London and Paris, sir. A vast deal of travelling, sir, in Tellson and

Company’s House.”

“Yes. We are quite a French House, as well as an English one.”

“Yes, sir. Not much in the habit of such travelling yourself, I

think, sir?”

“Not of late years. It is fifteen years since wesince Icame

last from France.”

“Indeed, sir? That was before my time here, sir. Before our

people’s time here, sir. The George was in other hands at that

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics

time, sir.”

“I believe so.”

“But I would hold a pretty wager, sir, that a House like Tellson

and Company was flourishing, a matter of fifty, not to speak of

fifteen years ago?”

“You might treble that, and say a hundred and fifty, yet not be

far from the truth.”

“Indeed, sir!”

Rounding his mouth and both his eyes, as he stepped backward

from the table, the waiter shifted his napkin from his right arm to

his left, dropping into a comfortable attitude, and stood surveying

the guest while he ate and drank, as from an observatory or watchtower.

According to the immemorial usage of waiters in all ages.

When Mr. Lorry had finished his breakfast, he went out for a

stroll on the beach. The little narrow, crooked town of Dover hid

itself away from the beach, and ran its head into the chalk cliffs,