 custom of the Goddess, in her intercourse with the fair
Cherry, so to do; or in more prosaic phrase, the tip of that feature in the
sweet girl's countenance, was always very red at breakfast-time. For the most
part, indeed, it wore, at that season of the day, a scraped and frosty look, as
if it had been rasped; while a similar phenomenon developed itself in her
humour, which was then observed to be of a sharp and acid quality, as though an
extra lemon (figuratively speaking) had been squeezed into the nectar of her
disposition, and had rather damaged its flavour.
    This additional pungency on the part of the fair young creature led, on
ordinary occasions, to such slight consequences as the copious dilution of Mr.
Pinch's tea, or to his coming off uncommonly short in respect of butter, or to
other the like results. But on the morning after the Installation Banquet, she
suffered him to wander to and fro among the eatables and drinkables, a perfectly
free and unchecked man; so utterly to Mr. Pinch's wonder and confusion, that
like the wretched captive who recovered his liberty in his old age, he could
make but little use of his enlargement, and fell into a strange kind of flutter
for want of some kind hand to scrape his bread, and cut him off in the article
of sugar with a lump, and pay him those other little attentions to which he was
accustomed. There was something almost awful, too, about the self-possession of
the new pupil; who troubled Mr. Pecksniff for the loaf, and helped himself to a
rasher of that gentleman's own particular and private bacon, with all the
coolness in life. He even seemed to think that he was doing quite a regular
thing, and to expect that Mr. Pinch would follow his example, since he took
occasion to observe of that young man »that he didn't get on:« a speech of so
tremendous a character, that Tom cast down his eyes involuntarily, and felt as
if he himself had committed some horrible deed and heinous breach of Mr.
Pecksniff's confidence. Indeed, the agony of having such an indiscreet remark
addressed to him before the assembled family, was breakfast enough in itself,
and would, without any other matter of reflection, have settled Mr. Pinch's
business and quenched his appetite, for one meal, though he had been never so
hungry.
    The young ladies, however, and Mr. Pecksniff likewise, remained in the very
best of spirits
