14.07.2013 Views

212520_The_Adve ... _Way_Through_The_World.pdf - OUDL Home

212520_The_Adve ... _Way_Through_The_World.pdf - OUDL Home

212520_The_Adve ... _Way_Through_The_World.pdf - OUDL Home

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

534 THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP<br />

those early stories about the poor lady : his eyes flashed wrath, and<br />

his breast beat with an indignation which almost choked him. Ask<br />

that woman to meet my wife? he thought to himself, and looked<br />

so ferocious and desperate that the timid little wife gazed with<br />

alarm at her Philip, and crept up to him and whispered " What is<br />

it, dear?"<br />

Meanwhile, Mrs. Mugford and Mrs. Woolsey were in full<br />

colloquy about the weather, the nursery, and so forth—and Woolsey<br />

and Mugford giving each other the hearty grasp of friendship.<br />

Philip, then, scowling at the newly-arrived guests, turning his great<br />

hulking back upon the company, and talking to his wife, presented<br />

a not agreeable figure to his entertainer.<br />

"Hang the fellow's pride!" thought Mugford. "He chooses<br />

to turn his back upon my company, because Woolsey was a tradesman.<br />

An honest tailor is better than a bankrupt swindling doctor,<br />

I should think. Woolsey need not be ashamed to show his face, I<br />

suppose. Why did you make me ask that fellar again, Mrs. M. ?<br />

Don't you see, our society ain't good enough for him ?"<br />

Philip's conduct, then, so irritated Mugford, that when dinner<br />

was announced, he stepped forward and offered his arm to Mrs.<br />

Woolsey; having intended in the first instance to confer that honour<br />

upon Charlotte. "I'll show him,' thought Mugford, "that an<br />

honest tradesman's lady who pays his way, and is not afraid of<br />

anybody, is better than my sub-editor's wife, the daughter of a<br />

bankrupt swell." Though the dinner was illuminated by Mugford's<br />

grandest plate, and accompanied by his very best wine, it was a<br />

gloomy and weary repast to several people present, and Philip and<br />

Charlotte, and I daresay Mugford, thought it never would be done.<br />

Mrs. Woolsey, to be sure, placidly ate her dinner, and drank her<br />

wine ; whilst, remembering these wicked legends against her, Philip<br />

sat before the poor unconscious lady, silent, with glaring eyes, insolent<br />

and odious; so much so, that Mrs. Woolsey imparted to Mrs.<br />

Mugford her surmise that the tall gentleman must have got out of<br />

bed the wrong leg foremost.<br />

Well, Mrs. Woolsey's carriage and Mr. Firmin's cab were announced<br />

at the same moment ; and immediately Philip started up<br />

and beckoned his wife away. But Mrs. Woolsey's carriage and<br />

lamps of course had the precedence : and this lady Mr. Mugford<br />

accompanied to her carriage step.<br />

He did not pay the same attention to Mrs. Firmin. Most<br />

likely he forgot. Possibly he did not think etiquette required he<br />

should show that sort of politeness to a sub-editor's wife : at any<br />

rate, he was not so rude as Philip himself had been during the<br />

evening, but he stood in the hall looking at his guests departing in

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!