the Family Council
It eleven oclock t morning t ts and uncles came to ation. ted in tulliver, it occasion, like a funeral, unbagged tassels and unpinned tains, adjusting t tops and legs of tables, accuse of insufficient brig coming - Mrs Deane appeared punctually in t o it and t driving it, raits in er to some of Oggs. Mr Deane ulliver , and in Mrs Deanes e o e a subordinate position as a mere supplement to ticles of t years: a cerly intercourse bet Susan ting `like t, and ttle of true Dodson spirit surviving except in miged t a distance are naturally less faulty tely under our o seems superfluous, tle to do o inquire furthem `blameless.
Mrs Deane to arrive, and ulliver came doo tle distorted nearly as it ears, except in moments s ting it o be quite calm under present circumstances.
`O sister, ered. ` trouble, O dear!
Mrs Deane ing tero spoken very properly.
`Yes, sister, sely, `t knoo-day its rigo be prepared for all troubles sent, to remember as it isnt sent a cause. Im very sorry for you as a sister, and if tor orders jelly for Mr tulliver, I me kno is but rigtendance while hes ill.
`tulliver, ratly, ers t talk o jelly yet. ter a moments pause, s jelly-glasses upstairs... . I s jelly into em no more.
ated as stered t ted s. Mr and Mrs Glegg immediately follo.
Mrs Pullet entered crying, as a compendious mode, at all times, of expressing icular case before her.
Mrs Glegg front, and garments ion from ratume selected illing perfect y into Bessy and her children.
`Mrs G., you come nearer to take table seat offering it to her.
`You see Ive seated myself urned t yourself, if you like.
`ell, said Mr Glegg, seating airs?
`Dr turnbull t ter tulliver; `ook more notice, and spoke to me - but om yet - looks at tranger, t tom and tor says knoom because tle. Eh dear, eh dear!
`I doubt its ter got on Pullet, turning round from adjusting ts mucs up again, and if like be ce lost t t a Bato dra , Bessy.
`Sister Pullet, said Mrs Glegg, severely, `if I understand rigoget advise and consult about o be done in t to talk o people as dont belong to us. Mr Carr ed h us, as Ive ever heared.
`Sister Glegg, said Mrs Pullet in a pleading tone, draated manner, `if youve got anytful to say oMr Carr, I do beg of you, as you say it to me. I knoo t degree as you could wo rooms off.
`Sop disgust, `you do talk o peoples complaints till its quite undecent. But I say again, as I said before, I didnt come aalk about acquaintance, come togeto to save a sister and act t isnt to be expected as I shing.
`ell, Jane, said Mrs Pullet, `I dont see as youve been so very forrard at doing. So far as I kno time as s been knoerday and looked at all Bessys linen and told ted table clot speak fairer; for as for tea-pot as s to go out o t stands to sense I cant do ea-pots, not if it a straig - but tted damask I was allays fond on.
`I ea-pot and c castors neednt be put up for sale, said poor Mrs tulliver, beseecongs, t t.
`But t cant be o buy em in, t one t be bid for as her.
`And it isnt to be looked for, said uncle Pullet, ed independence of idea, `as your own family scion.
`O dear, O dear, said Mrs tulliver, `to t I , and t broke, for Ive ulips on t go and look at em for pleasure. You like your co go for an old song and be broke to pieces, t no colour in it, Jane - its all ed, and didnt cost so mucors - sister Deane, I cant t youd like to ors, for Ive ty.
`ell, Ive no objection to buy some of t tily. `e can do ra things in our house.
`Best ty y from drives me past patience to alking o best t and t bring your mind to your circumstances, Bessy, and not be t to cover you, and a stool to sit on. You must remember, if you get em, itll be because your friends em for you, for youre dependent upo t got a penny i to call s for your os rig your state is, and to look to for everything - and be humble in your mind.
Mrs Glegg paused, for speaking urally exing. Mrs tulliver, aler Jane, ender years, said pleadingly,
`Im sure, sister, Ive never asked anybody to do anyt ud be a pleasure to em to nt go and be spoiled i strange o buy t one o t t o Ive said noted my sisters to pay t my ers unknoer off t been as money and never asked for it again.
`Come, come, said Mr Glegg, kindly, `dont let us make too dark. s done cant be undone. e s among us to buy for you - t be useful, plain tnt be ts unnecessary. A table and a cc ead o t a deal o useless t us, only because to spend.
`Mr Glegg, said Mrs G., `if youll be kind enougo let me speak, istead of taking t o my mouto say, Bessy, as its fine talking for you to say as youve never asked us to buy anyt me tell you, you ougo o be purvided for, if your o go to t. And you ougo kno, and keep it in mind, and ask us o do ead o saying, and making a boast, as youve never asked us for anything.
`You talked o t Mr tullivers done for em, said Uncle Pullet, to do somet em money, t to be made to pay it back.
`Yes, to be sure, said Mrs Deane, `Ive been t Mr and Mrs Moss arent o meet us? It is but righeir share.
`O dear! said Mrs tulliver, `I niver sent em Mr tulliver, and t Basset, to market. But I niver gave em a t. I , t Moss.
` your c, at tion of Maggie. `t ts and uncles to say: - and Maggie - o t Pullet nor of aunt Mosses. I may go off sudden elling.
`If Id . Its time to look to, and its rigalk to em, and let em knoion i life, and o, and make em feel as t to suffer for ts.
`ell, Ill go and fetcer, said Mrs tulliver, resignedly; se crus of treasures in tore-room han blank despair.
S upstairs to fetcom and Maggie, ore-room door suggested a ne to to and left to go dohemselves.
ts and uncles appeared to er entered - botance; for tom ical sagacity ivity by trong stimulus of tions erday, urning over in to propose to one of s or uncles, by no means amicably toing t once, as rated p just endurable in small drauger brief rest, at t strange dreamy o be a mere margin to trance interrupted tion. t ceremony, till uncle Pullet observed, as tom approached him--
`ell, young sir, alking as e rarely noer all your schink.
`Ay, ay, said uncle Glegg, ion o be kind, ` look to see thers sunk so much money in now.
` t excellent -
Noime, tom, to let us see t us see in it. But I began tle, you see: I could live on a basin o porridge and a crust o bread and c I doubt was for me.
`But do it, interposed aunt Glegg, energetically, ` to consider o trusten to o keep to bear ts o , and bring o fare o o s and uncles for be turned out into treets and go to t er, too, continued Mrs Glegg, looking severely at Maggie, Deane, drao s make up o be s to on remember t. S do t respect and love s, as o leave to their nevvies and nieces.
tom ill standing before table in tre of tened colour in o say, in a respectful tone, sometated, wered.
Poor Mrs tulliver ray on , a specimen tea-cup and saucer, tors, and sugar tongs.
`See er, s Mrs Deane, as s tray on table, `I t, per tea-pot again - its a good ern better: it makes beautiful tea, and tand and everyt use it for every day, or else lay it by for Lucy at t sears coming, `my tea-pot as I bougo ts being scratc before travellers and folks - and my letters on it - see o see em.
`A Pullet, ss very bad - to tials going about everyer, Bessy! But ea-pot - s got t straig too.
`As to disgrace o t cant be ea-pots. to o beggary. to be sold up. e cant ry from kno.
Maggie arted up from t to tom sao prevent , Maggie, atively, pus ation of self-command and practical judgment in a lad of fifteen t and respectful manner, trembling in o the quick.
`t, raig Mrs Glegg, `if you ts a disgrace to t be better to prevent it altoget Pullet, inued, looking at tter, `to me and Maggie, it be better to give it no o be sold up for, and save my moting ure?
ts, for every one, including Maggie, onis toms sudden manliness of tone. Uncle Glegg to speak.
`Ay, ay, young man - come no terest, you must remember - your aunts get five per cent on t, if t - you t o t.
`I could every year, said tom, promptly. `Id do anyto save my moting hings.
`ell done! said uncle Glegg, admiringly. om out, rating on ticability of unate result of irritating his wife.
`Yes, Mr Glegg! said t lady, s pleasant o be giving my money aended to leave at my o, and not yours, Mr Glegg, and Ive saved it and added to it myself and o put out s to go and be sunk in oture, and encourage em in luxury and extravagance as ting, and Im to alter my and been careful, and t o to go and be squandered on teful. Sister Pullet, you may do as you like, and you may let your t isnt my sperrit.
`La, Jane, . `Im sure youll o be cupped. Im sorry for Bessy and s dreadful, for I sleep very bad its no use for me to t meet me half way.
`o be considered, said Mr Glegg. `Its no use to pay off t and save ture, ock, for Ive made t out from Lao keep tead o spending it on furniture as nor drink. You know w was reasonable.
`towards ly.
toms countenance ion, and ermined not to give er ary deligoms speeco ate of trembling indignation. anding close by toms side and o spoken: Maggie suddenly started up and stood in front of the eyes of a young lioness.
` out, `talking, and interfering mean to do anyto er - if youve no feeling for rouble, and part , to save come to find fault ter trouble. tom and I dont ever to ! you.
Maggie, aunts and uncles in tood still, to a all consequences.
Mrs tulliver ous in tbreak: s see er it. tom o talk so. ts s. At lengtion suc presented itself as more expedient than any answer.
`You seen trouble c; `ss dreadful. I mig alone paying for her schooling, for shes worse nor ever.
`Its no more t Ive allays said, follo Im not. Ive said over and over again - years ago Ive said - quot;Mark my co no good: t a bit of our family in ; And as for . Id my reasons o.
`Come, come, said Mr Glegg, `lets e no more time in talking - lets go to business. tom no the pen and ink...
all dark figure he window.
`ulliver. `t out to open the door, Maggie eagerly following her.
`ts fortunate, said Mrs Glegg. `So t o to be bougs but rigs her.
Mrs Moss oo mucation to resist Mrs tullivers movement as so tomatically, reflecting t it ake painful moment of arrival. tall, rast to ters as sered in looking as if tily entire absence of self-consciousness trouble. Maggie o o notice no one else except tom, raigo and took by the hand.
`O my dear c out, `youve no call to t to you, for Im one o take all and give nother?
`Mr turnbull t better, said Maggie. `Sit do Gritty. Dont fret.
`O my s corn i to lead o t still not seeming to notice t. `eve ts it, and you all it, poor t be sold up to pay it, and t of em, and ttle un of all cant speak plain. And I feel as if I Im sure Id no t as my brother...
terrupted by a rising sob.
`tulliver, ation at in the dark.
` madness, to be sure! said Mrs Glegg. `A man to lend security, Ill be bound, if truth was known.
Mrs Gleggs voice ed Mrs Mosss attention, and, looking up, she said,
`Yes, ty: my e for it. ere not t sort o people, neito paying back times got a bit better.
`ell, but noly, ` your ud be a little fortin, like, for t tullivers being made a bankrupt. Your stock: it is but rig seems to me - not but w Im sorry for you, Mrs Moss.
`O sir, you dont kno o stock, and , and but o do ud be any good... but ttle uns...
`Dont cry so, aunt - dont fret, w hold of Mrs Mosss hand.
`Did Mr tulliver, let you once? said Mrs tulliver, still lost in tion of t her knowledge.
`No, at to restrain ears. `t er my bad illness, four years ago, as everyt e made t cumber all my life.
`Yes, Mrs Moss, said Mrs Glegg, y for my sister.
`I set off in t as soon as ever I Mrs tulliver. `I said a o let me kno isnt as Im t ourselves and not my brot it. And my o do t t Mr Glegg, `and s all my brot to trust to. eve been used to trouble, and dont look for mucs only t o my poor cwo.
`o be t on, Mrs Moss, said Mr Glegg, `and its rigo ullivers made a bankrupt, and a note-of-o pay it: t.
`O dear, O dear! said Mrs tulliver, tcy, and not of Mrs Mosss concern in it. Poor Mrs Moss ened in trembling submission, tom to see if anding trouble, and caring about poor aunt Moss. tom ful able-cloth.
`And if made bankrupt, continued Mr Glegg, `as I said before, ttle fortin for kno goes my opinion is, looking at it one ll be rigo raise t it to pay it. You truth.
`Uncle, said tom, looking up suddenly from ative vieable-clot t o pay t my fato pay it, ?
Mr Glegg looked surprised for a moment or tom; but troyed te you kno look for te. makes you t ud be against his will?
`om, colouring, but trying to speak firmly in spite of a boyisremor, `I remember quite to sco Mr Stelling, my fato me one nigting by togethe room...
tom ated a little, and t on,
`o me about Maggie, and to my sister, t my Moss money, but I sressing o pay it: Id rat: my c not mind being t. And no able to speak for like anyto be done contrary to w o me.
`ell, but to enter into toms once sual abroying securities or alienating anytant enougo make an appreciable difference in a mans property, `e, you knoo guard against w may ...
`Mr Glegg, interrupted youre saying. Youre putting yourself very forrard in ot say it .
`ts suc, o express , `making ae: I s table on you for it.
`ell but, said Mrs tulliver, `if tes money, ao meddle Moss, tom, if you ts well.
Mrs tulliver studied tion of excraining er original ideas on t.
`Poo understand t safe for Mr and Mrs Moss, but destroying te.
`to do it, uncle, said tom, earnestly. `If my fat get I could me to remember y.
Even Mrs Glegg could not oms tainly speaking in ion of money. Maggie ed aking toms her a choked voice,
`Youll never be ted for your fat, ty. ell do as an father.
`ell, said Mr Glegg, ing after toms ors, supposing your fat - Ive been t, for Ive been a creditor myself, and seen no end o cing - for if to give your aunt t into ts te o be t muc to be considered, young man, Mr Glegg added, looking admonis tom, `aking one mans dinner ao make anot. You dont understand t, I doubt?
`Yes, I do, said tom, decidedly. `I knoo one man Ive no rigo give it to anot if my fato give my aunt t, to do it.
`ell done, young man! I didnt t pere. Let us go and see if in t.
`Its in my fat us go too, aunt Gritty, whispered Maggie.