retty equal match, as to haughtiness,
at all events, and thought nothing more about it. The young lady
with the back did not appear for some time after Mrs Skewton's death;
observing to some particular friends, with her usual engaging little
scream, that she couldn't separate the family from a notion of
tombstones, and horrors of that sort; but when she did come, she saw
nothing wrong, except Mr Dombey's wearing a bunch of gold seals to his
watch, which shocked her very much, as an exploded superstition. This
youthful fascinator considered a daughter-in-law objectionable in
principle; otherwise, she had nothing to say against Florence, but that
she sadly wanted 'style'--which might mean back, perhaps. Many, who only
came to the house on state occasions, hardly knew who Florence was, and
said, going home, 'Indeed, was that Miss Dombey, in the corner? Very
pretty, but a little delicate and thoughtful in appearance!'

None the less so, certainly, for her life of the last six months.
Florence took her seat at the dinner-table, on the day before the second
anniversary of her father's marriage to Edith (Mrs Skewton had been
lying stricken with paralysis when the first came round), with an
uneasiness, amounting to dread. She had no other warrant for it, than
the occasion, the expression of her father's face, in the hasty
glance she caught of it, and the presence of Mr Carker, which, always
unpleasant to her, was more so on this day, than she had ever felt it
before.

Edith was richly dressed, for she and Mr Dombey were engaged in the
evening to some large assembly, and the dinner-hour that day was late.
She did not appear until they were seated at table, when Mr Carker rose
and led her to her chair. Beautiful and lustrous as she was, there was
that in her face and air which seemed to separate her hopelessly from
Florence, and from everyone, for ever more. And yet, for an instant,
Florence saw a beam of kindness in her eyes, when they were turned
on her, that made the distance to which she had withdrawn herself, a
greater cause of sorrow and regret than ever.

There was very little said at dinner. Florence heard her father speak to
Mr Carker sometimes on business matters, and heard him softly reply, but
she paid little attention to what they said, and only wished the dinner
at an end. When the dessert was placed upon the table, and they were
left alone, with no servant in attendance, Mr Dombey, who had been
several times cle