You
remember what you told me this morning, eh, old boy?" he concluded, archly.
Kinch tried to blush, but being very dark-complexioned, his efforts in
that direction were not at all apparent, so he evidenced his confusion by
cramming a whole short-cake into his mouth, and almost caused a stoppage in
the tunnel; Caddy became excessively red in the face, and was sure they
wanted more cakes.
But Mr. Walters was equally confident they did not, and put his back
against the door and stood there, whilst Mrs. Ellis gravely informed them
that she soon expected to be her own housekeeper, for that she had detected
Caddy and Kinch in a furniture establishment, pricing a chest of drawers
and a wash-stand; and that Kinch had unblushingly told her they had for
some time been engaged to be married, but somehow or other had forgotten to
mention it to her.
This caused a general shout of laughter around the table, in which baby
tumultuously joined, and rattled her spoon against the tea-urn until she
almost deafened them.
This noise frightened Mr. Ellis, who cried, "There they come! there they
come!" and cowered down in his great chair, and looked so exceedingly
terrified, that the noise was hushed instantly, and tears sprang into the
eyes of dear old Ess, who rose and stood by him, and laid his withered face
upon her soft warm bosom, smoothed down the thin grey hair, and held him
close to her throbbing tender heart, until the wild light vanished from his
bleared and sunken eyes, and the vacant childish smile came back on his
thin, wan face again, when she said, "Pray don't laugh so very loud, it
alarms father; he is composed now, pray don't startle him so again.
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