Little Dorrit Vol.1 f.010 recto (Chapter I) EXAMPLE OF WORK IN PROGRESS

Chapter I.

Sun and Shadeow.

Thirty years More than a quarter of a century ago, Marseilles lay broiling on the [??????] in
the sun, of a hot? [???] day one day.

A [????????????????????????????] blazing sun upon a fierce August [?????????????????] day day was no greater rarity in Marseilles southern France then,
than at any other time, before or since. Everything in [?????????????????] Marseilles, and about [?????????]
[??????] Marseilles, had stared at the fervid [??????] sky, and been stared at in return, until [??????]
[??? ????] a staring habit had become [?????????] universal there. [????? strangers] Strangers were stared out
of countenance by staring white houses, staring white chalets walls, staring white streets, staring
[?????] tracks [????????????] of [????? ??] arid road, staring hills from which verdure was [?????] [??????????????] burnt away. The only [??????????] The only
[???? ????] all whitened with [???? ??????] things to be seen not fixedly staring and glaring were
the ???? vines [????????????????????] drooping [????????????????????????] under their load of grapes.
These did occasionally wink a little, as the hot
air [?????? ???????] barely moved their faint leaves.

There was no wind [??? ???????? ? ???? ???] to make a [?????????] ripple on the foul water within the harbour [and?] or on the [??????????????] beautiful
[?????????????????] sea [????] without. The P line of [?????????] demarcation between the two colours, black and blue,
[???] difference [???? ???] showed the point which the pure sea would? not pass [???????]; but [????] it lay as quiet
as the [???????????????] abominable pool with which it never mixed. Boats without awnings were too
hot to touch; ships blistered at their moorings; the [???] stones of the quays had not cooled, [????] night or day, [??????????????] were like heated ovens for months.
The universal stare made the eyes ache. Towards
the distant line of Italian coast, indeed, it was a little relieved by light clouds of mist, slowly rising
from the evaporation of the sea, but it softened nowhere else.
Far and near away the staring roads, deep in dust, stared from the [????? ????? ?????] hill-side,
[????] stared from the hollow, stared from the interminable plain. Far away the dusty vines overhanging
wayside cottages, and the packed [or parched?] trees planted in monotonous [????? ????? ????? ????] wayside avenues of parched trees without [?????] without shade,
drooped beneath the stare of earth and sky.
So did the horses with drowsy bells, in long files of carts [???????????????????] creeping
along towards the interior; so did their recumbent drivers, when they were awake, which
rarely happened; so did the exhausted labourers in the fields. Everything that lived or grew, was oppressed by the glare;
except the lizard, passing swiftly over rough stone walls, and the cicala, [????] chirping his dry hot
chirp, like a rattle, up in the [??? ??? ???? ??? ?????] up in the scorched trees. The very dust was baked brown, and something
quivered in the [???] atmosphere as if the air itself were [??????] panting.

Blinds, shutters, curtains, awnings, [????????????????????] were all closed and drawn to keep out the stare. Grant