"Mr. Dombey meets Edith" by Harry Furniss — twelfth illustration for Dickens's "Dombey and Son" (1910)

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Mr. Dombey meets Edith

Harry Furniss

1910

14.4 x 10 cm, vignetted

Dickens's Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son: Wholesale, Retail, and for Exportation, the Charles Dickens Library Edition, IX, facing 289.

"Suffer old Joe to present a friend, Ma’am," said the Major. "Mr. Dombey, Mrs. Skewton." The lady in the chair was gracious. "Mr. Dombey, Mrs. Granger." The lady with the parasol was faintly conscious of Mr. Dombey’s taking off his hat, and bowing low.

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Passage Illustrated: A Consquential Meeting

"Why, what the devil have we here, Sir!" cried the Major, stopping as this little cavalcade drew near.

"My dearest Edith!" drawled the lady in the chair, "Major Bagstock!"

The Major no sooner heard the voice, than he relinquished Mr Dombey’s arm, darted forward, took the hand of the lady in the chair and pressed it to his lips. With no less gallantry, the Major folded both his gloves upon his heart, and bowed low to the other lady. And now, the chair having stopped, the motive power became visible in the shape of a flushed page pushing behind, who seemed to have in part outgrown and in part out-pushed his strength, for when he stood upright he was tall, and wan, and thin, and his plight appeared the more forlorn from his having injured the shape of his hat, by butting at the carriage with his head to urge it forward, as is sometimes done by elephants in Oriental countries.

"Joe Bagstock," said the Major to both ladies, "is a proud and happy man for the rest of his life."

"You false creature!" said the old lady in the chair, insipidly. "Where do you come from? I can’t bear you."

"Then suffer old Joe to present a friend, Ma’am," said the Major, promptly, "as a reason for being tolerated. Mr. Dombey, Mrs. Skewton." The lady in the chair was gracious. "Mr. Dombey, Mrs. Granger." The lady with the parasol was faintly conscious of Mr. Dombey’s taking off his hat, and bowing low. "I am delighted, Sir," said the Major, "to have this opportunity." [Chapter 21, "New Faces," 295]

Parallel Scenes from Other Editions (1852, 1867, and 1877)

Right: Fred Barnard's Household Edition illustration of the Major's encountering Dombey in the street: "Take advice from plain old Joe, and never educate that sort of people, sir." (1877). Centre: Phiz's second s tudy of the Major's introducing Edith to Dombey: Major Bagstock is delighted to have that opportunity (April 1847).

Left: Sol Eytinge, Junior's study of the bluff retired military man and his colonial man-servant: Major Bagstock and The Native (1867). Centre: Clayton J. Clarke's Player's Cigarette Card No. 7 watercolour study, Major Bagstock (1910). Right: Barnard's realisation of Dombey's initiating a social relationship with Edith Granger: Withers the Wan, at this period, handing round the tea, Mr. Dombey again addressed himself tro Edith (1877).

Related Material, including Other Illustrated Editions of Dombey and Son

Bibliography

Dickens, Charles. Dombey and Son. Illustrated by Fred Barnard. 61 wood-engravings. The Household Edition. 22 vols. London: Chapman and Hall, 1877. XV.

_______. Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son: Wholesale, Retail, and for Exportation. Illustrated by Harry Furniss. The Charles Dickens Library Edition. London: Educational Book Company, 1910. IX.

Last modified 1 January 2021