-
Главная
-
- Книги
-
- Авторы
-
- Чарльз Диккенс
-
- Лавка древностей
-
- Стр. 199/459
Для того чтобы воспользоваться озвучкой предложений, необходимо
Войти или зарегистрироваться
Озвучка предложений доступна при наличии PRO-доступа
Купить PRO-доступ
Of
these
,
one
was
Mr
Brass
himself
,
who
has
already
appeared
in
these
pages
.
The
other
was
his
clerk
,
assistant
,
housekeeper
,
secretary
,
confidential
plotter
,
adviser
,
intriguer
,
and
bill
of
cost
increaser
,
Miss
Brass
—
a
kind
of
amazon
at
common
law
,
of
whom
it
may
be
desirable
to
offer
a
brief
description
.
Miss
Sally
Brass
,
then
,
was
a
lady
of
thirty
-
five
or
thereabouts
,
of
a
gaunt
and
bony
figure
,
and
a
resolute
bearing
,
which
if
it
repressed
the
softer
emotions
of
love
,
and
kept
admirers
at
a
distance
,
certainly
inspired
a
feeling
akin
to
awe
in
the
breasts
of
those
male
strangers
who
had
the
happiness
to
approach
her
.
In
face
she
bore
a
striking
resemblance
to
her
brother
,
Sampson
—
so
exact
,
indeed
,
was
the
likeness
between
them
,
that
had
it
consorted
with
Miss
Brass
’
s
maiden
modesty
and
gentle
womanhood
to
have
assumed
her
brother
’
s
clothes
in
a
frolic
and
sat
down
beside
him
,
it
would
have
been
difficult
for
the
oldest
friend
of
the
family
to
determine
which
was
Sampson
and
which
Sally
,
especially
as
the
lady
carried
upon
her
upper
lip
certain
reddish
demonstrations
,
which
,
if
the
imagination
had
been
assisted
by
her
attire
,
might
have
been
mistaken
for
a
beard
.
These
were
,
however
,
in
all
probability
,
nothing
more
than
eyelashes
in
a
wrong
place
,
as
the
eyes
of
Miss
Brass
were
quite
free
from
any
such
natural
impertinencies
.
In
complexion
Miss
Brass
was
sallow
—
rather
a
dirty
sallow
,
so
to
speak
—
but
this
hue
was
agreeably
relieved
by
the
healthy
glow
which
mantled
in
the
extreme
tip
of
her
laughing
nose
.
Her
voice
was
exceedingly
impressive
—
deep
and
rich
in
quality
,
and
,
once
heard
,
not
easily
forgotten
.
Her
usual
dress
was
a
green
gown
,
in
colour
not
unlike
the
curtain
of
the
office
window
,
made
tight
to
the
figure
,
and
terminating
at
the
throat
,
where
it
was
fastened
behind
by
a
peculiarly
large
and
massive
button
.
Feeling
,
no
doubt
,
that
simplicity
and
plainness
are
the
soul
of
elegance
,
Miss
Brass
wore
no
collar
or
kerchief
except
upon
her
head
,
which
was
invariably
ornamented
with
a
brown
gauze
scarf
,
like
the
wing
of
the
fabled
vampire
,
and
which
,
twisted
into
any
form
that
happened
to
suggest
itself
,
formed
an
easy
and
graceful
head
-
dress
.
Such
was
Miss
Brass
in
person
.
In
mind
,
she
was
of
a
strong
and
vigorous
turn
,
having
from
her
earliest
youth
devoted
herself
with
uncommon
ardour
to
the
study
of
law
;
not
wasting
her
speculations
upon
its
eagle
flights
,
which
are
rare
,
but
tracing
it
attentively
through
all
the
slippery
and
eel
-
like
crawlings
in
which
it
commonly
pursues
its
way
.
Nor
had
she
,
like
many
persons
of
great
intellect
,
confined
herself
to
theory
,
or
stopped
short
where
practical
usefulness
begins
;
inasmuch
as
she
could
ingross
,
fair
-
copy
,
fill
up
printed
forms
with
perfect
accuracy
,
and
,
in
short
,
transact
any
ordinary
duty
of
the
office
down
to
pouncing
a
skin
of
parchment
or
mending
a
pen
.
It
is
difficult
to
understand
how
,
possessed
of
these
combined
attractions
,
she
should
remain
Miss
Brass
;
but
whether
she
had
steeled
her
heart
against
mankind
,
or
whether
those
who
might
have
wooed
and
won
her
,
were
deterred
by
fears
that
,
being
learned
in
the
law
,
she
might
have
too
near
her
fingers
’
ends
those
particular
statutes
which
regulate
what
are
familiarly
termed
actions
for
breach
,
certain
it
is
that
she
was
still
in
a
state
of
celibacy
,
and
still
in
daily
occupation
of
her
old
stool
opposite
to
that
of
her
brother
Sampson
.
And
equally
certain
it
is
,
by
the
way
,
that
between
these
two
stools
a
great
many
people
had
come
to
the
ground
.
One
morning
Mr
Sampson
Brass
sat
upon
his
stool
copying
some
legal
process
,
and
viciously
digging
his
pen
deep
into
the
paper
,
as
if
he
were
writing
upon
the
very
heart
of
the
party
against
whom
it
was
directed
;
and
Miss
Sally
Brass
sat
upon
her
stool
making
a
new
pen
preparatory
to
drawing
out
a
little
bill
,
which
was
her
favourite
occupation
;
and
so
they
sat
in
silence
for
a
long
time
,
until
Miss
Brass
broke
silence
.
‘
Have
you
nearly
done
,
Sammy
?
’
said
Miss
Brass
;
for
in
her
mild
and
feminine
lips
,
Sampson
became
Sammy
,
and
all
things
were
softened
down
.
‘
No
,
’
returned
her
brother
.
‘
It
would
have
been
all
done
though
,
if
you
had
helped
at
the
right
time
.
’
‘
Oh
yes
,
indeed
,
’
cried
Miss
Sally
;
‘
you
want
my
help
,
don
’
t
you
?
—
you
,
too
,
that
are
going
to
keep
a
clerk
!
’
‘
Am
I
going
to
keep
a
clerk
for
my
own
pleasure
,
or
because
of
my
own
wish
,
you
provoking
rascal
!
’
said
Mr
Brass
,
putting
his
pen
in
his
mouth
,
and
grinning
spitefully
at
his
sister
.
‘
What
do
you
taunt
me
about
going
to
keep
a
clerk
for
?
’
