sed
them, and his ears too, of playing him false.

'No one could be anything but true and faithful to Miss Floy, Sir,'
pursued Susan, 'and I take no merit for my service of twelve year, for
I love her--yes, I say to some and all I do!'--and here the black-eyed
shook her head again, and slightly stamped her foot again, and checked a
sob; 'but true and faithful service gives me right to speak I hope, and
speak I must and will now, right or wrong.

'What do you mean, woman?' said Mr Dombey, glaring at her. 'How do you
dare?'

'What I mean, Sir, is to speak respectful and without offence, but out,
and how I dare I know not but I do!'said Susan. 'Oh! you don't know my
young lady Sir you don't indeed, you'd never know so little of her, if
you did.'

Mr Dombey, in a fury, put his hand out for the bell-rope; but there was
no bell-rope on that side of the fire, and he could not rise and cross
to the other without assistance. The quick eye of the Nipper detected
his helplessness immediately, and now, as she afterwards observed, she
felt she had got him.

'Miss Floy,' said Susan Nipper, 'is the most devoted and most patient
and most dutiful and beautiful of daughters, there ain't no gentleman,
no Sir, though as great and rich as all the greatest and richest of
England put together, but might be proud of her and would and ought. If
he knew her value right, he'd rather lose his greatness and his fortune
piece by piece and beg his way in rags from door to door, I say to some
and all, he would!' cried Susan Nipper, bursting into tears, 'than
bring the sorrow on her tender heart that I have seen it suffer in this
house!'

'Woman,' cried Mr Dombey, 'leave the room.

'Begging your pardon, not even if I am to leave the situation, Sir,'
replied the steadfast Nipper, 'in which I have been so many years and
seen so much--although I hope you'd never have the heart to send me from
Miss Floy for such a cause--will I go now till I have said the rest, I
may not be a Indian widow Sir and I am not and I would not so become but
if I once made up my mind to burn myself alive, I'd do it! And I've made
my mind up to go on.'

Which was rendered no less clear by the expression of Susan Nipper's
countenance, than by her words.

'There ain't a person in your service, Sir,' pursued the black-eyed,
'that has always stood more in awe of you than me and you may think how
true it is when I make so bold as say that I have hundreds and hundreds
of ti