for my mother, who did not wish my father's
company in the house, pointed out to him that, with so many young people
living with her, it would be very inconvenient if he came there in the
evenings to smoke his pipe, and that it would be better if he could
smoke and drink his beer anywhere else. My father perceived the
propriety of this, and assented with a good grace: my mother was very
liberal to him, and he was now enabled, when he chose, to ask a
companion or two to join him, so that it suited both parties. My father,
therefore, never came to the house, except after the hospital supper,
when he remained a few minutes to see Virginia, and then departed. On
Sundays he spent the whole day there, and was kindly welcomed, but he
always left in the evening to smoke his pipe elsewhere. As for me, when
I did come I was always kindly received, and slept in a spare bed on the
same floor with my mother and Virginia. Before my time was out I was too
well supplied by Bramble ever to want anything, and afterward I made
plenty of money, and seldom came home without bringing a present both to
my mother and Virginia.

Having thus given a general outline of affairs, I shall in the next
chapter enter more minutely into some particulars, without which the
detail of events will not be complete.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

In which the _sine qua non_ of all Novels is, for the first time,
introduced.

In the last chapter I have said in few words that Bessy Godwin had been
sent to school, and had since returned home. She had been home nearly a
year before the period to which I brought up my history, but now she no
longer was employed in any menial service, the girl who had been hired
during her absence being still retained. Bessy now superintended the
household, but did nothing more; and there was a greater degree of
comfort and expenditure than had formerly been the case. Whether this
was on Bessy's account, or from Bessy's imbibed ideas, I cannot pretend
to say; but certainly there was a great change in our style of living,
which Bramble appeared to sanction. Mrs. Maddox remained as a mere
pensioner, sitting by the fire, and perhaps finishing a pair of
stockings about every five or six weeks, talking as usual at and to
everybody and with everything. In another point, also, there was a
change in Bramble's house: it was much oftener filled with company; this
was, I presume, to be ascribed to Bessy's personal charms, which