e sorry for it," returned Mrs. Jarley. "I'm pretty
sure of that. So as that's all settled, let us have a bit of supper."

Rumbling along with most unwonted noise, the caravan stopped at last at
the place of exhibition, where Nell came down from the wagon among an
admiring group of children, who evidently supposed her to be an
important part of the curiosities, and were almost ready to believe that
her grandfather was a cunning device in wax. The chests were taken out
of the van for the figures with all haste, and taken in to be unlocked
by Mrs. Jarley, who, attended by George and the driver, arranged their
contents (consisting of red festoons and other ornamental work) to make
the best show in the decoration of the room.

When the festoons were all put up as tastily as they might be, the
wonderful collection was uncovered; and there were shown, on a raised
platform some two feet from the floor, running round the room and parted
from the rude public by a crimson rope, breast high, a large number of
sprightly waxen images of famous people, singly and in groups, clad in
glittering dresses of various climes and times, and standing more or
less unsteadily upon their legs, with their eyes very wide open, and
their nostrils very much inflated, and the muscles of their legs, and
arms very strongly developed, and all their faces expressing great
surprise. All the gentlemen were very narrow in the breast, and very
blue about the beards; and all the ladies were wonderful figures; and
all the ladies and all the gentlemen were looking intensely nowhere, and
staring with tremendous earnestness at nothing.

When Nell had shown her first wonder at this glorious sight, Mrs. Jarley
ordered the room to be cleared of all but herself and the child, and,
sitting herself down in an arm-chair in the center, presented Nell with
a willow wand, long used by herself for pointing out the characters,
and was at great pains to instruct her in her duty.

"That," said Mrs. Jarley, in her exhibition tone, as Nell touched a
figure at the beginning of the platform, "is an unfortunate maid of
honor in the time of Queen Elizabeth, who died from pricking her finger
in consequence of working upon a Sunday. Observe the blood which is
trickling from her finger; also the gold-eyed needle of the period, with
which she is at work."

All this Nell repeated twice or thrice--pointing to the finger and the
needle at the right times; and then passed on to the next.