In a spacious room――sat Edith! In a spacious room――richly
furnished――but dim――dim――as her aching soul. Gorgeous curtains shut
out the light――the blessed light! It fell on all alike――that day――on
the infant in his cradle――on the dead man in his coffin. On the
kennel――on the palace――on Dombey straying away from Ball’s-pond――on
Perch looking after him fruitlessly (in public houses). On Mr. and
Mrs. Gay, and the Captain and Gills――all on the steamer’s deck going
to eat the marriage feast at a pleasant suburban tavern called the Red
House, Battersea――on Toots in the patent safety――on Carker with the
teeth, in a cell of Newgate. On all――on all! But on Mrs. Dombey.
There, there was darkness――darkness in the air――darkness in the
soul――darkness in the light! Dim――aching――lonely――alone! Alone! but
for her fearful thoughts! Which haunted her! Spectres――looming ghastly
gray in the gloom! Spectres with rods and serpents! Gnawing in her
soul――like unblessed things potent for evil and foul thoughts, and
things accursed of man! Out――out――awful shadows!
But she sat there――rigid――unmoved. The mortal and the immortal. Edith
and the shadows!
Suddenly a voice arose――cleaving the darkness――She listened――mechanically.
“A full, true, and particular account of the harrest of Mister Carker
of the ’ouse of Dombey and Son in the City on three distinct charges
hof forgery, perjury, and murder all for the small charge of one
halfpenny.”
She fell on her knees, That erring woman――on her knees and her hands
were uplifted, and on the bright face――tense and passion
strung――played strange awful thoughts!
The shadows gathered round her!
Her head drooped――dropped until with a sudden clash the marble
forehead smote the floor.
Still the shadows gathered round her! There was silence――but the low
deep roar of humanity――the surges of the million-peopled city――spoke
voiceless things in the summer air.
Listen to the music?
The shadows listened!
Edith lay on the floor beneath the music and the shadows! When the
people of the house came, they found her――――asleep!
“Ding-a-dong-a-ding-dong.” The echoes of the joy bells rung in the
ears of the wedding party, even after they had got by steamer――as far
as Hungerford. They were still there――lying close to the wooden
pier――when there was a great outcry and a confusion, and many shouts
of “He’s in――he’s in――a man in the river.” But the Cap’en was all
presence of mind.――He saw the struggling form! and clambering down to
the water by the paddle-wheel――with his hook――hooked it out. It was
Dombey!