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ON HIS WAY THROUGH THE WORLD 487
or he would attribute her blindness to the quarrel which they had
had, not to his poverty and present position. As for his cousin
Ringwood, " That fellow would commit any baseness," Philip acknowledged;
"and it is I who have cut him" our friend averred.
A real danger was lest our friend should in his poverty become
more haughty and insolent than he had been in his days of better
fortune, and that he should make companions of men who were not
his equals. Whether was it better for him to be slighted in a
fashionable club, or to swagger at the head of the company in a
tavern parlour ? This was the danger we might fear for Firmin.
It was impossible not to confess that he was choosing to take a
lower place in the world than that to which he had been born.
"Do you mean that Philip is lowered, because he is poor?"
asked an angry lady, to whom this remark was made by her
husband—man and wife being both very good friends to Mr.
Firmin.
" My dear," replies the worldling of a husband, " suppose Philip
were to take a fancy to buy a donkey and sell cabbages 1 He would
be doing no harm ; but there is no doubt he would lower himself
in the world's estimation."
" Lower himself !" says the lady, with a toss of her head. " No
man lowers himself by pursuing an honest calling. No man !"
"Very good. There is Grundsell, the greengrocer, out of
Tuthill Street, who waits at our dinners. Instead of asking him
to wait, we should beg him to sit down at table ; or perhaps we
should wait, and stand with a napkin behind Grundsell."
" Nonsense !"
"Grundsell's calling is strictly honest, unless he abuses his
opportunities, and smuggles away __________ "
" _________ smuggles away stuff and nonsense !"
"Very good: Grundsell is not a fitting companion, then, for
us, or the nine little Grundsells for our children. Then why should
Philip give up the friends of his youth, and forsake a club for a
tavern parlour ? You can't say our little friend, Mrs. Brandon,
good as she is, is a fitting companion for him ?"
"If he had a good little wife, he would have a companion of
his own degree ; and he would be twice as happy ; and he would
be out of all danger and temptation—and the best thing he can
do is to marry directly!" cries the lady. "And, my dear, I
think I shall write to Charlotte and ask her to come and stay
with us."
There was no withstanding this argument. As long as Charlotte
was with us we were sure that Philip would be out of harm's
way, and seek for no other company. There was a snug little