ental to the Highland typification on the
doorpost but for two forcible reasons; one, that her John was roused to
take strong interest in the business which these starts were supposed
to advance--and this she held to be good for his drooping spirits;
the other, that Mr Pancks confidentially agreed to pay her, for the
occupation of her son's time, at the handsome rate of seven and sixpence
per day. The proposal originated with himself, and was couched in the
pithy terms, 'If your John is weak enough, ma'am, not to take it,
that is no reason why you should be, don't you see? So, quite between
ourselves, ma'am, business being business, here it is!'

What Mr Chivery thought of these things, or how much or how little he
knew about them, was never gathered from himself. It has been already
remarked that he was a man of few words; and it may be here observed
that he had imbibed a professional habit of locking everything up. He
locked himself up as carefully as he locked up the Marshalsea debtors.
Even his custom of bolting his meals may have been a part of an uniform
whole; but there is no question, that, as to all other purposes, he kept
his mouth as he kept the Marshalsea door. He never opened it without
occasion. When it was necessary to let anything out, he opened it a
little way, held it open just as long as sufficed for the purpose, and
locked it again.

Even as he would be sparing of his trouble at the Marshalsea door, and
would keep a visitor who wanted to go out, waiting for a few moments if
he saw another visitor coming down the yard, so that one turn of the key
should suffice for both, similarly he would often reserve a remark if he
perceived another on its way to his lips, and would deliver himself of
the two together. As to any key to his inner knowledge being to be
found in his face, the Marshalsea key was as legible as an index to the
individual characters and histories upon which it was turned.

That Mr Pancks should be moved to invite any one to dinner at
Pentonville, was an unprecedented fact in his calendar. But he invited
Young John to dinner, and even brought him within range of the dangerous
(because expensive) fascinations of Miss Rugg. The banquet was appointed
for a Sunday, and Miss Rugg with her own hands stuffed a leg of mutton
with oysters on the occasion, and sent it to the baker's--not THE
baker's but an opposition establishment. Provision of oranges, apples,
and nuts was also made. And rum was