rrivals. Each of these gentlemen
brought his hat in his hand, as if he lived somewhere else; and when
they were announced by the butler, Doctor Blimber said, 'Ay, ay, ay! God
bless my soul!' and seemed extremely glad to see them. Mr Toots was
one blaze of jewellery and buttons; and he felt the circumstance so
strongly, that when he had shaken hands with the Doctor, and had bowed
to Mrs Blimber and Miss Blimber, he took Paul aside, and said, 'What do
you think of this, Dombey?'

But notwithstanding this modest confidence in himself, Mr Toots appeared
to be involved in a good deal of uncertainty whether, on the whole, it
was judicious to button the bottom button of his waistcoat, and whether,
on a calm revision of all the circumstances, it was best to wear his
waistbands turned up or turned down. Observing that Mr Feeder's were
turned up, Mr Toots turned his up; but the waistbands of the next
arrival being turned down, Mr Toots turned his down. The differences
in point of waistcoat-buttoning, not only at the bottom, but at the top
too, became so numerous and complicated as the arrivals thickened, that
Mr Toots was continually fingering that article of dress, as if he
were performing on some instrument; and appeared to find the incessant
execution it demanded, quite bewildering. All the young gentlemen,
tightly cravatted, curled, and pumped, and with their best hats in their
hands, having been at different times announced and introduced, Mr Baps,
the dancing-master, came, accompanied by Mrs Baps, to whom Mrs
Blimber was extremely kind and condescending. Mr Baps was a very grave
gentleman, with a slow and measured manner of speaking; and before he
had stood under the lamp five minutes, he began to talk to Toots (who
had been silently comparing pumps with him) about what you were to do
with your raw materials when they came into your ports in return for
your drain of gold. Mr Toots, to whom the question seemed perplexing,
suggested 'Cook 'em.' But Mr Baps did not appear to think that would do.

Paul now slipped away from the cushioned corner of a sofa, which had
been his post of observation, and went downstairs into the tea-room to
be ready for Florence, whom he had not seen for nearly a fortnight, as
he had remained at Doctor Blimber's on the previous Saturday and Sunday,
lest he should take cold. Presently she came: looking so beautiful in
her simple ball dress, with her fresh flowers in her hand, that when she
knelt down