|
mr
tigg leaped gracefully out, followed by the managing director (who
was by this time very distant and respectful), and ascended the
stairs, still preceded by the porter, who cried as he went, 'by your
leave there! by your leave! the chairman of the board, gentle --
men! in like manner, but in a still more stentorian voice, he
ushered the chairman through the public office, where some
humble clients were transacting business, into an awful chamber,
labelled board-room; the door of which sanctuary immediately
closed, and screened the great capitalist from vulgar eyes. |
|
the board-room had a turkey carpet in it, a sideboard, a portrait of tigg montague, esquire, as chairman; a very imposing chair of office, garnished with an ivory hammer and a little hand-bell; and a long table, set out at intervals with sheets of blotting-paper,
foolscap, clean pens, and inkstands. |
| the chairman having taken his
seat with great solemnity, the secretary supported him on his right
hand, and the porter stood bolt upright behind them, forming a warm background of waistcoat. this was the board: everything else
being a light-hearted little fiction.
'let the medical officer know, with my compliments, that i wish to see him. by your leave there! by your leave!' he soon returned with the
gentleman in question; and at both openings of the board-room
door -- at his coming in and at his going out -- simple clients were
seen to stretch their necks and stand upon their toes, thirsting to catch the slightest glimpse of that mysterious chamber. |
| nothing at all the matter, and quite
comfortable? then take some lunch. a very wholesome thing at this time of day to strengthen the gastric juices with lunch, mr
montague.
'in mr crimple's leg, you'll observe,' pursued the doctor, turning
back his cuffs and spanning the limb with both hands, 'where mr
crimple's knee fits into the socket, here, there is that is to say,
between the bone and the socket -- a certain quantity of animal oil. in this portion of mr
crimple's leg, sir, there is a certain amount of animal oil. if mr crimple neglects his meals, or fails to take his proper quantity of rest, that oil wanes, and becomes
exhausted.
'we know a few secrets of nature in our profession, sir,' said the
doctor. we study for that; we pass the hall and
the college for that; and we take our station in society by that. |
| it's
extraordinary how little is known on these subjects generally. quite a popular mistake! my
good sir, you're altogether deceived.
there was a patient of mine once,' touching one of the many
mourning rings upon his fingers, and slightly bowing his head, 'a
gentleman who did me the honour to make a very handsome
mention of me in his will -- "in testimony," as he was pleased to say, "of the unremitting zeal, talent, and attention of my friend and
medical attendant, john jobling, esquire, m.," -- who was so
overcome by the idea of having all his life laboured under an erroneous view of the locality of this important organ, that when i
assured him on my professional reputation, he was mistaken, he
burst into tears, put out his hand, and said, "jobling, god bless you!"
immediately afterwards he became speechless, and was ultimately
buried at brixton. |
'the true life assurance, mr montague. we should be provident,
and eat and drink whenever we can. but the appearance of the porter and under-porter with a tray covered with a snow-white cloth, which, being thrown back,
displayed a pair of cold roast fowls, flanked by some potted meats
and a cool salad, quickly restored his good humour. |
| it was
enhanced still further by the arrival of a bottle of excellent
madeira, and another of champagne; and he soon attacked the
repast with an appetite scarcely inferior to that of the medical
officer.
the lunch was handsomely served, with a profusion of rich glass
plate, and china; which seemed to denote that eating and drinking
on a showy scale formed no unimportant item in the business of the
anglo-bengalee directorship. as it proceeded, the medical officer
grew more and more joyous and red-faced, insomuch that every
mouthful he ate, and every drop of wine he swallowed, seemed to impart new lustre to his eyes, and to light up new sparks in his
nose and forehead.
in certain quarters of the city and its neighbourhood, mr jobling
was, as we have already seen in some measure, a very popular
character. |
| he had a portentously sagacious chin, and a pompous
voice, with rich huskiness in some of tones that directly
to the heart, like ray of shining through the ruddy medium
of choice old burgundy. his neckerchief and shirt-frill were ever of whitest, his clothes of blackest and sleekest, his gold watch-
chain of heaviest, and his seals of largest. |
| his boots, which
were always of brightest, creaked as walked. perhaps he
could shake his head, rub his hands, or himself before a ,
better than any man alive; and he had a way of
his lips and saying, 'ah!. .. |