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The chafing and firing of that girl, the wearing and tearing of that girl within her own breast, has been such that I have softly said to her again and again in passing her, "Five-and-twenty, Tattycoram, five-and-twenty!" I heartily wish she could have gone on counting five-and-twenty day and night, and then it wouldn't have happened.
The name of Beadle being out of the question, and the originator of the Institution for these poor foundlings having been a blessed creature of the name of Coram, we gave that name to Pet's little maid. At one time she was Tatty, and at one time she was Coram, until we got into a way of mixing the two names together, and now she is always Tattycoram.
She might have counted a dozen, when she bent and put her lips to the caressing hand. It patted her cheek, as it touched the owner's beautiful curls, and Tattycoram went away. 'Now there, said Mr Meagles softly, as he gave a turn to the dumb-waiter on his right hand to twirl the sugar towards himself. 'There's a girl who might be lost and ruined, if she wasn't among practical people.
'Not quite in a good temper, Tattycoram? suggested Mr Meagles, shaking his head at the dark eyes with a quiet caution. 'Take a little time count five-and-twenty, Tattycoram. She pressed her lips together again, and took a long deep breath.
To-morrow morning, Mother and Tattycoram will go down to Twickenham, where Mrs Tickit, sitting attended by Dr Buchan in the parlour-window, will think them a couple of ghosts; and I shall go abroad again for Doyce. We must have Dan here.
And that's the way we came by Tattycoram. 'And the name itself 'By George! said Mr Meagles, 'I was forgetting the name itself. Why, she was called in the Institution, Harriet Beadle an arbitrary name, of course.
The picture happened to be near a looking-glass. As Arthur looked at it again, he saw, by the reflection of the mirror, Tattycoram stop in passing outside the door, listen to what was going on, and pass away with an angry and contemptuous frown upon her face, that changed its beauty into ugliness. 'But come! said Mr Meagles. 'You have had a long walk, and will be glad to get your boots off.
What did we think she, Tattycoram, might have been if she had been caressed and cared for in her childhood, like her young mistress? As good as her? Ah! Perhaps fifty times as good. When we pretended to be so fond of one another, we exulted over her; that was what we did; we exulted over her and shamed her. And all in the house did the same.
Not that she had much to do, to do that, cried Tattycoram, in a closing great burst of distress, 'for I was as bad as bad could be. I only mean to say, that, after what I have gone through, I hope I shall never be quite so bad again, and that I shall get better by very slow degrees. I'll try very hard.
'I don't! said she, looking up again, and almost rending herself with the same busy hand. 'No, not now, perhaps, said Mr Meagles; 'not with that lady's eyes so intent upon you, Tattycoram, she glanced at them for a moment, 'and that power over you, which we see she exercises; not now, perhaps, but at another time.
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