 But before he had well done so, he looked
smilingly round, and said »Why not?«
    Martin couldn't say why not, because he didn't know anything at all about
it. So Mr. Pecksniff answered himself, by throwing open the door, and saying:
    »My daughters' room. A poor first-floor to us, but a bower to them. Very
neat. Very airy. Plants you observe; hyacinths; books again; birds.« These
birds, by-the-bye, comprised, in all, one staggering old sparrow without a tail,
which had been borrowed expressly from the kitchen. »Such trifles as girls love
are here. Nothing more. Those who seek heartless splendour, would seek here in
vain.«
    With that he led them to the floor above.
    »This,« said Mr. Pecksniff, throwing wide the door of the memorable two-pair
front; »is a room where some talent has been developed, I believe. This is a
room in which an idea for a steeple occurred to me, that I may one day give to
the world. We work here, my dear Martin. Some architects have been bred in this
room: a few, I think, Mr. Pinch?«
    Tom fully assented; and, what is more, fully believed it.
    »You see,« said Mr. Pecksniff, passing the candle rapidly from roll to roll
of paper, »some traces of our doings here, Salisbury Cathedral from the north.
From the south. From the east. From the west. From the south-east. From the
nor'-west. A bridge. An alms-house. A jail. A church. A powder-magazine. A
wine-cellar. A portico. A summer-house. An ice-house. Plans, elevations,
sections, every kind of thing. And this,« he added, having by this time reached
another large chamber on the same story, with four little beds in it, »this is
your room, of which Mr. Pinch here, is the quiet sharer. A southern aspect; a
charming prospect; Mr. Pinch's little library, you perceive; everything
agreeable and appropriate. If there is any additional comfort you would desire
to have here at any time, pray mention it. Even to strangers, far less to you,
my dear Martin, there is no restriction on that point.«
    It was undoubtedly true, and may be stated in corroboration of Mr.
Pecksniff, that any pupil
