The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 192: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

oe et ee eee the other in the form of a slatternly servant-girl who was peeling potatoes and whose wages might at the first guess be put down at eighteenpence a week. The bed-chamber was above this little parlour, and of corresponding swe. The rooms were however cleanly enough; and Christian speedily intimated his desire a Peneic their occu- pant. He took out his purse to pay the rent in advance: but Mrs. Chubb, who was a woman that expressed her thoughts without the slightest cir- cumlocution or disguise, declared “ that she never took nobody without a reference; for though a lodver might be able to pay money, it was not always a proof of respectability.” Thereupon our hero immediately mentioned the name of Mrs. Macaulay,—upon hearing which Mrs. Chubb was reminded that Christian was a guest at that lady’s house on the momorable night when he conducted her husband home; and this was a sufiicient guarantee that he must be well known to Mrs. Macaulay aforesaid. “Well,” she observed, “the reference will do, sir: indeed there is no call whatsumever to take it. You can pay the week in advance; and if you come this way, Mr. Chubb will give you a receipt.” Christian accordingly followed Mrs. Chubb across the yard; and she opened the door of the school- room,—the boys’ entrance to which was in the next street. It was a small, ill-ventilated place— excessively dirty—and the atmosphere so close and unpleasantly hot that Christian stopped short on the threshold. There a most edifying sight burst upon his view. Atadesk sat Mr. Chubb, in an old dressing-gown, the pattern of which, before it was faded and soiled, had been a blue ground with black stripes: his feet were thrust into slippers, down at the heels; and as he was in the middle of hearing a class, he held a swingeing cane in his right hand. Suspended to a nail in the wallagainst which he sat, a huge birch had a most ominous appearance,—enough to provoke a tingling sen- sation on the part of the urchins who contem- plated it. scholars packed in this stifling place, and averaging from five to ten years of age. When the door opened, Mr. Chubb looked slowly and solemnly towards it: for he always maintained a very grave and dignified bearing in the presence of his scholars—never giving way to any excite- ment except when he used the eane or applied the birch; and these he inflicted in the manner in which rowers are sometimes urged by the steersmen to “ sive way’ —namely, “with a will’ Mr. Chubb therefore, preserving his wonted solemnity, merely bestowed a bow upon Christian, and went on hear- ing the class. Mrs. Chubb did not immediately in- terrupt him: for she was doubtless anxious to impress our young hero with the wonderful disci- pline which prevailed in the school, the admirable educational qualifications possessed by her husband, and the maryellous brilliancy- of the intellects which were expanding under such luminous tuition. , “It’s the third class he’s a-hearin’ of,” whispered Mrs. Chubb to Christian; “and they’re all little "uns, you see.’ Christian looked as if he thought the sight a very interesting one. Perhaps thove was the dimly floating idea in his mind of conciliating ee ee There might be altogether about forty: THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. Mrs. Chubb, so as to be invited into her own parlour, where he might expect to see the beautiful Miss Vincent. “Now then, Bill Shadbolt,’ said Mr. “how do you spell pig ?” ** P—i—double g, please sir,” was the response. “Very good,’ said Mr. Chubb. ‘“ Now, how do you describe it ?” “ A hanimal, please sir.’ “Very good. Next fe Ben Tidleywink— what’s a pig—biped or quadrooped ?” * Biped, please sir.” “ No, he ain’t,” said Mr. Chubb, with an awful frown and a sterner clutching of the cane, which perhaps he would have used but for Christian’s presence. “ Guess again.” “Oh! quadrooped, sir.” “To be sure. Very good, boy. Quadrooped, *eause why he walks on four legs and has got a tail. Cut off his tail and he loses his dignity. It’s just the same as taking a cocked hat and laced cloak away from a beadle; he sinks down into the commonest humanity. Now then third boy, George Snuffkin. What have you got to tell me about a pig P” “* Hamphiberous, please sir.” “Very good. And why is he amphiberous P” “*Cause why, sir, he lives on solids and fluids.” “To be sure—meal and water makes his wash. But what else is he ?” 3 *‘ Graminivorous, please sir,’ was George Snuff- kin’s intelligent answer. “ And so he is. But explain.” “*Cause why, sir, he don’t mind having green stuff and wegetables in his wash.” “Very good,” said Mr. Chubb. ‘“ Now take a lesson, boys, from the pig, and tutor your appetites to eat whatsomever comes in your way. That's the example I like to set the young idear when [ teach it how to shoot.” Christian thought, as he recollected Mrs. Ma- caulay’s party, that Mr. Chubb might have added without the slightest exaggeration that he could drink likewise anything that came in his way: but of course he gave not verbal utterance to the reflection. “Now then, Joe Brinksby,”’ Chubb, “ how de you spell cat P” “ C—a—double t, please sir,” was the boy’s re- sponse. “Of what genius is the cat?” inquired Mr. Chubb. “The mouser genius, please sir.” “Very good. And what is there pecooliar about that beautiful domestic animal ?” “They can see in the dark, sir— cause why they are full of electricity, which runs up from the tip of the tail to the head and comes out at the eyes.” “Very good,” said Mr. Chubb, complacently. “Third class may stand down.” And as the boys went back to their seats, the schoolmaster rose from his own; and gravely shaking hands with Christian, said, “So you have come to give me a call and have a look at the Chubb, 99 continued Mr. school? You see, Mr. Ashton, I teach these youne members of the rising generation nat’ral history along with their spellin’. It kills two birds with one stone, and gives ’*em a power of concentrating their idears. It’s a good system, COMMICLaoo =|