wn. And how it could do all, that could be done. This,
with more to the same purpose, Mr Dombey instilled into the mind of his
son, who listened attentively, and seemed to understand the greater part
of what was said to him.

'It can't make me strong and quite well, either, Papa; can it?' asked
Paul, after a short silence; rubbing his tiny hands.

'Why, you are strong and quite well,' returned Mr Dombey. 'Are you not?'

Oh! the age of the face that was turned up again, with an expression,
half of melancholy, half of slyness, on it!

'You are as strong and well as such little people usually are? Eh?' said
Mr Dombey.

'Florence is older than I am, but I'm not as strong and well as
Florence, 'I know,' returned the child; 'and I believe that when
Florence was as little as me, she could play a great deal longer at a
time without tiring herself. I am so tired sometimes,' said little Paul,
warming his hands, and looking in between the bars of the grate, as if
some ghostly puppet-show were performing there, 'and my bones ache so
(Wickam says it's my bones), that I don't know what to do.'

'Ay! But that's at night,' said Mr Dombey, drawing his own chair closer
to his son's, and laying his hand gently on his back; 'little people
should be tired at night, for then they sleep well.'

'Oh, it's not at night, Papa,' returned the child, 'it's in the day;
and I lie down in Florence's lap, and she sings to me. At night I dream
about such cu-ri-ous things!'

And he went on, warming his hands again, and thinking about them, like
an old man or a young goblin.

Mr Dombey was so astonished, and so uncomfortable, and so perfectly at
a loss how to pursue the conversation, that he could only sit looking at
his son by the light of the fire, with his hand resting on his back, as
if it were detained there by some magnetic attraction. Once he advanced
his other hand, and turned the contemplative face towards his own for
a moment. But it sought the fire again as soon as he released it;
and remained, addressed towards the flickering blaze, until the nurse
appeared, to summon him to bed.

'I want Florence to come for me,' said Paul.

'Won't you come with your poor Nurse Wickam, Master Paul?' inquired that
attendant, with great pathos.

'No, I won't,' replied Paul, composing himself in his arm-chair again,
like the master of the house.

Invoking a blessing upon his innocence, Mrs Wickam withdrew, and
presently Florence appeared in her s