his having drawn one of

Ada’s tresses through his yellow hand. You can ‟

admire as the rest of us do without taking that liberty.”

The old man darted at him a sudden look which even called my

attention from Ada, who, startled and blushing, was so remarkably

beautiful that she seemed to fix the wandering attention of the little old

lady herself. But as Ada interposed and laughingly said she could only

feel proud of such genuine admiration, Mr. Krook shrunk into his

former self as suddenly as he had leaped out of it.

‟You see, I have so many things here,” he resumed, holding up the

lantern, of so many kinds, and all as the neighbours think (but ‟ they

know nothing), wasting away and going to rack and ruin, that that’s why

they have given me and my place a christening. And I have so many old

parchmentses and papers in my stock. And I have a liking for rust and

must and cobwebs. And all’s fish that comes to my net. And I can’t abear

to part with anything I once lay hold of (or so my neighbours think, but

what do they know?) or to alter anything, or to have any sweeping, nor

scouring, nor cleaning, nor repairing going on about me. That’s the way

I’ve got the ill name of Chancery. I don’t mind. I go to see my noble and

learned brother pretty well every day, when he sits in the Inn. He don’t

notice me, but I notice him. There’s no great odds betwixt us. We both

grub on in a muddle. Hi, Lady Jane!”

A large grey cat leaped from some neighbouring shelf on his shoulder

and startled us all.

Hi! Show em how you scratch. Hi! Tear, my lady!” said her master. ‟ ‛

The cat leaped down and ripped at a bundle of rags with her tigerish

claws, with a sound that it set my teeth on edge to hear.

She’d do as much for any one I was to set her on,” said the old man. I ‟ ‟

deal in cat-skins among other general matters, and hers was offered to

me. It’s a very fine skin, as you may see, but I didn’t have it stripped off!

That warn’t like Chancery practice though, says you!”

He had by this time led us across the shop, and now opened a door inAda’s tresses through his yellow hand. You can ‟

admire as the rest of us do without taking that liberty.”

The old man darted at him a sudden look which even called my

attention from Ada, who, startled and blushing, was so remarkably

beautiful that she seemed to fix the wandering attention of the little old

lady herself. But as Ada interposed and laughingly said she could only

feel proud of such genuine admiration, Mr. Krook shrunk into his

former self as suddenly as he had leaped out of it.

‟You see, I have so many things here,” he resumed, holding up the

lantern, of so many kinds, and all as the neighbours think (but ‟ they

know nothing), wasting away and going to rack and ruin, that that’s why

they have given me and my place a christening. And I have so many old

parchmentses and papers in my stock. And I have a liking for rust and

must and cobwebs. And all’s fish that comes to my net. And I can’t abear

to part with anything I once lay hold of (or so my neighbours think, but

what do they know?) or to alter anything, or to have any sweeping, nor

scouring, nor cleaning, nor repairing going on about me. That’s the way

I’ve got the ill name of Chancery. I don’t mind. I go to see my noble and

learned brother pretty well every day, when he sits in the Inn. He don’t

notice me, but I notice him. There’s no great odds betwixt us. We both

grub on in a muddle. Hi, Lady Jane!”

A large grey cat leaped from some neighbouring shelf on his shoulder

and startled us all.

Hi! Show em how you scratch. Hi! Tear, my lady!” said her master. ‟ ‛

The cat leaped down and ripped at a bundle of rags with her tigerish

claws, with a sound that it set my teeth on edge to hear.

She’d do as much for any one I was to set her on,” said the old man. I ‟ ‟

deal in cat-skins among other general matters, and hers was offered to

me. It’s a very fine skin, as you may see, but I didn’t have it stripped off!

That warn’t like Chancery practice though, says you!”

He had by this time led us across the shop, and now opened a door in