Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXVII, August 1852, Vol. VVarious
History
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXVII, August 1852, Vol. V
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
Caddy went on to say, with considerable hesitation and reluctance,
that there was one thing more she wished us to know, and felt we
ought to know, and which, she hoped, would not offend us. It was,
that she had improved her acquaintance with Miss Flite, the little
crazy old lady; and that she frequently went there early in the
morning, and met her lover for a few minutes before breakfast--only
for a few minutes. "_I_ go there, at other times," said Caddy, "but
Prince does not come then. Young Mr. Turveydrop's name is Prince; I
wish it wasn't, because it sounds like a dog, but of course he
didn't christen himself. Old Mr. Turveydrop had him christened
Prince, in remembrance of the Prince Regent. Old Mr. Turveydrop
adored the Prince Regent on account of his Deportment. I hope you
won't think the worse of me for having made these little
appointments at Miss Flite's, where I first went with you; because I
like the poor thing for her own sake, and I believe she likes me. If
you could see young Mr. Turveydrop, I am sure you would think well
of him--at least, I am sure you couldn't possibly think any ill of
him. I am going there now, for my lesson. I couldn't ask you to go
with me, Miss Summerson; but if you would," said Caddy, who had
said all this, earnestly and tremblingly, "I should be very
glad--very glad."
It happened that we had arranged with my Guardian to go to Miss
Flite's that day. We had told him of our former visit, and our
account had interested him; but something had always happened to
prevent our going there again. As I trusted that I might have
sufficient influence with Miss Jellyby to prevent her taking any
very rash step, if I fully accepted the confidence she was so
willing to place in me, poor girl, I proposed that she, and I, and
Peepy, should go to the Academy, and afterward meet my guardian and
Ada at Miss Flite's--whose name I now learnt for the first time.
This was on condition that Miss Jellyby and Peepy should come back
with us to dinner. The last article of the agreement being joyfully
acceded to by both, we smartened Peepy up a little, with the
assistance of a few pins, some soap and water, and a hair-brush; and
went out: bending our steps toward Newman Street, which was very
near.
I found the academy established in a sufficiently dingy house at the
corner of an arch-way, with busts in all the staircase windows. In
the same house there were also established, as I gathered from the
plates on the door, a drawing-master, a coal-merchant (there was,
certainly, no room for his coals), and a lithographic artist. On the
plate which, in size and situation, took precedence of all the rest,
I read, MR. TURVEYDROP. The door was open, and the hall was blocked
up by a grand piano, a harp, and several other musical instruments
in cases, all in progress of removal, and all looking rakish in the
daylight. Miss Jellyby informed me that the academy had been lent,
last night, for a concert.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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