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and tremulous with leaves and their shadows all the summer time. The bank had foreclosed a mortgage effected on the property thus pleasantly situated, by one of the Coketown magnates, who, in his determination to make a shorter cut than usual to an enormous fortune, overspeculated himself by about two hundred thousand pounds. These accidents did sometimes happen in the best regulated families of Coketown, but the bankrupts had no connection whatever with the improvident classes. It afforded Mr Bounderby supreme satisfaction to install himself in this snug little estate, and with demonstrative humility to grow cabbages in the flower-garden. He delighted to live, barrack-fashion, among the elegant furniture, and he bullied the very pictures with his origin. Why, sir, he would say to a visitor, I am told that Nickits, the late owner, gave seven hundred pound for that Seabeach. Now, to be plain with you, if I ever, in the whole course of my life, take seven looks at it, at a hundred pound a look, it will be as much as I shall do. No, by George! I dont forget that I am Josiah Bounderby of Coketown. For years upon years, the only pictures in my possession, or that I could have got into my possession, by any means, unless I stole em, were the engravings of a man shaving himself in a boot, on the blacking bottles that I was overjoyed to use in cleaning boots with, and that I sold when they were empty for a farthing apiece, and glad to get it! Then he would address Mr Harthouse in the same style. Harthouse, you have a couple of horses down here. Bring half a dozen more if you like, and well find room for em. Theres stabling in this place for a dozen horses; and unless Nickits is belied, he kept the full number. A round dozen of em, sir. When that man was a boy, he went to Westminster School. Went to Westminster School as a Kings Scholar, when I was principally living on garbage, and sleeping in market baskets. Why, if I wanted to keep a dozen horses which I dont, for ones enough for me I couldnt bear to see em in their stalls here, and think what my own lodging used to be. I couldnt look at em, sir, and not order em out. Yet so things come round. You see this place; you know what sort of a place it is; you are aware that theres not a completer place of its size in this kingdom or elsewhere I dont care where and here, got into the middle of it, like a maggot into a nut, is Josiah Bounderby. While Nickits (as a man came into my office, and told me yesterday), Nickits, who used to act in Latin, in the Westminster School plays, with the chief-justices and nobility of this country applauding him till they were black in the face, is drivelling at this minute drivelling, sir! in a fifth floor, up a narrow dark back street in Antwerp. It was among the leafy shadows of this retirement, in the long sultry summer days, that Mr Harthouse began to prove the face which had set him wondering when he first saw it, and to try if it would change for him. Mrs Bounderby, I esteem it a most fortunate accident that I find you alone here. I have for some time had a particular wish to speak to you. It was not by any wonderful accident that he found her, the time of day being that at which she was always alone, and the place being her favourite resort. It was an opening in a dark wood, where some felled trees lay, and where she would sit watching the fallen leaves of last year, as she had watched the falling ashes at home. He sat down beside her, with a glance at her face. Your brother. My young friend Tom Her colour brightened, and she turned to him with a look of interest. I never in my life, he thought, saw anything so remarkable and so captivating as the lighting of those features! His face betrayed his thoughts perhaps without betraying him, for it might have been according to its instructions so to do. Pardon me. The expression of your sisterly interest is so beautiful Tom should be so proud of it I know this is inexcusable, but I am so compelled to admire. |
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