第75章

Sometimes，onholidaystowardsevening，hewillbeseentowalkwithaslightlyincreasedinfirmity，andhisoldeyeswillglimmerwithamoistandmarshylight。Thenthelittleoldmanisdrunk。

Averysmallmeasurewilloversethim；hemaybebowledoffhisunsteadylegswithahalf-pintpot。Somepityingacquaintance——

chanceacquaintanceveryoften——haswarmeduphisweaknesswithatreatofbeer，andtheconsequencewillbethelapseofalongertimethanusualbeforeheshallpassagain。ForthelittleoldmanisgoinghometotheWorkhouse；andonhisgoodbehaviourtheydonotlethimoutoften(thoughmethinkstheymight，consideringthefewyearshehasbeforehimtogooutin，underthesun)；andonhisbadbehaviourtheyshuthimupcloserthaneverinagroveoftwoscoreandnineteenmoreoldmen，everyoneofwhomsmellsofalltheothers。

MrsPlornish’sfather，——apoorlittlereedypipingoldgentleman，likeaworn-outbird；whohadbeeninwhathecalledthemusic-

bindingbusiness，andmetwithgreatmisfortunes，andwhohadseldombeenabletomakehisway，ortoseeitortopayit，ortodoanythingatallwithitbutfinditnothoroughfare，——hadretiredofhisownaccordtotheWorkhousewhichwasappointedbylawtobetheGoodSamaritanofhisdistrict(withoutthetwopence，whichwasbadpoliticaleconomy)，onthesettlementofthatexecutionwhichhadcarriedMrPlornishtotheMarshalseaCollege。

Previoustohisson-in-law’sdifficultiescomingtothathead，OldNandy(hewasalwayssocalledinhislegalRetreat，buthewasOldMrNandyamongtheBleedingHearts)hadsatinacornerofthePlornishfireside，andtakenhisbiteandsupoutofthePlornishcupboard。HestillhopedtoresumethatdomesticpositionwhenFortuneshouldsmileuponhisson-in-law；inthemeantime，whileshepreservedanimmovablecountenance，hewas，andresolvedtoremain，oneoftheselittleoldmeninagroveoflittleoldmenwithacommunityofflavour。

Butnopovertyinhim，andnocoatonhimthatneverwasthemode，andnoOldMen’sWardforhisdwelling-place，couldquenchhisdaughter’sadmiration。MrsPlornishwasasproudofherfather’stalentsasshecouldpossiblyhavebeeniftheyhadmadehimLordChancellor。ShehadasfirmabeliefinthesweetnessandproprietyofhismannersasshecouldpossiblyhavehadifhehadbeenLordChamberlain。Thepoorlittleoldmanknewsomepaleandvapidlittlesongs，longoutofdate，aboutChloe，andPhyllis，andStrephonbeingwoundedbythesonofVenus；andforMrsPlornishtherewasnosuchmusicattheOperaasthesmallinternalflutteringsandchirpingswhereinhewoulddischargehimselfoftheseditties，likeaweak，little，brokenbarrel-organ，groundbyababy。Onhis’daysout，’thoseflecksoflightinhisflatvistaofpollardoldmen，’itwasatonceMrsPlornish’sdelightandsorrow，whenhewasstrongwithmeat，andhadtakenhisfullhalfpenny-worthofporter，tosay，’Singusasong，Father。’ThenhewouldgivethemChloe，andifhewereinprettygoodspirits，Phyllisalso——Strephonhehadhardlybeenuptosincehewentintoretirement——andthenwouldMrsPlornishdeclareshedidbelievethereneverwassuchasingerasFather，andwipehereyes。

IfhehadcomefromCourtontheseoccasions，nay，ifhehadbeenthenobleRefrigeratorcomehometriumphantlyfromaforeigncourttobepresentedandpromotedonhislasttremendousfailure，MrsPlornishcouldnothavehandedhimwithgreaterelevat