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' leaves here.
LITTLE Doieierzze
, ."Is your place there to be left alone?” asked Clenuam.
" You exactly hit it,” returned Ferdinand. “ It is
there with the express intention that everythin shall
be left alone. That is what it means.
for. No doubt there’s a certain form to be kept‘ up that
it’s for something else, but it’s onlyaform. VVhy, good
Heaven, we are nothing but forms I Think what a lot
of our forms you have gone through. , And you have
never got any nearer to an end?" ,
“ Never I ” said Clennam. V
“ Look at it from the right point of view, and there
you have us--otiicial and effectual. It’s like a limited
ame of cricket. A field of outsiders are always going
it to bowl at the Public Service, and we block the balls.”
Clennam asked what became . of the bowlers? The
airy Young Barnacle replied that they grewftired, got
dead beat, got lame, got their backsgbroken, died off,
gave it up, went in for other games. . .. r '
“ And this occasions me to congratulate myself again,”
he pursued, “ on the circumstance that our place has
had nothing to do with your. temporary, retirement. It
very easily might have had a hand in it ; because it is
undeniable that we are sometimes a most unlucky place,‘
in our effects upon people who willrnot leave us alone.
Mr. Clennani, I am quite unreserved with you. As be-
tween yourself and myself; I know I may be. I was so,
when I first saw you making the mistake of not leaving
us alone; because I perceived that you were inexperi-
enced and sanguine, and had-I hope you’ll not object
to my saying-some simplicity?” . . . , z . ; u
“ Not at all.” v . . -
. "Some simplicity, Therefore Igfelt what a- pitytit
was, and I went out ,of.my way to hint to you (which
really was not official, but I never am oflicial when I can
help it), something to the effect that if'I were‘ you, I
wouldn’t bother myself. However, you did bother your-
self, and you have since bothered yourself; Now, don’t
do it any more.” ‘ m
' "I am not likely to have the opportunity," said Clon-
nani. . I ' . - -
“ Oh yes, you are! You'll’ leave here. Everybody
There are no ends of ways of leaving
here. ‘ Now, don’t come back to us. . That cntreaty is the
second ob'ect of my. call. Pray, don’t come back to us.
Upon my iionour,” said Ferdinand, in a very friendly and
conlidiug way,,“I shall be greatly vexed if you don’t
take warning by the past and keep away from us."
“And the invention?” said Clennam. . . . . ' -
“ My good fellow,” returned Ferdinand, ,“ if you’ll
excuse the freedom of that form ‘of address, nobody
wants to know of the invention, and nobody cares ‘two-
pence-halfpenny about it.” ‘ - . I .
“ Nobody in the Ollice, that is to say?” , i ; -
“Nor out of it. Everybody, is ready. to dislike and
ridicule any invention. You have no idea how many
people want to be left alone. You have no idea ‘how the
Genius of the country (overlook the Parliamentary nature
of the phrase, and don’t be bored by it) tends to being
left alone. Believe me, Mr. Clennam,” said the spright-
ly young Barnacle, in his pleasantest xnanner,.- “our
place is. not a" wicked Giant, to be charged at full tilt ;
but, only a windmill showing you, as it grinds immense
quantities of chaif, which way the country wind blows.”
“If I could believe that,” said Clennam, “it would
be a dismal prospect for all of us.” . , - .. .
,‘‘Oh I Don’t say so I” returned Ferdinand. “ It's all
right. iVe must have humbug, we all like humbug,-,we
Couldn't get on without humbug. A little humbug, and
fl groove, and everything goes on admirably, if you leave
it alone.” - .
Witlrtliis hopeful confessionof his faith as the head
Of the rising Barnacles, who were born of woman, to be
followed under a variety of watcliwords which they ut-
terly repudiated and disbelieved, Ferdinand rose. Noth-
ing could be more agreeable than his frank and courteous
bearing, or adapted with a more gentlemanly instinct to
the circumstances of his visit. v .
“ Is it fair to ask,” he said, as Cleiinam gave him his
hand with a real feeling of thankfulness for his candour
,‘“1d good humour, “ whether it is true that our late
lamented Merdlo is the cause of this passing inconveni-
ence? ” ' . . '
That is w at it's" .
‘ i ' 4.
.923
" I am one of the many he has ruined. Yes.”
“He must have been an exceedingly clever fellow,”
said Ferdinand Barnacle. ‘
Arthur, not being in a mood to extol the memory of
the deceased, was silent. '- .
“. A consummate rascal of course,” said Ferdinand,
“ but remarkably clever I One cannot vlielp admiring
the fellow. Must have been such a master of humbug.
Knewgpeople so well-got over them so completely-did
so much with them !” I
I In his easy way, he was really moved to genuine ad-
miration. ‘ v ' ‘
“I hope," said Arthur, “ that -he and his dupes may
be a warning to people not to have so much done with
them again.”
“ My dear Mr. Clennam,” returned Ferdinand, laugh-
ing, “have .you really such’ a verdant hope? The next
man who has as large a capacity and-as genuine’ a taste for
swindling,-will succeed as well. V Pardon me, but I think
you really have no idea how the human bees will swarm
to the beating of any old tin kettle ; in that fact lies the
complete manual of governing them. ‘Wren they can
be gotwto believe that the kettle. is made of the precious
metals,” in that fact. lies the whole power of men like our
late lamented. No doubt there are here and there,” said
Ferdinand politely, "‘ exceptional cases, wliero people
have been taken in for what appeared to them to be much
better reasons, and I need not go far to find such acase ;
but, they don’t invalidate the rule. Good day l. I hope
I that when I have thepleasure of seeing you next, this
passing cloud willliave given place to sunshine. Don’t
come a step beyond the door.‘ I know the way out per-
fectly. Good day I” ' v ' ’ - .
. -W'ith thosewords, the best and brightest of the Barna-
cles went down-stairs, hummed his way. through the
Lodge, mounted his horse in the front court-yard, and
rode off to keep an appointment with his noble kinsman :
who wanted, a. little-coaching before he could triumph-'
antly answer certain infidel<Snobs, who were going to
question the Nobs about their stateinanship. ,
He must have passed Mr. Rugg on his way out, for, a
minute or two afterwards, that ruddy-lieaded gentleman
shone in at the door, like an elderly Plioebus. ,
“ How‘do you do to-day, sir?” said Mr. Rugg.
there any little thing I can do for you to-day, sir? ”
“ No, I thank you.’.’ w '
Mr. Rugg’s enjoyment of embarrassed ' affairs was
like a house-kceper’s enjoyment in pickling and preserv-
ing, or a washer-woman’s enjoyment of a heavy wash, or
adustman’s enjoyment of an overflowing dust binn, or
any other
business. r
“I still look round from time to time, sir,” said Mr.
Rugs, cheerfully, “ to see whether any lingering Detnin- V
ers are accumulating atthe gate. They have fallen in
pretty thick, sir ; as thick as we could have expected."
I Ho remarked upon the circumstance as if it were mat-
ter of congratulation: rubbing his hands briskly, and
rolling his head a little. ’ t ' -
- “ As thick," repeated Mr.iRugg. “ as we could reason;
ably have expected. Quite a shower-bath of ’em. I
donit often intrude upon you, now. when I look round,
because I know;you are not inclined for company, and
that if ‘on wished to see me, you would leave word in
the L0 ge. But ‘I am here pretty well every day, sir.
VVould this bean unseasonable time, sir,” asked Mr.
Rugg coaxingly “ for me to offer an observation?”
“ As seasonablie a time as any other.” ' ,
“Hum! Public opinion, sir,” said Mr. Rugg, “has
beenlbiusy with you. ”’ . r
“ on’t doubt it.’ .
“ Might it not be advisable, sir,” said Mr. Rugg, more
coaxingly yet, “now to make, at last and after all, a
trifling concession to public opinion? V‘ c all do it in one
way or another. The fact is, we must do it.” ' V
,, , ‘ . ,. . .
.1 cannot set myself right “ltll -Ii, Mr.”Rugg, and
have no business to expect that I ci e. shall.
“ Don’t say that, sir, don’t say that. The cost of be- i
ing moved to the Benclris almost insignificant, and if
the general feeling is strong that you ought to be there,
why-really-.” . . . ' .
"‘ I thought you had settled, Mr. Rugg,f’ said Arthur,
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professional enjoyment of a mess in the way of.
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