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1080.
. .‘f I don’t think it’s right,”. said the poor weak invalid.
"I feel as if I was in somebody else’s clothes. I’m all
onsone side-; and y0u'V'8,II13.d6'0l1B of any legs shorter
than the other. 'I‘here’s a bottle in‘ my pocket too.
lVhat do you make me sit upon a bottle for '2" " .. .
“. Deuce take the inan!" cried Mrs. Gamp, drawing it
forth. “ If he hain’t been and got my night-bottle here.
I made a little cupboard of his coat when it hung behind
the door, and quite forgot it,vBetsey. ‘ You'll find a ingun
or two, and a little tea andsugar in“ his t'other pocket,
my dear, if you'll jest be good enough to take ’em Out.”
Betsey produced the -property in question. together
with some other articles of general cliandlery ; and Mrs.
Gamp transferred them to her own pocket, which was a
species of nankeen pannier.‘ Refreshment then arrived
in the form of chops and strong ale, for the ladies, and a
basin of beef-tea for the patient; which refiection was
barely atan end when John VVestlock appeared. '
. “ Up and dressed !” cried John, sitting down beside
him. “That’s brave. “How do you feel?” . '
-“Much better. But very wea .” ' ’ 3
If ‘i No wonder.. You-have had a hard bout of it. But
country air, and change of scene,” said John, “ will
make another man of you l - ‘ VVhy, Mrs. Gamp,” he
added, laughing, as he kindly arranged . the sick maifs
-gdtrments, “ you have odd notions of a gentlcman’s
dress!” ,, - . ‘ I ’ '
“ Mr. Lewsome am‘. a easy gent to get into his clothes,
sir,” Mrs. Gamp replied with dignity ; “ as me and Betsy
Pi-lg can certify afore the Lord Mayor and Uncommon
Counsellors, if needful !”‘; ,' V 2 ‘ W V
.‘John was at that moment standingclose in front of
the sick man, in the actpof releasing him from the tor- ’
ture of the collars before mentioned, when he said in a
whisper : ' V ’ ,- . a
“Mr. VVestlockl I don’t’wish‘ to be overheard.‘ I
have something veryparticular and-strange to'say to
you ; something that has been a dreadful weight on my
mind, through this long illness.” ' V ' '
Quick in all his motions, John was turning round to
desire the‘women to leave the room : when the sick man
held him byvthe sleeve. , , , ' ‘ g , -‘
3 ‘ "Not now. I’ve not the strength. I've not the cour-
,x age. May Iptell you when.I have‘? May I write it, if I
find that easier and better‘2n . . 4 .
m;:;1“1,‘f)' 5'01! !” cried John. “>Why, Lewsome, what is
“Don’t ask me what it is. It’s unnaturaland cruel
Frightful to think of. Frightful to tell. ‘Frightfu1 .5
know. Frightful to have helped in. Let me kiss your
hand for all your goodness to ,me. Be kinder still and
don't ask me what it is l” -‘ , V - 7
At first, John gazed at him, in great surprise ' but re-
meinberiiig how very much reduced he was and, how re-
cently his brain had been on fire with fever believed
that he was labouring under some imaginary iionm. 0,.
despondent fancy. For fartlierinformataion on this point
he took an opportunity of i drawing’Mrs. Gamp aside’
while Betsey Prig waswrappiiig him in cloaks and shawls’
ariddasked her whether he was quite collected in big
mm . -
“Oh bless you, no I” said Mrs. Gamp. ‘ " He hates his
nurses. to this hour. .'l‘liey always"does it, sir. It's a
certain sign. If you could have heerd the dear soul 3,
lindin’ fault with me and'Betsey Prig, not half an imm-
. ago, you would have wondered how it is we don’t get
, fretted to the touib.” ‘
This almost confirmed .lohn in his suspicion; so not
taking what had passed into any serious account 11,5 re.
sumed his former cheerful manner, and assisted by
M113. Gamp and Betsey Prig, conducted Lewsome down-
stairs to the coach : Just then upon the point of startinrr.
Poll Sweedlcpipe was at the door with his arms tight
folded’ and his eyes wide open, and looked on with
absorbing interest, while the sick man was slowly moved
into-the vehicle. His bony hands and haggard face im-
pressed Poll wonderfully; and he informed Mr. Bailey,
in confidence, that ho.wouldn’t have missed seeing him
for’a pound. Mr. Bailey, who was of a different consti-
tution, remarked, that he would have staid away for live
shillings. V . - i . 1 ; . '
It was a troublesome matter to adjust Mrs. Gainp’s
CHARLES-f DIUKEJVS’ ‘WORKS.
luggage to her satisfaction ; for every package belonging
to that lady had the inconvenient property of requiring
to be putin a boot by‘ itself, and to ‘have no other lug-
gage near it, on pain of actions ‘at law for heavy dam-
ages against the proprietors of the coach. The umbrella
with the circular patch was particularly hard to be got
rid of, andseveral timesithrust out‘its“battered brass
nozzle from improper crevices and chinks, to the great
terror-‘of the other‘passengcrs.' Indeed, in'her intense
anxiety to findza haven of ‘refuge for this chattel,"Mrs.
Gamp so often moved it, in the course of five minutes,
that it seemed not one umbrella but fifty. At length it
was lost, or said to be; and for the next five minutes
she was face to face with the tcoachniau go wherever he
might, protesting that it should be “ made good,” though
she took the question to the House,of;Con1in‘on's. V .
At last, her bundle, and her patterns, and her basket,
and everything else, being disposed of, she took a friendly
leave of P011 and Mr. Bailey, dropped a curtsey to John
VVestlock, and parted as if from a. cherislied member of
the sisterhood with Betsey Prig; ‘ ‘ ' " ' -
‘ “lVishin’ you lots of sickness, my‘darling‘creetur,"
Mrs. Gamp observed, “and good places. lt’won’t be
long, I hope, afore we works together, off an on, again,
Betsey; and may, our next meetin’ be at a large family's,
where they all "takes it‘ reg’lar,‘ one from another, turn
and turn about, and has it business-like.” ‘ “ '
“I‘don't care how soon’ it is,” said Mrs. Prig; ‘‘‘nor
how many weeks it lasts.” . ‘ ‘ “ "
Mrs, Gamp witha reply in a congenial spirit was back-
ing topthe coach, when she came in contact with a lady
and gentleman who were passing along the footway. ,
“Take care, take care here I” cried the gentleman.
“ Halloo l My dear! ‘Vhy, it’s Mrs; Gamp l’-’ ‘ 3 3
“W'hat, Mr. Mouldl” exclaimed the nurse.‘ “And
Mrs. Mould I who would have thought as we should ever
have a meetin’ here, 'I’m'sure I” "t V ‘ 9 ' i
, “Going out of town, Mrs.. Gamp?” ci-ied'MoI‘1lt1.
“ That’s unusual, isn’t it?” ‘ ‘ 4
“ It is unusual, sir,” said ‘Mrs. Gamp. “But only for
a day or two at'most.' The gent,” she whispered, “I15
I spoke about.” ’ ,, > = < v
“ 'What, in the coach I” cried Mould. “ The'one you
thought" of recommending‘? Very odd. My dear, this
will interest you. The gentleman that Mrs. I Gaml’
thought likely to suit us, is in the coach, my love.” '
‘ Mrs. Mould was greatly interested.‘ ‘ 5 ‘ ‘Q ,',
“Here, my dear. You can stand upon the doorstep.
said Mould, “and take a look at him. Hal There 110
is l Where's my glass? Oh I all right, I've got it.’ ‘D0
you see him, my dear?” . i i s 1‘ i I
,“ Quite plain,” said Mrs. Mould. ‘ 5" ' ' ,
"‘ Upon my life you know,‘tliis is a very singular: C13?
cumstance,” said Mould, quite delighted. “T111915
the sort of thin , my dear, I wouldn't have missed on
any account. t tickles one. It’s interesting. 1 If 5
almost a little play, you know.‘ Ah] There heisl
To be sure. Looks poorly, Mrs. M.,’ don’t he ?” ‘ i "ii
.Mrs. Mould assented. " V ‘ =' V'‘’‘ ‘I I ,
“ He's coming our way, perhaps, aftcrialli” SW1
Mould. “ VVho knows! I feel asif I ought to’Sl10“’
him some little attention, really. He ' don't seem 3
stranger to me. I'm very'much inclined to move my
hat, mydear.” :v > i ' ‘ .- ; V "3
“ He’s lookiiig hard this way,” said Mrs. Mould.
“ Then I will !” cried Mould. ‘.‘ How d’re do, sir‘? i I
wish you good day. Hal He bows too. ‘Very entic-
manly.
no, doubt. This is very singular, my dear--an,<1”V9"Y
pleasant. I am not superstitious, but itreally seem-‘3 35
if one was destined to pay him those little melanclioll’
civilities which belong to our peculiar line of business!’
There can besno kind of objection to your kissing 3'9“?
hand to him, my dear.”
Mrs. Mould did so. . - ' , -k
“Ha I ” said Mould.’ “ IIc’s cvidcntlygratified.
fellow I ,I’m quite glad you did it, my love. ‘
Mrs. Gamp I" wa,vimr his hand, “There he goes;
there he goes I” D , ‘ ' ' '
Soho did ; for the coach ‘rolled off ‘as the words W61‘?
Spoken.‘ Mr. and Mrs. Mould, in high good llum0“."i
went their merry way.‘ .‘Mr, Bailey retircd"with Pol
. .
Bun
Mrs. Gamp has the cards in her pocket, ‘11=1"0‘
Bye bye-"