stitutional,' resumed Miss Blimber; 'and while
I am gone, that is to say in the interval between this and breakfast,
Dombey, I wish you to read over what I have marked in these books, and
to tell me if you quite understand what you have got to learn. Don't
lose time, Dombey, for you have none to spare, but take them downstairs,
and begin directly.'

'Yes, Ma'am,' answered Paul.

There were so many of them, that although Paul put one hand under the
bottom book and his other hand and his chin on the top book, and hugged
them all closely, the middle book slipped out before he reached the
door, and then they all tumbled down on the floor. Miss Blimber said,
'Oh, Dombey, Dombey, this is really very careless!' and piled them up
afresh for him; and this time, by dint of balancing them with great
nicety, Paul got out of the room, and down a few stairs before two of
them escaped again. But he held the rest so tight, that he only left one
more on the first floor, and one in the passage; and when he had got the
main body down into the schoolroom, he set off upstairs again to collect
the stragglers. Having at last amassed the whole library, and climbed
into his place, he fell to work, encouraged by a remark from Tozer to
the effect that he 'was in for it now;' which was the only interruption
he received till breakfast time. At that meal, for which he had no
appetite, everything was quite as solemn and genteel as at the others;
and when it was finished, he followed Miss Blimber upstairs.

'Now, Dombey,' said Miss Blimber. 'How have you got on with those
books?'

They comprised a little English, and a deal of Latin--names of things,
declensions of articles and substantives, exercises thereon, and
preliminary rules--a trifle of orthography, a glance at ancient history,
a wink or two at modern ditto, a few tables, two or three weights and
measures, and a little general information. When poor Paul had spelt
out number two, he found he had no idea of number one; fragments whereof
afterwards obtruded themselves into number three, which slided into
number four, which grafted itself on to number two. So that whether
twenty Romuluses made a Remus, or hic haec hoc was troy weight, or
a verb always agreed with an ancient Briton, or three times four was
Taurus a bull, were open questions with him.

'Oh, Dombey, Dombey!' said Miss Blimber, 'this is very shocking.'

'If you please,' said Paul, 'I think if I might sometimes talk a little
to