r, affecting to salute the door by
which the ladies had departed. 'Never be a Dombey won't she? It's to be
hoped she won't, we don't want any more such, one's enough.'

'Don't wake the children, Susan dear,' said Polly.

'I'm very much beholden to you, Mrs Richards,' said Susan, who was
not by any means discriminating in her wrath, 'and really feel it as a
honour to receive your commands, being a black slave and a mulotter.
Mrs Richards, if there's any other orders, you can give me, pray mention
'em.'

'Nonsense; orders,' said Polly.

'Oh! bless your heart, Mrs Richards,' cried Susan, 'temporaries always
orders permanencies here, didn't you know that, why wherever was you
born, Mrs Richards? But wherever you was born, Mrs Richards,' pursued
Spitfire, shaking her head resolutely, 'and whenever, and however (which
is best known to yourself), you may bear in mind, please, that it's one
thing to give orders, and quite another thing to take 'em. A person may
tell a person to dive off a bridge head foremost into five-and-forty
feet of water, Mrs Richards, but a person may be very far from diving.'

'There now,' said Polly, 'you're angry because you're a good little
thing, and fond of Miss Florence; and yet you turn round on me, because
there's nobody else.'

'It's very easy for some to keep their tempers, and be soft-spoken, Mrs
Richards,' returned Susan, slightly mollified, 'when their child's made
as much of as a prince, and is petted and patted till it wishes its
friends further, but when a sweet young pretty innocent, that never
ought to have a cross word spoken to or of it, is rundown, the case is
very different indeed. My goodness gracious me, Miss Floy, you naughty,
sinful child, if you don't shut your eyes this minute, I'll call in them
hobgoblins that lives in the cock-loft to come and eat you up alive!'

Here Miss Nipper made a horrible lowing, supposed to issue from a
conscientious goblin of the bull species, impatient to discharge the
severe duty of his position. Having further composed her young charge
by covering her head with the bedclothes, and making three or four angry
dabs at the pillow, she folded her arms, and screwed up her mouth, and
sat looking at the fire for the rest of the evening.

Though little Paul was said, in nursery phrase, 'to take a deal of
notice for his age,' he took as little notice of all this as of
the preparations for his christening on the next day but one; which
nevertheless