 for the
country, held that it dated from those rural times when the antlered herd, under
the familiar denomination of Staggses, had resorted to its shady precincts. Be
this as it may, Staggs's Gardens was regarded by its population as a sacred
grove not to be withered by railroads; and so confident were they generally of
its long outliving any such ridiculous inventions, that the master
chimney-sweeper at the corner, who was understood to take the lead in the local
politics of the Gardens, had publicly declared that on the occasion of the
Railroad opening, if ever it did open, two of his boys should ascend the flues
of his dwelling, with instructions to hail the failure with derisive jeers from
the chimney-pots.
    To this unhallowed spot, the very name of which had hitherto been carefully
concealed from Mr. Dombey by his sister, was little Paul now borne by Fate and
Richards.
    »That's my house, Susan,« said Polly, pointing it out.
    »Is it, indeed, Mrs. Richards?« said Susan, condescendingly.
    »And there's my sister Jemima at the door, I do declare!« cried Polly, »with
my own sweet precious baby in her arms!«
    The sight added such an extensive pair of wings to Polly's impatience, that
she set off down the Gardens at a run, and bouncing on Jemima, changed babies
with her in a twinkling; to the utter astonishment of that young damsel, on whom
the heir of the Dombeys seemed to have fallen from the clouds.
    »Why, Polly!« cried Jemima. »You! what a turn you have given me! who'd have
thought it! come along in, Polly! How well you do look to be sure! The children
will go half wild to see you, Polly, that they will.«
    That they did, if one might judge from the noise they made, and the way in
which they dashed at Polly and dragged her to a low chair in the chimney corner,
where her own honest apple face became immediately the centre of a bunch of
smaller pippins, all laying their rosy cheeks close to it, and all evidently the
growth of the same tree. As to Polly, she was full as noisy and vehement as the
children; and it was not until she was quite out of breath, and her hair was
hanging all about her flushed face, and her new christening attire was very much
dishevelled, that any pause took place in the confusion. Even then, the smallest
Toodle but one remained in
