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matters very little。 Pray excuse the introduction of such mean
topics。”
She partly drew aside the curtain of the long low garret…
window; and called our attention to a number of bird…cages
hanging there: some containing several birds。 There were larks;
linnets; and goldfinches—I should think at least twenty。
“I began to keep the little creatures;” she said; “with an object
that the wards will readily comprehend。 With the intention of
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restoring them to liberty。 When my judgment should be given。 Ye…
es! They die in prison; though。 Their lives; poor silly things; are so
short in comparison with Chancery proceedings; that; one by one;
the whole collection has died over and over again。 I doubt; do you
know; whether one of these; though they are all young; will live to
be free! Ve…ry mortifying; is it not?”
Although she sometimes asked a question; she never seemed to
expect a reply; but rambled on as if she were in the habit of doing
so; when no one but herself was present。
“Indeed;” she pursued; “I positively doubt sometimes; I do
assure you; whether while matters are still unsettled; and the sixth
or Great Seal prevails; I may not one day be found lying stark and
senseless here; as I have found so many birds!”
Richard; answering what he saw in Ada’s compassionate eyes;
took the opportunity of laying some money; softly and unobserved;
on the chimney…piece。 We all drew nearer to the cages; feigning to
examine the birds。
“I can’t allow them to sing much;” said the little old lady; “for
(you’ll think this curious) I find my mind confused by the idea that
they are singing; while I am following the arguments in court。 And
my mind requires to be so very clear; you know! Another time; I’ll
tell you their names。 Not at present。 On a day of such good omen;
they shall sing as much as they like。 In honour of youth;” a smile
and curtsey; “hope;” a smile and curtsey; and “beauty;” a smile
and curtsey。 “There! We’ll let in the full light。”
The birds began to stir and chirp。
“I cannot admit the air freely;” said the little old lady; the room
was close; and would have been the better for it; “because the cat
you saw downstairs—called Lady Jane—is greedy for their lives。
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She crouches on the parapet outside for hours and hours。 I have
discovered;” whispering mysteriously; “that her natural cruelty is
sharpened by a jealous fear of their regaining their liberty。 In
consequence of the judgement I expect being shortly given。 She is
sly; and full of malice。 I half believe; sometimes; that she is no cat;
but the wolf of the old saying。 It is so very difficult to keep her
from the door。”
Some neighbouring bells; reminding the poor soul that it was
half…past nine; did more for us in the way of bringing our visit to
an end; than we could easily have done for ourselves。 She
hurriedly took up her little bag of documents; which she had laid
upon the table on coming in; and asked if we were also going into
court? On our answering no; and that we would on no account
detain her; she opened the door to attend us downstairs。
“With such an omen; it is even more necessary than usual that I
should be there before the Chancellor comes in;” said she; “for he
might mention my case the first thing。 I have a presentiment that
he will mention it the first thing this morning。”
She stopped to tell us; in a whisper; as we were going down;
that the whole house was filled with strange lumber which her
landlord had bought piecemeal; and had no wish to sell; in
consequence of being a little—M—。 This was on the first floor。 But
she had made a previous stoppage on the second floor; and had
silently pointed at a dark door there。
“The only other lodger—” she now whispered; in explanation—
“a law…writer。 The children in the lanes here; say he has sold
himself to the devil。 I don’t know what he can have done with the
money。 Hush!”
She appeared to mistrust that the lodger might hear her; even
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there; and repeating “Hush!” went before us on tiptoe; as though
even the sound of her footsteps might reveal to him what she had
said。
Passing through the shop on our way out; as we had passed
through it on our way in; we found the old man storing a quantity
of packets of waste paper; in a kind of well in the floor。 He seemed
to be working hard; with the perspiration standing on his
forehead; and had a piece of chalk by him; with which; as he put
each separate package or bundle down; he made a crooked mark
on the panelling of the wall。
Richard and Ada; and Miss Jellyby; and the little old lady; had
gone by him; and I was going; when he touched me on the arm to
stay me; and chalked the letter J upon the wall—in a very curious
manner; beginning with the end of the letter and shaping it
backward。 It was a capital letter; not a printed one; but just such a
letter as any clerk in Messrs。 Kenge and Carboy’s office would
have made。
“Can you read it?” he asked me with a keen glance。
“Surely;” said I。 “It’s very plain。”
“What is it?”
“J。”
With another glance at me; and a glance at the door; he rubbed
it out; and turned an a in its place (not a capital letter this time);
and said; “What’s that?”
I told him。 He then rubbed that out; and turned the letter r; and
asked me the same question。 He went on quickly; until he had
formed; in the same curious and bottoms of the letters; the word
Jarndyce; without once leaving two letters on the wall together。
“What does that spell?” he asked me。
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When I told him; he laughed。 In the same odd way; yet with the
same rapidity; he then produced singly; and rubbed out singly; the
letters forming the words Bleak House。 These; in some
astonishment; I also read; and he laughed again。
“Hi!” said the old man; laying aside the chalk; “I have a turn for
copying from memory; you see; miss; though I can neither read
nor write。”
He looked so disagreeable; and his cat looked so wickedly at
me; as if I were a blood…relation of the birds upstairs; that I was
quite relieved by Richard’s appearing at the door and saying:
“Miss Summerson; I hope you are not bargaining for the sale of
your hair。 Don’t be tempted。 Three sacks below are quite enough
for Mr Krook!”
I lost no time in wishing Mr Krook good morning; and joining
my friends outside; where we parted with the little old lady; who
gave us her blessing with great ceremony; and renewed her
assurance of yesterday in reference to her intention of settling
estates on Ada and me。 Before we finally turned out of those lanes;
we looked back; and saw Mr Krook standing at his shop door; in
his spectacles; looking after us; with his cat upon his shoulder; and
her tail sticking up on one side of his hairy cap; like a tall feather。
“Quite an adventure for a morning in London!” said Richard;
with a sigh。 “Ah; cousin; cousin; it’s a weary word this Chancery!”
“It is to me; and has been ever since I can remember;” returned
Ada。 “I am grieved that I should be the enemy—as I suppose I
am—of a great number of relations and others; and that they
should be my enemies—as I suppose they are; and that we should
all be ruining one another; without knowing how or why; and be in
constant doubt and disco