. The chest of drawers having been originally
made to stand upon the top of another chest, had a dwarfish, elfin look, alone;
but, in regard of its security it had a great advantage over the bandboxes, for
as all the handles had been long ago pulled off, it was very difficult to get at
its contents. This indeed was only to be done by one of two devices; either by
tilting the whole structure forward until all the drawers fell out together, or
by opening them singly with knives, like oysters.
    Mrs. Gamp stored all her household matters in a little cupboard by the
fire-place; beginning below the surface (as in nature) with the coals, and
mounting gradually upwards to the spirits, which, from motives of delicacy, she
kept in a tea-pot. The chimney-piece was ornamented with a small almanack,
marked here and there in Mrs. Gamp's own hand, with a memorandum of the date at
which some lady was expected to fall due. It was also embellished with three
profiles: one, in colours, of Mrs. Gamp herself in early life; one, in bronze,
of a lady in feathers, supposed to be Mrs. Harris, as she appeared when dressed
for a ball; and one, in black, of Mr. Gamp, deceased. The last was a full
length, in order that the likeness might be rendered more obvious and forcible,
by the introduction of the wooden leg.
    A pair of bellows, a pair of pattens, a toasting-fork, a kettle, a pap-boat,
a spoon for the administration of medicine to the refractory, and lastly, Mrs.
Gamp's umbrella, which as something of great price and rarity was displayed with
particular ostentation, completed the decorations of the chimney-piece and
adjacent wall. Towards these objects, Mrs. Gamp raised her eyes in satisfaction
when she had arranged the tea-board, and had concluded her arrangements for the
reception of Betsey Prig, even unto the setting forth of two pounds of Newcastle
salmon, intensely pickled.
    »There! Now drat you, Betsey, don't be long!« said Mrs. Gamp, apostrophising
her absent friend. »For I can't abear to wait, I do assure you. To wotever place
I goes, I sticks to this one mortar, I'm easy pleased; it is but little as I
wants; but I must have that little of the best, and to the minute when the clock
strikes, else we do not part as I
