‘I think,’ said Miss Jenny with a silent
laugh, ’he ought to have a little pepper?
Just a few grains? I think the young man’s
tricks and manners make a claim upon his friends for
a little pepper?’
Mr Fledgeby’s evil star showing her the pepper-box
on the chimneypiece, she climbed upon a chair, and
got it down, and sprinkled all the plasters with a
judicious hand. She then went back to Mr Fledgeby,
and stuck them all on him: Mr Fledgeby uttering
a sharp howl as each was put in its place.
‘There, young man!’ said the dolls’
dressmaker. ’Now I hope you feel pretty
comfortable?’
Apparently, Mr Fledgeby did not, for he cried by way
of answer, ’Oh—h how I do smart!’
Miss Jenny got his Persian gown upon him, extinguished
his eyes crookedly with his Persian cap, and helped
him to his bed: upon which he climbed groaning.
’Business between you and me being out of the
question to-day, young man, and my time being precious,’
said Miss Jenny then, ‘I’ll make myself
scarce. Are you comfortable now?’
‘Oh my eye!’ cried Mr Fledgeby. ‘No,
I ain’t. Oh—h—h! how
I do smart!’
The last thing Miss Jenny saw, as she looked back
before closing the room door, was Mr Fledgeby in the
act of plunging and gambolling all over his bed, like
a porpoise or dolphin in its native element. She
then shut the bedroom door, and all the other doors,
and going down stairs and emerging from the Albany
into the busy streets, took omnibus for Saint Mary
Axe: pressing on the road all the gaily-dressed
ladies whom she could see from the window, and making
them unconscious lay-figures for dolls, while she
mentally cut them out and basted them.
TWO PLACES VACATED
Set down by the omnibus at the corner of Saint Mary
Axe, and trusting to her feet and her crutch-stick
within its precincts, the dolls’ dressmaker
proceeded to the place of business of Pubsey and Co.
All there was sunny and quiet externally, and shady
and quiet internally. Hiding herself in the entry
outside the glass door, she could see from that post
of observation the old man in his spectacles sitting
writing at his desk.
‘Boh!’ cried the dressmaker, popping in
her head at the glass-door. ’Mr Wolf at
home?’
The old man took his glasses off, and mildly laid
them down beside him. ‘Ah Jenny, is it
you? I thought you had given me up.’
‘And so I had given up the treacherous wolf
of the forest,’ she replied; ’but, godmother,
it strikes me you have come back. I am not quite
sure, because the wolf and you change forms.
I want to ask you a question or two, to find out whether
you are really godmother or really wolf. May
I?’
‘Yes, Jenny, yes.’ But Riah glanced
towards the door, as if he thought his principal might
appear there, unseasonably.
‘If you’re afraid of the fox,’ said
Miss Jenny, ’you may dismiss all present expectations
of seeing that animal. He won’t show
himself abroad, for many a day.’
