carriage that was left them, and
alight alone and wander among the ruins of old Rome. The ruins of the vast old
Amphitheatre, of the old Temples, of the old commemorative Arches, of the old
trodden highways, of the old tombs, beside being what they were, to her, were
ruins of the old Marshalsea - ruins of her own old life - ruins of the faces and
forms that of old peopled it - ruins of its loves, hopes, cares, and joys. Two
ruined spheres of action and suffering were before the solitary girl often
sitting on some broken fragment; and in the lonely places, under the blue sky,
she saw them both together.
    Up, then, would come Mrs. General; taking all the colour out of everything,
as Nature and Art had taken it out of herself; writing Prunes and Prism, in Mr.
Eustace's text, wherever she could lay a hand; looking everywhere for Mr.
Eustace and company, and seeing nothing else; scratching up the driest little
bones of antiquity, and bolting them whole without any human visitings - like a
Ghoule in gloves.
 

                                  Chapter XVI

                                  Getting On.

The newly married pair, on their arrival in Harley Street, Cavendish Square,
London, were received by the Chief Butler. That great man was not interested in
them, but on the whole endured them. People must continue to be married and
given in marriage, or Chief Butlers would not be wanted. As nations are made to
be taxed, so families are made to be butlered. The Chief Butler, no doubt,
reflected that the course of nature required the wealthy population to be kept
up, on his account.
    He therefore condescended to look at the carriage from the Hall-door without
frowning at it, and said, in a very handsome way, to one of his men, »Thomas,
help with the luggage.« He even escorted the Bride up-stairs into Mr. Merdle's
presence; but, this must be considered as an act of homage to the sex (of which
he was an admirer, being notoriously captivated by the charms of a certain
Duchess), and not as a committal of himself with the family.
    Mr. Merdle was slinking about the hearthrug, waiting to welcome Mrs.
Sparkler. His hand seemed to retreat up his sleeve as he advanced to do so, and
he gave her such a superfluity of coat-cuff that it was like being received by
the popular conception of Guy Fawkes. When he put his lips to hers, besides, he
took himself into custody by the