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‘if It-may be, or 1nay;not be,”. said Mr. Boflin, “just as
you view it. But in the meantime don’t go out ofrthe
matter. ‘ Look here.: ‘Do this. . Give me your word that
you won't take any steps with “Fegg, without my.knowl-
-edge, just .as I ' have. given you’ my word that won’t
without Fours." : -I: I 3 r 1- ' AL ‘
“ Done, Mr. Botlin,” said Venus, after brief considera-
tion.',: ‘. -:.i.:..'.',.'..2. ‘
,“.Thank’ee, Venus,'tli‘ank'ee,’Venus l’ Done l”
.‘.‘VVhen shall I come to see you, Mr. Boilin?” w . .
“.W'hen you like. ‘ The sooner thetbetter. 'I mustbe
going now. Good-night,‘ Venus.” :. ‘ . . i‘- ' " .
“Goodnight, sir.” I 1- - . ’ . . y
“ And good-night to the rest of the present company,”
said Mr. ‘Boiiin, glancing round: the shop. 9 “ They make
a queer show, Venus; and Iishould like to be better ac-
quainted .with -them someday,’ Good-night,‘ Venus,
good-night l ‘ Thank’ee,
KVith thatho jogged out into the street, and jogged upon
his homeward way.‘ I x 1 3 ‘ . v p . ‘
“Now, I wonder,”,he meditatedfas he :went along,
nursing his stick, “ whether it can‘ be, that Venus is set-
ting himself to get the better of XVegg‘Z Whether it can
be, that he means, when I. have bought VVegg out, to
have me all to himself and to pick me clean to the
bones!” .' .,.' I 1 ‘ l '.
.It was a cunning and suspicious idea; quite in the way
of his school of Misers, and he looked very cunning and
suspicious as he went jogging through the streets.“ More
than once or twice, more than twice or thrice, saylhalf a
dozen times, he took’ his stick from the arm‘ on which he
nursed it, and hit a straight sharp rap at the air with its
head. Possibly the wooden countenance I of Mr. Silas
Vvegg was ineorporeally before him at those .moments,
for he hitwith intense satistaction.' - ‘ , v: V
He was within a few streets of his own house, whenia
little private carriage, coming in the contrary direction,
passed him, turned round, andpassed him again. It was
a little carriageof eccentric movement, for again he
heard it stop behind him and turn round, and‘ again he
saw it pass him. ‘Then itstopped, and then went on,
out of sight. ’ But, not .far'out of'sight, for,‘ when.he
came to the corner of his own street, there it stood again.
There was a lady’:-i face at the window as he came . up
with this carria e, and he was passingit when the lady
Softly called to lgliin by his name.. i . I , - ’- v v I
" I beg your pardon, ma’am‘l ” said Mr. Botlin, coming
toastop. ‘. V x :,';’:.-
“It is Mrs. Lammle,”- said the lady. ' . . v -.'.v
Mr. Botiin went up tothe window, and hoped Mrs.
Lammle was well.‘ ‘ I ‘ . . u . , , .
“ Notvery ‘well,’ dear Mr. .BotIin ; I have fluttered my-
self by being-perhaps ‘foolishly-uneasy and ‘anxious.’
, .,r.
r rm '
‘ I have been waiting for you some time. Can I speak to
I .
yon?” i . p. I , M,
Mr. Bofiin proposed that Mrs. Lammle should drive on
‘to his house, a few hundred yards further.
“I .would rather not, Mr. Bollin, unless. vou‘ panicu;
larly wish it. v I feel’ the ditiiculty and: delicacy of :the
matter so much that I would rather avoid speaking to you
atiyonr own hoine. u You must think this very strange?”
Mr. Botlin said no, but meant yes. " i -,x M ,,
“It is because I am so grateful for the good opinion of
all my friends, and am so touched by it, that Icannot
bear to run tlie'risk of forfeiting:it inaany case, even‘in
the cause of duty.' 1 I have asked my. husband (my dear
Alfred, Mr. Bofiinywhethcrvit is the cause of duty’ and
he has most emphatically said Yes. I wish I had asked
him scooner. It would liavespared me‘ much distress.”
(“ an this be more dro in downu on me [’?t11o'u
Mr. Boflin, quite beivildei)t>Iil.)g . r ‘P 4 " - ; gm
' .“It was Alfred who sent ine:to: you,‘ Mr,’ Baffin, A1.
fred said, ‘Don’t come back, Soplironia, until you have
seen Mr.VBoflin,r and told himrall- VYhatever;he may
think of it, he ought certainly to know it.’ - VVould ‘you
mind coming into the carriage ?”r I " - . .'
Mr. Boflin answered,= ‘.‘ Not at all,’.’ and took his seat at
Mrs. Laminle’s side. .1 3 : 2 ‘ v I . < z
“ Drive slowly anywhere,” Mrs. Lammle called to her
coachman, “ and don’t let the carriage rattle.” -
“It must be more dropping down, Ithiiik,” said Mr.
Botlin to himself. “VVliat next?” I ' I . ,
UHA RLES1'BIOKENS%?. WORKS.
v relapse into the corrupting iintiuences of liiswealth, the
’ was as the daywent on that the clouds gathered, and the ‘
Venus, ithank’ee, V Venus l”-
e: ‘ yipfcnaprnn xv; j L
The Goldenubustman at his‘ lT'oret. >
; ,;;'>. .'I<.L>'x-.lfl'.."‘,.'i:' '
THE breakfast table at Mr. Bo[lin’s was usually a very
pleasant one, ‘and was always presided over by Bella. As
though he began cach,new day inthisxhealthy natural
character, and some waking hours were necessary to his
face and the demeanor of the Golden.Dustman were gen-
erally unclouded at that m'enl."::It would have been easy
to believe then, that’ there was no change in, him‘. It
brightness of therinorning became obscured. One might
have saidthat the shadows of avarice and distrust lengih- .
ened as his own shadow lengthened, and that the night :
closed around him gradually.i . .- z. :. up ,
But, one morning long afterwards to be remembered,
it was black midnight with the Golden'Dustnian when
he first appeared. . His altered character had never been ,
so grossly marked. His bearing vtowards his Secretary 1
was so charged with insolent distrust and arrogance, that ‘
the latter rose and left the tablebefore breakfast was
half done. The look‘ he directed at the Secretary's ret1r- 1
ing figurowasso cunningly malignant, .tliat:Bella.woultl I
have sat astounded and indignant, even though he had ,
not gone the length ofvsecretly threatening tliokesmith I
with his clenched fist as he closed the door. This unlucky :
morning, of all mornings in the year, was the morning > ‘
next after‘ Mr. Bollin’s. interview. with Mrs. Lammle in
her little carriage. I 1 3 . : . : : ii ..
: Bella looked to=Mrs. 'Bofiin’s face for comment on, or
explanation of, this stormy humour in her husband, but
none was there. ; An anxiouszanddistressed observatioll
of her own face was all she could readinit; W'lientl19)’
were left alone together-'which was not until noon, for
Mr. Boflin sat long in his easy-chair, by turns jogging UP
and down the breakfast-room, clenching his fist and mut-
tering-Bella, in consternation, asked her what bad hair
pened, what was wrong? f‘I ‘am forbidden to speak to
you about it, Bella dear ; I iniisn’t tell you,” was all the
answer she could get."zAnd still, whenever, in her won-
der and dismay, she raised her eyes to Mrs. Bofiiii's face,
she saw in it the same anxious and distressed observa-
tionofherown.1" . .‘ :. .. "I -.
Oppressed by her sense that trouble was impendlllgi
and lost in speculations why Mrs. Bofiin should look at
her as if she had anypart in'it, Bella foundithe daylong
and dreary. It was far‘on in the afternoonwlicn, Sh“
being in her own room, a servant brought her a message
from Mr. Botfin-begging her to come to his. W
Mrs. Boflin was there, seated on a sofa, and Mr. Boflin
was jogging up and down.’ On seeingvBella he stoplleflv
beckoned her to him, and drewzher arm through 1115-
"Don’t be alarmed mydear,” he said, gently; :“I 31,“
not angry with you. lVhy you uctiially.ti'eniblc'l D09‘
be alarmed, Bella, my dear. l’ll see you riwhted.’5I .
L “ See me righted? " thought Bella. 'And then reptljiltefl .
aloud in a tone of astonishment : “ see me ri htedy 5” l 3
“Ay, ay l” saidMr. Boilin. “ See you rig ted.. ‘ S‘-‘Dd
Mr. Rokesniith here, you sir.”‘- f ; - -‘ 5 " "
Bella would have been lost in perplexity if there had
been pause enough; but the servant found.Mr. Roke-
smith near at hand, and he almost immediately presented
himself. . ' -. vi"-ii '
'.“Shut the-door, sir l’.’ said Mr. Boilin. '<“I hfwe go‘
something to say to you which I fancy you will not 17‘?
Pleased tohear." . . 2 w '.'‘L 4 x '
..‘.‘ I am sorry to reply’, Ir. .Botlin,’i returned the Scored
tary, as, having closed the door, he turned. and X399
him, “that I think that very likely.” E ii ' i ' ‘ ,
':“ ‘Vhat do you mean ‘I ” blustcred Mr.''Bofiin. ’, ‘
-. “ I mean that it has become no novelty to me to.l10=11'
from your lips what I would rather notlicar.” . " r r
‘5 Oh I i Perhaps we shall change that,’,’ said 'Mr;'BoiEfl
with a threatening roll of his lieadm -zr: W‘ ' 3" ‘t
“I hope so,” returned, the Secretary.’ He was qiiie
and respectful ; but stood, as ‘Bella thougl1t'(3l1d' "3?
glad to think), on his manhood too.‘ ' .=' ‘ rt’ ’
1“-Now, sir," said Mr.-'BoiIin, “look at this )'0UH;,’ 1”.‘ y -7
r
onmyarm.”.: . , . . :i i. , "
Bella involuntarily raising her eyes, when this sudden
g‘,,....v..‘1’3“