'I have half a mind to shut him up.'
Mrs Gamp rubbed her hands, and smiled, and shook her head, and sniffed
expressively, as scenting a job.
'Could you--could you take care of such an idiot, now, in some spare
room upstairs?' asked Jonas.
'Me and a friend of mine, one off, one on, could do it, Mr Chuzzlewit,'
replied the nurse; 'our charges not bein' high, but wishin' they was
lower, and allowance made considerin' not strangers. Me and Betsey Prig,
sir, would undertake Mr Chuffey reasonable,' said Mrs Gamp, looking at
him with her head on one side, as if he had been a piece of goods, for
which she was driving a bargain; 'and give every satigefaction. Betsey
Prig has nussed a many lunacies, and well she knows their ways,
which puttin' 'em right close afore the fire, when fractious, is the
certainest and most compoging.'
While Mrs Gamp discoursed to this effect, Jonas was walking up and down
the room again, glancing covertly at the old clerk, as he did so. He now
made a stop, and said:
'I must look after him, I suppose, or I may have him doing some
mischief. What say you?'
'Nothin' more likely!' Mrs Gamp replied.
Pages:
1319
1320
1321
1322
1323
1324
1325
1326
1327
1328
1329
1330
1331
1332
1333
1334
1335
1336
1337
1338
1339
1340
1341
1342
1343