Chapter 13

           1stGent.Howclassyourman?—asbetterthanthemost,Or,seemingbetter,worsebeneaththatcloak?Assaintorknave,pilgrimorhypocrite?2dGent.Nay,tellmehowyouclassyourwealthofbooksThedriftedrelicsofalltime.Aswellsortthematoncebysizeandlivery:Vellum,tallcopies,andthecommoncalfWillhardlycovermorediversityThanallyourlabelscunninglydevisedToclassyourunreadauthors.

           InconsequenceofwhathehadheardfromFred,Mr.VincydeterminedtospeakwithMr.BulstrodeinhisprivateroomattheBankathalf-pastone,whenhewasusuallyfreefromothercallers.Butavisitorhadcomeinatoneo’clock,andMr.Bulstrodehadsomuchtosaytohim,thattherewaslittlechanceoftheinterviewbeingoverinhalfanhour.Thebanker’sspeechwasfluent,butitwasalsocopious,andheusedupanappreciableamountoftimeinbriefmeditativepauses.Donotimaginehissicklyaspecttohavebeenoftheyellow,black-hairedsort:hehadapaleblondskin,thingray-besprinkledbrownhair,light-grayeyes,andalargeforehead.Loudmencalledhissubduedtoneanundertone,andsometimesimpliedthatitwasinconsistentwithopenness;thoughthereseemstobenoreasonwhyaloudmanshouldnotbegiventoconcealmentofanythingexcepthisownvoice,unlessitcanbeshownthatHolyWrithasplacedtheseatofcandorinthelungs.Mr.