le sufficient living since her husband's demise. Within
three days after Mrs Chick's first allusion to her, this excellent old
lady had the satisfaction of anticipating a handsome addition to
her current receipts, from the pocket of Mr Dombey; and of receiving
Florence and her little brother Paul, as inmates of the Castle.

Mrs Chick and Miss Tox, who had brought them down on the previous night
(which they all passed at an Hotel), had just driven away from the door,
on their journey home again; and Mrs Pipchin, with her back to the fire,
stood, reviewing the new-comers, like an old soldier. Mrs Pipchin's
middle-aged niece, her good-natured and devoted slave, but possessing a
gaunt and iron-bound aspect, and much afflicted with boils on her nose,
was divesting Master Bitherstone of the clean collar he had worn on
parade. Miss Pankey, the only other little boarder at present, had that
moment been walked off to the Castle Dungeon (an empty apartment at the
back, devoted to correctional purposes), for having sniffed thrice, in
the presence of visitors.

'Well, Sir,' said Mrs Pipchin to Paul, 'how do you think you shall like
me?'

'I don't think I shall like you at all,' replied Paul. 'I want to go
away. This isn't my house.'

'No. It's mine,' retorted Mrs Pipchin.

'It's a very nasty one,' said Paul.

'There's a worse place in it than this though,' said Mrs Pipchin, 'where
we shut up our bad boys.'

'Has he ever been in it?' asked Paul: pointing out Master Bitherstone.

Mrs Pipchin nodded assent; and Paul had enough to do, for the rest
of that day, in surveying Master Bitherstone from head to foot,
and watching all the workings of his countenance, with the interest
attaching to a boy of mysterious and terrible experiences.

At one o'clock there was a dinner, chiefly of the farinaceous and
vegetable kind, when Miss Pankey (a mild little blue-eyed morsel of a
child, who was shampoo'd every morning, and seemed in danger of being
rubbed away, altogether) was led in from captivity by the ogress
herself, and instructed that nobody who sniffed before visitors ever
went to Heaven. When this great truth had been thoroughly impressed upon
her, she was regaled with rice; and subsequently repeated the form of
grace established in the Castle, in which there was a special clause,
thanking Mrs Pipchin for a good dinner. Mrs Pipchin's niece, Berinthia,
took cold pork. Mrs Pipchin, whose constitution required warm
nourishment, ma