Мидлмарч

           Wemustlookallovertheglobe:—‘Observationwithextensiveview,’mustlookeverywhere,‘fromChinatoPeru,’assomebodysays—Johnson,Ithink,‘TheRambler,’youknow.ThatiswhatIhavedoneuptoacertainpoint—notasfarasPeru;butI’venotalwaysstayedathome—Isawitwouldn’tdo.I’vebeenintheLevant,wheresomeofyourMiddlemarchgoodsgo—andthen,again,intheBaltic.TheBaltic,now."

           Plyingamonghisrecollectionsinthisway,Mr.Brookemighthavegotalong,easilytohimself,andwouldhavecomebackfromtheremotestseaswithouttrouble;butadiabolicalprocedurehadbeensetupbytheenemy.Atoneandthesamemomenttherehadrisenabovetheshouldersofthecrowd,nearlyoppositeMr.Brooke,andwithintenyardsofhim,theeffigyofhimself:buff-coloredwaistcoat,eye-glass,andneutralphysiognomy,paintedonrag;andtherehadarisen,apparentlyintheair,likethenoteofthecuckoo,aparrot-like,Punch-voicedechoofhiswords.Everybodylookedupattheopenwindowsinthehousesattheoppositeanglesoftheconvergingstreets;buttheywereeitherblank,orfilledbylaughinglisteners.Themostinnocentechohasanimpishmockeryinitwhenitfollowsagravelypersistentspeaker,andthisechowasnotatallinnocent;ifitdidnotfollowwiththeprecisionofanaturalecho,ithadawickedchoiceofthewordsitovertook.