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

Flowers seeming to jog her memory, she added, 'Oh! You mean yourself, you
naughty creature!'
'Devilish queer, Sir,' whispered the Major to Mr. Dombey. 'Bad case. Never
did wrap up enough;' the Major being buttoned to the chin. 'Why who should
J. B. mean by Joe, but old Joe Bagstock--Joseph--your slave--Joe, Ma'am?
Here!Here's the man! Here are the Bagstock bellows, Ma'am!' cried the Major,
striking himself a sounding blow on the chest.
'My dearest Edith--Grangeby--it's most trordinry thing,' said Cleopatra,
pettishly, 'that Major--'
'Bagstock! J. B.!' cried the Major, seeing that she faltered for his name.
'Well, it don't matter,' said Cleopatra. 'Edith, my love, you know I never
could remember names--what was it? oh!--most trordinry thing that so many
people want to come down to see me. I'm not going for long. I'm coming back.
Surely they can wait, till I come back!'
Cleopatra looked all round the table as she said it, and appeared very
uneasy.
'I won't have visitors--really don't want visitors,' she said; 'little
repose--and all that sort of thing--is what I quire. No odious brutes must
proach me till I've shaken off this numbness;' and in a grisly resumption of
her coquettish ways, she made a dab at the Major with her fan, but overset
Mr. Dombey's breakfast cup instead, which was in quite a different
direction.
Then she called for Withers, and charged him to see particularly that word
was left about some trivial alterations in her room, which must be all made
before she came back, and which must be set about immediately, as there was
no saying how soon she might come back; for she had a great many
engagements, and all sorts of people to call upon. Withers received these
directions with becoming deference, and gave his guarantee for their
execution; but when he withdrew a pace or two behind her, it appeared as if