Page 281 - bleak-house

make poor Pa more miserable by telling HIM.’
‘But would it not he adding to his unhappiness to marry
without his knowledge or consent, my dear?’ said I.
‘No,’ said Miss Jellyby, softening. ‘“I hope not. I should
try to make him happy and comfortable when he came to
see me, and Peepy and the others should take it in turns to
come and stay with me, and they should have some care
taken of them then.’
There was a good deal of affection in poor Caddy. She
softened more and more while saying this and cried so much
over the unwonted little home-picture she had raised in her
mind that Peepy, in his cave under the piano, was touched,
and turned himself over on his back with loud lamenta-
tions. It was not until I had brought him to kiss his sister,
and had restored him to his place on my lap, and had shown
him that Caddy was laughing (she laughed expressly for the
purpose), that we could recall his peace of mind; even then
it was for some time conditional on his taking us in turns
by the chin and smoothing our faces all over with his hand.
At last, as his spirits were not equal to the piano, we put him
on a chair to look out of window; and Miss Jellyby, holding
him by one leg, resumed her confidence.
‘It began in your coming to our house,’ she said.
We naturally asked how.
‘I felt I was so awkward,’ she replied, ‘that I made up
my mind to be improved in that respect at all events and
to learn to dance. I told Ma I was ashamed of myself, and I
must be taught to dance. Ma looked at me in that provoking
way of hers as if I wasn’t in sight, but I was quite determined

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