Dombey and Son

Part II

Dombey sat in the corner of the dark room in a great arm-chair by the bed, and Son lay in a little cradle which was put on a low bench in front of the fire.

Dombey was about forty-eight years old. Son was about forty-eight minutes. Dombey was rather bald and rather red. Son was very bald and very red.

Dombey had looked forward to this event for a long time, and now he was happy.

" The_House will once again, " said Mr. Dombey, " be not only in name, but in fact Dombey and Son; Dom-bey and Son! "

" He will be called Paul, of course, " said Mr. Dombey. " His father's name and his grandfather's! I wish his grandfather were alive now."

And again he said proudly: " Dom-bey and Son! "

In those three words was the one idea of Mr. Dombey's life. The earth was made for Dombey and Son to trade in, and the sun and moon were made to give them light. Rivers and seas were made to carry their ships; winds blew for or against them; stars and planets moved in their orbits to keep stable a system of which they were the centre.

Mr. Dombey had been married ten years and until this day had had no child.

No child to speak of. There was a girl six years old. She was sitting now in a corner of the room. But what was a girl to Dombey and Son!

He said, " Florence, you may go and look at your pretty brother, if you like. Don't touch him! "

II

The offices of Dombey and Son were in the City of London. Ev­erywhere there were shops selling things necessary for ships and sail­ing.

The master and owner of one of these shops was an elderly gentle­man whose name was Solomon Gills. His friends called him old Sol. He lived here, too, all alone with his nephew Walter, a boy of four­teen.

It was half past five o'clock and an autumn afternoon. The work in the City was over, and people were going home.

" Where is Walter, I wonder! " said Solomon Gills after looking at his watch. " Dinner is ready, and no Walter."

" Hallo, Uncle Sol"

" Hallo, my boy! " cried the old man, turning round. " What! you are here, are you! "

A cheerful-looking, merry boy, fresh from running-home in the rain; with a pleasant face, bright eyes and curly hair.

" Well, Uncle, how are you? Is dinner ready? I'm so hungry."

" Dinner is ready and waiting for you, " said Solomon. " I am also hungry."

" Come along then. Uncle! " cried the boy. " Hurrah for the admi­ral! "

" Not the admiral! " replied Solomon Gills. " You mean the Lord Mayor."

" No, I don't, " cried the boy. " Hurrah for the admiral! Hurrah for the admiral! Forward! "

The uncle and nephew went into the back parlour and sat down to dinner.

“The Lord Mayor, Walter, " said Solomon, " for ever. No more admirals. The Lord Mayor is your admiral. Listen to me, Walter. Look there, at the wall."

" Why, who has put my silver mug there, on a nail? " exclaimed the boy.

" I have, " said his uncle. " No more mugs now. We must begin to drink out of glasses today, Walter. We are men of business. We be­long to the City. We started in life this morning."

" All right, Uncle, " said the boy. " I'll drink out of anything you like. Hurrah for the – "

" Lord Mayor, " interrupted the man.

" For the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, " said the boy. " Long life to them! "

The uncle nodded his head. " And now, " he said, " let's hear something about the Firm."

" Oh, there's not much to say about the Firm, Uncle, " said the boy. " It's a very dark place, and in the room where I sit there's an iron safe and some cards about ships which are going to sail, and some desks and stools, and some books, and some boxes."

" Nothing else? " said the uncle.

" No, nothing else."

" Has Mr. Dombey been there today? " asked the uncle.

" Oh yes! In and out all day."

" Did he notice you? ”

" Yes, he did. He came up to my place – he was so stiff, Uncle – and said, 'Oh, you are the son of Mr. Gills? ' 'Nephew, Sir, ' I said. 'I said nephew, boy’ said he. But I am sure he said son, Uncle."

" It's no matter.”

" No, it's no matter. But he was very stiff, I thought. Then he told me that you had spoken to him about me and that he had found me work in the House, and that I must be attentive and punctual, and then he went away. I thought he did not like me much."

" You mean, I suppose, " said his uncle, " that you didn't like him much."

" Well, Uncle, " replied the boy, laughing, " perhaps so. I never thought of that."

III

After dinner Solomon lighted a candle and went down into the little cellar, while his nephew held the light. He returned with a very old bottle covered with dust.

" Why, Uncle Sol! " said the boy, " what are you doing? This is the wonderful Madeira! – there is only one more bottle! "

Uncle Sol nodded bis head to show that he knew very well what he was doing. He put the bottle on the table.

At this moment the door opened, and a man in a wide suit of blue entered the room. He had a hook in place of his right hand, and a thick stick in his left hand. His eyebrows were very black and bushy. He took off his hat and sat down at the table. This was Captain Ned Cuttle, an old friend of Solomon Gills.

He took the bottle, looked at it and said:

" The old Madeira? "

" Yes, " replied Solomon.

Captain Cuttle whistled. Solomon filled the glasses.

" Walter, " said Captain Cuttle, " I wish you success, my boy! "

" Now, " said old Solomon, " we must drink to the House, Ned, – Walter's House. Why, it may be his house one of these days. Who knows? Sir Richard Wittington married his master's daughter."

" Come back Wittington, Lord Mayor of London, " said the Cap­tain.

" And though Mr. Dombey hasn't a daughter, " Sol began.

" Yes, yes, he has. Uncle, " said the boy, reddening and laughing.

" Has he? " cried the old man.

" Oh, I know he has, " said the boy. " Some of the people in the office were talking about it today. And they say, Uncle and Captain Cuttle, that he does not like her and does not pay any attention to her. He only thinks about his son. That's what they say. Of course, I don't know."

" You see, he knows all about her already, " said Solomon Gills to the Captain.

" Nonsense, Uncle, " cried the boy, laughing and reddening again.

" The son is a little in our way, I am afraid, Ned, " said the old man to continue the joke.

" Very much, " said the Captain.

" Nevertheless we'll drink to him, " went on Sol. " So here's to Dombey and Son! "

" Oh, very well. Uncle, " said the boy merrily. " Here's to Dombey