. Bleak house . cient, solemn littlechurch it was. The windows, heavily shaded by trees, admitted asubdued light that made the faces around me jjale, and darkenedthe old brasses in the pavement, and the time and damp-wornmonuments, and rendered the sunshine in the little porch, where amonotonous ringer was working at the bell, inestimably a stir in that direction, a gathering of reverential awe in therustic faces, and a, blandly-ferocious assumption on the part of of being resolutely unconscioias of somebodys existence,forewarned me that the great people were come, and t
. Bleak house . cient, solemn littlechurch it was. The windows, heavily shaded by trees, admitted asubdued light that made the faces around me jjale, and darkenedthe old brasses in the pavement, and the time and damp-wornmonuments, and rendered the sunshine in the little porch, where amonotonous ringer was working at the bell, inestimably a stir in that direction, a gathering of reverential awe in therustic faces, and a, blandly-ferocious assumption on the part of of being resolutely unconscioias of somebodys existence,forewarned me that the great people were come, and that the servicewas going to begin. Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord, for in thysight Shall I ever forget the rapid beating at my heart, occasioned bythe look I met, as I stood up ! Sliall I ever forget the manner inwhich those handsome proud eyes seemed to spring out of theirlanguor, and to hold mine ! It was only a moment before I castmine down — released again, if I may say so — on my book;. r v/;//^ I 284 BLEAK HOUSE. but, I knew the beautiful face quite well, in that short space oftime. And, very strangely, there was something quickened within me,associated with the lonely days at my godmothers; yes, away evento the days when I had stood on tiptoe to dress myself at my littleglass, after dressing my doll. And this, although I had never seenthis ladys face before in all my life — I was quite sure of it —absolutely certain. It was easy to know that the ceremonious, gouty, grey-hairedgentleman, the only other occupant of the great pew, was SirLeicester Dedlock; and that the lady was Lady Dedlock. But ?why her face should be, in a confused way, like a broken glass to Ime, in which I saw scraps of old remembrances ; and why I shouldbe so fluttered and troubled (for I was still), by having casuallymet her eyes; I could not think. I felt it to be an unmeaning weakness in me, and I tried to over-come it by attending to the words I heard. Then, very strangely
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectinheritanceandsuccession, bookyear18
