st-floor; as if they were gloomy depths, in unison with his
oppressed soul. Through all the rooms he wandered, as he always did,
like the last person on earth who had any business to approach them. Let
Mrs Merdle announce, with all her might, that she was at Home ever
so many nights in a season, she could not announce more widely and
unmistakably than Mr Merdle did that he was never at home.

At last he met the chief butler, the sight of which splendid retainer
always finished him. Extinguished by this great creature, he sneaked
to his dressing-room, and there remained shut up until he rode out to
dinner, with Mrs Merdle, in her own handsome chariot. At dinner, he was
envied and flattered as a being of might, was Treasuried, Barred, and
Bishoped, as much as he would; and an hour after midnight came home
alone, and being instantly put out again in his own hall, like a
rushlight, by the chief butler, went sighing to bed.

CHAPTER 34. A Shoal of Barnacles

Mr Henry Gowan and the dog were established frequenters of the cottage,
and the day was fixed for the wedding. There was to be a convocation of
Barnacles on the occasion, in order that that very high and very large
family might shed as much lustre on the marriage as so dim an event was
capable of receiving.

To have got the whole Barnacle family together would have been
impossible for two reasons. Firstly, because no building could have held
all the members and connections of that illustrious house. Secondly,
because wherever there was a square yard of ground in British occupation
under the sun or moon, with a public post upon it, sticking to that post
was a Barnacle. No intrepid navigator could plant a flag-staff upon any
spot of earth, and take possession of it in the British name, but
to that spot of earth, so soon as the discovery was known, the
Circumlocution Office sent out a Barnacle and a despatch-box. Thus the
Barnacles were all over the world, in every direction--despatch-boxing
the compass.

But, while the so-potent art of Prospero himself would have failed in
summoning the Barnacles from every speck of ocean and dry land on
which there was nothing (except mischief) to be done and anything to be
pocketed, it was perfectly feasible to assemble a good many Barnacles.
This Mrs Gowan applied herself to do; calling on Mr Meagles frequently
with new additions to the list, and holding conferences with that
gentleman when he was not engaged (as he general