any need, on account of Fred's little sister, to turn cool directly, but its

better not to go too far. If I begin to cool at all I must begin at once, I

see that. There's the chance of an action for breach, that's another.

There's the chance of - no, there's no chance of that, but it's as well to

be on the safe side.'

This undeveloped was the possibility, which Richard Swiveller sought

to conceal even from himself, of his not being proof against the

charms of Miss Wackles, and in some unguarded moment, by linking

his fortunes to hers forever, of putting it out of his own power to

further their notable scheme to which he had so readily become a

party. For all these reasons, he decided to pick a quarrel with Miss

Wackles without delay, and casting about for a pretext determined in

favour of groundless jealousy. Having made up his mind on this

important point, he circulated the glass (from his right hand to left,

and back again) pretty freely, to enable him to act his part with the

greater discretion, and then, after making some slight improvements

in his toilet, bent his steps towards the spot hallowed by the fair

object of his meditations.

The spot was at Chesea, for there Miss Sophia Wackles resided with

her widowed mother and two sisters, in conjunction with whom she

maintained a very small day-school for young ladies of proportionate

dimensions; a circumstance which was made known to the

neighbourhood by an oval board over the front first-floor windows,

whereupon appeared in circumbmbient flourishes the words 'Ladies'

Seminary'; and which was further published and proclaimed at

intervals between the hours of half-past nine and ten in the morning,

by a straggling and solitrary young lady of tender years standing on

the scraper on the tips of her toes and making futile attempts to reach

the knocker with spelling-book. The several duties of instruction in

this establishment were this discharged. English grammar,

composition, geography, and the use of the dumb-bells, by Miss

Melissa Wackles; writing, arthmetic, dancing, music, and general

fascination, by Miss Sophia Wackles; the art of needle-work, marking,

and samplery, by Miss Jane Wackles; corporal punishment, fasting,

and other tortures and terrors, by Mrs Wackles. Miss Melissa Wackles

was the eldest daughter, Miss Sophy the next, and Miss Jane the

youngest. Miss Melissa might have seen five-and-thirty summers or

thereabouts, and verged on the autumnal; Miss Sophy was a fresh,

good humoured, busom girl of twenty; and Miss Jane numbered

scarcely sixteen years. Mrs Wackles was an excellent but rather

vemenous old lady of three-score.

To this Ladies' Seminary, then, Richard Swiveller hied, with designs

obnoxious to the peace of the fair Sophia, who, arrayed in virgin

white, embelished by no ornament but one blushing rose, received

him on his arrival, in the midst of very elegant not to say brilliant

The Old Curiosity Shop