Page:Hopkinson Smith--In Dickens's London.djvu/180

IN DICKENS'S LONDON in the corner; and the fog he had brought in with him, and the fog he took off with his greatcoat and neck-shawl, was speedily licked up by the eager fire.

"'I look,' said Edwin, smiling, 'as if I had come to stop.'

"'By-the-bye,' cried Mr. Grewgious; 'excuse my interrupting you: do stop. The fog may clear in an hour or two. We can have dinner in from just across Holborn.'&hellip;

"'You are very kind,' said Edwin.&hellip;

"'Not at all,' said Mr. Grewgious; &apos;you are very kind to join issue with a bachelor in chambers, and take pot-luck. And I'll ask,' said Mr. Grewgious, dropping his voice, &hellip; I'll ask Bazzard. He mightn't like it else. Bazzard!'

"Bazzard reappeared.

"'Dine presently with Mr. Drood and me.'

"'If I am ordered to dine, of course I will, Sir.' was the gloomy answer.

"'Save the man!' cried Mr. Grewgious. 'You're not ordered; you're invited.'

"'Thank you, Sir,' said Bazzard; 'in that case I don't care if I do.'

'"That's arranged. And perhaps you wouldn't mind,' said Mr. Grewgious, 'stepping over to the hotel in Furnival's, and asking them to send in materials for laying the cloth. For dinner we'll have a tureen of the hottest and strongest soup available, and we'll have the best made-dish that can be recommended, and we'll have a joint (such as a haunch of mutton), and we'll have a goose, or a turkey, or any little stuffed thing of that sort that may happen to be 112