Bleak House Charles Dickens (classic books to read .TXT) đ
- Author: Charles Dickens
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The old conspiracy to make me happy! Everybody seemed to be in it!
âNow, pet,â said my guardian, âif it would not be irksome to you to admit the harmless little creature one afternoon before you save Boythornâs otherwise devoted house from demolition, I believe you would make her prouder and better pleased with herself than Iâ âthough my eminent name is Jarndyceâ âcould do in a lifetime.â
I have no doubt he knew there would be something in the simple image of the poor afflicted creature that would fall like a gentle lesson on my mind at that time. I felt it as he spoke to me. I could not tell him heartily enough how ready I was to receive her. I had always pitied her, never so much as now. I had always been glad of my little power to soothe her under her calamity, but never, never, half so glad before.
We arranged a time for Miss Flite to come out by the coach and share my early dinner. When my guardian left me, I turned my face away upon my couch and prayed to be forgiven if I, surrounded by such blessings, had magnified to myself the little trial that I had to undergo. The childish prayer of that old birthday when I had aspired to be industrious, contented, and truehearted and to do good to someone and win some love to myself if I could came back into my mind with a reproachful sense of all the happiness I had since enjoyed and all the affectionate hearts that had been turned towards me. If I were weak now, what had I profited by those mercies? I repeated the old childish prayer in its old childish words and found that its old peace had not departed from it.
My guardian now came every day. In a week or so more I could walk about our rooms and hold long talks with Ada from behind the window-curtain. Yet I never saw her, for I had not as yet the courage to look at the dear face, though I could have done so easily without her seeing me.
On the appointed day Miss Flite arrived. The poor little creature ran into my room quite forgetful of her usual dignity, and crying from her very heart of hearts, âMy dear Fitz Jarndyce!â fell upon my neck and kissed me twenty times.
âDear me!â said she, putting her hand into her reticule, âI have nothing here but documents, my dear Fitz Jarndyce; I must borrow a pocket handkerchief.â
Charley gave her one, and the good creature certainly made use of it, for she held it to her eyes with both hands and sat so, shedding tears for the next ten minutes.
âWith pleasure, my dear Fitz Jarndyce,â she was careful to explain. âNot the least pain. Pleasure to see you well again. Pleasure at having the honour of being admitted to see you. I am so much fonder of you, my love, than of the Chancellor. Though I do attend court regularly. By the by, my dear, mentioning pocket handkerchiefsâ ââ
Miss Flite here looked at Charley, who had been to meet her at the place where the coach stopped. Charley glanced at me and looked unwilling to pursue the suggestion.
âVe-ry right!â said Miss Flite, âVe-ry correct. Truly! Highly indiscreet of me to mention it; but my dear Miss Fitz Jarndyce, I am afraid I am at times (between ourselves, you wouldnât think it) a littleâ ârambling you know,â said Miss Flite, touching her forehead. âNothing more.â
âWhat were you going to tell me?â said I, smiling, for I saw she wanted to go on. âYou have roused my curiosity, and now you must gratify it.â
Miss Flite looked at Charley for advice in this important crisis, who said, âIf you please, maâam, you had better tell then,â and therein gratified Miss Flite beyond measure.
âSo sagacious, our young friend,â said she to me in her mysterious way. âDiminutive. But ve-ry sagacious! Well, my dear, itâs a pretty anecdote. Nothing more. Still I think it charming. Who should follow us down the road from the coach, my dear, but a poor person in a very ungenteel bonnetâ ââ
âJenny, if you please, miss,â said Charley.
âJust so!â Miss Flite acquiesced with the greatest suavity. âJenny. Ye-es! And what does she tell our young friend but that there has been a lady with a veil inquiring at her cottage after my dear Fitz Jarndyceâs health and taking a handkerchief away with her as a little keepsake merely because it was my amiable Fitz Jarndyceâs! Now, you know, so very prepossessing in the lady with the veil!â
âIf you please, miss,â said Charley, to whom I looked in some astonishment, âJenny says that when her baby died, you left a handkerchief there, and that she put it away and kept it with the babyâs little things. I think, if you please, partly because it was yours, miss, and partly because it had covered the baby.â
âDiminutive,â whispered Miss Flite, making a variety of motions about her own forehead to express intellect in Charley. âBut exceedingly sagacious! And so dear! My love, sheâs clearer than any counsel I ever heard!â
âYes, Charley,â I returned. âI remember it. Well?â
âWell, miss,â said Charley, âand thatâs the handkerchief the lady took. And Jenny wants you to know that she wouldnât have made away with it herself for a heap of money but that the lady took it and left some money instead. Jenny donât know her at all, if you please, miss!â
âWhy, who can she be?â said I.
âMy love,â Miss Flite suggested, advancing her lips to my ear with her most mysterious look, âin my opinionâ âdonât mention this to our diminutive friendâ âsheâs the Lord Chancellorâs wife. Heâs married, you know. And
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