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

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'My dear <strong>Dombey</strong>,' said Cleopatra, 'you will leave me Florence to-morrow,<br />

when you deprive me of my sweetest Edith.'<br />

Mr. <strong>Dombey</strong> said he would, with pleasure.<br />

'To have her about me, here, while you are both at Paris, <strong>and</strong> to think that,<br />

at her age, I am assisting in the formation of her mind, my dear <strong>Dombey</strong>,'<br />

said Cleopatra, 'will be a perfect balm to me in the extremely shattered<br />

state to which I shall be reduced.'<br />

Edith turned her head suddenly. Her listless manner was exchanged, in a<br />

moment, to one of burning interest, <strong>and</strong>, unseen in the darkness, she<br />

attended closely to their conversation.<br />

Mr. <strong>Dombey</strong> would be delighted to leave Florence in such admirable<br />

guardianship.<br />

'My dear <strong>Dombey</strong>,' returned Cleopatra, 'a thous<strong>and</strong> thanks for your good<br />

opinion. I feared you were going, with malice aforethought, as the dreadful<br />

lawyers say--those horrid proses!--to condemn me to utter solitude.'<br />

'Why do me so great an injustice, my dear madam?' said Mr. <strong>Dombey</strong>.<br />

'Because my charming Florence tells me so positively she must go home<br />

to-morrow,' returned Cleopatra, 'that I began to be afraid, my dearest<br />

<strong>Dombey</strong>, you were quite a Bashaw.'<br />

'I assure you, madam!' said Mr. <strong>Dombey</strong>, 'I have laid no comm<strong>and</strong>s on<br />

Florence; <strong>and</strong> if I had, there are no comm<strong>and</strong>s like your wish.'<br />

'My dear <strong>Dombey</strong>,' replied Cleopatra, 'what a courtier you are! Though I'll<br />

not say so, either; for courtiers have no heart, <strong>and</strong> yours pervades your<br />

charming life <strong>and</strong> character. And are you really going so early, my dear<br />

<strong>Dombey</strong>!'

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