Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
.i--em--A-es
960
‘of which the‘ elderly farmer with the comic son always
knows what the dumb-girl means when she takes refuge
iD,khlS garden, and relates her personal V!I18II10ll‘S‘lIl ‘Ill-
‘comprelicnsible pantomime..‘- 'But’ without stopping to
make any inquiry on this point, Martin Chuzzlewit signed
to his young companion to‘ witlidraw; Wl.1lcl-l“Sl1e.‘1m1l1(’-
diately did, along with the-landlady: leaving, him and
Mr. Pecksniii alone together. I For some time theylooked
at each other in silence ; or rather ‘the'old man looked at
Mr. Peeksniff, and Mr. ;Pecl:snifI, again ‘closing his eyes
on all outward objects, took. an ipward survey ofvliisown
brea'st.s That it amply repaid himrfor his -trouble, and
affordedadelicious and enchanting prospect,‘ ‘V3-5‘.C1‘?9J'
from the expression of his face.< ." ' ‘ v ‘ ”- ’
"You wish me to speak to you as to a total stranger,
id tll80ldlI13.n,'"d0 ou‘l”'- w ' ‘ ‘ i t
S‘:-‘Air; Pecksniii replied),"by, a shrug of his shoulders and
an apparent turnincr round of his eyes -in their sockets
before he opened t era, that he was stillpreducved to the
necessity of entertaining that desire. - . ‘ I“ V‘ - '
' “You shall be gratified,” said Martin. “ bir, I am a
rich man. " Not so rich ‘as some suppose, perhaps,’ but
yet wealthy. I am‘ not ‘a miser,‘ sir, though even-that
charge is made against me, as I hear, and; currently be-
lieved. - I have no,‘pleasure rin’-lioarding. 1, I have no
pleasure in the possession of money. , The devil that we
call by that name can ive ‘inc nothing but unhappiness.”
‘ Jlt would be no description of Mr. Pecksniffs gentle-
ness of manner, to adopt the common parlance, and say,
that he looked at this moment as if‘ butter wouldn't melt
in his mouth. He ratherlooked as ifiany ’quantity‘of
butter might have beenmade out of him, by churning
the milk of human kindness, as it spouted upwards from
his heart. - ' i A ‘. - i i .
“For the same reason‘. that I am not’ a boarder of
money,” said the old man, “ I am not lavish of it. - Some
people find their gratification in storingit up ; and others
theirs in parting with it ;-but I have no gratification’ con-
nected with the thing. Pain and bitterness are the only
goods it ever could procure for me. -I hatevit. Itais a
spectre walking before me through the world, and mak-
ing every social pleasure hideous.” - 37 i i '
‘A thought arose in Mr. Pecksnii‘1"sv mind, which must
have ‘instantly mounted to his face, or Martin Chuzz1e-
wit.would not havdresumed as quickly, and as sternly
,,,31,edi(1.: ;. -. .
v “ You would advise me,‘ for my peace -of mind,‘ to get
rid of this source of misery, and transfer it to some?one
who'could bear it,better.- Even you,‘ p8l‘Il11[)S,'“'0lll(I
rid me of a burden under which I suffer. so gricvously.
But, kind stranger,” said the ‘old man, whose every fea-
ture darkenedas he spoke, “good‘Christian stranger,
that is a main part of my trouble. -I In other. hands, I
have known money to do good: in other hands Iliave
known ittriumphed in, andboasted of with? reason‘, as
the'master-key to all-the brazen gates that close ,upon
the paths to worldly honour,’ fortune, and enjoyment.-
To what man or woman :- to what worthy, honest, incor-
ruptible creature ; shall I confide such a talisman, either
now or'when I die?VDo you know any‘such"person‘l
Your virtues are of course inestimable, but can you tell
me of any other living creature who will bearfthe test
of contact with myself 1” . ’- ‘i . .
“Of contact with yourself,‘ sir?” iechoedalifr. ‘Peck-
snimri . . ' p . g -V . ,’I , .-
' " y,” returnedithe old man,,“the test of contact with
me’-with me. You have heard of him -whose misery
(the gratification of hislown foolish wish) wa's‘,[tliat he
turned everything he touched to gold.’ The curse of my
existence, and therealisation of my own mad desirehis
that by the golden standard which I hear about me, I
am doomed to try the metal of all other men; and find it
false and hollow." ' " s ' W - -
‘ "Mr. Pecksniff shook hishcad, and said. " You think so.’f
y"0b yes," cried the old man, “I think soland in
your telling me ‘-‘I' think so,’ I recognise the trne-un-
worldly ring of your metal.’ I tell you, man," he added
with increasing bitterness,“ that I have gone,’ 0.‘i'lCl.l
.man; among pcoplo;of all grades and kinds; relatives,
I
friends, an strangers : 'amongvpeople’in'whom, when I
was poor, I had confidence, and justly, for they never
once‘ deceived me then. or, to me, wronged each other.
CHARLES , DI OKENS ’ ' WORKS.
But I have never found one nature, no,’ not one’, in which,
being wealthy and alone, 1 was not forced to detect the
latent corruption that lay hid within it, waiting iforgsulch
as I to bring it forth.‘ Treachery, deceit,’ and low design ;
hatred of competitors real or fancied‘, ‘foiymy favour‘?
meanness, -falsehood, basenessjand servility ;for,-'7 and
here he lookedzclosely in his cousin’s eyes,'V-“or ‘an as-
sumptionitof :honest independence, .a1most‘,wors(-: than
all ; these are the beauties rwhich‘ my wealthlias brought
to light. .Brother against brother, child against parent,’
friendstreading on the faces of friends, this ‘is the
social company by‘whoin.myr' way.-has.‘ been attended.‘
Thefe are stories told-they may be true’ or'f'alse"-of
rich men, who,>in' the garbrof poverty, have fS)1IDd’O11t
virtue audrewarrled it.“ -They ivereidoltsj and idiots for
their pains. - -They should have made the search in their
own characters. , They should have shown themselves fit
objects to be robbed and preycd upon and plotted against;
and adulated by any knaves, who, ‘but for j0)’1'W0“ld
have spat upon their coffins when they died tlieirdupes;
and then‘ their search -would have ended as-mine this
done, and they wouldibe what I am,” ‘v ‘
-:-Mr. Pecksniff not at all knowing what it might be best
to say,,in the momentary pause which ensued“upv0n‘
these remarks, made an elaborate demonstration of, iii-
tending = to-'del'iv'er soinething‘ very or'acnlar- indeed :
trustin to the certainty of the old man interrupingllllllr
before e [should utter a WOI(I.:" Nor was he'mistaken’.'
for Martin Chuzzlewit having taken breath, went on to
" " . ‘MR .r“‘f"i”
' -,: z mfg‘ rm‘
say:v-- . -I
i “ Hear ‘me to an ‘end ;judge what profit you !1I'C‘lll(G
to gain from any repetition of this visit ;‘andvle-ave Itrlcy
l have so corrupted and changed thenature of all those
7 who have-ever attended on me,’by breeding avaricious
plots and hopes within -tliem ; I‘ have engendered s‘uch<
domestic strife and discordjby tarrying even with mem-
hers ofvmy own family ;.I haveibeen such I). lighted torch
in peaceful homes, kindling up allgthe inflammable gases
and vapours in their nioralatmosphere, which,"but' for
me, might have proved harmless to the end ; that I have: '
I may say, fied from all who knew me, and taking refugfi-‘
in secret places. have lived, 0f'lat6,‘tll8']lf8 ofvono iv o’,
is liaunteil.-v The young-'girl.whom you just‘ now saw-:
what ! your e e lightens when I talk of her‘! 3You hate’
her already, 0 you l” v " I I. : :. 5.
' -." Uponmy word,‘ sir l’-’ said Mr; Pecksniif,‘laying 1113'
hand upon his breast, and dropping his eyelids‘. K‘ S’'.. “ ’
" “ I forgot,” cried the old man, looking at ,IllIl14Wll1l 11
keenness -whicli the other seemed to 'fe0l,'nlillO11gll'I19v
did not raise his eyes 150 as to’seo it: " I ask your P31’-
don. -I forgot you were atstraiiger.’ ‘FOl',tl)6-.]il0I11enl3‘
you reminded me of one Peclrsniff, ll cousin of mine. A3
I wasvsaying-the young girl whom you just now saw.’
is an orphan child, WllOIXl,"tVli.ll ‘one steadyv‘purp0,S0,‘I,'
have bred and: educated, or, if ‘you prefer, the W0l'<1:,
adopted. I For a year or‘ more she has been my constant" ‘
companion, and sheyis my only one. I have takcnrils‘
she knows, a solemn catli never to leave -her, sixpenco.
when I die, but while I live, I make her an annual allow-i
ancef: not extravagant in its amount and yetnot stinted.y.
There is a compactbetween us that no term of afIection-’
ate cajolery shall ever be addressed byeither to the other, '
but that she shall call me always by my Cliristian ui1111'9 3'.‘
I her, by hers. She is bound to mepin life by ties of in-
i terest, and losing'by my deathfandihaving-no expecta-v
tion disappointed, will mourn‘ it’, perhaps :’ though for .
This is the only kind of friend I‘have.'
that I care little. ,
or will have. 1 Judge from such premises what D. profit-
able hour you have spent in comingliere, and leave me 1
to return no more.'’g ‘ LN - "'5 ‘ ’i'‘''''
4 With these words, the old man feli slowly back .1199",
his pillow. "Mr.'Pecksnif‘r"as slowly rose, and: ‘V“h:f
prefatory hem, began as follows :1 i ' I " ‘ , '. '
3 "Mr. Chuzzlewit.'-’vv- 3' . '3‘. ' V 3 ' ‘ '. ‘
1 “There. -Gol”’interposed-.the>others V-“Enougl?gl‘f’!f'.
this. lam weary of you.” W‘ ' ’ ’ ‘ “
"because I have a duty to discliar e,‘from whicli; ."
pend‘ upon it, I shall not shrink.
shrink." - W ‘-= ‘mwvl "‘ ' ‘ '
I
' 5 It’ is ‘a lamentable fact,’ tliat-as Pccksnifi
erect beside the bed, in all the dignity of Goodness, 813
“I am sorry for that, sir,i’Mrejoined-Itir; -I’Ae'cksniiIr'.
.0’ sin, 1‘ shall [not
-1 1 '. . ' 7+ -- i r