Page 299 - bleak-house

human life. So delicate! Attending court the other day—I
attend it regularly, with my documents—I taxed him with
it, and he almost confessed. That is, I smiled at him from my
bench, and HE smiled at me from his bench. But it’s great
good fortune, is it not? And FitzJarndyce lays the money out
for me to great advantage. Oh, I assure you to the greatest
advantage!’
I congratulated her (as she addressed herself to me) upon
this fortunate addition to her income and wished her a long
continuance of it. I did not speculate upon the source from
which it came or wonder whose humanity was so consider-
ate. My guardian stood before me, contemplating the birds,
and I had no need to look beyond him.
‘And what do you call these little fellows, ma’am?’ said he
in his pleasant voice. ‘Have they any names?’
‘I can answer for Miss Elite that they have,’ said I, ‘for she
promised to tell us what they were. Ada remembers?’
Ada remembered very well.
‘Did I?’ said Miss Elite. ‘Who’s that at my door? What are
you listening at my door for, Krook?’
The old man of the house, pushing it open before him,
appeared there with his fur cap in his hand and his cat at
his heels.
‘I warn’t listening, Miss Flite,’ he said, ‘I was going to give
a rap with my knuckles, only you’re so quick!’
‘Make your cat go down. Drive her away!’ the old lady
angrily exclaimed.
‘Bah, bah! There ain’t no danger, gentlefolks,’ said Mr.
Krook, looking slowly and sharply from one to another un-

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