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' gladiators and.Belvederas though Mr. F himself did not
‘ images'could not be true there being no medium between
. I clouded now and all is ovcr.”-
‘-out, leaving Clennam under dreadful apprehensions of
.' though prejudiced lady from whom it emanated, in the
I -ering with hostility. “Take tliat.” ‘ '
v ’ accepted the boon with a look of gratitude, and held it
,.cliap to eat it l”.aiid,1comi,ng out of her cliairfshook her
-surface. But for the timely return of Flora, to find him
- surprise, but congratulatingtlie old lady in an approving
.manner on being “ very lively to‘-night,” V handed her
V -back to her chair. - ‘ . i '
' relation, on being resented.
. morsel. Drat him, give him a meal of chnil 1"
mice with‘,them most‘ humane, and she really in that
favoured land with nothing but blue about her and dying
believe for his objection .when,in spirits was that the
expensive quantities. of linen badly got up and all 111
creases iind none whatever, which certainly does not seem
probable though perhaps in ’consequence'of”the extremes
of rich and poor whichmay account for it. . . ' i
= Arthur tried to edge a'word in,.but Flora hurried on
govglllfenice Preserved,too,”'sai(1 S119. "1 “link 3'0“'1““.'9
been there is it well or ill. preserved for people differ so
and Maccaroni if they really eat it like the congurers why
not cut it shorter, you are acquainted Arthur-dear Doyce
and Clennam at least "not ‘dear and most’assuredly not
Doyce for I l.iave'not the pleasure but pray excuse me’-
acquainted I believe with Mantua what has .it got to do
with Mantua-making for I never.have been able to con-.
ceive.” - - I
“ I believe there is no connection, Flora, between the
two,” Arthur was beginning, when she caught him up
ain. - V - ' ‘- , '
ag“ Upon your word no isn’t there I never did but that’s
like me I run away with an .idea and having none to
spare I keep it. alas there was a time dear Arthur that
is to say. decidedly not‘ dear nor Arthur neither but
you understand me when one bright idea.‘ gilded the
wliat’s-liis-name‘ horizon of et cetera but it is ‘darkly
-Arthur’s increasing wish to speak of something very
different was by this time so plainly written on his face,
that Flora stopped in a tender look, and asked him what
it was? . . , . ' ' ’ 7 ,
“I have the greatest desire, Flora, to speak to some
one who is.now in this house--with'Mr. Casby no doubt.
Some one whom I sawcomc in, and who, in a misguided
and deplorablesway, has deserted the house of a friend
of mine." V. '- . - . C s ‘r - ,
, ‘? Papa sees so many. and such odd people,” said Flora,
rising,.‘.‘ that I shouldn’t venture to go down for any one
but‘ you Arthur but for you I would willingly go down
in a diving-bellinuch more a dining-room and will come
ibackdirectly if you'll mind and at'the same time not
mind Mr. F’s Aunt while‘ I'm gone." ’ r ' . .
. With those words and ii parting glance, Flora hustled
his terrible charge. i r .
The first variation which manifested itself in ‘Mr. F’s
Aunt’s demeanour when she had finished her piece of
‘toast, was a loud and prolonged sniiI. Finding it impos-
:sible to avoid construing this demonstration intora defi-
.ancevof himself, its gloomy significance being unmis-
takealile,.Clennam-looked plaintively. at the excellent
hope that she might be disarmed by a meek submission.
“ None of your eyes at me,” said -Mr. F's Aunt, sliiv-
“ That” was the crust of the piece of toast. Cleniiani
in his hand under the pressure of a little embarrassment,
which was not relieved wheniMr.IF.’s Aunt, elevating
her voice into a cry of considerable power, exclaime
“He has a proud stomach, this chap l, He's too proud a,
venerable fist so very close to his nose ‘as to tickle the
in tliis.ditiicult .situation," further consequences"migl1't
have ensued. . Flora, without the least discomposiire or
“He has a proud stomach, this chap,” said Mr. F’s
“Give him a meal of
-chaiil” I . ..
“ Oh! I don’t think he would like that, aunt,”.re-
‘turned Flora. . = . . i v 3 '
“ Give him a meal of chaff, I tell you,” said Mr. F's
Aunt, glaring round Flora on her enemy.. “,It's the only
thing for a proud stomach. Let-him eat it npevery
Under a general pretence oflielping him to this re-
OHARLES ‘DICKENS’ ‘WORKS.
freshment; Flora’ got him -out‘ on the staircase ; Mr. .F“.<:
Aunt even then constantly reiterating. with inexpressiblo
bitternesspthat ‘he was i“ a chap,”,.and',liii<l “ :1 proud
stomach,’’' and over-and [over again: insisting oiithat
equine provision being made ‘for lliin, which she had al-
ready so strongly prescribed. " ‘ ' ‘7 -‘ K " ' ‘
“ Such an inconvenient staircase and so many corner-
stairs Arthur,” whispered Flora, "‘ would yoiiobject to
puttin your arm round me under.mygpeleri'ne? -‘g .
'VVit a sense of going‘ d0VV11-Slal)'.S in a-highly Tldmf‘
lous manner, Clennamidescended in the‘required atti-
tude, and only released"his fair burden at the dining-
room door; indeedjevenv there she was rather difhcult
to get rid of,‘ remaining in his embrace to murr’i,iI11‘.
“Arthur, for mercy’s sake don’t breathe it to papa l
.She'acccmpanied Arthur into the room, where the Pa-
triarch"sat ‘alone, with his list ‘ shoes‘ on ‘ the fender;
.twirling his thumbs as if he had never lettgoffi The
youthful Patriarchgaged ten, lookedout‘ of his,p10tl1T9-
frame above him, with no Cilllrlt-3l','8.ll"lI121n‘>ll.e.. B0111
smooth heads were alike beaming,‘ blunderlngy and
bumpy. , -. , ,. . ‘
. “Mr. Clennam, I am glad to see you. A hope Y0“ “'9
well, sir, I hope you are well.‘ Please to sit downpplease
tositdown.” ". 5 ‘ i . . " ’ g
' “.1 had hoped, sir,” said Clennam, doing so, and 100]“
ing round with a face of blank disappointment, ;“ not 10
findyoualone.” '.' .' "; . " ’-‘ ’”
“Ali, indeed?” saidtlie Patriarch, sweetly. A All-
iiideed‘2’’ ‘' 4 .
“I told you so you know papa,” cried Flora.‘ ‘ -
“All: to be sure !” returned the ‘Patriarchf ffYe5. '
just so.’ Ah, to be sure I’’ - 7“ ’ " . ",‘ .
‘ “ Pray, sir," demanded Clennain, anxiously, I‘ is Miss
VVade gone?” [ '.‘ - "i '," " ”
“Miss --?‘ Oh, you call her “fade,” returned M"
Cnsby. ‘.‘ Highly proper.” ' ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ :‘ ‘- ' ' ‘ ,,
Arthur quickly returned, “ VVhat do you calliher’?
“ ‘Vade,” said Mr. Casbv. “ Oh, always W'adc. ‘ h
After looking at thepliilagtliropic visage; and 191!
long silky white hair for a few seconds,-during W111“, f
Mr. Casbytwirled his thumbs, and smiled at the fire iishl
he were benevolentlyfwishing it to burn him that 9
might forgive it,‘Arthur began : , " ' “’ V '
“I beg your pardon, Mr. Casby-” " ' , ‘ ,”
' “ Not so, not so,” said the Patriarch, “ notiso-
“ -But, Miss VVade had an attendant with lierwi‘
young woman brought up by friends of mine, over wliop;
heninfluence is not considered very‘ salutafi’; ‘"‘,d.
whom I should be glad to have the opportunit of E-'1V‘“5t'
the assurance that she has not yet forfeited t e interes
of those protectors.”,’ I v‘ ’ ’ ‘ . ‘ i ‘ "
. “ Really, really?” returned the Patriarcli; d‘
“ Will you therefore be so good as to give mefhe "'
dress of Miss “Hide?” ' - u ‘
“Dear, dear, dear !’.‘ said the Patriarch, “h0W V1‘?
unfortunate 1, If you had only sent in to me when 1 1m)’
were here I I observed the young woman, Mr; Clem“. ,1;
A fine full-coloured young woman, Mr. C1833”-mr T“
very dark hair and very dark eyes. pIf I mistake 110 t
I mistake not‘? ” . ’ " ’ " ' es,
Arthur assented, and said once more with i1eW 9397“ ,
sion, “ f you will he so good as to give me the
dress.” ‘ . ' . .' ' ",-
“ Dear, dear, dear I’? exclaimed the Patriarch 19 Sweet
regret. f‘.Tut, tut, tut I .what apity, what a pity
have no address, sir. ‘Miss, lVade,mostly lives nb1'0"' '
and '5 9
Mr. Clennam. She has done so for some ears, mful
is (if I maysay so of a fellow creature an a‘111dY)- sea
and uncertain to affault, Mr. Clennam.” 11111‘? “my be,
her agaii; for u long, long time.‘ I may 1169’ 59‘? x
nain. Vliata it whata it 1”" " " " .
gClennain saw, I1)1oi):".' that hethall as much h9PeV0l"lfl:'l.
tin assistance out of the,Portrait as'out of the p
are i; but he said nevertheless: . ‘ . . , the
. “Mr. Casby, could you, for the satisfaction :2 n 0
friends I havementioned, and under any‘ obllgi 10 Se,
secresy that you may consider it ‘your d1lfY'l" 113:0 I
give me any information at all touching Miss ‘V11 e u
have seen her abroad, and I have seen her at 1101“ gem,‘
I know nothing of her. Could you give 1119 9-“Y,”’? 5 .
of her whatever?" " ' , : -