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11.72“
.3“ And by-and-by,“pursued.Martin, .“ reinainin in the
1;;om1er.-give admission to visitors, I mean, when they
nock,".,-’.:'m-- 2 ; r
"Certainly, sir," said Mr. Tapley. . . V ‘ "
“ You will notiind it ‘nec'essary, to. express surprise at
their appearance,” ‘Martin suggested.’ ‘I < “ ‘ ' . '
--“ Oli'dear‘no,’sir I" said'Mr. Tapley, “not at all." "
Although he pledged himself to this with perfect con-
fidence, lie was in a state of unbounded astonishment
even now. ‘ 'Martin appeared to observe it, and to have
some sense of the ludicrous bearing of Mr. Tapley under
these perplexing circumstances’; for,'incspite of they
composure of his voice and the gravity of his face, the‘
same indistinct light flickered on the latter several times.
Mark bestirred himself, however, to execute the oilices
with which he was entrusted ; and soon lost all tendency
to any outward expression of his surprise, in the occupa-
tion of being brisk and busy. , . ‘: V .. '
‘ But when he had put Mr. Clinzzlewit’s clothes in good
order for dressing,‘ andwlien that gentleman was dressed
and‘ sitting at his breakfast, Mr. Tapley’s feelings of
wonder began to return upon him with great violence ;
and, standing beside the old man, with ii. napkin under
his arm (it was as'natural‘and easy a joke to Mark, to.be
a butler in the'Teinple, as it had been to volunteer as
cook on board the Screw), he found it diilicultto resist
the temptation of casting sidelong glances at him very
often. "Nay, ‘he found’, it impossible; and accordingly
yielded to this impulse so often.‘ that Martin caught him
in the act soinefifty times. The extraordinarytliings
Mr. -Tapley did witliihis own face when any of these de-
tections occurred; the sudden occasions he had to rub
his eyes, or his nose, or his chin ; the look of-wisdom
with which'he immediately plungedfinto the deepest
thought, or became intensely interested in the habits and
customs of the flies upon the ceiling, or thepsparrows
out of doors ; or the overwhelming politeness with
which he endeavoured to hide his confusion by handing
the mutlin, may not’ unreasonably be assumed to have
exercised the utmost power of ‘ feature that even Martin
Cliuzzlewit the elder possessed.‘ . i ‘ ‘
But hevsat perfectly quiet, and took his breakfast at
his leisure, or made a "show of doing so, for he scarcely
ate or drank, and frequently lapsed into long intervals of
iiiiising.“‘JVlien he had finished, Mark sat down to ‘his
breakfast at the same table ;' and‘Mr. Chuzzlewit, quite
silent'still,"walked up and downvthe room. - -
‘ Markcleared awayin due course, and set 'a chair out
for him, in 'whicli, ‘as the time drew on towards ten
o'clock, he took his seat, Ieanin his hands upon his
stick, and clenching them upon‘ t e’ handle,‘ and resting
his cliin'on them again. (All his impatience and abstrac-
tion’ of manner had vanislied now ; andas he sat there,"
lookinghwitli his keen eyes, steadily towards the door,
Mark could-not help thinking what a firm, square, pow-
erful face it was; or exulting in the thought tliatiMr.'
Pecksnitf, after playing apretty long, game of bowls
witlrits owner, seemed to be I at "last in a very fair way
of coming in for a rubber ortwo. ‘V , , .
.- Mark's-uncertainty in respect to what was going to be
done or said, and ‘bywhom to whom, would have ex-
cited him in itself. 3 But knowing for acertainty, besides,
that young Martin was coming, and in a very few min-
utes must arrive, he found it by no means easy to remain
quiet and silent.‘ But, excepting that‘ he occasionally
coughediinfa hollow and unnatural manner to relieve
liiinself,‘ he behaved with great decorum through the
longest ten minutes he had ever known. " ‘ J t‘ 3 ’ i V
- A knock at the door.’ Ml‘.“VVestlock. ' Mr. Tapley, in
admitting him, raised his eyebrows to the highest pos-
sible pitch, implying thereby that he considered himself
in'an unsatisfactory position. Mr. Chuzzlewit received
him very courteously.’ ‘1 ’ -' - " 1 3
Mark waited at the door for Tom Pinch and his sister,
who were coming up the stairs.‘ The old man’ went to"
meet them; took herihands in his; and kissed her on
the cheek. . As this looked promising, Mr. Taplev smiled
benignantly. ‘ ' ‘ V v‘ i i t ' .
Mr. Chuzzlewit had resumed his chair, before young
Martin, who was close5beliiiid thein,'entered. The old
man, scarcely looking at him," pointed to"a distant seat.
UIIA RLES ‘I. DICKENS ’ 'VW0R1i'S'.
lllll. ” -
knock. He did not start, or cry, or tumble down.’ at
sight of Miss‘ Graliam"and -Mrs. Lupin,’ but liczdrew -i.
very.long breath, and came back-perfectly resigned,
‘ looking on them and‘ on the rest‘ with an expression
which seemed to say, that nothing could surpi'ise'hiin=
anv more; and that lie was -rather glad to-have done’
with that sensation for ever; ‘
The old man received Mary no less tenderly than he
had received Tom Pinclfsisister. A look of frieiidly
recognition passed betweeniliimself and’ Mrs; Lupin,‘-
wliicli implied the existence of a perfect understanding‘
between them. ’ It engendered no astonishment lllhlf.
Tapley; for,‘ as he afterwards observed’, he had retired
from the business, and sold off the stock.
' Not the least curious featurerin this assemblage was,-
. that everybody presentwas so much surprisediand emu
barrassed by the sight of everybody else; that nobody‘.
ventured to speak. ‘ Mr. Cliuzzlcwit alone broke silence.-
“Set the door open, Mark I” he said;.“and come
liere.’-’ . ' r ' I ‘ ‘ W
Mark obeyed. - > H I ‘ '
5 The lastzappointed footstep soundedeynowupon the
stairs. They all knew it. It was Mr. Pecksniil’s ; and
Mr. Pecksniff was in a hurry too, for he came bounding
upwitli S1lCl1"l1!1COI11ln0n expedition that. lie stumbled
twice or thrice. ' ' ‘
9‘ VVliere is my venerable friend i" he cried, upon tho’
upper landing; and then with open arms came darting-
v-4
electric battery. 1 ' ' ‘
“ My venerable friend is well ” cried Mr. Pecksniff.‘
lle .
’“ Quite well.” " ' -'
,It seemed to reassure’ the ‘anxious inquirer;
clasped his hands, and,‘1ooking upward with a pious joy,
silently expressed his gratitude; He then‘ looked round
on the assembled group, and shook his head: reproach-
fully. For such a man severely, quite severely. - ‘
“ Oh, vermin 1”’ said Mr. Pecksnitf. :
suckers l
existence of an individual, wholly unparalleled in the
biographical records of ' amiable persons ;‘ but ‘must you
now, even now, when-he has made his election, undre-
posed his trust in a Numble, but? at least ‘sincere and
disinterested relative ;' must ‘you? now, - vermin and
swarmers (I regret to make use of these strong exprcs-',
sioiis, my dear sir,-but there are times when honest in-‘.
dig-nation will not becontrolled). must younow,‘ vermin-
and swarmers (for I WILL repeat it), takin advantage of V
iim Afronii ‘all’
quarters, aswolves and vultures, and other animalsrof V
the feathered tribe assemble round--I will not say round‘
his unprotected state, assemble round
carrion or a carcass, for Mr. Cliuzzlewit is quite the con-
trary-but-round their prey; their prey ;'to‘ rifle and"
des ioil; ' oi- in 'their voracious’ maws "and stiiiniiirr
n a a n’ n 6
their offensive beaks, with every description of carnivor-
ousenjoymentl” .‘ 5 ’ " i ' -' ‘ ‘ ‘
As he stopped to fetch his-'l.)l"Ga.tll,' he waved them off,’
in a solemn manner, with his hand; ’ v 4 K '-
“Horde of unnatural ‘plunderers and robbersl” he
continued; “leave him I" leave him, I say!‘ Begono it
Abscondl You had better be off i wVVandcr over‘tho
face of the earth,‘ young sirs, like vagabonds as your are-,1
and do not presume to "remainin a spot‘ which is hal-
lowed by the grey hairs of the patriarchal gentleman’
tovvhoso tottering limbs'I have the honour to. act as an
unworthy, but‘ I hope an unassuming,'prop andistaif.-’
And you my tender sir," said Mr. Pecksniff, addressing
himself in a tone of gentle remonstranco to the 0l(l‘II1ll1l,
“how could you ever leave me, though even ‘for this
short period 1
some.’ I should really be angry with you if I could, my
friend!" ,' > ’ ' ' m-mi,’
He advanced with outstretcliedarms to.take the old
man's hand. But he liadmot seen how the hand clasped
and clutched the Sl1Ck'$Vl'l.I11l.1' its grasp.” As he came
This was less encouraging ; and Mr;'Tapley’s spirits! felli-
. , - d V t d - > p , - . . .4 ‘ v y - . a,
mom’ as I wish you to do’ will you ‘men to 10 out a He. was quickly summoned to the door by another‘
ii. > - -- 7 A V ' .
Old Martin merely looked‘ at him ; but" Mr. ‘Pecksniff.
started back as if he had received the chargeiof an
I “ Oh, blood-I’
Is it not enoughthat you have embittered the"
You have absentcd yourself, "I do not
doubt, upon some not of kindness to me; bless you for’
it ; but you must not do it ; you must not be so venture-"