Chapter 4. THE R. WILFER FAMILY

rownofhishattohislips,anddrawingitbeforehismouth. ‘Thegentleman,R.W.,’saidMrsWilfer,‘proposestotakeyourapartmentsbythequarter.Aquarter’snoticeoneitherside.’ ‘ShallImention,sir,’insinuatedthelandlord,expectingittobereceivedasamatterofcourse,‘theformofareference?’ ‘Ithink,’returnedthegentleman,afterapause,‘thatareferenceisnotnecessaryneither,tosaythetruth,isitconvenient,forIamastrangerinLondon.Irequirenoreferencefromyou,andperhaps,therefore,youwillrequirenonefromme.Thatwillbefaironbothsides.Indeed,Ishowthegreaterconfidenceofthetwo,forIwillpayinadvancewhateveryouplease,andIamgoingtotrustmyfurniturehere.Whereas,ifyouwereinembarrassedcircumstances—thisismerelysupposititious—’ ConsciencecausingR.Wilfertocolour,MrsWilfer,fromacorner(shealwaysgotintostatelycorners)cametotherescuewithadeep-toned‘Per-fectly.’ ‘—WhythenI—mightloseit.’ ‘Well!’observedR.Wilfer,cheerfully,‘moneyandgoodsarecertainlythebestofreferences.’ ‘Doyouthinktheyarethebest,pa?’askedMissBella,inalowvoice,andwithoutlookingoverhershoulderasshewarmedherfootonthefender. ‘Amongthebest,mydear.’ ‘Ishouldhavethought,myself,itwassoeasytoaddtheusualkindofone,’saidBella,withatossofhercurls. Thegentlemanlistenedtoher,withafaceofmarkedattention,thoughheneitherlookedupnorchangedhisattitude.Hesat,stillandsilent,untilhisfuturelandlordacceptedhisproposals,andbroughtwritingmaterialstocompletethebusiness.Hesat,stillandsilent,whilethelandlordwrote. Whentheagreementwasreadyinduplicate(thelandlordhavingworkedatitlikesomecherubicscribe,inwhatisconventionallycalledadoubtful,whichmeansanotatalldoubtful,OldMaster),itwassignedbythecontractingparties,Bellalookingonasscornfulwitness.ThecontractingpartieswereR.Wilfer,andJohnRokesmithEsquire. WhenitcametoBella’sturntosignhername,MrRokesmith,whowasstanding,ashehadsat,withahesitatinghanduponthetable,lookedatherstealthily,butnarrowly.Helookedattheprettyfigurebendingdownoverthepaperandsaying,‘WhereamItogo,pa?Here,inthiscorner?’Helookedatthebeautifulbrownhair,shadingthecoquettishfacehelookedatthefreedashofthesignature,whichwasaboldoneforawoman’sandthentheylookedatoneanother. ‘Muchobligedtoyou,MissWilfer.’ ‘Obliged?’ ‘Ihavegivenyousomuchtrouble.’ ‘Signingmyname?Yes,certainly.ButIamyourlandlord’sdaughter,sir.’ Astherewasnothingmoretodobutpayeightsovereignsinearnestofthebargain,pockettheagreement,appointatimeforthearrivalofhisfurnitureandhimself,andgo,MrRokesmithdidthatasawkwardlyasitmightbedone,andwasescortedbyhislandlordtotheouterair.WhenR.Wilferreturned,candlestickinhand,tothebosomofhisfamily,hefoundthebosomagitated. ‘Pa,’saidBella,‘wehavegotaMurdererforatenant.’ ‘Pa,’saidLavinia,‘wehavegotaRobber.’ ‘Toseehimunableforhislifetolookanybodyintheface!’saidBella.‘Thereneverwassuchanexhibition.’ ‘Mydears,’saidtheirfather,‘heisadiffidentgentleman,andIshouldsayparticularlysointhesocietyofgirlsofyourage.’ ‘Nonsense,ourage!’criedBella,impatiently.‘What’sthatgottodowithhim?’ ‘Besides,wearenotofthesameage:—whichage?’demandedLavinia. ‘Neveryoumind,Lavvy,’retortedBella‘youwaittillyouareofanagetoasksuchquestions.Pa,markmywords!BetweenMrRokesmithandme,thereisanaturalantipathyandadeepdistrustandsomethingwillcomeofit!’ ‘Mydear,andgirls,’saidthecherub-patriarch,‘betweenMrRokesmithandme,thereisamatterofeightsovereigns,andsomethingforsuppershallcomeofit,ifyou’llagreeuponthearticle.’ Thiswasaneatandhappyturntogivethesubject,treatsbeingrareintheWilferhousehold,whereamonotonousappearanceofDutch-cheeseatteno’clockintheeveninghadbeenratherfrequentlycommentedonbythedimpledshouldersofMissBella.Indeed,themodestDutchmanhimselfseemedconsciousofhiswantofvariety,andgenerallycamebeforethefamilyinastateofapologeticperspiration.Aftersomediscussionontherelativemeritsofveal-cutlet,sweetbread,andlobster,adecisionwaspronouncedinfavourofveal-cutlet.MrsWilferthensolemnlydivestedherselfofherhandkerchiefandgloves,asapreliminarysacrificetopreparingthefrying-pan,andR.W.himselfwentouttopurchasetheviand.Hesoonreturned,bearingthesameinafreshcabbage-leaf,whereitcoylyembracedarasherofham.Melodioussoundswerenotlonginrisingfromthefrying-panonthefire,orinseeming,asthefirelightdancedinthemellowhallsofacoupleoffullbottlesonthetable,toplayappropriatedance-music. TheclothwaslaidbyLavvy.Bella,astheacknowledgedornamentofthefamily,employedbothherhandsingivingherhairanadditionalwavewhilesitting