Standing at this table,

I became conscious of the servile Pumblechook in a black cloak and

several yards of hatband, who was alternately stuffing himself, and

making obsequious movements to catch my attention. The moment he

succeeded, he came over to me (breathing sherry and crumbs), and

said in a subdued voice, "May I, dear sir?" and did. I then

descried Mr. and Mrs. Hubble; the last-named in a decent speechless

paroxysm in a corner. We were all going to "follow," and were all

in course of being tied up separately (by Trabb) into ridiculous

bundles.

"Which I meantersay, Pip," Joe whispered me, as we were being what

Mr. Trabb called "formed" in the parlour, two and two - and it was

dreadfully like a preparation for some grim kind of dance; "which I

meantersay, sir, as I would in preference have carried her to the

church myself, along with three or four friendly ones wot come to

it with willing harts and arms, but it were considered wot the

neighbours would look down on such and would be of opinions as it

were wanting in respect."

"Pocket-handkerchiefs out, all!" cried Mr. Trabb at this point, in a

depressed business-like voice. "Pocket-handkerchiefs out! We are

ready!"

So, we all put our pocket-handkerchiefs to our faces, as if our

noses were bleeding, and filed out two and two; Joe and I; Biddy

and Pumblechook; Mr. and Mrs. Hubble. The remains of my poor sister

had been brought round by the kitchen door, and, it being a point

of Undertaking ceremony that the six bearers must be stifled and

blinded under a horrible black velvet housing with a white border,

the whole looked like a blind monster with twelve human legs,

shuffling and blundering along, under the guidance of two keepers -

the postboy and his comrade.

The neighbourhood, however, highly approved of these arrangements,

and we were much admired as we went through the village; the more

youthful and vigorous part of the community making dashes now and

then to cut us off, and lying in wait to intercept us at points of

vantage. At such times the more exuberant among them called out in

an excited manner on our emergence round some corner of expectancy,

"Here they come!" "Here they are!" and we were all but cheered. In

this progress I was much annoyed by the abject Pumblechook, who,

being behind me, persisted all the way as a delicate attention in

arranging my streaming hatband, and smoothing my cloak. My thoughts

were further distracted by the excessive pride of Mr. and Mrs.

Hubble, who were surpassingly conceited and vainglorious in being

members of so distinguished a procession.

And now, the range of marshes lay clear before us, with the sails

of the ships on the river growing out of it; and we went into the

churchyard, close to the graves of my unknown parents, Philip

Pirrip, late of this parish, and Also Georgiana, Wife of the Above.

And there, my sister was laid quietly in the earth while the larks

sang high above it, and the light wind strewed it with beautiful

shadows of clouds and trees.

Of the conduct of the worldly-minded Pumblechook while this was

doing, I desire to say no more than it was all addressed to me; and

that even when those noble passages were read which remind humanity

how it brought nothing into the world and can take nothing out, and

how it fleeth like a shadow and never continueth long in one stay,

I heard him cough a reservation of the case of a young gentleman

who came unexpectedly into large property. When we got back, he had

the hardihood to tell me that he wished my sister could have known

I had done her so much honour, and to hint that she would have

considered it reasonably purchased at the price of her death. After

that, he drank all the rest of the sherry, and Mr. Hubble drank the

port, and the two talked (which I have since observed to be

customary in such cases) as if they were of quite another race from

the deceased, and were notoriously immortal.