Page 635 - bleak-house

dinner.’
‘Good!’ said Mr. Turveydrop. ‘You will find fires, my
dear Caroline, in your own room, and dinner prepared in
my apartment. Yes, yes, Prince!’ anticipating some self-de-
nying objection on his son’s part with a great air. ‘You and
our Caroline will be strange in the upper part of the premis-
es and will, therefore, dine that day in my apartment. Now,
bless ye!’
They drove away, and whether I wondered most at Mrs.
Jellyby or at Mr. Turveydrop, I did not know. Ada and my
guardian were in the same condition when we came to talk
it over. But before we drove away too, I received a most un-
expected and eloquent compliment from Mr. Jellyby. He
came up to me in the hall, took both my hands, pressed
them earnestly, and opened his mouth twice. I was so sure
of his meaning that I said, quite flurried, ‘You are very wel-
come, sir. Pray don’t mention it!’
‘I hope this marriage is for the best, guardian,’ said I
when we three were on our road home.
‘I hope it is, little woman. Patience. We shall see.’
‘Is the wind in the east to-day?’ I ventured to ask him.
He laughed heartily and answered, ‘No.’
‘But it must have been this morning, I think,’ said I.
He answered ‘No’ again, and this time my dear girl con-
fidently answered ‘No’ too and shook the lovely head which,
with its blooming flowers against the golden hair, was like
the very spring. ‘Much YOU know of east winds, my ugly
darling,’ said I, kissing her in my admiration—I couldn’t
help it.

635