terly.

There was a momentary appearance of Adela at the library-door; and over
her shoulder came an outcry from Mrs. Chump. Arabella then spoke: Mr.
Pole and Cornelia following with a word, to which Mrs. Chump responded
shrilly: "Ye shan't talk to 'm, none of ye, till I've had the bloom of
his ear, now!" A confused hubbub of English and Irish ensued. The ladies
drew their brother into the library.

Doubtless you have seen a favourite sketch of the imaginative youthful
artist, who delights to portray scenes on a raft amid the tossing
waters, where sweet and satiny ladies, in a pardonable abandonment
to the exigencies of the occasion, are exhibiting the full energy and
activity of creatures that existed before sentiment was born. The ladies
of Brookfield had almost as utterly cast off their garb of lofty reserve
and inscrutable superiority. They were begging Mrs. Chump to be,
for pity's sake, silent. They were arguing with the woman. They were
remonstrating--to such an extent as this, in reply to an infamous
outburst: "No, no: indeed, Mrs. Chump, indeed!" They rose, as she rose,
and stood about her, motioning a beseeching emphasis with their hands.
Not visible for one second was the intense indignation at their fate
which Wilfrid, spying keenly into them, perceived. This taught him that
the occasion was as grave as could be. In spite of the oily words his
father threw from time to time abruptly on the tumult, he guessed what
had happened.

Briefly, Mrs. Chump, aided by Braintop, her squire, had at last hunted
Mr. Pericles down, and the wrathful Greek had called her a beggar. With
devilish malice he had reproached her for speculating in such and
such Bonds, and sending ventures to this and that hemisphere, laughing
infernally as he watched her growing amazement. "Ye're jokin', Mr.
Paricles," she tried to say and think; but the very naming of poverty
had given her shivers. She told him how she had come to him because
of Mr. Pole's reproach, which accused her of causing the rupture. Mr.
Pericles twisted the waxy points of his moustache. "I shall advise you,
go home," he said; "go to a lawyer: say, 'I will see my affairs, how zey
stand.' Ze man will find Pole is ruined. It may be--I do not know--Pole
has left a little of your money; yes, ma'am, it may be."

The end of the interview saw Mrs. Chump flying past Mr. Pericles to
where Braintop stood awaiting her with a meditative speculation on that
official promotion which i