‘My De-ar, this is becoming Awful—’
her father was emphatically beginning: when she
stopped him.
‘Pa, tell me. Did you marry money?’
‘You know I didn’t, my dear.’
Bella hummed the Dead March in Saul, and said, after
all it signified very little! But seeing him
look grave and downcast, she took him round the neck
and kissed him back to cheerfulness again.
’I didn’t mean that last touch, Pa; it
was only said in joke. Now mind! You are
not to tell of me, and I’ll not tell of you.
And more than that; I promise to have no secrets from
you, Pa, and you may make certain that, whatever mercenary
things go on, I shall always tell you all about them
in strict confidence.’
Fain to be satisfied with this concession from the
lovely woman, R. W. rang the bell, and paid the bill.
‘Now, all the rest of this, Pa,’ said
Bella, rolling up the purse when they were alone again,
hammering it small with her little fist on the table,
and cramming it into one of the pockets of his new
waistcoat, ’is for you, to buy presents with
for them at home, and to pay bills with, and to divide
as you like, and spend exactly as you think proper.
Last of all take notice, Pa, that it’s not the
fruit of any avaricious scheme. Perhaps if it
was, your little mercenary wretch of a daughter wouldn’t
make so free with it!’
After which, she tugged at his coat with both hands,
and pulled him all askew in buttoning that garment
over the precious waistcoat pocket, and then tied
her dimples into her bonnet-strings in a very knowing
way, and took him back to London. Arrived at
Mr Boffin’s door, she set him with his back
against it, tenderly took him by the ears as convenient
handles for her purpose, and kissed him until he knocked
muffled double knocks at the door with the back of
his head. That done, she once more reminded him
of their compact and gaily parted from him.
Not so gaily, however, but that tears filled her eyes
as he went away down the dark street. Not so
gaily, but that she several times said, ‘Ah,
poor little Pa! Ah, poor dear struggling shabby
little Pa!’ before she took heart to knock at
the door. Not so gaily, but that the brilliant
furniture seemed to stare her out of countenance as
if it insisted on being compared with the dingy furniture
at home. Not so gaily, but that she fell into
very low spirits sitting late in her own room, and
very heartily wept, as she wished, now that the deceased
old John Harmon had never made a will about her, now
that the deceased young John Harmon had lived to marry
her. ‘Contradictory things to wish,’
said Bella, ’but my life and fortunes are so
contradictory altogether that what can I expect myself
to be!’
IN WHICH THE ORPHAN MAKES HIS WILL
The Secretary, working in the Dismal Swamp betimes
next morning, was informed that a youth waited in
the hall who gave the name of Sloppy. The footman
who communicated this intelligence made a decent pause
before uttering the name, to express that it was forced
on his reluctance by the youth in question, and that
if the youth had had the good sense and good taste
to inherit some other name it would have spared the
feelings of him the bearer.
