Marshalsea, where he becomes ill. When Little Dorrit arrives in London, she nurses him back to health.

At Arthur's request, Cavalletto tracks down Blandois and brings him to Arthur at the Marshalsea. The truth of Mrs. Clennam's past is revealed by Blandois and confirmed by Jeremiah  at the Clennam home one week after the meeting in the Marshalsea. Her marriage was arranged by her parents and Clennam's uncle, though uncle Gilbert knew his nephew had already married. Mrs. Clennam insisted on bringing up little Arthur and denying his biological mother, his father's first wife, the right to see him. Mrs. Clennam feels this is her right to punish others, under the guise of her religion. She was hurt and used her power to hurt others.

Arthur's biological mother died about the same time as Arthur went off to China. In her younger life, she joined a boarding house of artistic people in London. Later Mr. Clennam's wealthy uncle Gilbert, stung by remorse, left a bequest to Arthur's biological mother and to the youngest daughter of her patron. If the patron had no daughter, the youngest child of his brother would inherit. The patron was Frederick Dorrit, the musician who had taught and befriended Arthur's biological mother, and the beneficiary is his niece, Amy Dorrit.

After prodding Mrs. Clennam to tell the truth, which she refuses to do, Jeremiah gave the papers with this codicil to the uncle's will to his twin brother on the night that Arthur arrived home. He told Mrs. Clennam that he had burned the papers on the next day. Blandois took the papers after killing Jeremiah's brother and left a copy at the Marshalsea for Little Dorrit.

Although Mrs Clennam failed to tell Little Dorrit of her inheritance or give it to her, she hired her for seamstress work. She failed to tell Arthur about his biological mother, although Arthur had sensed that his father had some past burden on his mind as he died. Unwilling to yield to blackmail by Blandois and with some remorse, the rigid woman rises from her chair and totters out of her house to reveal the secrets to Little Dorrit at the Marshalsea. Mrs. Clennam begs her forgiveness, which the girl grants.

Returning home, Mrs. Clennam falls in the street, never to recover the use of her speech or limbs, as the house of Clennam collapses before her eyes, killing Blandois. Affery was outdoors seeking her mistress, and Jeremiah had escaped London with as much money as he could find. Rather than hurt Arthur, Little Dorrit chooses not to reveal the will that was meant to benefit her but will tell him about his parents after his mother dies.

Mr. Meagles seeks the original papers, stopping in France to ask Miss Wade. She has them but denies it. Tattycoram, who has suffered under Miss Wade's sadistic temperament, follows Meagles back to London and presents the papers to him. He gives them to Little Dorrit. When Arthur is well and they are about to marry, Little Dorrit asks him to burn the papers. Mr. Meagles then seeks out Arthur's business partner Daniel Doyce from abroad. Doyce returns a wealthy and successful man, who arranges to clear all debts for Arthur's release. Arthur is released from the prison with his fortunes revived, his position secure with Doyce, and his health restored. Arthur and Little Dorrit marry.