Share page |
358 |
THE HAUNTED MAN |
||
it with the plates, dinting it witli the salt-cellar, and coming heavily down upon it with the loaf.
" Ah, dear me, dear me, dear me !" said Mrs. Tetterby. " That's the way the world goes ! "
"My duck," returned her husband, looking round again, "you said that before. Which is the way the world goes ? "
" Oh, nothing ! " said Mrs. Tetterby.
" Sophia !" remonstrated her husband, " you said that before, too."
"Well, I'll say it again if you like," returned Mrs. Tetterby. " Oh nothing—there ! And again if you like, oh nothing—there ! And again if you like, oh nothing—now then ! "
Mr. Tetterby brought his eye to bear upon the partner of his bosom, and said, in mild astonishment:
"My little woman, what has put you out?"
" I'm sure I don't know," she retorted. " Don't ask me. Who said I was put out at all ? I never did."
Mr. Tetterby gave up the perusal of his newspaper as a bad job, and, taking a slow walk across the room, with his hands behind him, and his shoulders raised—his gait according perfectly with the resignation of his manner—addressed himself to his two eldest offspring.
"Your supper will be ready in a minute, 'Dolphus," said Mr. Tetterby. " Your mother has been out in the wet, to the cook's shop, to buy it. It was very good of your mother so to do. You shall get some supper too, very soon, Johnny. Your mother's pleased with you, my man, for being so attentive to your precious sister."
Mrs. Tetterby, without any remark, but with a decided subsidence of her animosity towards the table, finished her preparations, and took, from her ample basket, a substantial slab of hot pease pudding wrapped in paper, and a basin covered with a saucer, which, on being uncovered, sent forth an odour so agreeable, that the three pair of eyes in the two beds opened wide and fixed themselves upon the banquet. Mr. Tetterby, without regarding this tacit invitation to be seated, stood repeating slowly, "Yes, yes, your supper will be ready in a minute, 'Dolphus—your mother went out in the wet, to the cook's shop, to buy it. It was very good of your mother so to do "—until Mrs. Tetterby, who had been exhibiting sundry tokens of contrition behind him, caught him round the neck, and wept
"Oh, 'Dolphus!" said Mrs. Tetterby, "how could I go and behave so ?"
This reconciliation affected Adolplius the younger and Johnny |
|||