This almost confirmed John in his suspicion; so, not taking what had passed into any serious account, he resumed his former cheerful manner, and assisted by Mrs. Gamp and Betsey Prig, conducted Lewsome down-stairs to the coach: just then upon the point of starting. Poll Sweedlepipe was at the door with his arms tight folded and his eyes wide open, and looked on with absorbing interest, while the sick man was slowly moved into the vehicle. His bony hands and haggard face impressed Poll wonderfully; and he informed Mr. Bailey in confidence, that he wouldn't have missed seeing him for a pound. Mr. Bailey, who was of a different constitution, remarked that he would have stayed away for five shillings.
It was a troublesome matter to adjust Mrs. Gamp's luggage to her satisfaction; for every package belonging to that lady had the inconvenient property of requiring to be put in a boot by itself, and to have no other luggage near it, on pain of actions at law for heavy damages against the proprietors of the coach. The umbrella with the circular patch was particularly hard to be got rid of, and several times thrust out its battered brass nozzle from improper crevices and chinks, to the great terror of the other passengers.
Indeed, in her intense anxiety to find a haven of refuge for this chattel, Mrs. Gamp so often moved it, in the course of five minutes, that it seemed not one umbrella but fifty. At length it was lost, or said to be; and for the next five minutes she was face to face with the coachman, go wherever he might, protesting that it should be `made good,' though she took the question to the House of Commons.
At last, her bundle, and her patterns, and her basket, and everything else, being disposed of, she took a friendly leave of Poll and Mr. Bailey, dropped a curtsey to John Westlock, and parted as from a cherished member of the sisterhood with Betsey Prig.
`Wishin you lots of sickness, my darlin creetur,' Mrs. Gamp observed, `and good places. It won't be long, I hope, afore we works together, off and on, again, Betsey; and may our next meetin' be at a large family's, where they all takes it reg'lar, one from another, turn and turn about, and has it business-like.'
`I don't care how soon it is,' said Mrs. Prig; `nor how many weeks it lasts.'
Mrs. Gamp with a reply in a congenial spirit was backing to the coach, when she came in contact with a lady and gentleman who were passing along the footway.
`Take care, take care here!' cried the gentleman. `Halloo! My dear!
Why, it's Mrs. Gamp!'
`What, Mr. Mould!' exclaimed the nurse. `And Mrs. Mould! who would have thought as we should ever have a meetin' here, I'm sure!'
`Going out of town, Mrs. Gamp?' cried Mould. `That's unusual, isn't it?'
`It is unusual, sir,' said Mrs. Gamp. `But only for a day or two at most. The gent,' she whispered, `as I spoke about.'
`What, in the coach!' cried Mould. `The one you thought of recommending?
Very odd. My dear, this will interest you. The gentleman that Mrs. Gamp thought likely to suit us is in the coach, my love.'
Mrs. Mould was greatly interested.
`Here, my dear. You can stand upon the door-step,' said Mould, `and take a look at him. Ha! There he is. Where's my glass? Oh! all right. I've got it. Do you see him, my dear?'
`Quite plain,' said Mrs. Mould.
`Upon my life you know, this is a very singular circumstance,' said Would, quite delighted. `This is the sort of thing, my dear, I wouldn't have missed on any account. It tickles one. It's interesting. It's almost a little play, you know. Ah! There he is! To be sure. Looks poorly, Mrs.
M., don't he?'
Mrs. Mould assented.
`He's coming our way, perhaps, after all,' said Mould. `Who knows! I feel as if I ought to show him some little attention, really. He don't seem a stranger to me. I'm very much inclined to move my hat, my dear.'
`He's looking hard this way,' said Mrs. Mould.
`Then I will!' cried Mould. `How d'ye do, sir! I wish you good day.
Ha! He bows too. Very gentlemanly. Mrs. Gamp has the cards in her pocket, I have no doubt. This is very singular, my dear--and very pleasant. I am not superstitious, but it really seems as if one was destined to pay him those little melancholy civilities which belong to our peculiar line of business. There can be no kind of objection to your kissing your hand to him, my dear.'
Mrs. Mould did so.
`Ha!' said Mould. `He's evidently gratified. Poor fellow! I am quite glad you did it, my love. Bye bye, Mrs. Gamp!' waving his hand. `There he goes; there he goes!'
So he did; for the coach rolled off as the words were spoken. Mr. and Mrs. Mould, in high good humour, went their merry way. Mr. Bailey retired with Poll Sweedlepipe as soon as possible; but some little time elapsed before he could remove his friend from the ground, owing to the impression wrought upon the barber's nerves by Mrs. Prig, whom he pronounced, in admiration of her beard, to be a woman of transcendent charms.
When the light cloud of bustle hanging round the coach was thus dispersed, Nadgett was seen in the darkest box of the Bull coffee-room, looking wistfully up at the clock--as if the man who never appeared were a little behind his time.