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of Dolly how she meant to go. Dolly supposed by the stage-coach, and looked at her lady mother, who finding herself silently appealed to, dived down at least another fathom into the Manual, and became unconscious of all earthly things. Martha said the locksmith. I hear you, Varden, said his wife, without rising to the surface. I am sorry, my dear, you have such an objection to the Maypole and old John, for otherways as its a very fine morning, and Saturdays not a busy day with us, we might have all three gone to Chigwell in the chaise, and had quite a happy day of it. Mrs Varden immediately closed the Manual, and bursting into tears, requested to be led upstairs. What is the matter now, Martha? inquired the locksmith. To which Martha rejoined, Oh! dont speak to me, and protested in agony that if anybody had told her so, she wouldnt have believed it. But, Martha, said Gabriel, putting himself in the way as she was moving off with the aid of Dollys shoulder, wouldnt have believed what? Tell me whats wrong now. Do tell me. Upon my soul I dont know. Do you know, child? Damme! cried the locksmith, plucking at his wig in a kind of frenzy, nobody does know, I verily believe, but Miggs! Miggs, said Mrs Varden faintly, and with symptoms of approaching incoherence, is attached to me, and that is sufficient to draw down hatred upon her in this house. She is a comfort to me, whatever she may be to others. Shes no comfort to me, cried Gabriel, made bold by despair. Shes the misery of my life. Shes all the plagues of Egypt in one. Shes considered so, I have no doubt, said Mrs Varden. I was prepared for that; its natural; its of a piece with the rest. When you taunt me as you do to my face, how can I wonder that you taunt her behind her back! And here the incoherence coming on very strong, Mrs Varden wept, and laughed, and sobbed, and shivered, and hiccoughed, and choked; and said she knew it was very foolish but she couldnt help it; and that when she was dead and gone, perhaps they would be sorry for itwhich really under the circumstances did not appear quite so probable as she seemed to thinkwith a great deal more to the same effect. In a word, she passed with great decency through all the ceremonies incidental to such occasions; and being supported upstairs, was deposited in a highly spasmodic state on her own bed, where Miss Miggs shortly afterwards flung herself upon the body. The philosophy of all this was, that Mrs Varden wanted to go to Chigwell; that she did not want to make any concession or explanation; that she would only go on being implored and entreated so to do; and that she would accept no other terms. Accordingly, after a vast amount of moaning and crying upstairs, and much damping of foreheads, and vinegaring of temples, and hartshorning of noses, and so forth; and after most pathetic adjurations from Miggs, assisted by warm brandy-and-water not over-weak, and divers other cordials, also of a stimulating quality, administered at first in teaspoonfuls and afterwards in increasing doses, and of which Miss Miggs herself partook as a preventive measure (for fainting is infectious); after all these remedies, and many more too numerous to mention, but not to take, had been applied; and many verbal consolations, moral, religious, and miscellaneous, had been super-added thereto; the locksmith humbled himself, and the end was gained. If its only for the sake of peace and quietness, father, said Dolly, urging him to go upstairs. Oh, Doll, Doll, said her good-natured father. If you ever have a husband of your own |
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