Oh dear, oh dear! I'm afraid I
shan't be here much longer, and when dear Mr Pontifex sees me in my
coffin he'll say, 'Poor old Jupp, she'll never talk broad any more'; but
bless you I'm not so old as all that, and I'm taking lessons in dancing."
At this moment Ernest came in and the conversation was changed. Mrs Jupp
asked if he was still going on writing more books now that this one was
done. "Of course I am," he answered, "I'm always writing books; here is
the manuscript of my next;" and he showed her a heap of paper.
"Well now," she exclaimed, "dear, dear me, and is that manuscript? I've
often heard talk about manuscripts, but I never thought I should live to
see some myself. Well! well! So that is really manuscript?"
There were a few geraniums in the window and they did not look well.
Ernest asked Mrs Jupp if she understood flowers. "I understand the
language of flowers," she said, with one of her most bewitching leers,
and on this we sent her off till she should choose to honour us with
another visit, which she knows she is privileged from time to time to do,
for Ernest likes her.
CHAPTER LXXXVI
And now I must bring my story to a close.
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