Oldal 195 [195]
OLIVER
TWIST. 143
which had been kicked up in the scuffle,
and Mr. Bumble immediately darted out
of the room without bestowing another
thought on his unfinished sentence, leav¬
ing the late Mrs, Corney in full posses¬
sion of the field.
Mr. Bumble was fairly taken by sur¬
prise, and fairly beaten. He had a de¬
cided bullying propensity, derived no in¬
considerable pleasure from the exercise
of petty cruelty, and consequently was
(it is needless to say) a coward. ‘This is
by no means a disparagement to his cha¬
racter; for many official personages, who
are held in high respect and admiration,
are the victims of similar infirmities. The
remark is made, indeed, rather in his fa¬
vour than otherwise, and with the view
of impressing the reader with a just sense
of his qualifications for office.
But the measure of his degradation was
not yet full. After making a tour of the
house, and thinking for the first time that
the poor laws really were too hard upon
people, and that men who ran away from
their wives, leaving them chargeable to
the parish, ought in justice to be visited
with no punishment at all, but rather re¬
warded as meritorious individuals who had
suffered much, Mr. Bumble came to a
room where some of the female paupers
were usually employed im washing the
parish linen, and whence the sound of
voices in conversation now proceeded.
* “Hem!” said Mr. Bumble, summoning
at least shall continue to respect the pre¬
rogative. Hallo! hallo there !—what do
you mean by this noise, you hussies ?”
With these words Mr. Bumble opened
the door, and walked in with a very fierce
and angry manner, which was at once
exchanged for a most humiliated and
cowering air as his eyes unexpectedly
rested on the form of his lady wife.
“ My dear,” said Mr. Bumble, “I didn’t
know you were here.”
“Did n’t know I was here!” repeated
Mrs. Bumble. ‘“ What do you do here?”
“T thought they were talking rather
too much to be doing their work properly,
my dear,” replied Mr. Bumble, glancing
distractedly at a couple of old women at
the wash-tub, who were comparing notes
of admiration at the workhouse-master’s
humility.
“You thought they were talking too
much?" said Mrs. Bumble. What busi¬
ness is it of yours?”
“ Why, my dear—” urged Mr. Bumble,
submissively.
| What business is it of yours?” de¬
manded Mrs, Bumble again.
“It’s very true you’re matron here,
my dear,” submitted Mr. Bumble; * but
I thought you mightn’t be in the way
just then.”
sc [II tell you what, Mr. Bumble,” re¬
turned his lady, “ we don’t want any of
| your interference, and you ’re a great dea}
too fond of poking your nose into things
that don’t concern you, making everybody
in the house laugh the moment your back
is turned, and making yourself look like
a fool every hour in the day. Be off;
come !”
Mr. Bumble, seeing with excruciating
feelings the delight of the two old pan¬
pers who were tittering together most
rapturously, hesitated for an instant.
Mrs. Bumble, whose patience brooked no
delay, caught up a bow! of soap-suds, and
motioning him towards the door, ordered
him instantly to depart, on pain of receiv¬
ing the contents on his portly person.
hat could Mr. Bumble do? He look¬
ed dejectedly round, and slunk away;
and as he reached the door, the titter1
of the paupers broke into a shrill hee
of irrepressible delight. It wanted but
this. He was degraded in their eyes; he
had lost caste and station before the very
upers; he had fallen from all the
eight and pomp of beadleship to the
| lowest depth of the most snubbed hen¬
peckery.
6 All in two months!” said Mr. Bum¬
ble, filled with dismal thoughts. Two
months—not more than two months ago 1
was not only my own master, but over?
body else’s, so far as the porochial wor
house was concerned, and now !—”
It was too much. Mr. Bumble boxed
the ears of the boy who opened the gate
for him, (for he had reached the portal in
his reveric,) and walked distractedly into
the street.
He walked up one street and down
another, until exercise had abated the
first passion of his grief, and then the
revulsion of feeling made him thirsty.
He a great many public-houses,
and at length paused before one in a by¬
way, whose parlour, as he gathered from
| a hasty peep over the blinds, was desert¬
ed save by one solitary customer. It
| began to rain heavily at the moment, and
this determined him ; Mr, Bumble stepped
in, and ordering something to drink as he’
| passed the bar, entered the apartment
into which he had looked from the street.
| The man who was seated there was