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After the introductions were accomplished, Mrs. Blimber took Mr. Dombey upstairs to inspect the dormitories. While they were gone Paul sat upon the table, holding Florence by the hand, and glancing timidly from the doctor round and round the room, while the doctor held a book from him at arm’s length and read.

Presently Mr. Dombey and Mrs. Blimber returned.

“I hope, Mr. Dombey,” said the doctor laying down his book, “that the arrangements meet with your approval?”

“They are excellent, sir,” said Mr. Dombey, and added, “I think I have given all the trouble I need, and may now take my leave. Paul my child, good-bye.”

“Good-bye, papa.”

The limp and careless little hand, that Mr. Dombey took in his, was singularly out of keeping with the wistful little face. But he had no part in its sorrowful expression. It was not addressed to him. No, no! To Florence, all to Florence.

“I shall see you soon, Paul,” said Mr. Dombey, bending over to kiss the child. “You are free on Saturdays and Sundays, you know.”

“Yes, papa,” returned Paul, looking at his sister. “On Saturdays and Sundays.”

“And you’ll try and learn a great deal here and be a clever man,” said Mr. Dombey; “won’t you?”

“I’ll try,” said the boy, wearily, and then after his father had patted him on the head, and pressed his small hand again, and after he had one last long hug from Florence, he was left with the globes, the books, blind Homer and Minerva, while Doctor Blimber saw Mr. Dombey to the door.

After the lapse of some minutes, Doctor Blimber came back, and the doctor lifting his new pupil off the table delivered him over to Miss Blimber’s care. Miss Blimber received his young ward from the doctor’s hands; and Paul, feeling that the spectacles were surveying him, cast down his eyes.

“How much of your Latin Grammar do you know, Dombey?” said Miss Blimber.

“None of it,” answered Paul. Feeling that the answer was a shock to Miss Blimber’s sensibility he added:

“I haven’t been well. I have been a weak child. I couldn’t learn a Latin Grammar when I was out every day with old Glubb. I wish you would tell old Glubb to come and see me, if you please.”

“What a dreadful low name,” said Mrs. Blimber. “Unclassical to a degree! Who is the monster, child?”

“What monster!” inquired Paul.

“Glubb,” said Mrs. Blimber.

“He’s no more a monster than you are,” returned Paul.

“What!” cried the doctor, in a terrible voice. “Aye, aye, aye? Aha! What’s that?”

Paul was dreadfully frightened, but still he made a stand for the absent Glubb, though he did it trembling.

“He’s a very nice old man, ma’am,” he said. “He used to draw my couch; he knows all about the deep sea and the fish that are in it, and though old Glubb don’t know why the sea should make me think of my mama that’s dead, or what it is that it is always saying,–always saying, he knows a great deal about it.”

“Ha!” said the doctor, shaking his head: “this is bad, but study will do much. Take him round the house, Cornelia, and familiarise him with his new sphere. Go with that young lady, Dombey.”

Dombey obeyed, giving his hand to Cornelia, who took him first to the school-room. Here were eight young gentlemen in various stages of mental prostration, all very hard at work and very grave indeed. Toots, the oldest boy in the school, to whom Paul had previously been introduced, had a desk to himself in one corner, and a magnificent man of immense age, he looked in Paul’s eyes behind it.

The appearance of a new boy did not create the sensation that might have been expected. Mr. Feeder, B.A., gave him a bony hand and told him he was glad to see him, and then Paul, instructed by Miss Blimber shook hands with all the eight young gentlemen, at work against time. Then Cornelia led Paul upstairs to the top of the house: and there, in a front room looking over the wild sea, Cornelia showed him a nice little white bed with white hangings, close to the window, on which there was already written on a card in round text DOMBEY; while two other little bedsteads in the same room, were announced through the same means as belonging to BRIGGS and TOZER.