CHARLES DICKENS DOMBEY AND SON CHAPTER I Dombey and ...

Sir Barnet Skettles looked after Mr. Baps when he went to cheer up Mrs. Baps
(who, being quite deserted, was pretending to look over the music-book of
the gentleman who played the harp), as if he thought him a remarkable kind
of man; and shortly afterwards he said so in those words to Doctor Blimber,
and inquired if he might take the liberty of asking who he was, and whether
he had ever been in the Board of Trade. Doctor Blimber answered no, he
believed not; and that in fact he was a Professor of--
'Of something connected with statistics, I'll swear?' observed Sir Barnet
Skettles.
'Why no, Sir Barnet,' replied Doctor Blimber, rubbing his chin. No, not
exactly.'
'Figures of some sort, I would venture a bet,' said Sir Barnet Skettles.
'Why yes,' said Doctor Blimber,' 'yes, but not of that sort. Mr. Baps is a
very worthy sort of man, Sir Barnet, and--in fact he's our professor of
dancing.'
Paul was amazed to see that this piece of information quite altered Sir
Barnet Skettles' opinion of Mr. Baps, and that Sir Barnet flew into a
perfect rage, and glowered at Mr. Baps over on the other side of the room.
He even went so far as to D Mr. Baps to Lady Skettles, in telling her what
had happened, and to say that it was like his most con-sum-mate and
confoun-ded impudence.
There was another thing that Paul observed. Mr. Feeder, after imbibing
several custard-cups of negus, began to enjoy himself. The dancing in
general was ceremonious, and the music rather solemn--a little like church
music in fact--but after the custard--cups, Mr. Feeder told Mr. Toots that
he was going to throw a little spirit into the thing. After that, Mr. Feeder
not only began to dance as if he meant dancing and nothing else, but
secretly to stimulate the music to perform wild tunes. Further, he became
particular in his attentions to the ladies; and dancing with Miss Blimber,