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the same trees as the shining oak floor, and the great
beams in the ceiling. It was a prottily furnished room,
with a piano and some lively furniture .1111 red and
green, and some flowers. It seemed to be all old nooks
and corners ; and in every nook and corner there was some
queer little table, or. cupboard, or bookcase, or seat, or
somethin or other, that made me think there was not
such anot or good corner in the room ;. 1intilI looked at
the next one, and found it equal to it, if notbetter. On
everything there was the same air of retirement and
cleanliness that marked the house ‘outside.
Mr. Wicklield tapped at a door in arcorneriof the pan-
elled wall, and a girl of about my own age came quick’-
I out and kissed iim. On her face, Isaw immediately
t e placid and sweet. expression of the lady whose pic-
ture had looked atme down-stairs. It seemed to my im-
agination as if the portrait had grown womanly. and the
original remained a child. Although -her face was quite
bright and happy, there was a. tranquility about it, and
about her-a quiet, good, cairn spirit,-that I never have
for otten ; that I never shall forget.
- his was his little housekeeper, his daughter fig-nes,
Mr. lVickfield said. VVhen I heard how he said it, and
saw how he held her hand, I guessed what the one mo-
tive of his life was. - 4 .
She had a little basket-trifle hanging at her side, with
keys in it ; and she looked as staid and as discreet a house-
keeper as the old house could have. She listened to her
father as he told her about me, with a pleasant face ; and
when he had concluded, proposed to my aunt that we
should go up-stairs and see my room. “To all went to-
gether ; she before us. And a glorious old room it was,
with more oak beams,.and diamond panes, and the broad
balustrade going all the way up to it.
I cannot call to mind where or when, in my childhood,
I had seen a. stained-glass window in a church. Nor do
I recollect its subject. But I know that when I saw her
turn round, in the grave light of the old staircase, and
wait for us, above, I thought of that window ; and that
I associated something of its tranquil brightness with
Agnes Wickfield ever afterwards.
My aunt was as happy as I was, in the arrangement
made for me; and we went down to the drawing-room
ag:1in,.Well pleased and gratified. As she would not hear
of: staying to dinner, lest she should by any chance fail
to arrive.at home with the grey ony before dark; and
as I apprehend‘ Mr; VVickiield mew her too well, to
argue any point with her ; some lunch was provided for
herthere, and ‘Agnes went back to her governess, and
Mr. VVickfield to his office. So we were left to take
leave of one anothcmvithout any restraint. '
She told me that everythin would be arranged for me
by Mr. VVickfleld-, and that I should want for nothing,
and gave me the kindest words and the best advice. .
“ rot,” said my aunt in conclusion, ‘f be a. credit to
yourself, to me, and- Mr. Dick, and Heaven be with
you I” i I .
I was greatly overcome, and could only thank her, again
and a ain, and send my love to Mr. Dick. V s ’
“ lVover,” said my aunt, “ be mean in anything; never
be false ; never be cruel. Avoid those three vices, Trot,
and I can always be hopeful of you.” I ‘
I promised, as well as I could, that I-would not abuse
her kindness or forget her admonition. -
1glT1gl: l301:iy’s at the door,” saidemy aunt, -“ and -I am
0 a ere.” 3 . ,
VVith these words she embraced me hasti1y,.and went
out of the room, shutting the door after her. ; -At lirstl
.was startled by so abrupt a departure, and almost-;feared
I-haddispleavsed.her':.but,3vvhen I looked into the street,
and saw how dejectedly she got into the chaise, ‘. and
droivg away without looking, up’; Ivunderstood her better,
an i not do her that in'ustice. . .
By five 0’clock, which wds Mr. Wickfield’s dinner-hour
.I had mustered ‘up my spirits again,‘and ‘was ireadyzfoiz
my knife and fork. The cloth was only laid for ustwo’;
-but Agnes was waiting in the drawing room. -before din.
inenwent downiwith her father, and sat opposite to him
at table. " I doubted whether he could have dined with.
0ut'her..- mm = =,-. r " ' - . .1 x.,, r. ,5
VVo did not stay there, after dinner, but came upstuifs
intothe ‘drawing-room again: ll1‘0!19',Sn1lg‘COX'l1e1‘ of
0H4RLEi‘S Dzozrmfis" W 013135-
asses for -her- father, -and a decanter .
- t g1 . A
ghrlggg $%,“,f,s, ‘dc thought he would have missed its usual
flavor, if it had been put there for him by any other
hands. . ,:1. - “ v
,0 gm; taking hm $VlD0,'0.Ild taking a ood deg)
cfroerltwo hburs ;,W11i1j3 AS903’ P1“)"ed 0‘? t 9 Plllllo,
worked; and talked to hm‘ -“pd me’ I 10 >W”‘s’;>f9’.:“19.
most part,‘ gay and cliccrful with us; but sometimes his
eyes rested Oil her, and he fell into a brooding state, and
was Spent, She always, 0l)S0.1',V&(I.ll)lS ,quickly,,i;g I
thought, and alwvny-s roused ,him with a ‘guestIon7or,c;g,L
W55. Then he came out of his meditation, and
m‘X,‘;3Z;"f.;aae the tea, and presided over,it;,xmd the
time passedaway after it, as l1flCl"(llnI.iCl‘, until she went
to bed ; when her father took lierin his arrns oi:i.d,lnss.zd
her, and, she bein gone, 01’F19TCd candles .1”
Iwcnttobc too." '.- ‘ M >
Thlghlt in the course of the evening I hadvrambled ‘am
to the door, and a little way along thostrcct, thzitl
might have another cop at the old houses, and the gray
cathedwl; and mag t g ink of my coniingitlirough that
old cit on myjqurney. and ,of en)’ Imbjsms-theJ.rcxy
house lived in, W1th0ut‘I(D0VVlDti:t.oa11:: c!:1IilI(i1e
w Uriah Hee shuttin up , .
fifiendly towardd) cverybogyi Went: 1“ and 5P0ke,t0 him,
and at partin , gave him my hand. But OIl,,Wl1ti.t it
clammy hand his was] ‘as ghostly to the to.uch.ns tome
sightl '1 rubbed mine afterwards, to warm it, and to rub
msltolgizas such an uncomfortable hand, that, when Iywent
to my ‘room, it was still cold and wet upon my memory,
Leaning out of window, and seeing one of the faces on
the beam-ends looking at me sideways, I fancied it was
Uriah Heep got up there somehow, and shut him out
ahurry. '
.7‘
cnavrniz, xvi.
‘ i
I am a New Boy in more seine; than one.
NEXT morning, after breakfast, I entered onschool
life again. I went, accompanied by Mr. .'Wickfield,,io
the scene of my future studies-agrave buildingriiip.
courtyard, withalearned air..about itthat secmc ‘very
well suited to the straytrooks and jackdaws who came
down from the Cathedral towers towalk with a clerkly
bearing on the grass-plot-and was introduced to my new
nio.ster,Dr.Strong..- .... it-.,. .
Dr. Strong looked almost as rusty, to my thin ' , as
the tall iron rails and gates Voutsidevtho house; an .al-
mostas still. and heavy ,as the. great stone urns that
flanked them, and were set up,'on'tho to of the red-
brick-wall nt regular distances all round t c court, like
sublimated skittles, for Time to play at. He was in his
library (I mean Dr. Strong was), :with his clothes not par-
ticularly well brushed, nndhisliair not particularlywcll
combed ;'vlllS-I(Ile07BII)8.IISilll1l)1'llQC(l ;his long black gal.
ters unbnttoned ; .and‘his shoes yawning like two caverns
on the hearth-rug.. :Turnirig upon me alustrclcss eye,
that reminded me of a long-forgotten’ blind old horse who
once used to crop the rass,;and tumble over the graves
in Blunderstonc churc iyurd; he said .ho‘;was glad to see
me rand‘ then he gave me his hand ; which I didn't know
.what;to,do with, as it didnothin for itself. v .. h‘; >
But, sitting at work, not far 0 from Dr.<Strong', was
a very pretty,youn glad -.-whom. he called Annie, and
jwho was his dang ter, , supposod-who3got- me out of
my dililculty by kneelin ‘down to ut Dr. S-trong’s shoes
.on,“and;button‘his,gaitcrs,; wliic i she did with‘ rcat
cheerfulness and.quickness.r ..When; SI18.IlD.(I, finis ed.
and wewere oing out-to the school-room, I svasjiiuch >
surpi-ise‘d.tov ear Mr;Wickfiel<l,g-in biddin her good
morning, address her as-" Mrs. Strong :7’. and I was won-
dering could she be Doctor Stron%s son's wife, or conlgi
slie be Mrs.1Doctor Strong, when’ r. Strong.himself.un-
consciouslyenliglitencd me.- V; 3 .- . ' f ' . 3 l
."‘.By.tlie’ bye, lVickiield,’,’.;he said, stoppingin a pas-
sage with his hnnd,;on.my‘ shoulder; “.you.hnv,o mi
found any suitable provision for my wifc’s cousin yet if’
“No,” said Mr. VVicklield, ‘,‘No. ;Not yet,” . ‘
I Won