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shining bald head; a leering red face; a pair of twinkling grey
eyes; and a mouth perpetually on the grin
〃This Sir Pitt Crawley's?〃 says John; from the box。
〃Ees;〃 says the man at the door; with a nod。
〃Hand down these 'ere trunks then;〃 said John。
〃Hand 'n down yourself;〃 said the porter。
〃Don't you see I can't leave my hosses? Come; bear a
hand; my fine feller; and Miss will give you some beer;〃
said John; with a horse…laugh; for he was no longer
respectful to Miss Sharp; as her connexion with the family
was broken off; and as she had given nothing to the
servants on coming away。
The bald…headed man; taking his hands out of his
breeches pockets; advanced on this summons; and
throwing Miss Sharp's trunk over his shoulder; carried it into
the house。
〃Take this basket and shawl; if you please; and open
the door;〃 said Miss Sharp; and descended from the
carriage in much indignation。 〃I shall write to Mr。 Sedley
and inform him of your conduct;〃 said she to the groom。
〃Don't;〃 replied that functionary。 〃I hope you've forgot
nothink? Miss 'Melia's gowndshave you got themas
the lady's maid was to have 'ad? I hope they'll fit you。
Shut the door; Jim; you'll get no good out of 'ER;〃
continued John; pointing with his thumb towards Miss Sharp:
〃a bad lot; I tell you; a bad lot;〃 and so saying; Mr。
Sedley's groom drove away。 The truth is; he was attached
to the lady's maid in question; and indignant that she
should have been robbed of her perquisites。
On entering the dining…room; by the orders of the
individual in gaiters; Rebecca found that apartment not
more cheerful than such rooms usually are; when genteel
families are out of town。 The faithful chambers seem; as
it were; to mourn the absence of their masters。 The turkey
carpet has rolled itself up; and retired sulkily under the
sideboard: the pictures have hidden their faces behind old
sheets of brown paper: the ceiling lamp is muffled up in a
dismal sack of brown holland: the window…curtains have
disappeared under all sorts of shabby envelopes: the
marble bust of Sir Walpole Crawley is looking from its
black corner at the bare boards and the oiled fire…irons;
and the empty card…racks over the mantelpiece: the
cellaret has lurked away behind the carpet: the chairs are
turned up heads and tails along the walls: and in the
dark corner opposite the statue; is an old…fashioned
crabbed knife…box; locked and sitting on a dumb waiter。
Two kitchen chairs; and a round table; and an
attenuated old poker and tongs were; however; gathered
round the fire…place; as was a saucepan over a feeble
sputtering fire。 There was a bit of cheese and bread; and
a tin candlestick on the table; and a little black porter
in a pint…pot。
〃Had your dinner; I suppose? It is not too warm for
you? Like a drop of beer?〃
〃Where is Sir Pitt Crawley?〃 said Miss Sharp
majestically。
〃He; he! I'm Sir Pitt Crawley。 Reklect you owe me a
pint for bringing down your luggage。 He; he! Ask
Tinker if I aynt。 Mrs。 Tinker; Miss Sharp; Miss
Governess; Mrs。 Charwoman。 Ho; ho!〃
The lady addressed as Mrs。 Tinker at this moment
made her appearance with a pipe and a paper of tobacco;
for which she had been despatched a minute before
Miss Sharp's arrival; and she handed the articles over to
Sir Pitt; who had taken his seat by the fire。
〃Where's the farden?〃 said he。 〃I gave you three
halfpence。 Where's the change; old Tinker?〃
〃There!〃 replied Mrs。 Tinker; flinging down the coin;
it's only baronets as cares about farthings。〃
〃A farthing a day is seven shillings a year;〃 answered
the M。P。; 〃seven shillings a year is the interest of seven
guineas。 Take care of your farthings; old Tinker; and your
guineas will come quite nat'ral。〃
〃You may be sure it's Sir Pitt Crawley; young woman;〃
said Mrs。 Tinker; surlily; 〃because he looks to his
farthings。 You'll know him better afore long。〃
〃And like me none the worse; Miss Sharp;〃 said the
old gentleman; with an air almost of politeness。 〃I must
be just before I'm generous。〃
〃He never gave away a farthing in his life;〃 growled
Tinker。
〃Never; and never will: it's against my principle。 Go
and get another chair from the kitchen; Tinker; if you
want to sit down; and then we'll have a bit of supper。〃
Presently the baronet plunged a fork into the saucepan
on the fire; and withdrew from the pot a piece of tripe
and an onion; which he divided into pretty equal
portions; and of which he partook with Mrs。 Tinker。 〃You
see; Miss Sharp; when I'm not here Tinker's on board
wages: when I'm in town she dines with the family。
Haw! haw! I'm glad Miss Sharp's not hungry; ain't you;
Tink?〃 And they fell to upon their frugal supper。
After supper Sir Pitt Crawley began to smoke his
pipe; and when it became quite dark; he lighted the
rushlight in the tin candlestick; and producing from an
interminable pocket a huge mass of papers; began reading
them; and putting them in order。
〃I'm here on law business; my dear; and that's how it
happens that I shall have the pleasure of such a pretty
travelling companion to…morrow。〃
〃He's always at law business;〃 said Mrs。 Tinker;
taking up the pot of porter。
〃Drink and drink about;〃 said the Baronet。 〃Yes; my
dear; Tinker is quite right: I've lost and won more
lawsuits than any man in England。 Look here at Crawley;
Bart。 v。 Snaffle。 I'll throw him over; or my name's not
Pitt Crawley。 Podder and another versus Crawley; Bart。
Overseers of Snaily parish against Crawley; Bart。 They
can't prove it's common: I'll defy 'em; the land's mine。
It no more belongs to the parish than it does to you or
Tinker here。 I'll beat 'em; if it cost me a thousand guineas。
Look over the papers; you may if you like; my dear。
Do you write a good hand? I'll make you useful when
we're at Queen's Crawley; depend on it; Miss Sharp。
Now the dowager's dead I want some one。〃
〃She was as bad as he;〃 said Tinker。 〃She took the
law of every one of her tradesmen; and turned away
forty…eight footmen in four year。〃
〃She was closevery close;〃 said the Baronet; simply;
〃but she was a valyble woman to me; and saved me a
steward。〃And in this confidential strain; and much to
the amusement of the new…comer; the conversation
continued for a considerable time。 Whatever Sir Pitt
Crawley's qualities might be; good or bad; he did not make
the least disguise of them。 He talked of himself incessantly;
sometimes in the coarsest and vulgarest Hampshire accent;
sometimes adopting the tone of a man of the world。 And so;
with injunctions to Miss Sharp to be ready at five in the
morning; he bade her good night。 〃You'll sleep with Tinker
to…night;〃 he said; 〃it's a big bed; and there's room for two。
Lady Crawley died in it。 Good night。〃
Sir Pitt went off after this benediction; and the solemn
Tinker; rushlight in hand; led the way up the great
bleak stone stairs; past the great dreary drawing…room
doors; with the handles muffled up in paper; into the
great front bedroom; where Lady Crawley had slept her
last。 The bed and chamber were so funereal and gloomy;
you might have fancied; not only that Lady Crawley died
in the room; but that her ghost inhabited it。 Rebecca
sprang a