Page:Bleak House.djvu/173

 it to his good sense not to deceive himself in so important a matter. Richard was a little grave after these interviews ; but invariably told Ada and me "that it was all right," and then began to talk about something else.

" By Heaven ! " cried Mr. Boythorn, who interested himself strongly in the subject—though I need not say that, for he could do nothing weakly; "I rejoice to find a young gentleman of spirit and gallantry devoting himself to that noble profession ! The more spirit there is in it, the better for mankind, and the worse for those mercenary taskmasters and low tricksters who delight in putting that illustrious art at a disadvantage in the world. By all that is base and despicable," cried Mr. Boythorn, " the treatment of Surgeons aboard ship is such, that I would submit the legrs—both legs—of every member of the Admiralty Board to a compound fracture, and render it a transportable offence in any qualified practitioner to set them, if the system were not wholly changed in eight-and-forty hours !"

" Wouldn't you give them a week? " asked Mr. Jarndyce.

" No!" cried Mr. Boythorn, firmly. "Not on any consideration! Eight-and-forty hours ! As to Corporations, Parishes, Vestry-Boards, and similar gatherings of jolter-headed clods, who assemble to exchange such speeches that, by Heaven ! they ought to be worked in quicksilver mines for the short remainder of their miserable existence, if it were only to prevent their destestable English from contaminating a language spoken in the presence of the Sun—as to those fellows, who meanly take advantage of the ardor of gentlemen in the pursuit of knowledge, to recompense the inestimable services of the best years of their lives, their long study, and their expensive education, with pittances too small for the acceptance of clerks, I would have the necks of every one of them wrung, and their skulls arranged in Surgeons' Hall for the contemplation of the whole profession—in order that its younger members might understand from actual measurement, in early life, how thick skulls may become ! "

He wound up this vehement declaration by looking round upon us with a most agreeable smile, and suddenly thundering, Ha, ha, ha ! over and over again, until anybody else might have been expected to be quite subdued by the exertion.

As Richard still continued to say that he was fixed in his choice, after repeated periods for consideration had been recommended by Mr. Jarndyce, and had expired ; and as he still continued to assure Ada and me, in the same final manner, that it was " all right ; " it became advisable to take Mr. Kenge into council. Mr. Kenge, therefore, came down to dinner one day, and leaned back in his chair, and turned his eye-glasses over and over, and spoke in a sonorous voice, and did exactly what I remembered to have seen him do when I was a little girl.

" Ah ! " said Mr. Kenge. " Yes. Well ! A very good profession, Mr. Jarndyce ; a very good profession."

" The course of study and preparation requires to be diligently pursued," observed my Guardian, with a glance at Richard.

" O, no doubt," said Mr. Kenge. " Diligently."

" But that being the case, more or less, with all pursuits that are