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Chapter 13. Patriarchal

           ‘sAunt?’

           ‘TheMonumentnearLondonBridge,’thatladyinstantlyproclaimed,‘wasputupartertheGreatFireofLondon;andtheGreatFireofLondonwasnotthefireinwhichyouruncleGeorge’sworkshopswasburneddown.’

           MrPancks,withhisformercourage,said,‘Indeed,ma’am?Allright!’Butappearingtobeincensedbyimaginarycontradiction,orotherill-usage,MrF.‘sAunt,insteadofrelapsingintosilence,madethefollowingadditionalproclamation:

           ‘Ihateafool!’

           Sheimpartedtothissentiment,initselfalmostSolomonic,soextremelyinjuriousandpersonalacharacterbylevellingitstraightatthevisitor’shead,thatitbecamenecessarytoleadMrF.‘sAuntfromtheroom.ThiswasquietlydonebyFlora;MrF.‘sAuntofferingnoresistance,butinquiringonherwayout,‘Whathecometherefor,then?’withimplacableanimosity.

           WhenFlorareturned,sheexplainedthatherlegacywasacleveroldlady,butwassometimesalittlesingular,and‘tookdislikes’—peculiaritiesofwhichFloraseemedtobeproudratherthanotherwise.AsFlora’sgoodnatureshoneinthecase,Clennamhadnofaulttofindwiththeoldladyforelicitingit,nowthathewasrelievedfromtheterrorsofherpresence;andtheytookaglassortwoofwineinpeace.ForeseeingthenthatthePanckswouldshortlygetunderweigh,andthatthePatriarchwouldgotosleep,hepleadedthenecessityofvisitinghismother,andaskedMrPancksinwhichdirectionhewasgoing?

           ‘Citywards,sir,’saidPancks.

           ‘Shallwewalktogether?’saidArthur.

           ‘Quiteagreeable,’saidPancks.

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