What was all this though - even all this - to the extraordinary

dissipation that ensued, when Kit, walking into an oyster-shop as bold

as if he lived there, and not so much as looking at the counter or the

man behind it, led his party into a box - a private box, fitted up with

red curtains, white table-cloth, and cruet- stand complete - and

ordered a fierce gentleman with whiskers, who acted as waiter and

called him, him Christopher Nubbles, 'sir,' to bring three dozen of his

largest-sized oysters, and to look sharp about it! Yes, Kit told this

gentleman to look sharp, and he not only said he would look sharp,

but he actually did, and presently came running back with the newest

loaves, and the freshest butter, and the largest oysters, ever seen.

Then said Kit to this gentleman, 'a pot of beer' - just so - and the

gentleman, instead of replying, 'Sir, did you address that language to

me?' only said, 'Pot o' beer, sir? Yes, sir,' and went off and fetched it,

and put it on the table in a small decanter-stand, like those which

blind-men's dogs carry about the streets in their mouths, to catch the

half-pence in; and both Kit's mother and Barbara's mother declared as

he turned away that he was one of the slimmest and gracefullest

young men she had ever looked upon.

Then they fell to work upon the supper in earnest; and there was

Barbara, that foolish Barbara, declaring that she could not eat more

than two, and wanting more pressing than you would believe before

she would eat four: though her mother and Kit's mother made up for

it pretty well, and ate and laughed and enjoyed themselves so

thoroughly that it did Kit good to see them, and made him laugh and

eat likewise from strong sympathy. But the greatest miracle of the

night was little Jacob, who ate oysters as if he had been born and

bred to the business - sprinkled the pepper and the vinegar with a

discretion beyond his years - and afterwards built a grotto on the table

with the shells. There was the baby too, who had never closed an eye

all night, but had sat as good as gold, trying to force a large orange

into his mouth, and gazing intently at the lights in the chandelier -

there he was, sitting up in his mother's lap, staring at the gas without

winking, and making indentations in his soft visage with an oyster-

shell, to that degree that a heart of iron must have loved him! In short,

there never was a more successful supper; and when Kit ordered in a

glass of something hot to finish with, and proposed Mr and Mrs

Garland before sending it round, there were not six happier people in

all the world.

But all happiness has an end - hence the chief pleasure of its next

beginning - and as it was now growing late, they agreed it was time to

turn their faces homewards. So, after going a little out of their way to

see Barbara and Barbara's mother safe to a friend's house where they

were to pass the night, Kit and his mother left them at the door, with

an early appointment for returning to Finchley next morning, and a

great many plans for next quarter's enjoyment. Then, Kit took little

The Old Curiosity Shop