The Washington herald., 1919-10-13
BLEAK HOUSE
By CHARLES DICKENS
Condensation by Wilder Dwight QUINN

The celebrated case Of Jarndyce and
Jarndyce had droned its way through
the dusty. musty Chancery Court in
London for how many years only a
few bewigged and fuzzy barristers
knew before /, Esther Summerson.
came to- feel something of its deaden-
ing touch. This scarecrow OF a suit
had become so complicated that no
man alive knew what 1t meant. IL
was once about an old Jarndyce will.
but was now only a question OF costs
and they were eating up the original
property every day. People were
dragged into It whether they would
or no. More than one tragedy it had
occasioned. I was told that Tom
Jarndyce. a despairing suitor. had
said one day Of Chancery: Its be-
ing roasted at a slow fire: it's being
stung to death by single bees; it's
being drowned by drops, it's going
mad by grains" And then he went
and shot himself But Chancery
brought me many strange experiences,
some bitter sorrows and a great hap
piness.
My childhood knew no mother. My
earliest recollection was of a kindly
woman who called herself my god
mother. Once / had asked her about
my real mother. and she had replied:
Your mother. Esther. il your dis
grace. and you were hers" When
my godmother died l was told by
kenge and Carboy. great London law
yers that a guardian had been ap-
pointed for me and that his name was
John Jarndyce: that he had been
asked to receive into his home a ward
Of the Chancery Court. a young lady.
and that I was to be her companion
and was to go to the Bleak House.
down in Hertfordshire. TO live. Then
first l met my beautiful darling, Ada
Clare. and her handsome distant
cousin. Richard Carstone (also a ward
in he terrible Chancery). a gay. un-
stable boy whose love Ada soon re-
turned-alas-for In the end they were
married and Richard. chasing the will
O. the wisp OF Jarndyce and Jarndyce.
passed Out Of the world forever
Through my guardian. a kindly.
hearty gentleman nearer 50 than 50.
perhaps. 1 met many people Of low
and high degree or the latter were
Sir Leicester Dedlock, and my Lady
Dedlock. great personages in rank
In London and a superb country es-
tate. Chesney Wold, of in Lincoln
shire. Sir Leicester had married for
love, rumor had 1t, a bit beneath him.
But my lady showed no signs of that.
She was proud, cold, naughty. they
said. with beauty still, not yet in its
autumn. Sir Leicester. twenty years
older. was a man of worthy presence.
ceremonious and stately. He had
supreme faith in two things: the
British aristocracy and Lady Dedlock.
My lady, was in Jarndyce and
Jarndyce through some almost for
gotten ancestor. One afternoon IN her
London mansion Mr.. Tulkinghorn, the
family lawyer. was with her In con-
nection with the case. Mr.. Tulkfng-
horn, came to know. was . rusty,
silent man. The butler Of the legal
cellars Of the Dediocks: grown rich
out Of afistocratic marriage settle
ments and aristocratic wins; an oyster
Of the old school whom nobody could
open.
who copied thatr" cried my lady
impulsfvely, as she caught sight Of
some handwriting on q legal docu-
ment before her why do you ask?''
queried the keen lawyer. struck by
her animation and unusual tone.
Anything to vary this detestable
tmonotony." she returned, then tainted.
With Mr.. Tulkinshorn to wonder at
anything was to investigate 1t. Why
had my lady asked about that hand
writing! Why had she tainted? Per-
haps Snagsby, the law stationer.
who had had these papers copied.
could enlighten him. Yes. Snagsby
knew. II was the work of q
gloomy. poverty-stricken recluse
calling himself Memo and lodging
over one villainous Krooks' rag
and bottle shop. Thither they go
and mp into the squalid chamber. Ne
mo Is lying on his wretched bed, his
eyes staring. his body motionless.
God save us, he Is deadi" exclaimed
Mr.. Tulkinghorn.
1 heard Of the inquest through Mr..
Guppy, q shrewd young lawyer who
made hopeless calf-love to me. The
only witness who seemed to have
known the dead man was 10, q for
lorn boy crossing-sweeper, and he
knew little except "'E wos good to
me. e wos." But Mr.. Tulkinghorn
docketed Jo for further use-mean-
time: 7 have seen the man whose
handwriting attracted your atten-
tion." he wrote Lady Dedlock. And
soon after. on q visit to Cresney
Wold: Il found him-dead," he
tells my Lady face to face. And
whether each evermor1 watches
and suspects the other; what each
would give to know how much the
other knows-all this is hidden for .
time In their own hearts
The faithful Mr. Guppy. whom ]