Our Mutual Friend

aker proceeded to the place of business of Pubsey and Co. All there was sunny and quiet externally, and shady and quiet internally. Hiding her

popping in her head at the

dly laid them down beside him. 'Ah Jenny,

ikes me you have come back. I am not quite sure, because the wolf and you change forms. I want t

ards the door, as if he thought his pri

may dismiss all present expectations of seeing that a

you mean,

that if his skin and bones are not tingling, aching, and smarting at this present instant, no fox did ever tingle,

ft the wolf here? Because I have an idea about the size of a marble, rolling about in my little nodd

an shook

t Fledgeby both

swered with a

ut the size of an orange. But before it get

er. I am truly sorry. I ought to have had more faith in you. But what could I suppose when you said nothing for yourself, you know? I don't

ending my neck to the yoke I was willing to wear, I bent the unwilling necks of the whole Jewish people. For it is not, in Christian countries, with the Jews as with other peoples. Men say, 'This is a bad Greek, but there are good Greeks. This is a bad Turk, but there are good Turks.' Not so with the Jews. Men find the bad among us easily enough-among what peoples are the bad not easily found?-but they take the worst of us as samples of the best; they take the lowest of us as presentations of the highest;

g the old man by the hand, and l

ou believed the story readily, my child, because I was one of the Jews-that the story itself first came into the invention of the originator thereof, because I was one of the Jews. This was the result of my having had you three before me, face to face,

know what a pumpkin is, don't you? So you gave notice that you were goin

r to my master. Ye

r?' asked Miss Wren with an unspeakable enjoyment in the utterance

ul term of notice. They expire to-morrow. Upon their expiration

Little Eyes thinks of Lizzie. Little Eyes says to himself, 'I'll find out where he has placed that girl, and I'll betray his secret because it's dear to him.' Perhaps Little Eyes thinks, "I'll make love to her myself too;" but that I can't swear-all the rest I can. So, Little Eyes

h, the old man reverted to the injuries Fledgeby had received, and h

'I really lose all patience with you. One would think you be

man gently, 'it is the cus

go and help Little Eyes, it's a pity they ever got out of Egypt. Over and above that,' she added, 'he wouldn't ta

nd the glass door was opened by a messenger who brought a letter uncere

n pencil uphill and downhill and

d R

ace, turn out directly, and send me the key by bear

.

o the great astonishment of the messenger) while the old man got his few goods together in a black bag. That done, the shutters of the upper windows closed, and the office blind pulled down, they

ained upon the steps together, looking at one

so, Jenny, and so

to seek your fortun

ith a look of having lost his way in life,

than answered. But as I have experience of the ready goodwill and good help of th

ked Miss Wren

old man. 'Have

, and presented so quaint an aspect, th

re but my bad child, and Lizzie's lodging stands empty.' The old man when satisfied that no inconvenience could be entailed o

ved himself to have upon any licensed victualler living, to be supplied with threepennyworth of rum for nothing; and secondly, to bestow some maudlin remorse on Mr Eugene Wrayburn, and see what profit came of it. Stumblingly pursuing these

the trodden vegetable refuse which is so like their own dress that perhaps they take the Market for a great wardrobe; but be it what it may, you shall see no such individual drunkards on doorsteps anywhere, as there. Of dozing women-drunkards especially, you shall come upon such specimens there, in the morning sunlight, as you might seek out of doors in vain

d make a deafening clatter. These, delighting in the trembles and the horrors of Mr Dolls, as in a gratuitous drama, flocked about him in his doorway, butted at him, leaped at him, and pelted him. Hence, when he came out of his invalid retirement and shook off that ragged train, he was much bespattered, and in worse case than ever. But, not yet at his worst; for, going into a public-house, and bein

with Dolls, and offered a shilling for coach-hire home. Mr Dolls, accepting the shilling, promptly laid it out in two threepennyworths of conspiracy against his life, and two threepennyworths of raging repentance. Returning to

ngly, convulsively, foamingly. A humble machine, familiar to the conspirators and called by the expressive name of Stretcher, being unavoidably sent for, he was rendered a harmless bundle of torn rags by being strapped dow

d the dressmaker. 'Let us mak

was but too brisk. 'O gentleme

aid the head of the

! and he don't know me, he don't know me! O what shall I do,' cried the little

. He whispered, as the dolls' dressmaker bent over the exhausted form and vain

that he thought the man was dying. 'No, surely not?' returned the other. But he became less

green bottles, blue bottles, and other coloured bottles. A ghastly light shining upon him that he didn't need, the beast so furious but a few minutes

purpose than it sometimes is in a Court of Justice. 'Yo

the Jewish skirts, and clinging to them with one hand, while with the other she plied her stick. It was carried home, and, by reason that the staircase was very narrow, it was put down i

mourning for Mr Dolls. As the old man, Riah, sat by, helping her in such small ways as he could, he

up better, he might have done better. Not that I

Jenny, I am

k, all day. When he was out of employment, I couldn't always keep him near me. He got fractious and nervous, and I was obliged to le

this sad sense!' t

o queer, when I was young!' the dressmaker would go on. 'I had nothing to do but work, and so I work

or him alo

sometimes. And I called him a quantity of names;' shaking her head over her work, and dropping tear

girl, you are

od. And besides, I felt my responsibility as a mother, so much. I tried reasoning, and reasoning failed. I tried coaxing, and coaxing failed. I tried scolding and scoldin

to bring into the house the other sombre preparations. 'And now,' said Miss Jenny, 'having knocked off my rosy-cheeked young friends, I'll knock off my white-cheeked self.' This referred to her making her own dress, which at last was done. 'The disadvantage of making for yourself,' said Mi

ere of her own making, an

he deed if he knows anything about it; and if he doesn't know anything about it,' with a sob, and wiping her eyes, 'why, it won't matter to him. I see the service in the Prayer-book says, that we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can take nothing out. It comforts me for not being able to hire a lot of

him to the churchyard, and who were preceded by another blossom-faced man, affecting a stately stalk, as if he were a Policeman of the D(eath) Division, and ceremoniously pretending no

stalker stalked back before the solitary dressmaker, as if she were bound in honour to have no

heer up for good,' said the little creature, coming

and then the dressmaker came forth, and washed her face, and made the tea. 'You wouldn't mind my cut

' the old man expostulat

th her busy little scissors already snipping at some paper. 'The trut

it to-day the

hat it is. Thing our clergymen wear, you know,' explained M

you to do wit

obliged to keep our eyes always open. And you know already that I have many extra expenses to meet just now. So, it c

done?' aske

ig

young friends into mourning; not into real mourning, that is; Court mourning they are rather proud of. But a doll clergyman, my dear,-glossy black curls and whiskers-uniting two of my you

r, and was displaying it for the edification of the Jewish mind, when a knock was heard at the street-door. Riah went t

moment of his casting his eyes upon her, there was something i

gentleman. 'You are

olls' dress

Hexam's

y, instantly on the defensive

uest of Mr Mortimer Lightwood, the bearer. Mr Riah chances to

s head in co

u read t

enny, with a look of wond

. Time was so very precious. My dear

her hands, and uttere

come straight from his bedside. He is almost always insensible. In a short restless interval of sensibility, or partial sensibility, I made out that he asked for you to

lasped, looked affrightedly from the o

is last wish-intrusted to me-we have long been much more than

good Jew was left in possession of the house, and the dolls' dressmaker,