Page 494 - david-copperfield

ain’t. You’d say so, if you saw his moustachios. Red by na-
ture, black by art.’
‘By your art, of course,’ said Steerforth.
Miss Mowcher winked assent. ‘Forced to send for me.
Couldn’t help it. The climate affected his dye; it did very
well in Russia, but it was no go here. You never saw such a
rusty Prince in all your born days as he was. Like old iron!’
‘Is that why you called him a humbug, just now?’ inquired
Steerforth.
‘Oh, you’re a broth of a boy, ain’t you?’ returned Miss
Mowcher, shaking her head violently. ‘I said, what a set of
humbugs we were in general, and I showed you the scraps
of the Prince’s nails to prove it. The Prince’s nails do more
for me in private families of the genteel sort, than all my
talents put together. I always carry ‘em about. They’re the
best introduction. If Miss Mowcher cuts the Prince’s nails,
she must be all right. I give ‘em away to the young ladies.
They put ‘em in albums, I believe. Ha! ha! ha! Upon my life,
‘the whole social system’ (as the men call it when they make
speeches in Parliament) is a system of Prince’s nails!’ said
this least of women, trying to fold her short arms, and nod-
ding her large head.
Steerforth laughed heartily, and I laughed too. Miss
Mowcher continuing all the time to shake her head (which
was very much on one side), and to look into the air with
one eye, and to wink with the other.
‘Well, well!’ she said, smiting her small knees, and rising,
‘this is not business. Come, Steerforth, let’s explore the polar
regions, and have it over.’