replied; holding out her glass unconsciously, while Martin filled
it.

'Chosen to help you with Mr Lewsome!' said John. 'Chosen to help you
with Mr Chuffey!'

'Chose once, but chose no more,' cried Mrs Gamp. 'No pardnership with
Betsey Prig agen, sir!'

'No, no,' said John. 'That would never do.'

'I don't know as it ever would have done, sir,' Mrs Gamp replied, with
a solemnity peculiar to a certain stage of intoxication. 'Now that the
marks,' by which Mrs Gamp is supposed to have meant mask, 'is off
that creetur's face, I do not think it ever would have done. There
are reagions in families for keeping things a secret, Mr Westlock, and
havin' only them about you as you knows you can repoge in. Who could
repoge in Betsey Prig, arter her words of Mrs Harris, setting in that
chair afore my eyes!'

'Quite true,' said John; 'quite. I hope you have time to find another
assistant, Mrs Gamp?'

Between her indignation and the teapot, her powers of comprehending what
was said to her began to fail. She looked at John with tearful eyes, and
murmuring the well-remembered name which Mrs Prig had challenged--as if
it were a talisman against all earthly sorrows--seemed to wander in her
mind.

'I hope,' repeated John, 'that you have time to find another assistant?'

'Which short it is, indeed,' cried Mrs Gamp, turning up her languid
eyes, and clasping Mr Westlock's wrist with matronly affection.
'To-morrow evenin', sir, I waits upon his friends. Mr Chuzzlewit apinted
it from nine to ten.'

'From nine to ten,' said John, with a significant glance at Martin. 'and
then Mr Chuffey retires into safe keeping, does he?'

'He needs to be kep safe, I do assure you,' Mrs Gamp replied with a
mysterious air. 'Other people besides me has had a happy deliverance
from Betsey Prig. I little know'd that woman. She'd have let it out!'

'Let HIM out, you mean,' said John.

'Do I!' retorted Mrs Gamp. 'Oh!'

The severely ironical character of this reply was strengthened by a very
slow nod, and a still slower drawing down of the corners of Mrs Gamp's
mouth. She added with extreme stateliness of manner after indulging in a
short doze:

'But I am a-keepin' of you gentlemen, and time is precious.'

Mingling with that delusion of the teapot which inspired her with
the belief that they wanted her to go somewhere immediately, a shrewd
avoidance of any further reference to the topics into which she had
lately strayed, Mrs Gamp rose; and putting