 visible in her face for some moments, has never been
exactly ascertained. Be this as it may, Mr. Pecksniff went on to inform his
daughters of the purport and history of the round-robin aforesaid, which was in
brief, that the commercial gentlemen who helped to make up the sum and substance
of that noun of multitude or signifying many, called Todgers's, desired the
honour of their presence at the general table, so long as they remained in the
house, and besought that they would grace the board at dinner-time next day, the
same being Sunday. He further said, that Mrs. Todgers being a consenting party
to this invitation, he was willing, for his part, to accept it; and so left them
that he might write his gracious answer, the while they armed themselves with
their best bonnets for the utter defeat and overthrow of Miss Pinch.
    Tom Pinch's sister was governess in a family, a lofty family; perhaps the
wealthiest brass and copper founders' family known to mankind. They lived at
Camberwell; in a house so big and fierce, that its mere outside, like the
outside of a giants castle, struck terror into vulgar minds and made bold
persons quail. There was a great front gate; with a great bell, whose handle was
in itself a note of admiration; and a great lodge; which being close to the
house, rather spoilt the lookout certainly, but made the look-in tremendous. At
this entry, a great porter kept constant watch and ward; and when he gave the
visitor high leave to pass, he rang a second great bell, responsive to whose
note a great footman appeared in due time at the great hall-door, with such
great tags upon his liveried shoulder that he was perpetually entangling and
hooking himself among the chairs and tables, and led a life of torment which
could scarcely have been surpassed, if he had been a blue-bottle in a world of
cobwebs.
    To this mansion, Mr. Pecksniff, accompanied by his daughters and Mrs.
Todgers, drove gallantly in a one-horse fly. The foregoing ceremonies having
been all performed, they were ushered into the house; and so, by degrees, they
got at last into a small room with books in it, where Mr. Pinch's sister was at
that moment, instructing her eldest pupil: to wit, a premature little woman of
thirteen years old, who had already arrived at such a pitch of whalebone and
education that she had nothing girlish about her: which was a source of great
rejoicing to
