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If you please, mistress, said a withered old female pauper, hideously ugly, putting her head in at the door, Old Sally is a-going fast.
Well, whats that to me? angrily demanded the matron. I cant keep her alive, can I?
No, no, mistress, replied the old woman; nobody can; shes far beyond the reach of help. Ive seen a many people die, little babes and great strong men, and I know when deaths a-coming well enough. But shes troubled in her mind; and when the fits are not on her, and thats not often, for she is dying very hard, she says she has got something to tell which you must hear. Shell never die quiet till you come, mistress.
At this intelligence the worthy Mrs. Corney muttered a variety of invectives against old women who couldnt even die without purposely annoying their betters; and, muffling herself in a thick shawl which she hastily caught up, briefly requested Mr. Bumble to stop till she came back, lest anything particular should occur, and bidding the messenger walk fast, and not be all night hobbling up the stairs, followed her from the room with a very ill grace, scolding all the way.
Mr. Bumbles conduct on being left to himself was rather inexplicable. He opened the closet, counted the tea-spoons, weighed the sugar-tongs, closely inspected a silver milk-pot to ascertain that it was of the genuine metal; and, having satisfied his curiosity upon these points, put on his cocked-hat corner-wise, and danced with much gravity four distinct times round the table. Having gone through this very extraordinary performance, he took off the cocked-hat again, and, spreading himself before the fire with his back towards it, seemed to be mentally engaged in taking an exact inventory of the furniture.
CHAPTER XXIV. TREATS OF A VERY POOR SUBJECT, BUT IS A SHORT ONE, AND MAY BE FOUND OF IMPORTANCE IN THIS HISTORY
Alas! how few of Natures faces there are to gladden us with their beauty! The cares, and sorrows, and hungerings of the world change them as they change hearts, and it is only when those passions sleep, and have lost their hold for ever, that the troubled clouds pass off, and leave heavens surface clear. It is a common thing for the countenances of the dead, even in that fixed and rigid state, to subside into the long-forgotten expression of sleeping infancy, and settle into the very look of early life; so calm, so peaceful do they grow again, that those who knew them in their happy childhood kneel by the coffins side in awe, and see the angel even upon earth.
The old crone tottered along the passages and up the stairs, muttering some indistinct answers to the chidings of her companion; and being at length compelled to pause for breath, gave the light into her hand, and remained behind to follow as she might, while the more nimble superior made her way to the room where the sick woman lay.
It was a bare garret-room, with a dim light burning at the farther end. There was another old woman watching by the bed, and the parish apothecarys apprentice was standing by the fire, making a toothpick out of a quill.
Cold night, Mrs. Corney, said this young gentleman, as the matron entered.
Very cold indeed, sir, replied the mistress, in her most civil tones, and dropping a curtsey as she spoke.
You should get better coals out of your contractors, said the apothecarys deputy, breaking a lump on the top of the fire with the rusty poker; these are not at all the sort of thing for a cold night.
Theyre the boards choosing, sir, returned the matron. The least they could do would be to keep us pretty warm, for our places are hard enough.
The conversation was here interrupted by a moan from the sick woman.
Oh! said the young man, turning his face towards the bed, as if he had previously quite forgotten the patient, its all U. P. there, Mrs. Corney.
It is, is it, sir? asked the matron.
If she lasts a couple of hours, I shall be surprised, said the apothecarys apprentice,
door, and returned to the bedside. On being excluded, the old ladies changed their tone, and cried through the keyhole that old Sally was drunk; which, indeed, was not unlikely, since, in addition to a moderate dose of opium prescribed by the apothecary, she was labouring under the effects of a final taste of gin and water which had been privily administered in the openness of their hearts by the worthy old ladies themselves.
Now listen to me, said the dying woman, aloud, as if making a great effort to revive one latent spark of energy. In this very room in this very bed I once nursed a pretty young creetur, that was brought into the house with her feet cut and bruised with walking, and all soiled with dust and blood. She gave birth to a boy, and died. Let me think what was the year again?
Never mind the year, said the impatient auditor; what about her?
Ay, murmured the sick woman, relapsing into her former drowsy state, what about her? what about I know! she cried, jumping fiercely up: her face flushed, and her eyes starting from her head I robbed her, so I did! She wasnt cold I tell you she wasnt cold, when I stole it!