"Then you see a man, sir, who would go through fire and water to serve Dombey," returned Major Bagstock. Mr. Carker smiled, and said he was sure of it. "Do you know, major," he proceeded: "to resume where I left off: that I have not found our friend so attentive to business to-day, as usual?"

"No?" observed the delighted major.

"I have found him a little abstracted, and with his attention disposed to wander," said Carker.

"By Jove, sir," cried the major, "there's a lady in the

case.

"Indeed, I begin to believe there really is," returned Carker. "I thought you might be jesting when you seemed to hint at it; for I know you military men

The major gave the horse's cough, and shook his head and shoulders, as much as to say, "Well! we are gay dogs, there's no denying." He then seized Mr. Carker by the button-hole, and with starting eyes whispered in his ear that she was a woman of extraordinary charms, sir. That she was a young widow, sir. That she was of a fine family, sir. That Dombey was over head and ears in love with her, sir, and that it would be a good match on both sides; for she had beauty, blood, and talent, and Dombey had fortune; and what more could any couple have? Hearing Mr. Dombey's footsteps without, the major cut himself short by saying, that Mr. Carker would see her to-morrow morning, and would judge for himself; and between his mental excitement, and the exertion of saying all this in wheezy whispers, the major sat gurgling in the throat and watering at the eyes, until dinner was ready.

The major, like some other noble animals, exhibited himself to great advantage at feeding time. On this occasion, he shone resplendent at one end of the table, supported by the milder lustre of Mr. Dombey at the other; while Carker on one side lent his ray to either light, or suffered it to merge into both, as occasion arose. During the first course or two, the major was usually grave; for the native, in obedience to general orders, secretly issued, collected every sauce and cruet round him, and gave him a great deal to do, in taking out the stoppers, and mixing up the contents in his plate. Besides which, the natives had private zests and flavors on a side-table, with which the major daily scorched

himself; to say nothing of strange machines out of which he spirted unknown liquids into the major's drink. But on this occasion, Major Bagstock, even amidst these many occupations, found time to be social; and his sociality consisted in excessive slyness for the behoof of Mr. Carker, and the betrayal of Mr. Dombey's state of mind.

"Dombey," said the major, "you don't eat; what's the matter?"

"Thank you," returned that gentleman, "I am doing very well; I have no great appetite to-day.'

"Why, Dombey, what's become of it?" asked the major. "Where's it gone? You haven't left it with our friends, I'll swear, for I can answer for their having none to-day at luncheon. I can answer for one of 'em, at least; I won't say which."

Then the major winked at Carker, and became so frightfully sly, that his dark attendant was obliged to pat him on the back, without orders, or he would probably have disappeared under the table.

,

In a later stage of the dinner: that is to say, when the native stood at the major's elbow ready to serve the first bottle of champagne: the major became still slyer. "Fill this to the brim, you scoundrel," said the major, holding up his glass. Fill Mr. Carker's to the brim too. And Mr. Dombey's too. By Gad, gentlemen," said the major, winking at his new friend, while Mr. Dombey looked into his plate with a conscious air, "we'll consecrate this glass of wine to a divinity whom Joe is proud to know, and at a distance humbly and reverently to admire. Edith," said the major, "is her name; angelic Edith!"

"To angelic Edith!" cried the smiling Carker. "Edith, by all means," said Mr. Dombey.

The entrance of the waiters with new dishes caused the major to be slyer yet, but in a more serious vein. For though, among ourselves, Joe Bagstock mingles jest and earnest on this subject, sir," said the major, laying his finger on his lips, and speaking half apart to Carker, "he holds that name too sacred to be made the property of these fellows, or of any fellows. Not a word, sir, while they are here!"

This was respectful and becoming on the major's part, and Mr. Dombey plainly felt it so. Although em

barrassed in his own frigid way, by the major's allusions, Mr. Dombey had no objection to such rallying, it was clear, but rather courted it. Perhaps the major had been pretty near the truth, when he had divined that morning that the great man who was too haughty formerly to consult with, or confide in his prime minister, on such a matter, yet wished him to be fully possessed of it. Let this be how it may, he often glanced at Mr. Carker while the major plied his light artillery, and seemed watchful of its effect upon him.

But the major, having secured an attentive listener, and a smiler who had not his match in all the world"in short, a de-vilish intelligent and agreeable fellow," as he often afterwards declared-was not going to let him off with a little slyness personal to Mr. Dombey. Therefore, on the removal of the cloth, the major developed himself as a choice spirit in the broader and more comprehensive range of narrating regimental stories, and cracking regimental jokes, which he did with such prodigal exuberance, that Carker was (or feigned to be) quite exhausted with laughter and admiration: while Mr. Dombey looked on over his starched cravat, like the major's proprietor, or like a stately showman who was glad to see his bear dancing well.

When the major was too hoarse with meat and drink and the display of his social powers to render himself intelligible any longer, they adjourned to coffee. After which, the major inquired of Mr. Carker the manager, with little apparent hope of an answer in the affirmative, if he played picquet.

"Yes, I play picquet a little," said Mr. Carker.

66

Backgammon, perhaps?" observed the major hesi

tating.

"Yes, I play backgammon a little too," replied the man of teeth.

"Carker plays at all games, I believe," said Mr. Dombey, laying himself on a sofa like a man of wood without a hinge or a joint in him; " and plays them well."

In sooth, he played the two in question, to such perfection, that the major was astonished, and asked him, at random, if he played chess.

"Yes, I play chess a little," answered Carker. "I have sometimes played, and won a game-it's a mere trick-without seeing the board."

"By Gad, sir!" said the major, staring, "you're a contrast to Dombey, who plays nothing.'

"Oh! He! returned the manager. He has never had occasion to acquire such little arts. To men like me, they are sometimes useful. As at present, Major Bagstock, when they enable me to take a hand with you.

It might be only the false mouth, so smooth and wide; and yet there seemed to lurk beneath the humility and subserviency of this short speech a something like a snarl; and for a moment, one might have thought that the white teeth were prone to bite the hand they fawned upon. But the major thought nothing about it; and Mr. Dombey lay meditating with his eyes half shut, during the whole of the play, which lasted until bedtime.

By that time, Mr. Carker, though the winner, had mounted high into the major's good opinion, insomuch, that when he left the major at his own room before going to bed, the major, as a special attention, sent the native-who always rested on a mattress spread upon the ground at his master's door-along the gallery, to light him to his room in state.

There was a faint blur on the surface of the mirror in Mr. Carker's chamber, and its reflection was, perhaps, a false one. But it showed, that night, the image of a man, who saw, in his fancy, a crowd of people slumbering on the ground at his feet, like the poor native at his master's door: who picked his way among them: looking down maliciously enough: but trod upon no upturned face-as yet.

CHAPTER XXVII.

DEEPER SHADOWS.

MR. CARKER the manager rose with the lark, and went out, walking in the summer day. His meditations-and he meditated with contracted brows while he strolled along-hardly seemed to soar as high as the lark, or to mount in that direction; rather they kept close to their nest upon the earth, and looked about, among the dust and worms. But there was not a bird in the air, sing

ing unseen, farther beyond the reach of human eye than Mr. Carker's thoughts. He had his face so perfectly under control that few could say more, in distinct terms, of its expression than that it smiled or that it pondered. It pondered now, intently. As the lark rose higher, he sank deeper in thought. As the lark poured out her melody clearer and stronger, he fell into a graver and profounder silence. At length, when the lark came headlong down, with an accumulating stream of song, and dropped among the green wheat near him, rippling in the breath of the morning like a river, he sprang up from his reverie, and looked round with a sudden smile, as courteous and as soft as if he had had numerous observers to propitiate; nor did he relapse, after being thus awakened; but clearing his face, like one who bethought himself that it might otherwise wrinkle and tell tales, went smiling on, as if for practice.

Perhaps with an eye to first impressions, Mr. Carker was very carefully and trimly dressed, that morning. Though always somewhat formal in his dress, in imitation of the great man whom he served, he stopped short of the extent of Mr. Dombey's stiffness: at once, perhaps, because he knew it to be ludicrous, and because in doing so he found another means of expressing his sense of the difference and distance between them. Some people quoted him indeed, in this respect, as a pointed commentary, and not a flattering one, on his icy patron -but the world is prone to misconstruction, and Mr. Carker was not accountable for its bad propensity.

Clean and florid: with his light complexion, fading as it were, in the sun, and his dainty step enhancing the softness of the turf: Mr. Carker the manager strolled about meadows, and green lanes, and glided among avenues of trees, until it was time to return to breakfast. Taking a nearer way back, Mr. Carker pursued it, airing his teeth, and said aloud as he did so, "Now to see the second Mrs. Dombey!"

He had strolled beyond the town, and re-entered it by a pleasant walk, where there was a deep shade of leafy trees, and where there were a few benches here and there for those who chose to rest. It not being a place of general resort at any hour, and wearing at that time of the still morning the air of being quite deserted and retired, Mr. Carker had it, or thought he had it, all to