 as though he
would observe, »You are positively down upon her to too great an extent, my
sweet creatures, upon my soul you are!«
    »Now,« said Mr. Pecksniff, crossing his two fore-fingers in a manner which
was at once conciliatory and argumentative: »I will not, upon the one hand, go
so far as to say that she deserves all the inflictions which have been so very
forcibly and hilariously suggested;« one of his ornamental sentences; »nor will
I, upon the other, on any account compromise my common understanding as a man,
by making the assertion that she does not. What I would observe is, that I think
some practical means might be devised of inducing our respected, shall I say our
revered -?«
    »No!« interposed the strong-minded woman in a loud voice.
    »Then I will not,« said Mr. Pecksniff. »You are quite right, my dear madam,
and I appreciate and thank you for your discriminating objection - our respected
relative, to dispose himself to listen to the promptings of nature, and not to
the -«
    »Go on, pa!« cried Mercy.
    »Why, the truth is, my dear,« said Mr. Pecksniff, smiling upon his assembled
kindred, »that I am at a loss for a word. The name of those fabulous animals
(pagan, I regret to say) who used to sing in the water, has quite escaped me.«
    Mr. George Chuzzlewit suggested Swans.
    »No,« said Mr. Pecksniff. »Not swans. Very like swans, too. Thank you.«
    The nephew with the outline of a countenance, speaking for the first and
last time on that occasion, propounded »Oysters.«
    »No,« said Mr. Pecksniff, with his own peculiar urbanity, »nor oysters. But
by no means unlike oysters; a very excellent idea; thank you, my dear sir, very
much. Wait! Sirens. Dear me! sirens, of course. I think, I say, that means might
be devised of disposing our respected relative to listen to the promptings of
nature, and not to the siren-like delusions of art. Now we must not lose sight
of the fact that our esteemed friend has a grandson, to whom he was, until
lately, very much attached, and whom I could have wished to see here to-day, for
I have a real and deep regard for him. A fine young man: a very fine young man!
I
