gaze again encountered Mr Pecksniff, as he said, composedly:

'Of course you know that he has made his matrimonial choice?'

'Oh dear!' cried Mr Pecksniff, rubbing his hair up very stiff upon
his head, and staring wildly at his daughters. 'This is becoming
tremendous!'

'You know the fact?' repeated Martin

'Surely not without his grandfather's consent and approbation my dear
sir!' cried Mr Pecksniff. 'Don't tell me that. For the honour of human
nature, say you're not about to tell me that!'

'I thought he had suppressed it,' said the old man.

The indignation felt by Mr Pecksniff at this terrible disclosure, was
only to be equalled by the kindling anger of his daughters. What! Had
they taken to their hearth and home a secretly contracted serpent; a
crocodile, who had made a furtive offer of his hand; an imposition on
society; a bankrupt bachelor with no effects, trading with the spinster
world on false pretences! And oh, to think that he should have disobeyed
and practised on that sweet, that venerable gentleman, whose name
he bore; that kind and tender guardian; his more than father--to say
nothing at all of mother--horrible, horrible! To turn him out with
ignominy would be treatment much too good. Was there nothing else that
could be done to him? Had he incurred no legal pains and penalties?
Could it be that the statutes of the land were so remiss as to have
affixed no punishment to such delinquency? Monster; how basely had they
been deceived!

'I am glad to find you second me so warmly,' said the old man holding up
his hand to stay the torrent of their wrath. 'I will not deny that it
is a pleasure to me to find you so full of zeal. We will consider that
topic as disposed of.'

'No, my dear sir,' cried Mr Pecksniff, 'not as disposed of, until I have
purged my house of this pollution.'

'That will follow,' said the old man, 'in its own time. I look upon that
as done.'

'You are very good, sir,' answered Mr Pecksniff, shaking his hand. 'You
do me honour. You MAY look upon it as done, I assure you.'

'There is another topic,' said Martin, 'on which I hope you will assist
me. You remember Mary, cousin?'

'The young lady that I mentioned to you, my dears, as having interested
me so very much,' remarked Mr Pecksniff. 'Excuse my interrupting you,
sir.'

'I told you her history?' said the old man.

'Which I also mentioned, you will recollect, my dears,' cried Mr
Pecksniff. 'Silly girls, Mr Chuzzlewit--quite