第114章

whomwewouldcallawidowlady，therewereplacedinA。B。’shandsthetitle-deedsofafreeholdestate，whichwewouldcallBlinkiterDoddles。Now，thepointwasthis。AlimitedrightoffellingandloppinginthewoodsofBlinkiterDoddles，layinthesonofP。Q。

thenpasthismajority，andwhomwewouldcallX。Y——butreallythiswastoobad!InthepresenceofLordDecimus，todetainthehostwithchoppingourdrychaffoflaw，wasreallytoobad!

Anothertime!Barwastrulyrepentant，andwouldnotsayanothersyllable。WouldBishopfavourhimwithhalf-a-dozenwords？(HehadnowsetMrMerdledownonacouch，sidebysidewithLordDecimus，andtoittheymustgo，nowornever。)

Andnowtherestofthecompany，highlyexcitedandinterested，alwaysexceptingBishop，whohadnottheslightestideathatanythingwasgoingon，formedinonegrouproundthefireinthenextdrawing-room，andpretendedtobechattingeasilyontheinfinitevarietyofsmalltopics，whileeverybody’sthoughtsandeyesweresecretlystrayingtowardsthesecludedpair。TheChoruswereexcessivelynervous，perhapsaslabouringunderthedreadfulapprehensionthatsomegoodthingwasgoingtobedivertedfromthem!Bishopalonetalkedsteadilyandevenly。HeconversedwiththegreatPhysicianonthatrelaxationofthethroatwithwhichyoungcuratesweretoofrequentlyafflicted，andonthemeansoflesseningthegreatprevalenceofthatdisorderinthechurch。

Physician，asageneralrule，wasofopinionthatthebestwaytoavoiditwastoknowhowtoread，beforeyoumadeaprofessionofreading。Bishopsaiddubiously，didhereallythinkso？AndPhysiciansaid，decidedly，yeshedid。

Ferdinand，meanwhile，wastheonlyoneofthepartywhoskirmishedontheoutsideofthecircle；hekeptaboutmid-waybetweenitandthetwo，asifsomesortofsurgicaloperationwerebeingperformedbyLordDecimusonMrMerdle，orbyMrMerdleonLordDecimus，andhisservicesmightatanymomentberequiredasDresser。Infact，withinaquarterofanhourLordDecimuscalledtohim’Ferdinand!’

andhewent，andtookhisplaceintheconferenceforsomefiveminutesmore。Thenahalf-suppressedgaspbrokeoutamongtheChorus；forLordDecimusrosetotakehisleave。AgaincoachedupbyFerdinandtothepointofmakinghimselfpopular，heshookhandsinthemostbrilliantmannerwiththewholecompany，andevensaidtoBar，’Ihopeyouwerenotboredbymypears？’TowhichBarretorted，’Eton，mylord，orParliamentary？’neatlyshowingthathehadmasteredthejoke，anddelicatelyinsinuatingthathecouldneverforgetitwhilehisliferemained。

AllthegraveimportancethatwasbuttonedupinMrTiteBarnacle，tookitselfawaynext；andFerdinandtookhimselfawaynext，totheopera。Someoftherestlingeredalittle，marryinggoldenliqueurglassestoBuhltableswithstickyrings；onthedesperatechanceofMrMerdle’ssayingsomething。ButMerdle，asusual，oozedsluggishlyandmuddilyabouthisdrawing-room，sayingneveraword。

Inadayortwoitwasannouncedtoallthetown，thatEdmundSparkler，Esquire，son-in-lawoftheeminentMrMerdleofworldwiderenown，wasmadeoneoftheLordsoftheCircumlocutionOffice；andproclamationwasissued，toalltruebelievers，thatthisadmirableappointmentwastobehailedasagracefulandgraciousmarkofhomage，renderedbythegracefulandgraciousDecimus，tothatcommercialinterestwhichmusteverinagreatcommercialcountry——

andalltherestofit，withblastoftrumpet。So，bolsteredbythismarkofGovernmenthomage，thewonderfulBankandalltheotherwonderfulundertakingswentonandwentup；andgaperscametoHarleyStreet，CavendishSquare，onlytolookatthehousewherethegoldenwonderlived。

AndwhentheysawtheChiefButlerlookingoutatthehall-doorinhismomentsofcondescension，thegaperssaidhowrichhelooked，andwonderedhowmuchmoneyhehadinthewonderfulBank。But，iftheyhadknownthatrespectableNemesisbetter，theywouldnothavewonderedaboutit，andmighthavestatedtheamountwiththeutmostprecision。

TheProgressofanEpidemicThatitisatleastasdifficulttostayamoralinfectionasaphysicalone；thatsuchadiseasewillspreadwiththemalignityandrapidityofthePlague；thatthecontagion，whenithasoncemadehead，willsparenopursuitorc