“Oh!” said she. “The wards
in Jarndyce! Ve-ry happy, I am sure, to have
the honour! It is a good omen for youth, and
hope, and beauty when they find themselves in this
place, and don’t know what’s to come of
it.”
“Mad!” whispered Richard, not thinking
she could hear him.
“Right! Mad, young gentleman,” she
returned so quickly that he was quite abashed.
“I was a ward myself. I was not mad at
that time,” curtsying low and smiling between
every little sentence. “I had youth and
hope. I believe, beauty. It matters very
little now. Neither of the three served or saved
me. I have the honour to attend court regularly.
With my documents. I expect a judgment.
Shortly. On the Day of Judgment. I have
discovered that the sixth seal mentioned in the Revelations
is the Great Seal. It has been open a long time!
Pray accept my blessing.”
As Ada was a little frightened, I said, to humour
the poor old lady, that we were much obliged to her.
“Ye-es!” she said mincingly. “I
imagine so. And here is Conversation Kenge.
With his documents! How does your honourable
worship do?”
“Quite well, quite well! Now don’t
be troublesome, that’s a good soul!” said
Mr. Kenge, leading the way back.
“By no means,” said the poor old lady,
keeping up with Ada and me. “Anything but
troublesome. I shall confer estates on both—which
is not being troublesome, I trust? I expect a
judgment. Shortly. On the Day of Judgment.
This is a good omen for you. Accept my blessing!”
She stopped at the bottom of the steep, broad flight
of stairs; but we looked back as we went up, and she
was still there, saying, still with a curtsy and a
smile between every little sentence, “Youth.
And hope. And beauty. And Chancery.
And Conversation Kenge! Ha! Pray accept
my blessing!”
Telescopic Philanthropy
We were to pass the night, Mr. Kenge told us when
we arrived in his room, at Mrs. Jellyby’s; and
then he turned to me and said he took it for granted
I knew who Mrs. Jellyby was.
“I really don’t, sir,” I returned.
“Perhaps Mr. Carstone—or Miss Clare—”
But no, they knew nothing whatever about Mrs. Jellyby.
“In-deed! Mrs. Jellyby,” said Mr.
Kenge, standing with his back to the fire and casting
his eyes over the dusty hearth-rug as if it were Mrs.
Jellyby’s biography, “is a lady of very
remarkable strength of character who devotes herself
entirely to the public. She has devoted herself
to an extensive variety of public subjects at various
times and is at present (until something else attracts
her) devoted to the subject of Africa, with a view
to the general cultivation of the coffee berry—and
the natives—and the happy settlement, on
the banks of the African rivers, of our superabundant
home population. Mr. Jarndyce, who is desirous
to aid any work that is considered likely to be a
good work and who is much sought after by philanthropists,
has, I believe, a very high opinion of Mrs. Jellyby.”
