"Let us have no turning out"
W. H. C. Groome
1900
12 x 8.2 cm, framed
Lithograph
Dickens's Dombey and Son (pp. 426 + 422), facing vol. 2, 57.
[Click on image to enlarge it.]
Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham.
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Passage Illustrated: Captain Cuttle is taken aback by James Carker
"I tell you what, Captain Cuttle," said the Manager, shaking his forefinger at him, and showing him all his teeth, but still amiably smiling, "I was much too lenient with you when you came here before. You belong to an artful and audacious set of people. In my desire to save young what’s-his-name from being kicked out of this place, neck and crop, my good Captain, I tolerated you; but for once, and only once. Now, go, my friend!"
The Captain was absolutely rooted to the ground, and speechless —
"Go," said the good-humoured Manager, gathering up his skirts, and standing astride upon the hearth-rug, "like a sensible fellow, and let us have no turning out, or any such violent measures. If Mr. Dombey were here, Captain, you might be obliged to leave in a more ignominious manner, possibly. I merely say, Go!"
The Captain, laying his ponderous hand upon his chest, to assist himself in fetching a deep breath, looked at Mr. Carker from head to foot, and looked round the little room, as if he did not clearly understand where he was, or in what company.
"You are deep, Captain Cuttle," pursued Carker, with the easy and vivacious frankness of a man of the world who knew the world too well to be ruffled by any discovery of misdoing, when it did not immediately concern himself, "but you are not quite out of soundings, either — neither you nor your absent friend, Captain. What have you done with your absent friend, hey?"
Again the Captain laid his hand upon his chest. After drawing another deep breath, he conjured himself to "stand by!" But in a whisper.
"You hatch nice little plots, and hold nice little councils, and make nice little appointments, and receive nice little visitors, too, Captain, hey?" said Carker, bending his brows upon him, without showing his teeth any the less: "but it’s a bold measure to come here afterwards. Not like your discretion! You conspirators, and hiders, and runners-away, should know better than that. Will you oblige me by going?"
"My lad," gasped the Captain, in a choked and trembling voice, and with a curious action going on in the ponderous fist; "there’s a many words I could wish to say to you, but I don’t rightly know where they’re stowed just at present. My young friend, Wal’r, was drownded only last night, according to my reckoning, and it puts me out, you see. But you and me will come alongside o’one another again, my lad," said the Captain, holding up his hook, "if we live."
"It will be anything but shrewd in you, my good fellow, if we do," returned the Manager, with the same frankness; "for you may rely, I give you fair warning, upon my detecting and exposing you. I don’t pretend to be a more moral man than my neighbours, my good Captain; but the confidence of this House, or of any member of this House, is not to be abused and undermined while I have eyes and ears. Good day!" said Mr. Carker, nodding his head. [Chapter 32, "The Wooden Midshipman goes to Pieces," vol. 2, pages 33-34]
Other Illustrators' Depictions of Major Bagstock and The Native (1847 to 1910)
Left: Sol Eytinge, Jr.'s portrait of the sly, ever-smiling Manager: Mr. Carker (1867). Centre: The kindly old salt is flabbergasted
when he confronts Carker asbout the news of Walter's being reported lost at sea: "Go," said the good-humored manager, gathering up his skirts, and
standing astride on the hearth-rug, "like a sensible fellow, and let us have no turning
out, or any such violent measures." (1877). Right: Eytinge's character study of
the genial old salt of Brig
Related Material
- Dombey and Son (homepage)
- Phiz's 40 Illustrations for Dombey and Son (1846-48)
- Felix Octavius Carr Darley's Captain Cuttle . . . too his own [watch] down from the mantel-shelf for Volume 4 of Dombey and Son, Wholesale Retail & for Exportation, 1862
- Sol Eytinge, Junior's 16 Diamond Edition Illustrations (1867)
- Fred Barnard's 61 Illustrations for Dombey and Son, 1877
- Kyd's five Player's Cigarette Cards, 1910
- Harry Furniss's illustrations for the Charles Dickens Library Edition (1910)
- Harold Copping's Captain Cuttle's Bright Idea, 1924.
Bibliography
Dickens, Charles. Dombey and Son. Illustrated by W. H. C. Groome. London and Glasgow, 1900, rpt. 1934. 2 vols. in one.
Created 25 January 2021