Our Mutual Friend

ved at the Bower, and gave Mrs Boffin (in a walking dress of black velvet and feather

, ‘to the question we left unfinished: namely, w

id Mrs Boffin, smoothing her dress with an

le Society

e glee of a child. ‘Yes! It’s no good my

her husband, ‘whereas (though you’d be cheap at the same

we worked like the neighbours, we suited one another. Now

f beginning work agai

great fortune, and we must do what’s rig

s wife’s intuitive wisdom, replied, thou

t, and, consequently, no good h

veness, as he took his seat upon his settle. ‘I hope good may be comin

e of nature, with her hands folded in her lap, and with b

ngs about us, good living, and good society. I say, li

ed Mrs Boffin, laughing and clapping her hands, and gaily rocking herself to and fro, ‘w

nking of that, w

n front, sinking down into a seat big enough for three of him, all covered with upholstery in green and white! And with two bay horses tossing the

erself again, beat her feet upon the floor,

when he also had sympathetically laughed: ‘wh

with it, but put someb

ther v

‘Next I think — and I really have been thinking early and late — of the disappointed girl; her that was so cruelly disappointed, you know

g the table in his admiration. ‘What a thinking steam-ingein this old

cy. You remember dear little John Harmon, before he went to school? Over yonder across the yard, at our fire? Now that he is past all benefit of the money, and it’s come to us, I sh

y so,’ interpos

deary, if

if I did,’ her husb

omely way from head to foot, and once more smoothing her dress with immense enjoyment, ‘don’t you begin to find it pleasant already, to think that a child will be made b

een a pleasant thing to know this many and many a year!’ It was ruin to Mrs Boffin’s as

nities additional, possibly, in the breast of the woman. But the hard wrathful and sordid nature that had wrung as much work out of them as could be got in their best days, for as little money as could be paid to hurry on their worst, had never been so war

ad perceived the powerlessness of all his wealth to buy them if he had addressed himself to the attempt. So, even while he was their griping taskmaster and never gave them a good word, he had written their names down in his will. So, even while it was his daily declarat

apply at the Bower on a certain day; but Mr Boffin wisely apprehending obstruction of the neighbouring thoroughfares by orphan swarms, this course was negatived. Mrs Boffin next suggested application to their clergyman for a likely orphan. Mr Boffin think

nted application of corn to the horse, and of paint and varnish to the carriage, when both fell in as a part of the Boffin legacy, had made what Mr Boffin considered a neat turn-out of the whole; and a driver being added, in the person of a long hammer-headed you

the neighbourhood turned out at door and window to salute the Boffins. Among those who were ever and again left behind, staring after the equipage, were many youthful spirits, who hailed it in stentorian tones with such congratulations as ‘Nod-dy Bof-fin!’ ‘Bof-fin’s mon-ey!’ ‘Down with the dust, Bof-fin!’ and other simi

ly received the Boffins. He was quite a young man, expensively educated and wretchedly paid, with quite a young wife and half a dozen quite young children. He was under the necessity of teaching and translating from the classics, to eke out his scanty means, yet was generally expected to have more time to spare than the idl

ilvey, in his little book-room — charged with sounds and cries as though the six children above were coming down through the ceiling

at you have never had a child

ve

ns in the Fairy Tales, I supp

neral w

ere always wishing for children.’ It occurring to him, perhaps, that if the

Mrs Milvey into our Council. She is indispe

fancies, and substituted in their stead, schools, soup, flannel, coals, and all the week-day cares and Sunday coughs of a large population, young and old. As gallantly had Mr

dear, whose good fort

them, and was glad to see them. Yet her engaging face, being an open

s to adopt a litt

g rather alarmed,

han, my

ey, reassured for h

that perhaps old Mrs Goody’s gr

k! I DON’T think

N

h

rsation, and being charmed with the emphatic little wife and her ready intere

and will agree with me when he considers it again — that you could possibly keep that orp

with his grandmother then,

OPE it’s not uncharitable to remember that last Christmas Eve she drank eleven cups of tea, and grumbled all the time. And she is NOT a grateful woman, Frank. You recollect her addressin

y. ‘I don’t think that would

emonstrated his

grandmother

s Boffin would like an or

ey, becoming haggard with perplex

rank, Mrs Boffi

Mr Milvey. ‘Tom Bocker is

ttle hesitation, ‘if Mrs Boffin wants an orphan QUI

that smiling lady’s shaking her black velvet bonnet and

uble, ‘that if I had known you would have taken so much pains

ay that!’ urg

pt some profitable orphan warehouse and were personally patronized. ‘But it is a responsible trust,’ added Mr Milvey, ‘and difficult to discharge. At the same time, we are naturally very unwilling to lo

said the empha

business and he were afraid of losing an order, ‘over at the clay-pits; but they are employed by relations or friends, and I am afraid it would come at last to a trans

mentioning to Mr Milvey that if Mr Milvey would do him the kindness to be perpetually his banker to the extent of ‘a twenty-pound note or so,’ to be expended without any reference to him, he would be heartily obliged. At this, both M

seats behind the hammer-headed horse and man: ‘having

roducing no external result; though each was attended by audible sounds of scampering and rushing within. At the fourth tug — vindictively administered by the hammer-headed young man — Miss Lavinia appeared, emerging

rough the bars of the gate, and at the same time shaking it, as if

say?’ asked

eturned the young man

eps with the key, tripped across the little garden, and opened the gate.

me up to show them where to go next, perceived three pairs of listening legs upon

g voice. Strained attention on the part of Mrs Wilfer’s

, Mi

let Ma know.’ Excited flight of Mrs Wilfer’s legs,

er a meal, that one might have doubted whether it was made tidy for visitors, or cleared for blindman’s buff, Mr and Mrs Boffin beca

s soon as she had adjusted the handkerchief under her chin, and

erhaps you may be acquainted with the names of me an

Wilfer, with a dignified bend of h

Mrs Boffin added confirmatory nods and smiles, ‘yo

ffin, a calamity which was doubtless a dispensation.’ These words were r

everything. Consequently, we make this call to say, that we shall be glad to have the honour and pleasure of your daughter’s acquaintance, and that we shall be rejoiced if your daughter will come to consider our house in the light of

n-hearted Mrs Boffin. ‘Lo

anner to her lady visitor, and with maj

y daughters am I to understand is thus favoured

ling Mrs Boffin put in. ‘Natu

de it, the good lady made the proclamation, ‘Send Miss Bella to me!’ which proclamation, though grandly formal, and one might almost say heraldic, to hear, was in fact enunciated with her maternal eyes re

eat, ‘keep him fully engaged in the City at this time of the day, or he would

emises!’ said Mr

, correcting him, ‘it is the abode of

fer sat silently giving them to understand that every breath she drew required to be drawn with a self-denial rarely paralle

ss Bella, coldly shaking her curls, ‘but I dou

monished her; ‘Bella,

se you are much too pretty to keep yourself shut up.’ With that, the pleasant creature gave her a kiss, and patted her on h

very well contest it; ‘and we are going to set up a nice carriage, and we’ll go everywhere and see everything. And you mustn’t,’ seating

y of this address that she frankly returned Mrs Boffin’s kiss. Not at all to the satisfaction of that good woman of

glad to make a diversion, as that young lady reapp

foe of the family. He put the round head of his cane in his mouth, like a stopper, when he sat down. As if

with us,’ said Mrs Boffin, ‘of course we shall be glad. The bet

consequence at all, I sup

a low voice, ‘have the goodne

Lavinia. ‘I’m not a child, to b

RE a c

n’t be taken notice of. “B

ld. Do you dare to suppose, you ridiculous girl, that Mr and Mrs Boffin would enter these doors upon a patronizing errand; or, if they did, would remain within them, only f

vinia began to grumble,

in presuming to hint that this lady and gentleman could have any idea of patronizing any member

in, ma’am,’ said Mr Boffin,

t I do,’ retur

short laugh as she mutt

t, ‘to please to be just to her sister Bella; to remember that her sister Bella is much sought after; and that when her sister Bella ac

quietly, ‘I can speak for myself; you kn

ent me,’ said the irrepressible Lavinia, spitefully; ‘bu

fixing him with her eyes as that he put it in again: ‘Mr Sampson, as a friend of this family and a

her mind, and consequently to saying that she and Mr Boffin would at any time be glad to see him; an attention which he ha

d Bella that as soon as they should be in a condition to receive her in a manner suitable to their desires, Mrs Boffin should return with notice of the fact. This arrangement Mrs Wilf

Boffin, turning back as he wa

qualifying the low expression, ‘un

d Mr Boffin. ‘What sort of a fellow IS

punctual, very quiet,

ticularly well acquainted with Our Mutual Friend, for I have on

eed,’ pointing through the window, ‘there he sta

ed Mr Boffin. ‘Saw

dialogue. Accompanying Mrs Boffin to the

Mr Boffin. ‘This is Mrs Boffin. Mr R

red himself and helped her to her se

lling out a hearty parting. ‘We shall meet again soon! And

r dress, suddenly looked behind him, and around him, and then

er a moment, ‘What’

her the Dead?’ ret

One I have told her of. One I

d it sounded like an omen, that you should speak

little less, than she had done at first; whether it rendered her eager to find out more about him, because she sought to establish reason for her distrust, or because she sou

as well as he, when they were left togeth

rthy people,

them well?’

rself — both, with the knowledge that she had meant to entra

us he had seen

supposed

and would have been gla

roposal to bring you into contact with the murdered man who lies in his grave. I might have known — o

itative state, Miss Bella was receiv

e rich enough now — with your Boffins. You can have as much flirting as you like — at your

rstand, as betwixt man and man, that he does it at his per —’ and was going to say peril; but Miss Lavinia, having no confidence in his mental powers

. This was, to illuminate the family with her remarkable powers as a physiognomist; powers that terrified R. W. when ever let loose, as being always fraught with gloom and evil which no inferior prescience was aware of. And this Mrs

e disinterestedness of their intentions towards Bella, I say nothing. But the craft, the secre

aleful attributes were all there, Mrs Wil