nd
gasping, over the top of that garment, as if he were in a barrel. The
Native then handed him separately, and with a decent interval between
each supply, his washleather gloves, his thick stick, and his hat; which
latter article the Major wore with a rakish air on one side of his head,
by way of toning down his remarkable visage. The Native had previously
packed, in all possible and impossible parts of Mr Dombey's chariot,
which was in waiting, an unusual quantity of carpet-bags and small
portmanteaus, no less apoplectic in appearance than the Major himself:
and having filled his own pockets with Seltzer water, East India sherry,
sandwiches, shawls, telescopes, maps, and newspapers, any or all of
which light baggage the Major might require at any instant of the
journey, he announced that everything was ready. To complete the
equipment of this unfortunate foreigner (currently believed to be a
prince in his own country), when he took his seat in the rumble by the
side of Mr Towlinson, a pile of the Major's cloaks and great-coats was
hurled upon him by the landlord, who aimed at him from the pavement
with those great missiles like a Titan, and so covered him up, that he
proceeded, in a living tomb, to the railroad station.

But before the carriage moved away, and while the Native was in the
act of sepulture, Miss Tox appearing at her window, waved a lilywhite
handkerchief. Mr Dombey received this parting salutation very
coldly--very coldly even for him--and honouring her with the slightest
possible inclination of his head, leaned back in the carriage with a
very discontented look. His marked behaviour seemed to afford the
Major (who was all politeness in his recognition of Miss Tox) unbounded
satisfaction; and he sat for a long time afterwards, leering, and
choking, like an over-fed Mephistopheles.

During the bustle of preparation at the railway, Mr Dombey and the Major
walked up and down the platform side by side; the former taciturn and
gloomy, and the latter entertaining him, or entertaining himself, with
a variety of anecdotes and reminiscences, in most of which Joe Bagstock
was the principal performer. Neither of the two observed that in the
course of these walks, they attracted the attention of a working man who
was standing near the engine, and who touched his hat every time they
passed; for Mr Dombey habitually looked over the vulgar herd, not at
them; and the Major was looking, at the time, into the core of on