Sketches by Boz - Penn State University

Charles Dickens‘I will, sir.’‘Make way, gentlemen,—pray make way for the Members,I beg of you!’ shouts the zealous officer, turning‘You won’t, sir.’‘Go out, sir.’back, and preceding a whole string of the liberal and‘Take your hands off me, sir.’independent.‘Go out of the passage, sir.’You see this ferocious-looking gentleman, with a complexionalmost as sallow as his linen, and whose large‘You’re a Jack-in-office, sir.’‘A what?’ ejaculates he of the boots.black moustache would give him the appearance of a‘A Jack-in-office, sir, and a very insolent fellow,’ reiteratesthe stranger, now completely in a passion. sessed the thought which is communicated to thosefigure in a hairdresser’s window, if his countenance pos-‘Pray do not force me to put you out, sir,’ retorts the waxen caricatures of the human face divine. He is aother —‘pray do not—my instructions are to keep this militia-officer, and the most amusing person in thepassage clear—it’s the Speaker’s orders, sir.’House. Can anything be more exquisitely absurd than‘D-n the Speaker, sir!’ shouts the intruder.the burlesque grandeur of his air, as he strides up to the‘Here, Wilson!—Collins!’ gasps the officer, actually paralysedat this insulting expression, which in his mind cheap Dutch clock? He never appears without that bundlelobby, his eyes rolling like those of a Turk’s head in ais all but high treason; ‘take this man out—take him of dirty papers which he carries under his left arm, andout, I say! How dare you, sir?’ and down goes the unfortunateman five stairs at a time, turning round at every estimates for 1804, or some equally important docu-which are generally supposed to be the miscellaneousstoppage, to come back again, and denouncing bitter ments. He is very punctual in his attendance at thevengeance against the commander-in-chief, and all his House, and his self-satisfied ‘He-ar-He-ar,’ is notsupernumeraries.unfrequently the signal for a general titter.153