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'How are we to-day, said Mr Pecksniff, jocosely, 'and what are our plans? Are we ready to go and see Tom Pinch's sister? Ha, ha, ha! Poor Thomas Pinch! 'Are we ready, returned Mrs Todgers, nodding her head with mysterious intelligence, 'to send a favourable reply to Mr Jinkins's round-robin? That's the first question, Mr Pecksniff.
Inside the fender were some half-dozen pairs of shoes and boots, of various sizes, just cleaned and turned with the soles upwards to dry; and a pair of short black gaiters, on one of which was chalked in sport, it would appear, by some gentleman who had slipped down for the purpose, pending his toilet, and gone up again 'Jinkins's Particular, while the other exhibited a sketch in profile, claiming to be the portrait of Jinkins himself.
Besides the three little windows, with seats in them, commanding the opposite archway, there was another window looking point blank, without any compromise at all about it into Jinkins's bedroom; and high up, all along one side of the wall was a strip of panes of glass, two-deep, giving light to the staircase. Here the gentlemen were all assembled.
There was a little chaffing going on I hope you don't consider that a low expression, Miss Pecksniff; it is always in our gentlemen's mouths a little chaffing going on, my dear, among 'em, all in good nature, when suddenly he rose up, foaming with his fury, and but for being held by three would have had Mr Jinkins's life with a bootjack. Miss Pecksniff's face expressed supreme indifference.
It commanded from a similar point of sight another angle of the wall, and another side of the cistern. 'Not the damp side, said Mrs Todgers. 'THAT is Mr Jinkins's. Having prepared breakfast for the young ladies with her own hands, she withdrew to preside in the other room; where the joke at Mr Jinkins's expense seemed to be proceeding rather noisily.
'Why Mr Jinkins's robin, my dear madam? asked Mr Pecksniff, putting one arm round Mercy, and the other round Mrs Todgers, whom he seemed, in the abstraction of the moment, to mistake for Charity. 'Why Mr Jinkins's? 'Because he began to get it up, and indeed always takes the lead in the house, said Mrs Todgers, playfully. 'That's why, sir.
Nor did he, by hurrying to and fro, disturb the repose of the assembly, as many well-trained servants do; on the contrary, feeling the hopelessness of waiting upon so large a party, he left the gentlemen to help themselves to what they wanted, and seldom stirred from behind Mr Jinkins's chair, where, with his hands in his pockets, and his legs planted pretty wide apart, he led the laughter, and enjoyed the conversation.
'Jinkins is a man of superior talents, observed Mr Pecksniff. 'I have conceived a great regard for Jinkins. I take Jinkins's desire to pay polite attention to my daughters, as an additional proof of the friendly feeling of Jinkins, Mrs Todgers. 'Well now, returned that lady, 'having said so much, you must say the rest, Mr Pecksniff; so tell the dear young ladies all about it.
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