'
'That's quite true, Madame Mantalini,' said Miss Knag, with whom her
late employer had secretly come to an amicable understanding on this
point. 'Very true, indeed, Madame Mantalini--hem--very true. And I never
was more glad in all my life, that I had strength of mind to resist
matrimonial offers, no matter how advantageous, than I am when I think
of my present position as compared with your most unfortunate and most
undeserved one, Madame Mantalini.'
'Demmit!' cried Mr Mantalini, turning his head towards his wife. 'Will
it not slap and pinch the envious dowager, that dares to reflect upon
its own delicious?'
But the day of Mr Mantalini's blandishments had departed. 'Miss
Knag, sir,' said his wife, 'is my particular friend;' and although Mr
Mantalini leered till his eyes seemed in danger of never coming back to
their right places again, Madame Mantalini showed no signs of softening.
To do the excellent Miss Knag justice, she had been mainly instrumental
in bringing about this altered state of things, for, finding by daily
experience, that there was no chance of the business thriving, or even
continuing to exist, while Mr Mantalini had any hand in the expenditure,
and having now a considerable interest in its well-doing, she had
sedulously applied herself to the investigation of some little matters
connected with that gentleman's private character, which she had so well
elucidated, and artfully imparted to Madame Mantalini, as to open her
eyes more effectually than the closest and most philosophical reasoning
could have done in a series of years.
Pages:
1020
1021
1022
1023
1024
1025
1026
1027
1028
1029
1030
1031
1032
1033
1034
1035
1036
1037
1038
1039
1040
1041
1042
1043
1044