Chapter VII. Enter the Aunts and Uncles

sthickasmybody,”sheadded,withdeepsadness,afterapause.“They’dtappedhernoendo’times,andthewater—theysayyoumightha’swuminit,ifyou’dliked.” “Well,Sophy,it’samercyshe’sgone,then,whoevershemaybe,”saidMrsGlegg,withthepromptitudeandemphasisofamindnaturallyclearanddecided“butIcan’tthinkwhoyou’retalkingof,formypart.” “ButIknow,”saidMrsPullet,sighingandshakingherhead“andthereisn’tanothersuchadropsyintheparish.Iknowasit’soldMrsSuttono’theTwentylands.” “Well,she’snokino’yours,normuchacquaintanceasI’veeverhearedof,”saidMrsGlegg,whoalwayscriedjustasmuchaswasproperwhenanythinghappenedtoherown“kin,”butnotonotheroccasions. “She’ssomuchacquaintanceasI’veseenherlegswhentheywaslikebladders.Andanoldladyashaddoubledhermoneyoverandoveragain,andkeptitallinherownmanagementtothelast,andhadherpocketwithherkeysinunderherpillowconstant.Thereisn’tmanyoldparish’nerslikeher,Idoubt.” “Andtheysayshe’dtookasmuchphysicas’udfillawagon,”observedMrPullet. “Ah!”sighedMrsPullet,“she’danothercomplainteversomanyyearsbeforeshehadthedropsy,andthedoctorscouldn’tmakeoutwhatitwas.Andshesaidtome,whenIwenttoseeherlastChristmas,shesaid,‘MrsPullet,ifeveryouhavethedropsy,you’llthinko’me.’Shedidsayso,”addedMrsPullet,beginningtocrybitterlyagain“thosewereherverywords.Andshe’stobeburiedo’Saturday,andPullet’sbidtothefuneral.” “Sophy,”saidMrsGlegg,unableanylongertocontainherspiritofrationalremonstrance,—“Sophy,Iwonderatyou,frettingandinjuringyourhealthaboutpeopleasdon’tbelongtoyou.Yourpoorfatherneverdidso,noryourauntFrancesneither,noranyo’thefamilyasIeverheardof.Youcouldn’tfretnomorethanthis,ifwe’dhearedasourcousinAbbotthaddiedsuddenwithoutmakinghiswill.” MrsPulletwassilent,havingtofinishhercrying,andratherflatteredthanindignantatbeingupbraidedforcryingtoomuch.ItwasnoteverybodywhocouldaffordtocrysomuchabouttheirneighbourswhohadleftthemnothingbutMrsPullethadmarriedagentlemanfarmer,andhadleisureandmoneytocarryhercryingandeverythingelsetothehighestpitchofrespectability. “MrsSuttondidn’tdiewithoutmakingherwill,though,”saidMrPullet,withaconfusedsensethathewassayingsomethingtosanctionhiswife’stears“oursisarichparish,buttheysaythere’snobodyelsetoleaveasmanythousandsbehind’emasMrsSutton.Andshe’sleftnoleggiciestospeakon,—leftitallinalumptoherhusband’snevvy.” “Therewasn’tmuchgoodi’beingsorich,then,”saidMrsGlegg,“ifshe’dgotnonebuthusband’skintoleaveitto.It’spoorworkwhenthat’sallyou’vegottopinchyourselffor.NotasI’moneo’thoseas’udliketodiewithoutleavingmoremoneyoutatinterestthanotherfolkshadreckonedbutit’sapoortalewhenitmustgoouto’yourownfamily.” “I’msure,sister,”saidMrsPullet,whohadrecoveredsufficientlytotakeoffherveilandfolditcarefully,“it’sanicesorto’manasMrsSuttonhaslefthermoneyto,forhe’stroubledwiththeasthmy,andgoestobedeverynightateighto’clock.Hetoldmeaboutithimself—asfreeascouldbe—oneSundaywhenhecametoourchurch.Hewearsahareskinonhischest,andhasatremblinginhistalk,—quiteagentlemansorto’man.Itoldhimtherewasn’tmanymonthsintheyearasIwasn’tunderthedoctor’shands.Andhesaid,‘MrsPullet,Icanfeelforyou.’Thatwaswhathesaid,—theverywords.Ah!”sighedMrsPullet,shakingherheadattheideathattherewerebutfewwhocouldenterfullyintoherexperiencesinpinkmixtureandwhitemixture,strongstuffinsmallbottles,andweakstuffinlargebottles,dampbolusesatashilling,anddraughtsateighteenpence.“Sister,Imayaswellgoandtakemybonnetoffnow.Didyouseeasthecap-boxwasputout?”sheadded,turningtoherhusband. MrPullet,byanunaccountablelapseofmemory,hadforgottenit,andhastenedout,withastrickenconscience,toremedytheomission. “They’llbringitupstairs,sister,”saidMrsTulliver,wishingtogoatonce,lestMrsGleggshouldbegintoexplainherfeelingsaboutSophy’sbeingthefirstDodsonwhoeverruinedherconstitutionwithdoctor’sstuff. MrsTulliverwasfondofgoingupstairswithhersisterPullet,andlookingthoroughlyathercapbeforesheputitonherhead,anddiscussingmillineryingeneral.ThiswaspartofBessy’sweaknessthatstirredMrsGlegg’ssisterlycompassion:Bessywentfartoowelldressed,consideringandshewastooproudtodressherchildinthegoodclothinghersisterGlegggaveherfromtheprimevalstrataofherwardrobeitwasasinandashametobuyanythingtodressthatchild,ifitwasn’tapairofshoes.Inthisparticular,however,MrsGleggdidhersisterBessysomeinjustice,forMrsTulliverhadreallymadegreateffortstoinduceMaggietowearaleghornbonnetandadyedsilkfrockmadeoutofherauntGlegg’s,buttheresultshadbeensuchthatMrsTulliverwasobligedtoburytheminhermaternalbosomforMaggie,declaringthatthefrocksmeltofnastydye,hadtakenanopportunityofbastingittogetherwiththeroastbeefthefirstSundaysheworeit,andfindingthisschemeanswer,shehadsubsequentlypumpedonthebonnetwithitsgreenribbons,soastogiveitageneralresemblancetoasagecheesegarnishedwithwitheredlettuces.ImusturgeinexcuseforMaggie,thatTomhadlaughedatherinthebonnet,andsaidshelookedlikeanoldJudy.AuntPullet,too,madepresentsofclothes,butthesewerealwaysprettyenoughtopleaseMaggieaswellashermother.Ofallhersisters,MrsTullivercertainlypreferredhersisterPullet,notwithoutareturnofpreferencebutMrsPulletwassorryBessyhadthosenaughty,awkwardchildrenshewoulddothebestshecouldbythem,butitwasapitytheyweren’tasgoodandasprettyassisterDeane’schild.MaggieandTom,ontheirpart,thoughttheirauntPullettolerable,chieflybecauseshewasnottheirauntGlegg.Tomalwaysdeclinedtogomorethanonceduringhisholidaystoseeeitherofthem.Bothhisunclestippedhimthatonce,ofcoursebutathisauntPullet’stherewereagreatmanytoadstopeltinthecellar-area,sothathepreferredthevisittoher.Maggieshudderedatthetoads,anddreamedofthemhorribly,butshelikedherunclePullet’smusicalsnuff-box.Still,itwasagreedbythesisters,inMrsTulliver’sabsence,thattheTulliverblooddidnotmixwellwiththeDodsonbloodthat,infact,poorBessy’schildrenwereTullivers,andthatTom,notwithstandinghehadtheDodsoncomplexion,waslikelytobeas“contrairy”ashisfather.AsforMaggie,shewasthepictureofherauntMoss,MrTulliver’ssister,—alarge-bonedwoman,whohadmarriedaspoorlyascouldbehadnochina,andhadahusbandwhohadmuchadotopayhisrent.ButwhenMrsPulletwasalonewithMrsTulliverupstairs,theremarkswerenaturallytothedisadvantageofMrsGlegg,andtheyagreed,inconfidence,thattherewasnoknowingwhatsortoffrightsisterJanewouldcomeoutnext.Buttheirtête-à-têtewascurtailedbytheappearanceofMrsDeanewithlittleLucyandMrsTulliverhadtolookonwithasilentpangwhileLucy’sblondcurlswereadjusted.ItwasquiteunaccountablethatMrsDeane,thethinnestandsallowestofalltheMissDodsons,shouldhavehadthischild,whomighthavebeentakenforMrsTulliver’sanyday.AndMaggiealwayslookedtwiceasdarkasusualwhenshewasbythesideofLucy. Shedidto-day,whensheandTomcameinfromthegardenwiththeirfatherandtheiruncleGlegg.Maggiehadthrownherbonnetoffverycarelessly,andcominginwithherhairroughaswellasoutofcurl,rushedatoncetoLucy,whowasstandingbyhermother’sknee.Certainlythecontrastbetweenthecousinswasconspicuous,andtosuperficialeyeswasverymuchtothedisadvantageofMaggiethoughaconnoisseurmighthaveseen“points”inherwhichhadahigherpromiseformaturitythanLucy’snattycompleteness.Itwaslikethecontrastbetweenarough,dark,overgrownpuppyandawhitekitten.Lucyputuptheneatestlittlerosebudmouthtobekissedeverythingaboutherwasneat,—herlittleroundneck,withtherowofcoralbeadsherlittlestraightnose,notatallsnubbyherlittlecleareyebrows,ratherdarkerthanhercurls,tomatchhazeleyes,whichlookedupwithshypleasureatMaggie,tallerbythehead,thoughscarcelyayearolder.MaggiealwayslookedatLucywithdelight. Shewasfondoffancyingaworldwherethepeoplenevergotanylargerthanchildrenoftheirownage,andshemadethequeenofitjustlikeLucy,withalittlecrownonherhead,andalittlesceptreinherhand—onlythequeenwasMaggieherselfinLucy’sform. “Oh,Lucy,”sheburstout,afterkissingher,“you’llstaywithTomandme,won’tyou?Oh,kissher,Tom.” Tom,too,hadcomeuptoLucy,buthewasnotgoingtokissher—nohecameuptoherwithMaggie,becauseitseemedeasier,onthewhole,thansaying,“Howdoyoudo?”toallthoseauntsanduncles.Hestoodlookingatnothinginparticular,withtheblushing,awkwardairandsemi-smilewhicharecommontoshyboyswhenincompany,—verymuchasiftheyhadcomeintotheworldbymistake,andfounditinadegreeofundressthatwasquiteembarrassing. “Heyday!”saidauntGlegg,withloudemphasis.“Dolittleboysandgellscomeintoaroomwithouttakingnoticeoftheirunclesandaunts?Thatwasn’tthewaywhenIwasalittlegell.” “Goandspeaktoyourauntsanduncles,mydears,”saidMrsTulliver,lookinganxiousandmelancholy.ShewantedtowhispertoMaggieacommandtogoandhaveherhairbrushed. “Well,andhowdoyoudo?AndIhopeyou’regoodchildren,areyou?”saidAuntGlegg,inthesameloud,emphaticway,asshetooktheirhands,hurtingthemwithherlargerings,andkissingtheircheeks