HomeCharles DickensDombey and Son

Dombey and Son. Charles Dickens

′Oh! there′s a Tartar within a hundred miles of where we′re now in conversation, I can tell you, Mrs Richards, present company always excepted too,′ said Susan Nipper; ′wish you good morning, Mrs Richards, now Miss Floy, you come along with me, and don′t go hanging back like a naughty wicked child that judgments is no example to, don′t!′

In spite of being thus adjured, and in spite also of some hauling on the part of Susan Nipper, tending towards the dislocation of her right shoulder, little Florence broke away, and kissed her new friend, affectionately.

′Oh dear! after it was given out so ′tickerlerly, that Mrs Richards wasn′t to be made free with!′ exclaimed Susan. ′Very well, Miss Floy!′

′God bless the sweet thing!′ said Richards, ′Good-bye, dear!′

′Good-bye!′ returned the child. ′God bless you! I shall come to see you again soon, and you′ll come to see me? Susan will let us. Won′t you, Susan?′

Spitfire seemed to be in the main a good-natured little body, although a disciple of that school of trainers of the young idea which holds that childhood, like money, must be shaken and rattled and jostled about a good deal to keep it bright. For, being thus appealed to with some endearing gestures and caresses, she folded her small arms and shook her head, and conveyed a relenting expression into her very-wide-open black eyes.

′It ain′t right of you to ask it, Miss Floy, for you know I can′t refuse you, but Mrs Richards and me will see what can be done, if Mrs Richards likes, I may wish, you see, to take a voyage to Chaney, Mrs Richards, but I mayn′t know how to leave the London Docks.′

Richards assented to the proposition.

′This house ain′t so exactly ringing with merry-making,′ said Miss Nipper, ′that one need be lonelier than one must be. Your Toxes and your Chickses may draw out my two front double teeth, Mrs Richards, but that′s no reason why I need offer ′em the whole set.′

This proposition was also assented to by Richards, as an obvious one.

′So I′m able, I′m sure,′said Susan Nipper, ′to live friendly, Mrs Richards, while Master Paul continues a permanency, if the means can be planned out without going openly against orders, but goodness gracious Miss Floy, you haven′t got your things off yet, you naughty child, you haven′t, come along!′

With these words, Susan Nipper, in a transport of coercion, made a charge at her young ward, and swept her out of the room.

The child, in her grief and neglect, was so gentle, so quiet, and uncomplaining; was possessed of so much affection that no one seemed to care to have, and so much sorrowful intelligence that no one seemed to mind or think about the wounding of, that Polly′s heart was sore when she was left alone again. In the simple passage that had taken place between herself and the motherless little girl, her own motherly heart had been touched no less than the child′s; and she felt, as the child did, that there was something of confidence and interest between them from that moment.

Notwithstanding Mr Toodle′s great reliance on Polly, she was perhaps in point of artificial accomplishments very little his superior. She had been good-humouredly working and drudging for her life all her life, and was a sober steady-going person, with matter-of-fact ideas about the butcher and baker, and the division of pence into farthings. But she was a good plain sample of a nature that is ever, in the mass, better, truer, higher, nobler, quicker to feel, and much more constant to retain, all tenderness and pity, self-denial and devotion, than the nature of men.

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Overall 591 pages


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