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its ‘ GHARLESV prams’ WORKS.‘
the parlour-hearth, anduthe loud 1 watch in his. pocket
tickedaudibly.'." ’= -' W’ - , ,, 5 , ; vi-
:The servant-maid had-‘tickedythe two words “Mr.
Clenuam” so softly that she had-not been heard ;‘and
he cousequentlystood, withiuthe door. she had closed,
unnoticed. ; The figure of a man advanced in life, whose
smooth grey eyebrows seemed to move gtolthve ticking ‘as
the fire-light flickered on them, sat in an arm-chair, with
his list shoes on the rug, and his thumbs slowly revolv-
ing overone another. - This was old Christopher Casby
-recognisable at a glance-,-as ‘unchanged intwenty
years and upwards, as his own’ solid furni.ture--as.lit-
tle touched ;by the-influence of the varying seasons,
as the old rose-leaves and old lavender in his porcelain
jars.- Vv -'
Perhaps there never was a man, in this troublesome
world, so troublesome for the imagination to, picture as
9. boy. And yet he had, changed very little in his prog-
ress through life.‘ Confronting him, in the room in
which he sat, was a boy's portrait, which ‘anybody see-
ing him,wou1d have identified as Master,Christopher
Casby, aged ten; though disguised with a haymaking
rake, for which he had had, at any time, as, much’ taste
or use as for a diving-bell; and sitting (on ‘one of his
"own legs) upon a bank of violets, moved to .precocious
contemplation by the spire of a village church. There
was the same smooth face and forehead, the same calm
blue eye, the same placid air. ‘.‘The shiuingbald head,
which looked so very large because Jitshone so ‘much ;
and the long grey hair at its sides and back, like fioss
silk or spun glass, which looked so very benevolent be-
cause it was never cut; were not, of course, to be-seen
in the boy as in the old man. Nevertheless, in the Sera-
'phic creature with the haymaking-rake, were clearly to
be discernedvtlie rudiments of the Patriarch with the
listslioes.w ; ‘ ' ..
Pati-iarchwas the name which many, people delighted
to give him, Various old ladies in the neighbourhood
spoke of him as The Last of the Patriarchs. So grey, so
slow, so quiet, so iuipassionate, so very bumpy in the
head, Patriarch was the word for him. . He had been ac-
costed in the streets, andrespectfully solicited tobecome
a‘ Patriarch for painters and for sculptors : with so much
importunity, in sooth, that it would appear‘ to be beyond
the Fine Arts to rememberythc points of a Patriarch, or
to invent one. . Philanthropists of both sexes had asked
who he was, and on being’ informed, “ Old Christopher
Casby, formerly Town-agent to Lord Decimus Titc Bar-
nacle,” liad cried in a rapture of-disappointment, “ 011 1
why, with that head, is he not a benefactor to his spe-
cies! '0hl why,’ with that head, is hefnot a father to‘
the or him and a friend to the friendless I” VVith' that
head, iowever, he remained old Christopher Casby pro--
claimed by common report rich in house property: and
',with thatlhead, he now sat in his silent parlour.’ In-
deed it would be the height of unreason to expect him
,‘to be lsittiiigi there VVItI10l:1t‘t11D.i.h0a.(].. - f ‘ t
1 - Art iur ennam move to attract his att '
"the glgrley eyebrows dt:urned,t<()1xv(u]rds him.‘ - ,e.nh'0n' ‘ind
- " cg our ar on,” sai ennam,- "I ‘ -
:’not hear ide aniiounced‘Z” , - - - g 1:6-at ‘you did
- H." No, sir, I did not. . Did you wish to see me, sir? "
- “ I wished to pay my respects.” - . . l i
‘ Mr.‘ Casby seemed a feather’s weight disa int
the last words, having perhaps prepared 1ll!Ii)SI:l)f fgg rig
.visitor’s xnslningtu pay something else. ‘,“llavc Lure
pleasure, sir, he proceeded-“take a chair, if you
‘please--h'aV6 like I319-“5‘%T9 of knowing-'2 Alil truly
,yes, I think I have! I believol am not mistaken ix;
supposing thatl am acqluainted with those features? I
think I address 9- Ken‘ em”-“.05 .W1io.se return to this
,,country I was 1!1.f01Tm9d bx M1‘. 1:’1lnhVlnCh?"’ '
, , urplmg is your present visitor. . ' V
- “‘ Really 1 Mr. Clennam?’' ’ ‘
I “ No other, Mr. Casby.’’. ‘ ’- V t
“ Mr. Clennam. 1,?!“ 81941 to see you. , How have you
-been since we.met‘l .’ .- - ,‘ , ' ' V: .
' lVithout thinking it worth while to explain that in
“he course of some quarter of a century he had experi-
.cnced occasional slight guctuntitirlis in his health and
's?irit5..Cl9nnam answer“ gene“ 7 ma,‘ 119. 11a(1'ncver
been better, or something e‘l“““Y "0-the purpose; and
' - ;v. ,‘
shook hands with-the possessor.‘ of ".that;licaVd,” asit
' shed its patriarchal light upon him.
"‘ life are older,‘ Mr. Clenimm,” said Christoplier Casby.
“.' lVe' are-not younger,”‘ said Clciinam, "After this
wise remark he felt that he was ‘scarcely sliining with
brilliancy, and became aware that ho was nervous; ‘
“ And your respectedfather,” said: Mr.‘ Casnby, “is 110
morel . lavas grieved, to hear jlt,‘ Mr..Clcnuam," I was
griev'ed.’.'v 0. W” ‘ ‘ 5 3 ‘
" Arthur replied in the usual way that he felt ‘infinitely
obli ed to him. , I I. ;
“ here, was a tim'e,’7. said Mr. Casby, :.“ when Y0“
parents and myself were not onpfricndlyr terms. T1391?
wnsalittle family misunderstandingmnong us. lour
respected mother was rather jealous of her son, maybe;
when I say her son, I mean your worthy self,‘ your worth)’
self," ..I . ' . 1' " f - ‘
;His smooth face had abloom upon ‘it, like jr3P?, Wan‘
fruit. VVhat with his blooming face,‘ andgthat head, and
his blue eyes,‘ he seemed to be delivering sentiments of
rare wisdom and virtue. In‘ like manner, his -'pl1)‘SlOg-
noxnical expression seemed tolteam with benignity. ‘N0-
body could have said. where the wisdom‘was,’or Where
the virtuowas, or where tliebenignity was ;'h.ut,theya1l
seemed to bosomewhere aboutlhim. ' ‘
“Those times, however,” jpursued‘ Mr.” Cash)’: ‘ -are
past and gone, past and gone. "I do. mysclfvthe pl<;aS-
ure of making a visit ‘to your respected mother occasion-
ally, and of admiring the fortitude and strength 31’ mind
with which she hears her trials, bears her trials’. I .
' “’lien‘ he made one ofwthese little repetitions, .s1tt111,B'
with his hands crossed before him, he didH1t..WI11,1 1115
head on one side and n.‘ gentle ‘smile,’ as if he liad 501130‘
thing in his thoughts 100 sweetly profound to 11? Put 1”’
towords. As if he‘dcnicdhimself,thepleasurc of utter-
ing it, lest he should soar, too high; and meekness
therefore preferred to be unmei1riing." : “ ; ‘ u f
- ' “ I have heard that you were ‘kind enough 'on one'o
tlioso occasions,” said Arthur, catching at the opppX'tJJI11'Y
as it drifted past him, “to mention Little,.:Dorr1t t0 ml’
1:nother.’’’ ‘ " . “ " ‘ '
-‘ “Little-4? Dorrit?’ That’s the seamstress W1l0‘W35
mentioned to me bya small tenant.of mine?’ Yes; 795'
'Dorrit‘l ’l‘hat’s the name. ’‘ Ah, yes, yes I “1,,Q11‘“.a“ her
Little Dorrit?” “ ’ ‘ :‘v V :" ‘ .' ,’
No road in that direction. . Nothing came ofthe cross-
'cut. It led no further.‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ 1 ‘ ” " ‘T, . '
.--My duugliter Flora,” said‘ ltIr.’Casby‘,‘"35 Y9“ WY
have heard probably, Mr.‘ Clennum, was married‘m1$1 95‘
tablished in life,’sevcral‘yearsagoj Slle'11IJ.‘(1“:iCh0“lIf15'
fortune tolose her husband when slic'liad.hecn':.i11,=i.l'1'19d
a few inontlis. ‘ She resides with‘me again. ' Shc‘will be
glad to see you, if you will permit. me. to let'licI.1iD0“’
that you are here.” ' ’ ‘ " V .'
' “ By, all mcans,”'rcturncd Clennam.’ ' .“ I’S,l,1,<>111d'1".“'.e
preferred the request, if ‘your kindness had '99? “nucl-
pated me.”. i . ; 1 ‘ ' ' , i ‘ 7 . d
Upon ,this; ,Mr. Casby rose upinpliis lisytysllvocs. P”
with a slow, heavy stop (he was’ of an 'elcph‘antinc build):
made for the door.‘ He had a long wide-sl:irtet.1.'1,3‘3m0'
green coat on, ands. bottle-green pair of trowscrs. and 3
. bottle-green ‘waistcoat; The Patriarchs wero.n'ot dressed
in ‘bottle-green broadcloth,‘and yethis ‘clothes .l991$9d
patriarcliiil; ' ' ‘ ’ ', ,
He had scarcely left the room, and allowed ‘the. t10,1"
ing to become audible again,’when a quick,‘ hand till“?
a latchkcy in the house-door,'opened it, andjgslxut 1‘;
Immediately "afterwards, ‘a quick and eager‘, sli0X't,'df“1‘
man came into the‘ room with so.‘ much xvayjupqn 1.1”“
tltiat he was within ‘a foot of Clennambefolro h ',G0“m
SOP ur’ . - . " ’:‘,‘:'i I; i ,
.f‘HalloaI”he’said. '. " J" " . ‘
Clennam saw. no reason why he should ‘not ;say ‘I H31‘
loalntoo--I - ’ . I. ' .. ;.. ‘
“ “'hat’s the matter?” said the short dark man". .. "
. “I have not heard that anythino‘ is the',mattQ1'." I9‘
turned Clennam. " ‘ T '- ""3 ':
“.Wliere’s Mr. Casby?” asked the dark short"I11,“.“'
looking about. "' ‘ . ’ ;" "‘ ‘I '
V “ He will be here directly, if you want him.”’ ‘
. “Iwunt him ? ’.’ said the short dark man.” D011”? Ti?”
This elicited a word or twoof explanation from‘ Clone
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