Chapter 37【1 / 3】

INWHICHTHEREADERMAYPERCEIVEACONTRAST，NOTUNCOMMONINMATRIMONIALCASES

Mr。Bumblesatintheworkhouseparlour，withhiseyesmoodilyfixedonthecheerlessgrate，whence，asitwassummertime，nobrightergleamproceeded，thanthereflectionofcertainsicklyraysofthesun，whichweresentbackfromitscoldandshiningsurface。Apaperfly-cagedangledfromtheceiling，towhichheoccasionallyraisedhiseyesingloomythought；and，astheheedlessinsectshoveredroundthegaudynet-work，Mr。Bumblewouldheaveadeepsigh，whileamoregloomyshadowoverspreadhiscountenance。Mr。Bumblewasmeditating；itmightbethattheinsectsbroughttomind，somepainfulpassageinhisownpastlife。

NorwasMr。Bumble'sgloomtheonlythingcalculatedtoawakenapleasingmelancholyinthebosomofaspectator。Therewerenotwantingotherappearances，andthosecloselyconnectedwithhisownperson，whichannouncedthatagreatchangehadtakenplaceinthepositionofhisaffairs。Thelacedcoat，andthecockedhat；wherewerethey？Hestillworeknee-breeches，anddarkcottonstockingsonhisnetherlimbs；buttheywerenot_the_breeches。Thecoatwaswide-skirted；andinthatrespectlike_the_coat，but，ohhowdifferent！Themightycockedhatwasreplacedbyamodestroundone。Mr。Bumblewasnolongerabeadle。

Therearesomepromotionsinlife，which，independentofthemoresubstantialrewardstheyoffer，requirepeculiarvalueanddignityfromthecoatsandwaistcoatsconnectedwiththem。Afield-marshalhashisuniform；abishophissilkapron；acounsellorhissilkgown；abeadlehiscockedhat。Stripthebishopofhisapron，orthebeadleofhishatandlace；whatarethey？Men。Meremen。Dignity，andevenholinesstoo，sometimes，aremorequestionsofcoatandwaistcoatthansomepeopleimagine。

Mr。BumblehadmarriedMrs。Corney，andwasmasteroftheworkhouse。Anotherbeadlehadcomeintopower。Onhimthecockedhat，gold-lacedcoat，andstaff，hadallthreedescended。

‘Andto-morrowtwomonthsitwasdone！’saidMr。Bumble，withasigh。‘Itseemsaage。’

Mr。Bumblemighthavemeantthathehadconcentratedawholeexistenceofhappinessintotheshortspaceofeightweeks；butthesigh--therewasavastdealofmeaninginthesigh。

‘Isoldmyself，’saidMr。Bumble，pursuingthesametrainofrelection，‘forsixteaspoons，apairofsugar-tongs，andamilk-pot；withasmallquantityofsecond-handfurniture，andtwentypoundinmoney。Iwentveryreasonable。Cheap，dirtcheap！’

‘Cheap！’criedashrillvoiceinMr。Bumble'sear：‘youwouldhavebeendearatanyprice；anddearenoughIpaidforyou，Lordaboveknowsthat！’

Mr。Bumbleturned，andencounteredthefaceofhisinterestingconsort，who，imperfectlycomprehendingthefewwordsshehadoverheardofhiscomplaint，hadhazardedtheforegoingremarkataventure。

‘Mrs。Bumble，ma'am！’saidMr。Bumble，withasentimentalsternness。

‘Well！’criedthelady。

‘Havethegoodnesstolookatme，’saidMr。Bumble，fixinghiseyesuponher。（Ifshestandssuchaeyeasthat，‘saidMr。Bumbletohimself，’shecanstandanything。ItisaeyeIneverknewtofailwithpaupers。Ifitfailswithher，mypowerisgone。‘）

Whetheranexceedinglysmallexpansionofeyebesufficienttoquellpaupers，who，beinglightlyfed，areinnoveryhighcondition；orwhetherthelateMrs。Corneywasparticularlyproofagainsteagleglances；aremattersofopinion。Thematteroffact，is，thatthematronwasinnowayoverpoweredbyMr。Bumble'sscowl，but，onthecontrary，treateditwithgreatdisdain，andevenraisedalaughthereat，whichsoundedasthoughitweregenuine。

Onhearingthismostunexpectedsound，Mr。Bumblelooked，firstincredulous，andafterwardsamazed。Hethenrelapsedintohisformerstate；nordidherousehimselfuntilhisattentionwasagainawakenedbythevoiceofhispartner。

‘Areyougoingtositsnoringthere，allday？’inquiredMrs。Bumble。

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