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554 THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP
When you hear that, as a reward of his services in this case,
Mr. Firmin received a sum of money sufficient to pay his modest
family expenses for some four months, I am sure, dear and respected
literary friends, that you will wish the lot of a parliamentary
barrister had been yours, or that your immortal works could be
paid with such a liberality as rewards the labours of these lawyers.
"Nimmer erscheinen die Gotter allein" After one agent had
employed Philip, another came and secured his valuable services :
him two or three others followed, and our friend positively had
money in bank. Not only were apprehensions of poverty removed
for the present, but we had every reason to hope that Firmin's
prosperity would increase and continue. And when a little son
and heir was born, which blessing was conferred upon Mr. Philip
about a year after his daughter, our godchild, saw the light, we
should have thought it shame to have any misgivings about the
future, so cheerful did Philip's prospects appear. " Did I not tell
you," said my wife, with her usual kindling romance, " that comfort
and succour would be found for these in the hour of their need ?"
Amen. We were grateful that comfort and succour should come.
No one, I am sure, was more humbly thankful than Philip himself
for the fortunate chances which befell him.
He was alarmed rather than elated by his sudden prosperity.
"It can't last," he said. "Don't tell me. The attorneys must
find me out before long. They cannot continue to give their
business to such an ignoramus : and I really think I must remonstrate
with them." You should have seen the Little Sister's indignation
when Philip uttered this sentiment in her presence.
" Give up your business ? Yes, do !" she cried, tossing up Philip's
youngest born. " Fling this baby out of window, why not indeed,
which Heaven has sent it you ! You ought to go down on your
knees and ask pardon for having thought anything so wicked."
Philip's heir, by the way, immediately on his entrance into the
world, had become the prime favourite of this unreasoning woman.
The little daughter was passed over as a little person of no account,
and so began to entertain the passion of jealousy at almost the
very earliest age at which even the female breast is capable of
enjoying it.
And though this Little Sister loved all these people with an
almost ferocious passion of love, and lay awake, I believe, hearing
their infantine cries, or crept on stealthy feet in darkness to their
mother's chamber-door, behind which they lay sleeping; though
she had, as it were, a rage for these infants, and was wretched out
of their sight, yet, when a third and a fourth brief came to Philip,
and he was enabled to put a little money aside, nothing would