Nubbles, as being an acquaintance of Nell's, and a kind and motherly person, to accompany him for the purpose of bringing the wanderers back. There being urgent need of haste in the matter, Kit is despatched for his mother. He does not find her at home, however, and feeling sure that she must, therefore, be at chapel, he takes his way to Little Bethel. It was not very easy to procure direction to the fold in question, as none of the neighbors were of the flock that resorted thither, and few knew any thing more of it than the name. At last, a gossip of Mrs. Nubbles's, who had accompanied her to chapel on one or two occasions, when a comfortable cup of tea had preceded her devotions, furnished the needful information; which Kit had no sooner obtained than he started off again. Little Bethel might have been nearer, and might have been in a straighter road, though, in that case, the reverend gentleman who presided over its congre. gation would have lost his favorite allusion to the crooked ways by which it was approached, and which enabled him to liken it to paradise itself, in contradistinction to the parish church, and the broad thoroughfare leading thereunto. Kit found it at last, after some trouble, and pausing at the door to take breath, that he might enter with becoming decency, passed into the chapel. It was not badly named in one respect, being, in truth, a particularly little Bethel, a Bethel of the smallest dimensions, with a small number of small pews, and a small pulpit in which a small gentleman (by trade a shoemaker, and by calling a divine) was delivering in a by no means small voice a by no means small sermon, judging of its dimensions by the condition of his audience, which, if their gross amount were but small, comprised a still smaller number of hearers, as the majority were slumbering. Among these was Kit's mother, who, finding it matter of extreme difficulty to keep her eyes open after the fatigues of last night, and feeling their inclination to doze strongly backed and seconded by the arguments of the preacher, had yielded to the drowsiness that overpowered her, and fallen asleep; though not so soundly but that she could from time to time utter a slight and almost inaudible groan, as if in recognition of the orator's doctrines. The baby in her arms was as fast asleep as she; and little Jacob, whose youth prevented him from recognizing in this prolonged spiritual nourishment any thing half as interesting as oysters, was alternately very fast asleep and very wide awake, as his inclination to slumber, or his terror of being personally alluded to in the discourse, gained the mastery over him. "And now I'm here," thought Kit, gliding into the nearest pew, which was opposite his mother's, and on the other side of the little aisle, "how am I ever to get at her, or persuade her to come out? I might as well be twenty miles off. She'll never wake till it's all over; and there goes the clock again! If he would but leave off for a minute, or if they 'd only sing!". - But there was little encouragement to believe that either event would happen for a couple of hours to come. The preacher went on telling them what he meant to convince them of before he had done; and it was clear, that if he only kept to one half of his promises, and forgot the other, he was good for that time, at least. In his desperation and restlessness Kit cast his eyes about the chapel, and, happening to let them fall upon a little seat in front of the clerk's desk, could scarcely believe them when they showed him-Quilp! -If I must do it open. I must though Eh Wit that he walked softly aut of his pew, and int iis mothers and a- li- servelle would have observed if be had beer presem⚫ colaved the DWY vinou" speaking & Wor Hush, mother whispered ELL to tell you." - Where am I said Mrs Kubbies Cont along will me: I 've got something →In this biesset Litta Bethe." returned her sot peevishly. "Blessed indeed cried Mrs Nuhtes, catching at the word. *0 Christe pher, how have I beer edited this gin → Yes, yes, I know,” said Ett hastir. But come along, mother: everybody s looking at us. Don't make & noise bring Jacob that right!" Stay, Satan, stay cried the preacher as Eit was moving off. “The gentlemaL SBYS VOL TE 10 stay. Christopher." whispered his mother. roared the preacher again - Temp: not the woman that doth incline her ear to thee, but hearker to the voice of him that calleth. He hath a lamb from the fold cried the preacher, raising his voice still higher, and pointing to the baby. He beareti of a lamb a precious lamb! He goeth about like a wolf in the night-season, and inveigiezh the tender lambs!" Kit was the best-tempered fellow in the world. but considering this strong language, and being somewhat excited by the circumstances in which he was placed, be faced round on the pulpit with the baby in his arms, and replied loud. "No; I don't. He's my brother!" "He's my brother!” cried the preacher. "He is n't," said Kit indignantly. How can you say such a thing? And don't all me names, if you please: what harm have I done? I should n't have come He rubbed them twice or thrice; but still they insisted that Quilp was there: and there, indeed, he was, sitting with his hands upon his knees, and his hat between them on a little wooden bracket, with the accustomed grin on his dirty face, and his eyes fixed upon the ceiling. He certainly did not glance at Kit or at his mother, and appeared utterly unconscious of their presence; still Kit could not help feeling, directly, that the attention of the sly little fiend was fastened upon them, and upon nothing else. But astounded as he was by the apparition of the dwarf among the Little Bethelites, and not free from a misgiving that it was the forerunner of some trouble or annoyance, he was compelled to subdue his wonder, and to take active measures for the withdrawal of his parent, as the evening was now creeping on, and the matter grew serious. Therefore, the next time little Jacob woke, Kit set himself to attract his wandering attention; and, this not being a very difficult task (one sneeze effected it), he signed to him to rouse his mother. Ill-luck would have it, however, that, just then, the preacher, in a forcible exposition of one head of his discourse, leaned over upon the pulpit-desk, so that very little more of him than his legs remained inside, and while he made vehement gestures with his right hand, and held on with his left, stared, or seemed to stare, straight into little Jacob's eyes, threatening him by his strained look and attitude (so it appeared to the child), that, if he so much as moved a muscle, he, the preacher, would be literally, and not figuratively, "down upon him" that instant. In this fearful state of things, distracted by the sudden appearance of Kit, and fascinated by the eyes of the preacher, the miserable Jacob sat bolt upright, wholly incapable of motion, strongly disposed to cry, but afraid to do so, and returning his pastor's gaze until his infant eyes seemed starting from their sockets. "If I must do it openly, I must," thought Kit. With that he walked softly out of his pew, and into his mother's, and, as Mr. Swiveller would have observed if he had been present, "collared" the baby without speaking a word. "Hush, mother!" whispered Kit. "Come along with me: I 've got something to tell you." "Where am I?" said Mrs. Nubbles. "In this blessed Little Bethel," returned her son peevishly. pher, how have I been edified this night!" "O Christo "Yes, yes, I know," said Kit hastily. "But come along, mother: everybody's looking at us. Don't make a noise; bring Jacob; that 's right!" "Stay, Satan, stay!" cried the preacher as Kit was moving off. "The gentleman says you 're to stay, Christopher," whispered his mother. "Stay, Satan, stay!" roared the preacher again. "Tempt not the woman that doth incline her ear to thee, but hearken to the voice of him that calleth. He hath a lamb from the fold!" cried the preacher, raising his voice still higher, and pointing to the baby. "He beareth off a lamb, a precious lamb! He gocth about like a wolf in the night-season, and inveigleth the tender lambs!" Kit was the best-tempered fellow in the world, but considering this strong language, and being somewhat excited by the circumstances in which he was placed, he faced round on the pulpit with the baby in his arms, and replied aloud, "No; I don't. He's my brother!" "He's my brother!" cried the preacher. "He is n't," said Kit indignantly. "How can you say such a thing? And don't mall me names, if you please: what harm have I done? I should n't have come |