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94 c Sweet, Mr. Bumble?" inquired the matron, taking up the sugar-basin. “Very sweet, indeed, majam," replied Mr. Bumble. He fixed his eyes on Mrs. Corney as he said this; and, if ever a beadle looked tender, Mr. Bumble was that beadle at that moment. The tea was made, and handed in silence. Mr. Bumble, having spread a handkerchief over his knees to prevent the crums from sullying the splendour of his shorts, began to eat and drink, varying these amusements occasionally by fetching a deep sigh, which, however, had no injurious effect upon his appetite, but, on the contrary, rather seemed to facilitate his operations in the tea and toast department. c You have a cat, ma’am, I see,” said Mr. Bumble, glancing at one, who in the centre of her family was basking before the fire; “ and kittens too, I declare !” ‘‘T am so fond of them, Mr. Bumble, you can’t think,” replied the matron. “ They ’re so happy, so frolicsome, and so cheerful, that they are quite companions for me." “Very nice animals, ma’am,” replied Mr. Bumble approvingly; “so very domestic.” 16 “Oh, yes!” rejoined the matron with enthusiasm; " so fond of their home too, that it’s quite a pleasure, I’m sure.” c Mrs. Corney, ma’am,” said Mr. Bumble slowly, and marking the time with his teaspoon, § I mean to say this, ma’am, that any cat or kitten that could live with you, ma’am, and not be fond of its home, rust be an ass, ma’am.” 6 Oh, Mr. Bumble!" remonstrated Mrs. Corney. “Jt "8 no use discuising facts, ma’am,” said Mr. Bumble, slowly flourishing the teaspoon with a kind of amorous dignity, that made him doubly. impressive; “I would drown it myself with pleasure.” “Then you’re a cruel man,” said the matron vivaciously, as she held out her hand for the beadle’s cup, “and a very hard-hearted man besides." cc Hard-hearted, ma’am !" said Mr. Bumble, § hard!" Mr. Bumble resigned his cup without another word, squeezed Mrs. Corney’s little finger as.she took it, and inflicted two open-handed slaps upon his laced waistcoat, gave a mighty sigh, and hitched his chair a very little morsel farther from the fire. It was a round table; and as Mrs. Corney and Mr. Bumble had been sitting opnosite each other, with no great space be tween them, and fronting the fire, it will be seen that Mr. Bumble, in receding from the fire, and still keeping at the table, increased the distance between himself and Mrs. Corney; which proceeding some prudent readers will doubtless be disposed to admire, and to consider as an act of great heroism on Mr. Bumble’s part, he being in some sort tempted by time, place, and opportunity to give utterance to certain soft nothings, which, however well they may become the lips of the light and thoughtless, do seem immeasurably beneath the dignity of the judges of the land, members of parliament, ministers of state, lord-mayors, and other great public functionaries, but more particularly beneath the stateliness and gravity of a beadle, who (as is well known) should be the sternest and most inflexible among them all. Whatever were Mr. Bumble’s intentions, however,—and no doubt they were of the best,—whatever they were, it unfortunately happened, as has twice before been remarked, that the table was a round one; consequently Mr. Bumble, moving his chair by little and little, soon began to diminish the distance between himself and the matron, and, continuing to travel round the outer edge of the circle, brought his chair in time close to that in which the matron was seated. Indeed, the two chairs touched; and, when they did s0, Mr. Bumble stopped. Now, if the matron had moved her chair to the right, she would have been scorched by the fire, and if to the left, she must have fallen into Mr. Bumble’s arms; so (being a discreet matron, and no doubt foreseeing these consequences ata glance.) she remained where she was, and handed Mr. Bumble another cup of tea. c Hard-hearted, Mrs. Corney?” said Mr. Bumble, stirring his tea, and looking up into the matron’s face; “are you hardhearted, Mrs. Corney ?” ‘Dear me!" exclaimed the matron, “ what a very curious question from a single man! What can you want to know for, Mr. Bumble ?”’ The beadle drank his tea to the last drop, finished a piece of toast, whisked the crums off his knees, wiped his lips, and deliberately kissed the matron. ‘Mr. Bumble,” cried that discreet lady in a whisper, for the fright was so great that she quite lost her voice, § Mr. Bumble, I shall scream!” Mr. Bumble made no reply, but in a slow and dignified manner put his arm round the matron’s waist.
