Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/588

492 492 POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF

" My dear, it's not my fault," said the gentleman.

" Don't talk to me, you creetur, don't," retorted the lady. " The house with the red door^ cabmin. Oh ! if ever a woman was troubled with a ruffinly creetur, that takes a pride and pleasure in disgracing his wife on every possible occasion afore strangers, I am that woman ! "

" You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Raddle,'' said the other little woman, who was no other than Mrs. Cluppins.

'' What have I been a doing of?" asked Mr. Raddle.

" Don't talk to me, don't, you brute, for fear I should be perwoked to forgit my sect and strike you," said Mrs. Raddle.

While this dialogue was going on, the driver was most ignominiously leading the horse by the bridle up to the house with the red door, which Master Bardell had already opened. Here was a mean and low way of arriving at a friend's house ! — no dashing up with all the fire and fury of the animal, no jumping down of the driver and loud knocking at the door, no opening the apron with a crash at the very last moment for fear of the ladies sitting in a draught, and then the man handing the shawls out afterwards as if he were a private coachman. The whole edge of the thing had been taken off — it was flatter than walking.

^^Well Tommy," said Mrs. Cluppins, "how's your poor dear mother?"

" Oh, she's wery well," replied Master Bardell. " She's in the front parlor, — all ready. I'm ready too, I am." Here Master Bardell put his hands in his pockets, and jumped off and on the bottom step of the door.

" Is anybody else a goin'. Tommy ? " said Mrs. Cluppins, arranging her pelerine.

" Mrs. Sanders is going, she is," replied Tommy. " I'm a goin' too, I am. "

" Drat the boy," said little Mrs. Cluppins. " He thinks of nobody but himself. Here Tommy, dear."

" Well," said Master Bardell.

manner.
 * ^ Who else is a goin', lovey ? " said Mrs. Cluppins in an insinuating

" Oh ! Mrs. Rogers is a goin'," replied Master Bardell, opening his eyes very wide as he delivered the intelligence.

" What! The lady as has taken the lodgings!" ejaculated Mrs. Cluppins.

Master Bardell put his hands further down into his pockets, and nodded exactly thirty-five times, to imply that it was the lady lodger, and no other.

" Bless us !" said Mrs. Cluppins. " It*s quite a party."

Master Bardell.
 * Ah, if you knew what was in the cupboard, you'd say so," replied

" What is there. Tommy ? " said Mrs. Cluppins, coaxingly. ** You'll tell me, Tommy, I know."

'' No, I won't," replied Master Bardell, shaking his head, and applying himself to the bottom step again. ♦

'"'Drat the child!" muttered Mrs. Cluppins. "What a prowokin* little wretch it is ! Come, Tommy, tell your dear Cluppy."