
really very careless!« and piled them up afresh for him; and this time, by dint
of balancing them with great nicety, Paul got out of the room, and down a few
stairs before two of them escaped again. But he held the rest so tight, that he
only left one more on the first floor, and one in the passage; and when he had
got the main body down into the school-room, he set off up stairs again to
collect the stragglers. Having at last amassed the whole library, and climbed
into his place, he fell to work, encouraged by a remark from Tozer to the effect
that he was in for it now; which was the only interruption he received till
breakfast time. At that meal, for which he had no appetite, everything was quite
as solemn and genteel as at the others; and when it was finished, he followed
Miss Blimber up stairs.
    »Now, Dombey,« said Miss Blimber. »How have you got on with those books?«
    They comprised a little English, and a deal of Latin - names of things,
declensions of articles and substantives, exercises thereon, and preliminary
rules - a trifle of orthography, a glance at ancient history, a wink or two at
modern ditto, a few tables, two or three weights and measures, and a little
general information. When poor Paul had spelt out number two, he found he had no
idea of number one; fragments whereof afterwards obtruded themselves into number
three, which slided into number four, which grafted itself on to number two. So
that whether twenty Romuluses made a Remus, or hic hæc hoc was troy weight, or a
verb always agreed with an ancient Briton, or three times four was Taurus a
bull, were open questions with him.
    »Oh, Dombey, Dombey!« said Miss Blimber, »this is very shocking.«
    »If you please,« said Paul, »I think if I might sometimes talk a little to
old Glubb, I should be able to do better.«
    »Nonsense, Dombey,« said Miss Blimber. »I couldn't hear of it. This is not
the place for Glubbs of any kind. You must take the books down, I suppose,
Dombey, one by one, and perfect yourself in the day's instalment of subject A,
before you turn at all to subject B. And now take away the top book, if you
please, Dombey, and return when you are master of the theme.«
    Miss Blimber expressed her opinions on the
