The Chimes / A Goblin Story of Some Bells That Rang an Old Year out and a New Year In

ct of the town, because it was commonly called 'the world' by its inhabitants. The letter positively seemed heavier in Toby's hand, than another letter. Not because the Alderman had sea

on. 'Divide the lively turtles in the bills of mortality, by the number of gentlefolks able to buy 'e

alted character, Toby interposed a corner of

aughters-Gentlemen may win their hearts and marry them; they may be

inal letter swelled in his throat,

mean. That's more than enough for me.' And

r warmth, looked brightly down upon the ice it was too weak to melt, and set a radiant glory there. At ot

ured through the destined round, and now laid down its weary head to die. Shut out from hope, high impulse, active happiness, itself, but active messenger of many joys to others, it made

ver made, by seventy years at once upon an

e New Year, glittering trinkets for the New Year, dresses for the New Year, schemes of fortune for the New Year; new inventions to beguile it. Its life was parcelled out in almanacks and pocket-books; the coming o

ects were selling cheap, like some drowned mariner's aboardship. Its patterns were Last Year's, and going at a

to his thinking, in t

! Good old Times, Good old Times! Put 'em down, Put 'em down!'-hi

im, in due time, to the end of his journey. To the

er! Not of Toby's order. Quite another thing

of his chair, without first taking time to think about it and compose his mind. When he had found his voice-which

s it

tol

ning from the hall. 'Everything goes straight in, on this day of the year. You're not a bit too soon; f

he was told to enter from within; and doing so found himself in a spacious library, where, at a table strewn with files and papers, were a stately lady in a bonnet; and a not very stately gentleman in black who wrote from her dictation; while another,

med gentleman. 'Mr. Fish, will y

aking the letter from Toby, h

man Cute, S

nothing else, Porter?

ied in th

oseph. 'If you have, present it. There is a cheque-book by the side of Mr. Fish. I allow nothing to be carried into the

suggeste

asperity, 'the cord of existence-my affairs wou

ady, who was greatly younger tha

ason of the year we should think of-of-ourselves. We should look into our-our accounts. We should feel that every retur

en Trotty should have an opportunity of being improved by such discourse. Possibly he had this end before h

Fish to say, my lady-

lancing at the letter. 'But, upon my word, Sir Joseph, I

r?' inquired

allow two votes for a subscription

s it, to a rightly constituted mind, in proportion to the number of applicants, and the wholesome state of mind to which the

Besides, one can't oblige one's acquaintance. But you are the

cing at the poor man present. 'As such I may be taunted

noble gentleman

as no business with anything of that sort, and nothing of that sort has any business with him. My friend the Poor Man, in my district, is my business. No man or body of men has an

t gravity, and began to

he design of your creation is-not that you should swill, and guzzle, and associate your enjoyments, brutally, with food; Toby thought remorsefully of the tripe; 'but that you should feel the Dignity of Labour. Go forth erect into the cheerful morning air, and-and stop there. Live hard and temperately, be respectful, e

, with a shudder. 'Rheumatisms, and fevers, and cr

ear's Day, myself and friends will drink his health. Once every year, myself and friends will address him with the deepest feeling. Once in his life, he may even perhaps receive; in public, in the presence of the gentry; a Trifle from

s great

ful family, Sir Jose

cally, 'Ingratitude is known to be the si

thought Toby. 'N

that class requires. That is, entire Dependence on myself. They have no business whatever with-with themselves. If wicked and designing persons tell them otherwise, and they become impatient and dis

t, he opened the Alderma

e that he has had "the distinguished honour"-he is very good-of meeting me at the house of our mutual friend Deedl

ley. 'The worst man among them! He ha

lf-that's his story), and being found at night asleep in a shed, was taken into custody, and carried next morning before the Alderman. The Alderman observes (very pr

t winter, when I introduced pinking and eyelet-holing among the men an

ove our oc

quire and h

our dail

now our prop

bly ask your pardon, my lady, but an't I something different from a great girl?" I expected it, of course; who can expect anything

. 'Mr. Fish, if you'll ha

ed his pen, and wrote fro

He is a turbulent and rebellious spirit. His character will not bear investigation. Nothing will persuade him to be happy when he might. Under these circumstances, it appears to me, I own, that when he comes before you again (as you informed me he promised to do to-morrow, pending your inquiries, and I think he may be so far relied upon), his commi

Fish was sealing it, 'as if this were Ordained: really. At the close of th

was very low-spirited, stepped forwar

s and thanks,' said

echoed M

ffairs, and being prepared. You have observed that I don't shelter myself behind my superior standing in society, but that Mr. Fish-that gentleman-has a cheque-book at his elbow, and is in fact here, to enable

looking meekly at him, 'that I am a-

epeated Sir Joseph Bowley, in a

hat there's a matter of ten or twelve s

' repeated Sir Joseph, i

ittle money on account of rent. A very little, sir. It oughtn't

e after another, twice all round. He then made a despondent gestu

w Year in the face, with his affairs in this condition; how he can lie down on his bed at night, and get up

r,' said Trotty, anxious to excuse hi

orce to the request by motioning the bearer to the door, he had nothing for it but to make his bow and leave the house. And in the

bove him, indistinct and faint, in the murky air. He knew, too, that the Chimes would ring immediately; and that they sounded to his fancy, at such a time, like voices in the clouds. But he only made the

d. But what with his pace, which was at best an awkward one in the street; and what with his hat, which did

n great confusion, and between the hat and the torn lining, fixi

e hurt himself: and indeed, he had flown out into the road, like a shuttlecock. He had such an opi

haven't

, with grizzled hair, and a rough chin; stared at him for a moment, as if h

. You have

ld, I hope?'

eturned the man. '

arms, asleep: and shading her face with the long end of the

ith travel, and looked about him so forlorn and strange, that it was a comfort to him to be able to thank any one: no mat

leather leggings, common frock, and broad slouched hat, Trotty stood gazing,

ng Trotty standing there yet, seemed undecided whether to return or go on. After doin

smile, 'and if you can I am sure you will, and I'd r

d Toby. 'I'll show you

t I'm uneasy under suspicion, and want to clear myself, and to be free to go and seek

ed Toby with a start,

her, turning on hi

l Fern!' s

ame,' replie

eaven's sake don't go to him! Don't go to him! He'll put you down as sure as ever you

mpany nevertheless. When they were shrouded from observation, Trotty tol

d now and then-more in corroboration of an old and worn-out story, it appeared, than in refutation of it; and once or twice threw back his h

as we do, or their lives is strict indeed, and hardly worth the keeping. For myself, master, I never took with that hand'-holding it before him-'what wasn't my own; and never held it back from work, however hard, or poorly paid. Whoever can deny it, let him chop it off! But when work won't maintain me like a human creetur; when my living is so bad, that I am Hungry, out of doors and in; when I see a whole working life begin that way, go

a word or two of foolish prattle in her ear, and stand her on the ground beside him. Then slowly winding one of her

. I only want to live like one of the Almighty's creeturs. I can't-I don't-and so there's a pit dug between me, and th

ruth in this, and shook hi

ut of sorts, though God knows I'd sooner bear a cheerful spirit if I could. Well! I don't know as this Alderman could hurt me much by send

autiful face,

y. 'I've thought so, many times. I've thought so, when my hearth was very cold, and cupboard very bare. I thought so t'other night, when

ir so stern and strange, that Toby, to divert the curr

nion-eight-and-twenty mile away from where we live-between four walls (as they took care of my old father when he couldn't work no more, though he didn't trouble 'em long); but I took her instead, and s

smile which melted Toby more tha

ened my heart free to you, for I'm thankful to you; with g

,' sugge

. And to-morrow will try whether there's better fortun' to be

r for your heads. Come home with me! I'm a poor man, living in a poor place; but I can give you lodging for one night and never miss it. Come home with me! Here! I'll take her!' cried Trotty, lifting up the child. 'A pretty one! I'd carry twenty times her wei

nd here we go! Round this first turning to the right, Uncle Will, and past the pump, and sharp off up the passage to the left, right opposite the public-house. Here we are and here we go! Cross over, Uncle Will, and mind the kidney pieman at

hter in the middle of the floor. The little visitor looked once at Meg; and doubti

le Will, here's a fire you know! Why don't you come to the fire? Oh here we are and here we go! Meg

warm corner, knelt down on the ground before her, and pulled off her shoes, and dried her wet feet on a cloth. Ay, and she laughed at Trotty too-so pleas

, I think. I don't know what the Bells would sa

' exclaimed the child. '

ey're done, we'll brush out the damp hair; and when that's done, we'll bring some colour to the

r round the neck; caressed her fair cheek wi

ld have done no mor

' cried Meg,

ere I go, my dea

! He's put the dear child's bonnet on the

ve,' said Trotty, hastily repair

himself behind the chair of their male visitor, where with many

g somewhere on the stairs; and I'm pretty sure there was a bit of bacon too.

d spoken of, for ready money, at Mrs. Chickenstalker's; and presently came

her toasts the bacon, we shall be ready, immediate. It's a curious circumstance,' said Trotty, proceeding in his cookery, with the assistance of the toasting-fork, 'curious, but well known to my friends,

f that snug cauldron, and suffered the fragrant steam to curl about his nose, and wreathe his head and face in a thick cloud. However, for all this, he neither ate n

thers feast: although it were a monarch or a pope: as those two did, in looking on that night. Meg smiled at Trotty, Trotty laughed at Meg. Meg shook her head, and made belief to clap

wfully, as he watched Meg's face;

Trotty after tea. 'The little on

ed the child, caress

shouldn't wonder if she kiss Meg's f

child went timidly towards him, and havi

ere we come and here we-no, we don't-I don't me

her chair, and with his face turned from her,

're tired to death, and broken down for want of rest. You come along with me.' The man still played with the child's curls, still leaned upon Meg's chair, still tur

not much of a place: only a loft; but, having a loft, I always say, is one of the great conveniences of living in a mews; and till this coach-house and stable gets a better let, we live

as if he had been a child himself. Returning before Meg, he listened for an instant at the door of her little chamber; an adjoining room. The child was murmur

o the warm hearth. But, when he had done so, and had trimmed the light, he took his newspaper from his pocket, and began

nts had so marked out and shaped. His interest in the two wanderers had set him on another course of thinking, and a happier on

esperate hands not only on her own life but on that of her young child. A crime so terrible, and so revolting

re bad at heart, born bad, who had no business on the earth, could do such deed

st out so loud, and clear, and sonorous-that

was that,

g him to us, Haunt and hunt him, haunt and hunt him, Break his slumbers, break his slumbers! Toby Veck Toby Veck, door open wide Toby, Toby Ve

No, no. Nothing of the kind. Again, again, and yet a dozen times again. 'Haunt and hu

ly: tapping at her door

ather. Surely they'r

d Toby, making an ex

an't leave her yet though, fath

d Trotty. 'List

him all the time. But it underwent n

the fire, and once more listened by h

to bear it; their

never thinking of his hat, 'what's to hinder me from going up into the steeple and

nd had so rarely seen it open, that he couldn't reckon above three times in all. It was a low arched portal, outside the church, in

his dark nook, with a certain misgiving that it might be unexpectedly seized, and a shivering pro

f getting a light, or a companion, but his courage aid

re, and have forgotten to shut the door.' So he went in, feeling his way as he went

there was something startling, even in that. The narrow stair was so close to the door, too, that he stumbled at the very first; a

y groped his way, and went on. Up, up, up, and round,

ng room for him to pass without discovery, that he would rub the smooth wall upward searching for its face, and downward searching for its feet, while a chill tingling crept all over him. Twice or thrice

and round; and up, up, up;

. But, he got to an arched window in the tower, breast high, and holding tight, looked down upon the house-tops, on the smoking chimneys, on the blur and bl

he started, thinking it was hair; then trembled at the very thought of waking the deep Bell. The Bells themselves were higher. Higher, Trotty, in his fas

d clamber; up, up, up; h

ve its beams, he came among the Bells. It was barely possible to make out the

o this airy nest of stone and metal. His head went round and round. He listened,

and frightened, Toby looked about hi