he would immediately

have been pushed into the area if I had not held

his pinafore while Richard and Mr. Guppy ran down through the kitchen

to catch him when he should be released. At last he was happily got

down without any accident, and then he began to beat Mr. Guppy with a

hoop-stick in quite a frantic manner.

Nobody had appeared belonging to the house except a person in

pattens, who had been poking at the child from below with a broom; I

don’t know with what object, and I don’t think she did. I therefore

supposed that Mrs. Jellyby was not at home, and was quite surprised

when the person appeared in the passage without the pattens, and going

up to the back room on the first floor before Ada and me, announced us

as, Them two young ladies, Missis Jellyby!” We passed several more ‟

children on the way up, whom it was difficult to avoid treading on in the

dark; and as we came into Mrs. Jellyby’s presence, one of the poor little

things fell downstairs—down a whole flight (as it sounded to me), with

a great noise.

Mrs. Jellyby, whose face reflected none of the uneasiness which we

could not help showing in our own faces as the dear child’s head

recorded its passage with a bump on every stair—Richard afterwards

said he counted seven, besides one for the landing—received us with

perfect equanimity. She was a pretty, very diminutive, plump woman of

from forty to fifty, with handsome eyes, though they had a curious habit

of seeming to look a long way off. As if—I am quoting Richard again—

they could see nothing nearer than Africa!

I am very glad indeed,” said Mrs. Jellyby in an agreeable voice, to ‟ ‟

have the pleasure of receiving you. I have a great respect for Mr.

Jarndyce, and no one in whom he is interested can be an object of

indifference to me.”

We expressed our acknowledgments and sat down behind the door,

where there was a lame invalid of a sofa. Mrs. Jellyby had very good hair

but was too much occupied with her African duties to brush it. The have been pushed into the area if I had not held

his pinafore while Richard and Mr. Guppy ran down through the kitchen

to catch him when he should be released. At last he was happily got

down without any accident, and then he began to beat Mr. Guppy with a

hoop-stick in quite a frantic manner.

Nobody had appeared belonging to the house except a person in

pattens, who had been poking at the child from below with a broom; I

don’t know with what object, and I don’t think she did. I therefore

supposed that Mrs. Jellyby was not at home, and was quite surprised

when the person appeared in the passage without the pattens, and going

up to the back room on the first floor before Ada and me, announced us

as, Them two young ladies, Missis Jellyby!” We passed several more ‟

children on the way up, whom it was difficult to avoid treading on in the

dark; and as we came into Mrs. Jellyby’s presence, one of the poor little

things fell downstairs—down a whole flight (as it sounded to me), with

a great noise.

Mrs. Jellyby, whose face reflected none of the uneasiness which we

could not help showing in our own faces as the dear child’s head

recorded its passage with a bump on every stair—Richard afterwards

said he counted seven, besides one for the landing—received us with

perfect equanimity. She was a pretty, very diminutive, plump woman of

from forty to fifty, with handsome eyes, though they had a curious habit

of seeming to look a long way off. As if—I am quoting Richard again—

they could see nothing nearer than Africa!

I am very glad indeed,” said Mrs. Jellyby in an agreeable voice, to ‟ ‟

have the pleasure of receiving you. I have a great respect for Mr.

Jarndyce, and no one in whom he is interested can be an object of

indifference to me.”

We expressed our acknowledgments and sat down behind the door,

where there was a lame invalid of a sofa. Mrs. Jellyby had very good hair

but was too much occupied with her African duties to brush it. The