第81章

Theconferencewasheldatfourorfiveo’clockintheafternoon，whenalltheregionofHarleyStreet，CavendishSquare，wasresonantofcarriage-wheelsanddouble-knocks。IthadreachedthispointwhenMrMerdlecamehomefromhisdailyoccupationofcausingtheBritishnametobemoreandmorerespectedinallpartsofthecivilisedglobecapableoftheappreciationofworld-widecommercialenterpriseandgiganticcombinationsofskillandcapital。For，thoughnobodyknewwiththeleastprecisionwhatMrMerdle’sbusinesswas，exceptthatitwastocoinmoney，thesewerethetermsinwhicheverybodydefineditonallceremoniousoccasions，andwhichitwasthelastnewpolitereadingoftheparableofthecamelandtheneedle’seyetoacceptwithoutinquiry。

Foragentlemanwhohadthissplendidworkcutoutforhim，MrMerdlelookedalittlecommon，andratherasif，inthecourseofhisvasttransactions，hehadaccidentallymadeaninterchangeofheadswithsomeinferiorspirit。Hepresentedhimselfbeforethetwoladiesinthecourseofadismalstrollthroughhismansion，whichhadnoapparentobjectbutescapefromthepresenceofthechiefbutler。

’Ibegyourpardon，’hesaid，stoppingshortinconfusion；’I

didn’tknowtherewasanybodyherebuttheparrot。’

However，asMrsMerdlesaid，’Youcancomein!’andasMrsGowansaidshewasjustgoing，andhadalreadyrisentotakeherleave，hecamein，andstoodlookingoutatadistantwindow，withhishandscrossedunderhisuneasycoat-cuffs，claspinghiswristsasifheweretakinghimselfintocustody。Inthisattitudehefelldirectlyintoareveriefromwhichhewasonlyarousedbyhiswife’scallingtohimfromherottoman，whentheyhadbeenforsomequarterofanhouralone。

’Eh？Yes？’saidMrMerdle，turningtowardsher。’Whatisit？’

’Whatisit？’repeatedMrsMerdle。’Itis，Isuppose，thatyouhavenotheardawordofmycomplaint。’

’Yourcomplaint，MrsMerdle？’saidMrMerdle。’Ididn’tknowthatyouweresufferingfromacomplaint。Whatcomplaint？’

’Acomplaintofyou，’saidMrsMerdle。

’Oh!Acomplaintofme，’saidMrMerdle。’Whatisthe——whathaveI——whatmayyouhavetocomplainofinme，MrsMerdle？’Inhiswithdrawing，abstracted，ponderingway，ittookhimsometimetoshapethisquestion。Asakindoffaintattempttoconvincehimselfthathewasthemasterofthehouse，heconcludedbypresentinghisforefingertotheparrot，whoexpressedhisopiniononthatsubjectbyinstantlydrivinghisbillintoit。

’Youweresaying，MrsMerdle，’saidMrMerdle，withhiswoundedfingerinhismouth，’thatyouhadacomplaintagainstme？’

’AcomplaintwhichIcouldscarcelyshowthejusticeofmoreemphatically，thanbyhavingtorepeatit，’saidMrsMerdle。’I

mightaswellhavestatedittothewall。Ihadfarbetterhavestatedittothebird。Hewouldatleasthavescreamed。’

’Youdon’twantmetoscream，MrsMerdle，Isuppose，’saidMrMerdle，takingachair。

’IndeedIdon’tknow，’retortedMrsMerdle，’butthatyouhadbetterdothat，thanbesomoodyanddistraught。Onewouldatleastknowthatyouweresensibleofwhatwasgoingonaroundyou。’

’Amanmightscream，andyetnotbethat，MrsMerdle，’saidMrMerdle，heavily。

’Andmightbedogged，asyouareatpresent，withoutscreaming，’

returnedMrsMerdle。’That’sverytrue。IfyouwishtoknowthecomplaintImakeagainstyou，itis，insomanyplainwords，thatyoureallyoughtnottogointoSocietyunlessyoucanaccommodateyoursel