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The venerable inhabitants of that venerable pile seemed； in those times；
to be encamped there like a sort of civilised gipsies。 There was a
temporary air about their establishments； as if they were going away the
moment they could get anything better； there was also a dissatisfied air
about themselves； as if they took it very ill that they had not already
got something much better。 Genteel blinds and makeshifts were more or
less observable as soon as their doors were opened； screens not half
high enough； which made dining…rooms out of arched passages； and warded
off obscure corners where footboys slept at nights with their heads
among the knives and forks； curtains which called upon you to believe
that they didn't hide anything； panes of glass which requested you
not to see them； many objects of various forms； feigning to have no
connection with their guilty secret； a bed； disguised traps in walls；
which were clearly coal…cellars； affectations of no thoroughfares； which
were evidently doors to little kitchens。 Mental reservations and artful
mysteries grew out of these things。 Callers looking steadily into the
eyes of their receivers； pretended not to smell cooking three feet off；
people； confronting closets accidentally left open； pretended not to see
bottles； visitors with their heads against a partition of thin canvas；
and a page and a young female at high words on the other side； made
believe to be sitting in a primeval silence。 There was no end to the
small social acmodation…bills of this nature which the gipsies of
gentility were constantly drawing upon； and accepting for； one another。
Some of these Bohemians were of an irritable temperament； as constantly
soured and vexed by two mental trials： the first； the consciousness
that they had never got enough out of the public； the second； the
consciousness that the public were admitted into the building。 Under the
latter great wrong； a few suffered dreadfully……particularly on Sundays；
when they had for some time expected the earth to open and swallow
the public up； but which desirable event had not yet occurred； in
consequence of some reprehensible laxity in the arrangements of the
Universe。
Mrs Gowan's door was attended by a family servant of several years'
standing； who had his own crow to pluck with the public concerning a
situation in the Post…Office which he had been for some time expecting；
and to which he was not yet appointed。 He perfectly knew that the public
could never have got him in； but he grimly gratified himself with the
idea that the public kept him out。 Under the influence of this injury
（and perhaps of some little straitness and irregularity in the matter
of wages）； he had grown neglectful of his person and morose in mind；
and now beholding in Clennam one of the degraded body of his oppressors；
received him with ignominy。 Mrs Gowan； however； received him with
condescension。 He found her a courtly old lady； formerly a Beauty； and
still sufficiently well…favoured to have dispensed with the powder on
her nose and a certain impossible bloom under each eye。 She was a little
lofty with him； so was another old lady； dark…browed and high…nosed；
and who must have had something real about her or she could not have
existed； but it was certainly not her hair or her teeth or her figure
or her plexion； so was a grey old gentleman of dignified and sullen
appearance； both of whom had e to dinner。 But； as they had all
been in the British Embassy way in sundry parts of the earth； and as
a British Embassy cannot better establish a character with the
Circumlocution Office than by treating its patriots with illimitable
contempt （else it would bee like the Embassies of other countries）；
Clennam felt that on the whole they let him off lightly。
The dignified old gentleman turned out to be Lord Lancaster
Stiltstalking； who had been maintained by the Circumlocution Office for
many years as a representative of the Britannic Majesty abroad。
This noble Refrigerator had iced several European courts in his time；
and had done it with such plete success that the very name of
Englishman yet struck cold to the stomachs of foreigners who had the
distinguished honour of remembering him at a distance of a quarter of a
century。
He was now in retirement； and hence （in a ponderous white cravat； like
a stiff snow…drift） was so obliging as to shade the dinner。 There was a
whisper of the pervading Bohemian character in the nomadic nature of
the service and its curious races of plates and dishes； but the noble
Refrigerator； infinitely better than plate or porcelain； made it superb。
He shaded the dinner； cooled the wines； chilled the gravy； and blighted
the vegetables。
There was only one other person in the room： a microscopically small
footboy； who waited on the malevolent man who hadn't got into the
Post…Office。 Even this youth； if his jacket could have been unbuttoned
and his heart laid bare； would have been seen； as a distant adherent of
the Barnacle family； already to aspire to a situation under Government。
Mrs Gowan with a gentle melancholy upon her； occasioned by her son's
being reduced to court the swinish public as a follower of the low Arts；
instead of asserting his birthright and putting a ring through its nose
as an acknowledged Barnacle； headed the conversation at dinner on the
evil days。 It was then that Clennam learned for the first time what
little pivots this great world goes round upon。
'If John Barnacle；' said Mrs Gowan； after the degeneracy of the times
had been fully ascertained； 'if John Barnacle had but abandoned his most
unfortunate idea of conciliating the mob； all would have been well； and
I think the country would have been preserved。' The old lady with the
high nose assented； but added that if Augustus Stiltstalking had in a
general way ordered the cavalry out with instructions to charge； she
thought the country would have been preserved。
The noble Refrigerator assented； but added that if William Barnacle and
Tudor Stiltstalking； when they came over to one another and formed
their ever…memorable coalition； had boldly muzzled the newspapers；
and rendered it penal for any Editor…person to presume to discuss the
conduct of any appointed authority abroad or at home； he thought the
country would have been preserved。
It was agreed that the country （another word for the Barnacles and
Stiltstalkings） wanted preserving； but how it came to want preserving
was not so clear。 It was only clear that the question was all about
John Barnacle； Augustus Stiltstalking； William Barnacle and Tudor
Stiltstalking； Tom； Dick； or Harry Barnacle or Stiltstalking； because
there was nobody else but mob。 And this was the feature of the
conversation which impressed Clennam； as a man not used to it； very
disagreeably： making him doubt if it were quite right to sit there；
silently hearing a great nation narrowed to such little bounds。
Remembering； however； that in the Parliamentary debates； whether on the
life of that nation's body or the life of its soul； the question was
usually all about and between John Barnacle； Augustus Stiltstalking；
William Barnacle and Tudor Stiltstalking； Tom； Dick； or Harry Barnacle
or Stiltstalking； and nobody else； he said nothing on the part of mob；
bethinking himself that mob was used to it。
Mr Henry Gowan seemed to have a malicious pleasure in playing off the
three talkers against each other； and in seeing Clennam startled by what
they said。 Having as supreme a contempt for the class that had thrown
him off as for the class that had not taken him on； he had no personal
disquiet in anything that passed。 His healthy state of mind appeared
even to derive a gratification from Clennam's position of embarrassment
and isolation among the good pany； and if Clennam had been in that
condition with which Nobody was incessantly contending； he would have
suspected it； and would have struggled with the suspicion as a meanness；
even while he sat at the table。
In the course of a couple of hours the noble Refrigerator； at no time
less than a hundred years behind the period； got about five centuries
in arrears； and delivered solemn political oracles approp